Dunkirk Spitfire WIP update

[bazzar]

Final touches happening. Currently at work on the Mk1A "Battle of Britain" version which will come with it.

[Bradburger]

Looking good Baz.


Just a couple of quick observations though.


I notice for some reason the elevators are the extended horn balance type (Mod 789), and that the hydraulic tank is missing behind frame 11 (the frame behind the pilot's seat) on the right hand side. This was a feature of all MK.Is with a hand pumped hydraulic system, as fitted (and can be seen) on both P9374, and N3200.


I also note that the gun barrels have flash eliminators on them (and normally only on the outer 2 guns), but by the time of P9374, they would have been dispensed with.

Cheers

Paul

[bazzar]

Duely noted thanks Paul.

[YoYo]

Maybe the nexte something from Germany side or.... Japanese ?
Its a big leak of planes here... not any good Zero for example so no competitors here : ). The winner takes is all.

[eddie]

Nice looking Spitfire Baz! Any chance of an updated version of Baders Bus!?! LOL

[bazzar]

It is interesting that not too many people are aware of the Zero we built for Just Flight. It is the perfect partner for the JF Corsair or our Helldiver.

[bazzar]

Nice looking Spitfire Baz! Any chance of an updated version of Baders Bus!?! LOL

always a possibility....

[huub vink]

Great images of a beautiful model.

I love it!
Huub

[bazzar]

Hey Paul (bradburger) are you sure you mean right side? I see the oxy bottle there but not a hydraulic reservoir. Do you or anyone have a clear pic please? For some reason, I can't find one for this type of Spit. The gear control changed on the Mk1A. Also, are people going to be happy with 30 pumps to get the gear down?

[ftl818]

Hey Paul (bradburger) are you sure you mean right side? I see the oxy bottle there but not a hydraulic reservoir. Do you or anyone have a clear pic please? For some reason, I can't find one for this type of Spit. The gear control changed on the Mk1A. Also, are people going to be happy with 30 pumps to get the gear down?

Yes please, I would more than happy to pump the landing gear manually. Spitfire wobble! Please go for maximum authenticity. I think the hydraulic reservoir is mounted in the engine bay on the firewall, there is however an emergency carbon dioxde bottle on the right side of the cockpit. https://books.google.nl/books?id=wjO...aulics&f=false

Paul D

[Bradburger]

Hey Paul (bradburger) are you sure you mean right side? I see the oxy bottle there but not a hydraulic reservoir. Do you or anyone have a clear pic please? For some reason, I can't find one for this type of Spit. The gear control changed on the Mk1A. Also, are people going to be happy with 30 pumps to get the gear down?

Here you go Baz.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pmcNqrvSDpIlsslg1

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2LfyaV9bKMOUyUbn1


From a selection of pictures I took at Duxford in July 2016: -

https://photos.app.goo.gl/u2d3LvHE0ij3q2Ym1

And here's a link to a discussion on the subject: -

https://forum.keypublishing.com/show...unknown-device

Some of the Pictures are no longer showing, but there are some good ones lower down the thread.

Cheers

Paul

[bazzar]

Well thanks very much for clearing that up Paul. It would seem I have the later Mk1A voltage regulator where the hydro reservoir is on the early "pump-handle" Spitfire. So, the VR must go lower down behind the seat. All is now revealed and will be corrected along with the elevator. Thanks again.

[bazzar]

The Mk1A is now completed.

[bazzar]

couple more WIPs.

[bazzar]

Revised canopy etc on the Mk1

[blanston12]

Never did understand the half white half black paint scheme. I remember talking to someone at an air museum where they had as spit painted like that and the docent said it was so they could use it in both night and day, but to me it always seemed like the worst of both worlds.

[bazzar]

The Day/Night scheme as it was called, didn't stop at the airframe either, the oleo legs and wheels were also painted black/white. By late 1940 everything was an even "sky" colour. By mid-war they also dropped the "A" and "B" schemes for odd and even code numbers. BTW thankyou for a really engaging RTW trip, great fun to read.

[Bomber_12th]

The half black/half white lower surfaces was simply an early "IFF" friendly-foe identifier so that trigger-happy Allied gunners on the ground wouldn't shoot down Hurricanes and Spitfires thinking them to be enemy 109's (same concept as the ID bands and invasion stripes used later in the war) - as long as they saw the distinctive black/white lower surfaces, they'd know they were friendlies. As noted, the practice of painting the aircraft this way didn't last very long into WWII.

[Alan_A]

I'd understood the "day/night" scheme to be a recognition device, not camouflage.

Discussion of it in this post on WW2Aircraft.net.

EDIT: John beat me to it... or it was a photo finish...

According to the linked post, there was a move to reintroduce it in late '40/early '41. Apparently the RAF pilots thought it was useful for air-to-air recognition.

[Bomber_12th]

Such a great looking aircraft, and among the pinnacle of warbird restorations for the extreme depth and uncompromising level of accuracy - every detail of the aircraft is exactly as it was originally at the time it was forced to ditch on the beach near Calais during the Battle of France (down to the serial number on one of the prop blades, and all of the little white lines applied by the fasteners on all of the cowling panels, as well as the wing and fuselage access panels, allowing for quick assurance of proper fastening/correct angles of the fasteners). One of only two Mk.1 Spitfires flying with the original DH bracket propeller, early Merlin engine and manual landing gear pump system.

Photos by David Witworth.







More:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitw...76414/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitw...38793/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitw...26137/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitw...19621/sizes/o/

Album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitw...57627164130139

[Pips]

Stunning! Beautiful. Superlative. Honestly words don't do it justice.

[hairyspin]

Honestly Baz, you have no consideration for a chap’s wallet. What a friendly looking place to hang one’s flying helmet! The less bulging canopy on the Mk.I looks just right to me.

[dhasdell]

That is looking wonderful. Thank you for all the work.

As for "are people going to be happy with 30 pumps to get the gear down?" it takes nearer 40 key presses to get the wheels up or down on the IL-2 F3F!

[bazzar]

Thanks David. The other side-effect to "Spitfire knuckle" was "Spitfire Wobble" set up by novice Spitfire pilots having had to switch hands and controlling the stick with their left, developing a sympathetic motion to the right, pump hand. It's not easy, even on a computer. I swap the mouse hand for pump-clicking and hold the aeroplane steady with my left. That's the theory anyway!

[MDIvey]

Looks fantastic Barry. Any chance of including some of the different mirror types that where added as hide able objects?

Matt