Stuart Gowans' Spitfire Project

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Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Well, what with a hectic recording career and my work at the UN, progress has been a bit slow of late......in fact this is the first thing I've done with the project this year; only one of these is new, the other I made 2 years ago, from quite a small drawing! Pay no attention to the mismatched or missing bolts, reinforcements are on their way!

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Original post

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 1,772

For those of s not familiar with your project it would be helpful if you could give a little background about what you are constructing.

Tim

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Sorry Consul, bit presumptuous of me; one of these!

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Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 5,196

Very nice Stu!!! Look forward to hearing your recording fruits!

Member for

20 years

Posts: 4,561

Very nice Stu!!! Look forward to hearing your recording fruits!

Top work fella - are you still demanding only blue M&Ms on your rider? ATB TT

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

Nice work Stuart

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

UN perks Ben...... I was repairing this on fathers day instead of soaking up the, er, sun at the fest with you Tone! still a bit to do but at least you can recognise it now.

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Member for

20 years 9 months

Posts: 252

I consider myself very fortunate to have seen Stuart's spit in the flesh - its stunning!!! Something for us all to aspire to. Also he's incredibly generous and helpful to others as well. Looking forward to seeing this progress.

J

Member for

11 years 9 months

Posts: 599

. Also he's incredibly generous and helpful to others as well. Looking forward to seeing this progress.

J

I for one have seen in writing how generous he can be with his thoughts to others

Jason

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Thanks guys for those kind words; I now have the less than glamorous task of replacing all the cowling fasteners (about a hundred I think) having recently acquired a stash of original ones, don't have any of the female sections though, and will have to make all the fiddly little ffffffffasteners by hand........

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Replaced the XX series blower with a two stage unit,( about three times heavier than the XX series) had to remove a couple of engine bearer tubes to get it in; gave it (and the wheel case) a coat of etch primer, then a squirt of black, even now there is condensation forming on the metal and the resulting oxidisation over winter would have to be removed. (again) the hydraulic tank has been refurbished for a while, but I have finally made the mounts, and found the drg that shows it's exact location; time now to populate the firewall with a few trinkets, the oil pot (not strictly mkIX) is from "Gibraltar" presentation Spitfire, and even though the A/C was completely destroyed, it is virtually perfect.( and still smells of castor oil!) The repro crow bar is courtesy of forum member Bentwingbomber.

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Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

A couple more of wing rib 5 including the obligatory "Here's one I made earlier"; this is the last wing rib to make, before assembly. A nice touch is the dural bar shaped like an I beam that is inserted down the center of the top rib, that wont be hard to make.....

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Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 1,494

A couple more of wing rib 5 including the obligatory "Here's one I made earlier"; this is the last wing rib to make, before assembly.

A nice touch is the dural bar shaped like an I beam that is inserted down the center of the top rib, that wont be hard to make.....

Nice wing ribs Stuart. How much of the wings are you making? Out as far as the undercarriage legs, or the full span?

Having recently seen a photo of Mark12's Spit22, you both seem to have exactly the same amount of Spitfire at present.

Have you plans to make the rear fuselage?

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Have you got a nice seat cover for the backrest?, i posted a link on the evilbay thread to one and it was not expensive. NICE work BTW :)

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

David, the wings will join at rib 8, that is where the gun doors start, giving good internal access; they fold on the seafires (some of them) at rib 7, but even that is too wide to transport by road (about 11' 6") and the fold / join line is 3/4 the way through the wheel well, a very untidy, weak (no bottom boom) and awkward place to join.

I have all of the ribs outboard of 8 made and waiting patiently!

I have the formers for the tail unit (although presently out on loan) and a complete metal skinned elevator; the rear fuselage will have to be made from scratch, since the unnamed person run off with the rear fuselage frames that were sold to me.....to be truthful they weren't that great frame 19 was quite badly damaged, and the others all suffered from stress cracks around the lightening holes; (to some degree) what comes round goes round, and as Gerry Adams was once reported to have said "we know where you live"

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Have you got a nice seat cover for the backrest?, i posted a link on the evilbay thread to one and it was not expensive. NICE work BTW :)

Saw that Tony, but David Collins gave me one of those a good few years ago; thanks again David.

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,605

Beautiful work as always Stuart :)If you would like can send you CAD drawings for the rear fuse frame formers that we did for ours.[ATTACH=CONFIG]232456[/ATTACH] Also have done up some Spitty bits via 3D printing for sale at my online Shapeways shop. https://www.shapeways.com/shops/spit?s=12#more-products

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Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Cheers Ross, I've got some of the frame drgs, (not sure if I have all of them) but don't think I have one of the spine.

I've been looking at you shapeways shop lots of interesting stuff in there; this new fangled technology is a bit hard for me to get my head around! perhaps you could quote me on a pair of trim wheels, postage is always going to be a factor though!

I need a drg or photo of the oil pot (see photo somewhere above) mounting on the firewall any help greatly appreciated.

Member for

11 years 9 months

Posts: 599

Hi Great project. Have come across this photo of a Mk9 firewall but cannot see the oil pot fitted or where it could have been fitted, hope the photo is of some help though.

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Regards Jason

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Jason, the oil pot mounts on the port side of the firewall, about 3/4 of the way up; used on mk's I - V, but may have been fitted to very early IX's, those converted from V's.

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

I don't often post the same piccys on here as I do FB, but for me at least this something of a monumental achievement, having started the process 6 years ago, by making the spar sections and the face plates. and then 3 years later part completing the STBD section, the last year making ribs 1 & 5 to 3 weeks ago where I finished off the ribs, completely dismantled the STBD to copy for the Port side, and then assembling both sections. This to me is proof that it is possible to re start work from years ago, and still enjoy it, however hard it is at first, having to relearn where everything goes, and what tools are best for what, etc, etc I will probably skin these 2 sections first and then start on the nose ribs; ribs 2 & 3 will be the hardest as they fix on and around the casting/forging that supports the U/C pintles.

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