Spitfire VB (oz1641)

About this Plan

Spitfire VB. Free flight scale model. 31in span FF scale for 0.5cc designed by S. Cole. Model Aircraft, February 1963.

Quote: "Classic lines of the Immortal 'Spit' will draw a crowd wherever they are seen. Stan Cole's little F/F model for 0.5 cc engines is destined to become a familiar sight on our flying fields in 1963.

STAN COLE'S Messerschmitt Me109 (oz911) is a deservedly popular design and is now followed up with this equally successful model of its traditional adversary - the Spitfire.

This tough and realistic little model is designed for flying and one or two liberties have been taken with the design, in order to produce a completely practical flying model. Despite this, the action photos opposite effectively prove that Stan Cole's creation is every inch a Spit and it can be tackled with confidence by anyone who has ever built a flying model.

Construction. Start the fuselage by building up the 1/2 x 1/8 crutch flat on the plan, next cut formers 1 to 9, laminating Nos 2 and 3 from 1/16 balsa and 1mm ply. Pay particular attention to formers 4 and 3 as these later determine the wing incidence and also provide a jig for the fuselage centre section. The upper and lower 1/16 sheet fuselage keels are now added, carefully checking all formers for squareness before the cement dries.

The engine bearers - spaced on the plan for the Allbon Dart - can now be fitted. The 1/8 hard centre section ribs, CS.1 and CS.2 are now fitted but not cemented to formers 4 and 5; now, with the basic fuselage assembly lying on a flat surface, slip the laminated wing tongues (ply on top) into slots in outer root ribs CS.1.

No difficulty should be experienced with the wing construction which is quite conventional. The completed wing panels are slid over the wing tongues, and must be propped up at the tips to 2-11/16 and held in place with suitable weights.

Having thus ensured equal and accurate dihedral angles, the centre section ribs and wing tongues can now be cemented in place together with c/section LE and TE, suitably scored and tilted to meet CS.1 at the angle determined by formers 4 and 9. Next the 1/8 sheet gussets are fitted to the C/S leading and trailing edges, and the tail wheel is bound to the fuselage spine.

Now fix the engine bolts to the bearers and lock them by soldering a piece of 16 g wire across the slots in the screw heads. The medium hard blocks between formers 2 and 3, and 1 and 2 can now be cemented in place.

The fuselage can now be covered with soft 1/16 sheet, this is most easily carried out in our full length panels..."

Supplementary file notes

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