Not the best images - mobile phone at dusk
I say 'semi' scale as although it's dimensions are correct and scale to 1/10th and it's marked as the MKIX MH434 (my very favourite Spitfire) it's not exact scale in that there's no underwing radiators or undercarriage - no cannons or cannon bulges - no radio mast .. all things that can be easily knocked off or damaged when you fly on rough ground having no access to a decent runway ...
It's been huge fun though - overcoming the problems - learning new techniques - making and repairing some monumental cock ups - and to some extent having it in the workshop to go back to over and over has kept me sane when my personal life has sometimes been a bit fraught
All I may do now is add some exhaust stubs as the engine cylinder 'bulges' look a bit wrong without - and I may draw some panel lines in thin permanent marker to add a bit of semi detail and so it doesn't look so 'pristine' ...
The real MH434 ...
At this point I think I have to add a huge thanks to my best mate of over 40 years, Chris, who is the brains behind this project - although it is indeed scratch built - i.e. not a kit or a proprietary plan - I didn't design it as such.
We have a symbiosis going on that has developed over our lifelong friendship - he designs and scratchbuilds nearly everything - he's done nearly all the WW2 warbirds plus various ducted fan jets such as various different sized Vulcans and also a Meteor and a Vixen ..
So we have a 'system' - he and I discuss what I'd like to achieve and he draws the parts on Corel and writes some limited 'instructions' - he then emails them to me and I print the parts out in scale size and spray mount them to the wood and cut them out - we then refine as we go because whilst his building is intuitive and is always right first time mine is much more hit and miss ...
For example ...
I mounted the aileron servos and cut out access for them and fitted the pushrods on the top surfaces of the wings and didn't notice till I'd finished them that they should have been on the underside
That required no end of corrective surgery
Then I started the motor for the first time at full throttle and it ripped the whole of the front of the nose off and flung it across the workshop just leaving a ragged empty hole
More redesigning and corrective surgery
The shaped parts that 'fair in' the wing to the fuselage were a total nightmare for me - his design was way beyond my comprehension and ability - so we had weeks of getting that right ... superglue is good except when you've done it wrong and have to take it to bits for the umpteenth time - and I've lost count of the times I've superglued my fingers to the plane and had to cut them free with my scalpel - several times losing skin in the process
But that's all added to the fun and sense of achievement - all problems overcome and the beast mastered
