FORTHCOMING ISSUES & SUBSCRIBER FREE GIFTS

PICTURE 23

For Subscribers the free gifts offered with this part work are:

Free Issue plus a Tin Poster with your First Delivery

Free Binder with the Third Delivery

Free Mug carrying the badge of 74 Squadron with your Fifth Delivery

Free Personalised Display Plaque with your Twentieth Delivery

PICTURE 24

With Issue 2 we get the parts to fit the Propeller Motor

PICTURE 25

With Issue 3 we start constructing the engine block

So, there we have it. Part 1 complete.

Great to see you've hopefully found something to get your teeth into.. Will be following as usual Tony.... Good luck with the build....

Regards

Alan

HACHETTE SPITFIRE Mk 1A - 25 February 2020

As part of the subscription I received issues 1 & 2 today along with the first “Free Gift” of a tin plate poster.

As I have already covered of the contents and build of issue 1, I will just update with details of the parts supplied in issue 2 and how they go together.

ISSUE 2

PARTS SUPPLIED:

2-01 Motor Housing
2-02 Motor Housing
2-03 Propeller Gear Set
2-04 Motor
2-05 Lower Fuselage Frame
2-06 Three 2 x 4mm PB screws (1 spare)
2-07 Four 2 x 4mm PM screws (1 spare)

PICTURES 1, 2 & 3

Well this is what the tin plate poster looks like.

Big question has to be “why on earth” did this get put in a simple plastic mailing bad? Mine has arrived looking like it carries “authentic” WW2 bullet marks.

Its been in contact with something in the post that has left “ball bearing” shaped dents all over it, as well as being bent in the middle.

It may be possible to smooth out the “bullet holes” by laying over a sheet of kitchen paper and then rubbing over the surface with a spoon.
So that is an initial “niggle”.

PICTURE 4

This is the back cover of the magazine/build guide. It shows we received the first of the fuselage parts as well as engine components in issue 3.
Issue 3 should arrive with issues 4, 5 and 6 in approx. a months’ time.

THIS REALLY "STINKS"

PICTURES 5 & 6

The parts for this issue are weld sealed in a plastic tray.

What I did notice (and the reason for the above “stinks” comment is that having cut around with plastic weld to free up the component parts there was a very strong and noticeable smell of “Dead Fish” (best way I can describe it).

Now “Tom” the cat to the best of my knowledge has not paid this mailing a visit as the postie handed this to me at the door today.

All I can think is the smell may originate from the sealant used on the wires to the motor.

PICTURE 7

And here is that motor.

I can understand that is the wires to this motor are soldered onto tags at the end of the motor they need to protect that join so that the wires do not some adrift, but I ask you, does that really look the neatest way of doing things?

Going back to that Odour (which did seem to disappear fairly quickly) all I can think is this sealant was possible wet when the motor was sealed in this pack, and its some sort of smell from that which I detected.

PICTURES 8, 9 & 10

So, to begin the assemble we need to recover the propeller and spinner cover from issue 1.

On the propeller hub there is a locating tab (arrowed in pic 8) that fits into a matching slot in the spinner cap (arrowed in pic 9 & 10).

PICTURE 11

Insert the propeller into the spinner minding that the tab and slot fit together.

PICTURE 12

We then place the Propeller Gear Set over this assemble.

PICTURE 13

Using 3 of 4 supplied 2 x 4 PM screws we secure these parts together.

PICTURE 14

We then take one half of the Motor Housing and ensuring the 2 brass ferrules are located as per the arrows in this picture, we insert the Propeller Gear Set.

PICTURE 15

Exercising some care so the whole assemble does not fall apart at this stage, we then insert the motor into the motor housing.

You cannot really get this bit wrong as the motor drops into a pre-moulded space and the gear on the motor engages the gear on the Propeller Gear Set.

PICTURE 16

We then place the second part of the motor housing in place and secure this assemble together using 2 of the 3 2 x 4 PB screws.

PICTURES 17 & 18

And this is what we are left with after completing this stage.
Part 2-05 Lower Fuselage Frame is stored until called out in some future issue.

We also have the propeller now attached to its drive motor.

OBSERVATIONS:

1. For the moving parts I am considering (if I continue the subscription) using some light silicone grease. The sort of thing used on R/C models and designed to be safe on plastic.

Some other builders have already raised an issue that the gears allowing the blades to “feather” are somewhat tight.

2. The drive pin from the Propeller Gear Set is quite thin so while this assemble is stored away, it needs storing very carefully so that there is NO CHANCE of that pin getting bent even a degree.

It will be interesting to see at what stage the propeller assemble is fitted. I do not know how the build sequence will work out but to be honest I would have preferred to see the propeller (or at least the propeller drive elements) arriving at a much later date.

And that completes the first 2 issues of this part work.

Next time I should see issues 3-6 arrive and it will be at that stage I decide if I progress with this one or not.

Gray

Many thanks.

Doing this one as a “worts and all” build so any slight issue or concern will be highlighted.

From what i can see so far i think the “biggest obstacle” will be the decals if we get to put them on tather that them being factory installed.

All of the promo images of the spitfire show a lot of silvering on the decals.

I can understand they want to supply this kit as close to a final finish as possible (ie matt paint). But putting decals down over such a finish will see the marks being short lived and they will list or rub off.

So At this stage this is something that could potentially involve some work with glossing, decaling and matting and on such a large model its really going to be needing a sprayed finish rather than trying to do this with a brush.

A long way off but at this stage its the one thing i have picked up on that does concern me.

Tony

Looking great Tony... If you decide to continue then I'll certainly follow your progress.....

Regards

Alan

Steve, Alan Trev

Many thanks for looking in on this one.

Tony

ISSUE 3 – ENGINE BLOCK AND FUSELAGE

PARTS CHECKLIST – PICTURE 5

3-01 Fuselage (below engine)
3-02 Top of Engine Block
3-03 Engine Block (outer)
3-04 Engine Block (Inner)
3-05 Top of Engine Block
3-06 Engine Block (Inner)
3-07 Engine Block (Outer)
3-08 Nameplate x 2
3-09 Base of Engine Block
3-10 Base of Engine Block
3-11 Two 2 x 6mm PB screws (1 spare)
3-12 Two 2 x 4mm PM screws (1 spare)

PICTURE 5A

It seems there will be quite a few parts that have to be glued together.

The instructions call for super glue but were I can (in the case of plastic to plastic surfaces) I will me using my “old faithful” Plastic Weld.

PCTURES 6, 7 & 8

We start by fixing together the 2 engine block halves. PIC 7 there are 2 pegs on 1 half and matching location holes on the other half.

You are told to apply superglue to the pegs but I have used plastic weld on these areas and along each mating surface.

PICTURES 9 & 10

We then take the engine block tops and the name plates.

These name plates are a push fit, but very tight, so care needed when putting together.

PICTURE 11

These engine block tops are made of metal and they will locate into the cut out shown here.

So, this will be a plastic to metal join and superglue (as much as I hate the stuff (will have to be used.

PICTURE 12

Assemble the second engine block part

PICTURE 13

I just have a dread feeling that to many super glued parts could all end up parting company when this thing eventually gets powered up.

So, on that basis I have decided to use Power Flex by Loctite. Its supposed to produce a join that has a slight flex in the glue rather that the glue being brittle which you do find with many superglues.

PICTURE 14

We then take the 2 engine block halves along with the 2 block bases.

PICTURES 15 & 16

This is quite a tricky assembly section as you have to get both engine block halves between the base parts and then screw all of this together.

Easiest way of doing this (PIC 15) is to start the screw off in the 2 base parts.

This allows the slot to open slightly and its then easier to get the upper block pieces in place.

PICTURES 17 & 18

When screwed together the block halves are held nice and tight in place and this is what this section now looks like.

PICTURES 19, 20 & 21

The final part of this build section is to take the Lower Fuselage Frame from issue 2 and the Lower Fuselage supplied in this section.

The frame part can only be fitted 1 way around on the fuselage section.

Its held in place using 1 x 2 x 4 Screw. It looks to be that the metal sections have been pre-tapped as the screws go in very easily.

ISSUE 5 – ENGINE COVER PANEL AND ENGINE HOUSING

PARTS CHECKLIST – PICTURE 44

5-01 Engine Cover Panel (right)
5-02 Magnet Fixture (R2)
5-03 Magnet (marked on the wide side)
5-04 Engine Housing
5-05 Engine Housing
5-06 Engine Housing Strut
5-07 Engine Housing
5-08 Three 2 x 4mm PM screws (1 Spare)

PICTURE 45

Another pre-applied marking that again looks absolutely fine.

PICTURES 46, 47 & 48

Similar to the previous issue we first install the 2 magnets onto the fuselage side.

PICTURES 49, 50, 51 & 52

We then take the supplied engine housing and the 2 pipes from the fret.

Nice sharp pair of sprue cutters to remove these parts without breaking them.

The 2 pipes are very small so tweezers are a must to het these glued into place on the engine housing.

PICTURES 53, 54, 55 & 56

We then take the remaining engine housing section and this is superglued into place.

PICTURES 57 & 58

Next up is the section of engine housing that will “hide” the large drive cog on the motor.

This part is glued to the front engine housing as arrowed in PIC 58.

PICTURES 59 & 60

The other half section of the engine housing is then superglued into place.

The glue gets added just to the 2 arrowed pegs that you can see in PIC 59.

PICTURES 61 & 62

The silver pipe is referred to as an Engine Mounting Strut and this is glued in place as you can see here.

PICTURES 63 Through 66

Taking the lower fuselage part, we position the motor housing over the 4 holes in this part.

The motor is then secure into place using 4 x 2 x 4mm PM screws.

And that completes this build section.

Tony,

That engine looks smart, there's nothing like working on a spit engine, and the paintwork is tops.

Keep posting and well done.

Regards

Trev