Official FlightLine RC 1600mm Spitfire Mk. IX Thread

[f4u ausie]

Turbine ive seen only few fpv pilots. And i always simply saw an aircraft flying with a pilot looking straibht ahead,,, looked confusing... i did not get it... until one day i had watched a bit and he said do u wana try just taxiing around.. like a rat up a dranepipe,, i said yep... needless to say,, now i get it... rifelman with his f14 also does great job ..as have u great job and a new perspective... looks complicated and more money for an almost old(lol) bloke like me...

[Turbinefancy]

f4u ausie I understand not many people are into FPV, for various reasons: complexity, cost, planes look more interesting from outside etc. FPV is but one rabbit hole among many one can explore in RC hobby. I do want to share why I chose to dive in...

1. Double the utility for each plane - so I can fly both LOS and FPV. I don't have much storage space for many planes so adding the in-cockpit experience renews interest in a plane I am already familiar with flying LOS.

2. Experience the challenges pilots face flying the real deal on scale planes - for example, we read about the long cowling in front of Corsair cockpit blocking view to the carrier on straight-in approach. So fleet air arm pilots developed curved approach to land on carriers. Putting FPV camera at scale pilot eye position would allow one to experience the same challenges where a LOS RC flyer cannot.

3. Formation and dogfights - It's very exciting to see planes fly fairly close together as LOS flyers, but given the third person perspective, it's actually difficult to maintain safe separation at certain angles. With FPV flying especially with head-tracking, wingmen can maintain safe separation following formation training methods practiced by full scale pilots. And when they get good at formation flying, it's also safe and fun to practice dogfights. BTW dogfights in LOS is very different than FPV. LOS pilots can always see if a bandit is behind his plane. Not so in FPV, when one is looking around and searching for bandit and trying to evade him in the cockpit. The adrenalin rush and panic feel very real...

4. FPV is cheap compared to full scale flying - I am a rated private pilot. I used to rent Cessna 152's for training for $35/hr back in the 1990's. Now the rates at airports close to me are $250/hr. That's out of reach for me. Flying FPV replicates 80% of the enjoyment of flying full scale at a tiny fraction of the cost. And I can still apply most of what I learned flying full scale to fly RC planes.

Yes, I am an almost old bloke, too

[f4u ausie]

Spitfire has enuf flights now,,, it has a few oil leeks... luving the scale model stuff... none have operational cowl flaps... like elbbeees corsair..

[Simon Bee]

I know it’s totally non scale but one of the many good things about this great model is the strobe light. Flying on cloudy darker days it really helps with orientation and I’m sure it’s saved me a couple of times.

[kallend]

I know it’s totally non scale but one of the many good things about this great model is the strobe light. Flying on cloudy darker days it really helps with orientation and I’m sure it’s saved me a couple of times.

So put in my Morse signaling lamp instead, which is scale.

[eastdave2]

Can someone please trace their radio mast, I’ve lost mine.Thanks in advance David

[kallend]

Can someone please trace their radio mast, I’ve lost mine.Thanks in advance David

There's an STL file for 3D printing one in my collection of Spit parts: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5460521

[Smooth]

In the Yak 54 kit, should there be printed instructions and a stiffener for the wing that passes thru the fuselage and into each half of the wing?

[kallend]

In the Yak 54 kit, should there be printed instructions and a stiffener for the wing that passes thru the fuselage and into each half of the wing?

This is a Spitfire thread.

[eastdave2]

There's an STL file for 3D printing one in my collection of Spit parts: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5460521

Thanks so much.

[Pavel_LKTO]

After the maiden (single-nervous flight) before the end of the year, I got first serious flying down this weekend. I had been very nervous about the CG and the landings, but truly unnecessarily! This plane flies so well it is almost unbelievable. It is my first RC tail dragger (though I have real-aircraft tail-drager experience - so I know the fundamental principles) and there is nothing tricky about landing this Spit.
The only thing I'd say is crucial is to keep the power on (20-30%) all the way to the touchdown (and even after that reduce it only slowly). She does have the tendency to drop out of the sky if you cut the engine idle during the flare. If you keep the throttle on, there is no problem doing a two-point landing and slowly bring the tail down and very gradually reduce the power - there is full authority of the controls until the complete stop.
For the same reason, I'd also recommend using rather less flaps than more (definitely <40%), especially if you have enough approach space / long runway.

Also, I am amazed how much grass these wheels can take! No tendency to tip over and if you are sensible with the throttle (esp. during take-off), there are no nasty surprises.

I played around with the CG a bit as well, but cannot tell a significant difference between +/- 2mm. I am probably a bit aft of the recommended 90mm but stability of this thing during TO/flight/landing is still amazing. I do have to work quite a bit with the elevator trim on the downwind (flaps down, gear down), but that's because I have progressive flaps retraction and I am not too fond on the mixing.

I fly with 90% rates on the elevator, 80% on the ailerons and the rudder. The 90% of the elevator gives enough authority on the ground and is not too sensitive during flight. The 80% ailerons are more-than enough during the ultimate figure - the victory roll :)

Love, love, love this airplane!!!

[Pavel_LKTO]

First landing and the initial stress suddenly disappeared :)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2ks9wqEeyrpXG1Cx6.

[Elbee]

Pavel_LKTO, Very nicely done, Sir. Congratulations and great debrief. Glad to have you onboard here at the "The Squawk". Best, LB

[Hugh Wiedman]

First landing and the initial stress suddenly disappeared :)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2ks9wqEeyrpXG1Cx6.

Excellent Pavel, you've already hit the sweet spot on landing, no doubt the real aircraft experience gives you a great base to start with. The Spitfire, as you correctly surmised, really needs to be landed 2 point with throttle, not only protecting the gear but looking much more scale. Way too many try to 3 point these tail draggers, just not appropriate.

I've set call outs on my IX 14 for every aircraft (especially EDF's), including the Spitty that tells me when I hit specific throttle settings (done with timers, but instead of saying timer start/stop, a specific throttle position). For the Spitfire, I use 2 of those, one at 25% throttle, my approach setting, and the 2nd at 18% that I go to about 6 feet off the deck and leave it there until both mains are rolling on the grass smoothly and then reduce throttle to 0 (even there, I have the throttle trim set so the prop is barely rotating-also helps with the sound system so it doesn't shut down until I hit throttle cut at the end). That way on landing I'm only required to control elevator/aileron/rudder for landing without having to worry about throttle position. Always end up with virtually the exact same approach and landing speed without having to guess. I'm really bad at guesstimating where my throttle is without having to look so this takes the guess work out of it. Works wonders on the jets, but every aircraft has different approach and landing speeds, just have to figure out where those are. The Corsair, same technique, just different throttle points, 39% and 25%. When I first got the Spitfire and Corsair, I was all over the place, even trying 3 point landings and with the Corsair, broke way too many retracts (as they rotate 90 degrees resulting in all landing pressure on the worm screw alone). After using this technique, 0 retract breaks in the Corsair for well over 70 flights. Most good pilots don't need to do this as they can tell the correct speed, I just ain't one of those people.