A Spitfire in 3D

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DaveB

Recruit
8
0
Aug 14, 2011
Somerset
Hi all, this is my 1st posting on this forum. Now for the harder part, what I need is the schematics of a spitfire! Preferably the fuselage and wings with dimensions, I'm learning (Solidworks a 3D program) and would love to do a Spitfire in 3D. Appreciations in advance, when finished I would love to share the project with this forum.
 
Is this the kind of thing you are going for or do you need the guts too?

- Ivan.
 

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  • Spitfire_IX_Boarding.jpg
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  • Spitfire_IX_LALow.jpg
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Thanks for the reply Ivan. And yes something like that, and hopefully slightly better quality, howlong did it take you to do?
 
Hi DaveB,

MUCH better quality is easy. There are under 1200 polygons in this beast. That is the limit for Aircraft Factory 99 which is what I am using to build for Combat Flight Simulator. This thing probably took me a couple weeks of evenings to put together. I basically pulled drawings and dimensions out of a dimensional drawing of a Spitfire Mk.I or Spitfire Mk.V and then used dimensions from the Warbird Tech Merlin Spitfires book to make corrections to a Mk.IX.

You need to tell us which Mark of Spitfire you are going for and perhaps even a sub-variant. The dimensions and shapes vary quite a bit between Marks. This is sposta be a Spitfire Mk.IXc with details for an early version of this plane. I believe I got the shapes pretty well for this plane with the gull wing at the wing root's trailing edge. The textures for Combat Fligth Simulator 1 are very crude with panel lines being about 1/2 inch across.

- Ivan.
 

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  • Spitfire_IX_RFLow.jpg
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Hi Ivan,

I realy do not know much about planes, but the spitfire there is something about that plane which is so pleasing to the eye, perfection comes to mind! I can remember as a kid I had a model of one and boy I got into a lot of flying hours, I could have been a ace, Wish I kept it, I can't remember where it went, had 6 brothers so one of them flew off with it I suspect. I did a bit of research and never realised there were so many models, so any one would do me. And as for (gull wing at the wing root's trailing edge) must mean (Boy! I nearly hit that seagull with the wing tip) I've got a good sense of humor as my wife tells me.
 
What kind of model did you have as a kid? Free flight? Whose make?

I can remember some of what I had as a kid.

Take a look at the drawings attached. I used them as reference material for my CFS plane because there are lots of similarities betwen the Spitfire Mk.V here and the Mk.IX I was trying to build.

- Ivan.
 

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  • Spitfire_V_Dimensions.pdf
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My father built it, I think it was a airfix, and boy it was big! well it was if you were about 7 or so. And thankyou for the attached images Ivan, I can see what you mean when you said a couple of weeks. Excuse my ignorance but what does
( CFS plane ) mean? And what size was it?

-Dave
 
The Screenshots I attached are from the game Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator. (Version 1.) I build planes for that simulator as a hobby. In fact, I just finished writing a little tutorial about my process for building. I have never had a Spitfire plastic model larger than 1/48 built. I do own a few SEAfire kits in 1/32 though. They are Revell kits. I know Airfix makes a kit in 1/24 (Mk.I?) and Matchbox made a 1/24 Griffon Spitfire.

- Ivan.
 
The contra prop Spit 47/Seafire has the best looking nose on any plane of the era! The wings on all spits that are not rectilinear and laminar flow are ugly and even the latest wing with the radiators hanging down in the air is an aerodynamic nightmare! It is why a 1600 HP Mustang is faster than the 2250 HP Mk-XIV. The "H" model Mustang has the best fuselage of all and the Unlimited race planes like "Miss Ashley-II" with the long spinner contra prop is the most beautiful prop plane that ever flew! Bar none!
 
Aesthetics are subjective of course.

In my opinion, the Spitfire VIII / Spitfire IX are the nicest looking of the series. The Griffons all had bulges that broke up the contour of the cowl, The very late Griffons such as the Seafire 47 even had a different wing which didn't have such a graceful outline as the originals but corrected a few problems. As postwar planes, I don't think they really count anyway.

As for comparisons to the Mustang, the Griffon Spitfire such as a Mk XIV was about the same speed but, with a higher lift airfoil and lighter weight, climbed a LOT better and was much more maneuverable.

If you really want a plane that compares with a P-51H, check out the Spiteful / Seafang.

My choice of the Spitfire Mk.IX as a subject for CFS was because I thought it was the best combination of performance and beauty. Mine may not be the "Best" one out there but it does have a couple features other CFS Spitfires don't. At the time, I wanted to own one and now I do.

Regards.
- Ivan.
 

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