A long project
I started building this model Spitfire in January 2012. Now, 18 months later, there is still a lot of work to be done. I’m enjoying the build, and as you might guess, I’m not rushing anything!
I am not intending to enter any scale competitions with the model. My intention is to have a good-looking accurate scale Spitfire that I can fly regularly. I will add some scale detailing such as rivets and rib tapes but I don’t intend to make an exact replica of a particular aircraft.
However, I will base my model on Spitfire MH434, which has also been modelled by Mick Reeves. There are several reasons for this. I first saw the real MH434 in Hong Kong when it belonged to Adrian Swire. There was a great TV documentary made about the aircraft. I have since been reaquainted with it at Duxford in England on several visits there.
On my last visit I was able to take many detailed photographs of the aircraft to help with the build.
Hi John,
I found your blog about a year ago when I was looking for the best 1/4 scale Spitfire kit on the market. I had already decided that the MR kit was the one to build when I happened across your blog.
You started your build in 2012 and I started mine some ten plus years later. I purchased the kit in 2022, but it was early 2023 before I started the build.
I am English by birth, although I have lived and worked in the USA since 1973. However, I make trips back to the UK whenever I can to see friends and family.
I say this, because this past August on one of my reverse pilgrimages, I spent time at Duxford to get acquainted with MH434 (I too have the Monforton book). Unfortunately, because of my schedule, I was limited to a weekend and there was flying going on. This meant limited access to MH434, although she was in the hanger and not on the flight line, so I did manage to spend some time looking her over and taking pictures.
Anyway I just wanted to say hi and thank you for your blog, which has been helpful to me in many ways. I am building the wood fuse version because the composite fuse version was not going to be available for quite a while and I didn’t want to wait. However, a lot of what you covered in your blog was pertinent to my build.
I do have one question for you, you mentioned that you installed one servo and two actuating rods for the fin and tailwheel, the servo being installed on the cockpit floor. Where on the cockpit floor was it installed and did the servo interfere with your cockpit detail
Again, thank you!
Cedric