Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Kurt on October 31, 2006, 07:51:06 PM
-
I need to know what size the tires were on the Spitfire MKIX -- Specifically the diameter... I'm less concerned with the width or wheel size.
Please, anyone who has this information available please let me know. Thanks!
-
Ah, come on... one of you guys has this info, I know it... Help me out.
-
I went through all my spitfire stuff and I can't find anything that gives the diameter. Kinda driving me nuts :)
And I've got just about everything ever written on the Spit. How fast do you need it? I have a buddy in England who is THE expert on Spits. When I can't find it, I ask him. I'm sure he knows.
-
I'm working on a 1/7th scale Radio Controlled Spit, I'm ready to order the wheels and I can go with what the plans say, or if I have a little wiggle room I can use some really nice scale aluminum replicas...
If I can not get an answer online tonite I know I can call the So. California CAF museum tomorrow (they have one in the hanger) and ask them... Its a small operation and I'm certain someone will run over there with a tape measure (or read the tire) and tell me...
SO its not that I NEED it fast, its just that I thought I'd give you guys a crack at the goal :aok
I'd rather see you guys figure it out personally...I drove my self nuts on the web tonite looking for a firm number.
At 1/7th scale we are talking about the difference between 3.5 inches and 4 inches which equals 24 or 28 inches for a difference of 4 inches on the full sized plane... But, I want authenticity if I can nail it. I'm guessing the real diameter might be a little more than 28 inches... But I don't know... Last time I stood in front of a spitfire was 3 years ago and the tires are not what I was looking at.
-
Not sure.. but they were definitely round :D
Spent better than an hour hunting on the net.... no joy, yet.
:aok
Found this site where they built a nice 1/7 scale RC and down towards the bottom there is info on a wheel kit.....
http://www.modelairplanenews.com/reviews/spitfire-mkix.asp
Good Luck
-
Yeah, that is actually the same kit, and I've seen that site... except the guy who built that made it just on the kit instructions... I'm taking mine up a level in detail and scale. For instance, looking at the kit in that article you can see he used Mustang wheels...
Mine is going to be a lot more detailed.
I'm looking to achive authenticity more like
http://mickreevesmodels.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p4spit.htm
Except the one in that article is a 1/6th But just look at paint and such... Thats what I'm going for.
-
Wow, that guy really butchered the paint scheme on that R/C Spit. All that work and paint it completely wrong. Tis a shame :)
-
Kurt, if you can hang on till about 1030pm when I get home tonight, I have a reproduction of a Spit V manual that has all the specs on the Spit V, including tire dimensions and air pressure requirements.
the book is like a Chiltons manual for Spitfires, how to change the guns out of the wings, make repairs, electrical diagrams, landing gear parts, etc
It should work, I think if i remember right the Spit V and Spit IX are the same plane with differences in engines and guns.
-
But can they shoot real bullets? That's what I want to know. Otherwise, what good is all that realism??:p
-
Originally posted by Airscrew
Kurt, if you can hang on till about 1030pm when I get home tonight, I have a reproduction of a Spit V manual that has all the specs on the Spit V, including tire dimensions and air pressure requirements.
the book is like a Chiltons manual for Spitfires, how to change the guns out of the wings, make repairs, electrical diagrams, landing gear parts, etc
It should work, I think if i remember right the Spit V and Spit IX are the same plane with differences in engines and guns.
Already waded through it last night with no luck. Tire dimensions would have been the same from the Spit I on in terms of diameter
-
I was sure when I was reading through it the other night for something else (like reading about the drop tanks and bomb attachments for the Spit V and wondering why we dont have that in AH) I thought I saw a table for the type of tires,(two different manufactures) dimensions and tire pressures. I'll look again tonight just to be sure I'm not seeing things. My book i think was reprinted by a UK historical museum.
-
Originally posted by Airscrew
I was sure when I was reading through it the other night for something else (like reading about the drop tanks and bomb attachments for the Spit V and wondering why we dont have that in AH) I thought I saw a table for the type of tires,(two different manufactures) dimensions and tire pressures. I'll look again tonight just to be sure I'm not seeing things. My book i think was reprinted by a UK historical museum.
Sure is possible I just missed it. I'm sure my copy is the same as yours. RAF Museum Series printing.
-
sounds right. Crown Publishing, first copyright 1943. I only paid about $3 for mine at a HalfPrice bookstore in Austin.
-
Thanks for the efforts guys, I have requests in with two local museums to get the info... Chino Planes of Fame and Southern California CAF wing and Camarillo. Both have spitfires.
Both are pretty friendly shops and I'm sure as someone gets a second they'll get back to me. But nothing so far.
-
Kurt, lets have some pics when you've finished it! I'm building the Corsair from TopFlite at this time, and will be starting the P-51 sometime mid-year '07.:aok
-
did you ask Natedog or Superfly? maybe they have that data available from when they made the Spit models. Also Cavaunghs flight museum has a spit.
-
If you guys can't find a reference, one other technique you might be able to use is historical photographs. If you find one that shows the wheels, you might be able to measure the diameter and some other part of the photo (like nose-to-tail length of the plane, length of the cockpit glass, hight of the tail, etc.) and use that to establish what the wheel diameter is.
-
Originally posted by FBBone
Kurt, lets have some pics when you've finished it! I'm building the Corsair from TopFlite at this time, and will be starting the P-51 sometime mid-year '07.:aok
Will do FBBone., You do the same. Corsair's are always worth looking at!
-
Originally posted by Brooke
If you guys can't find a reference, one other technique you might be able to use is historical photographs. If you find one that shows the wheels, you might be able to measure the diameter and some other part of the photo (like nose-to-tail length of the plane, length of the cockpit glass, hight of the tail, etc.) and use that to establish what the wheel diameter is.
Yeah, I've thought about that, but its sufficiently rough that I may as well just eyeball it. I have lots of good photos, but none really give a good since of scale.
I'll either hear from one of the museums, (the CAF guys are very helpful) or I'll just go out there to the musuem and look at it. I'm sure they'll let me get the numbers off the tire if I ask politely... Again they are super nice... Last time I was there they offered to let me into the P38 cockpit if I would come after hours (they wouldn't do it during hours because then everyone wants to). Once they realize you're a true warbird geek (not just Joe Lunchpail) they really open up to ya...
-
OK, I looked, Dans right, manual has a lot of information but not the tire/wheel dimensions. It does say main Wheels are Dunlop A.H. 2061. and tail wheel is Dunlop A.H. 2184/IX. I tried searching with that information and didnt find anything helpful.
Ya know its a freaking manual, like an owners/Chiltons manual, you'd think they'd have instructions on how to remove and repair the wheels.
-
Originally posted by Airscrew
OK, I looked, Dans right, manual has a lot of information but not the tire/wheel dimensions. It does say main Wheels are Dunlop A.H. 2061. and tail wheel is Dunlop A.H. 2184/IX. I tried searching with that information and didnt find anything helpful.
I was able to determine based on your post and searching Dunlop Aircraft tires that they still manufacture a spitfire tire (same tire for Hurricane incase anyone needs to know) part number IKTEN17.. Unfortunately they don't specify dimensions... Just 'Size 7.5-10.5' Now, since I know thats not inches, and I know its not meters, I find myself stumped. (could be width). And I learned that the tire weighs 19 pounds.
I was unable to find any reference to that part number on any search except by going to the Dunlop site.
My rough measurements from drawings say the tire is around 24 inches. But none of these drawings can be considered difinitive scale drawings.
-
Originally posted by Kurt
I was able to determine based on your post and searching Dunlop Aircraft tires that they still manufacture a spitfire tire (same tire for Hurricane incase anyone needs to know) part number IKTEN17.. Unfortunately they don't specify dimensions... Just 'Size 7.5-10.5'
If a tire is 7.5-10.5, then I suspect 7.5" is the tire width and 10.5" is the wheel (hub) diameter. This measurement doesn't give tire diameter. (This according to the Dunlop manual: http://www.desser.com/DM1172.pdf ).
-
I have a spitfire tail wheel in my garage, I'll measure it at the weekend :p
-
Originally posted by Brooke
If a tire is 7.5-10.5, then I suspect 7.5" is the tire width and 10.5" is the wheel (hub) diameter. This measurement doesn't give tire diameter. (This according to the Dunlop manual: http://www.desser.com/DM1172.pdf ).
You could be right but 7.5" sure does sound kinda of narrow.
Originally posted by Kurt
I was able to determine based on your post and searching Dunlop Aircraft tires that they still manufacture a spitfire tire (same tire for Hurricane incase anyone needs to know) part number IKTEN17.. Unfortunately they don't specify dimensions... Just 'Size 7.5-10.5'
wtg on finding that. I never thought to search Dunlop's website. I kept searching on the Dunlop + spitfire + tires.
I might be reaching a bit on the logic but if Dunlop still makes the tire, then somebody out there is selling it. Maybe a call directly to a Dunlop aircraft tire dealer may get you your answer too
-
Originally posted by Airscrew
I might be reaching a bit on the logic but if Dunlop still makes the tire, then somebody out there is selling it. Maybe a call directly to a Dunlop aircraft tire dealer may get you your answer too
They are in the UK, I'm not making an international call for this :D
I just got off the phone with CAF Camarillo, one of the mechanics is supposed to call me back. I'm hoping he's over there with a ruler as we speak.
-
Thank you everyone for your efforts...
The Southern California Wing of Commerative Air Force at Camarillo airport was good enough to provide me with the numbers from their Spitfire mkXIV.
The final word is...
Wheel Diameter is 12 inches
Tire outer diameter is 24 inches
Tire Width is 7.25 inches.
Thanks again to all of you for your help on this, it was the most frustrating search I've done in a while but I appreciated your enthusiasm.
If you're ever in Camarillo California, stop by at the CAF hanger and museum, they are nice guys and have lots of nice warbirds.
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal/
-
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rear-Wheel-from-a-WW2-Spitfire_W0QQitemZ300045061887QQihZ020QQcategoryZ112473QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/Rear-Wheel-from-a-WW2-Spitfire_W0QQitemZ300045061887QQihZ020QQcategoryZ112473QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)