SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK I
Dateline England, July 10, 1940: The sun rises over the sod airfield, you scramble to your Spitfire, sirens wail and your ground crew chief is waiting. Within seconds, you are strapped in, the wheel chocks are pulled away and you advance the throttle of the mighty Merlin engine. The Battle of Britain has begun! Fast forward 79 years, and you can now realize your dreams of being a Spitfire pilot with this easy-building, electric-powered sport scale Supermarine Spitfire.
The eighth model in my RC warbird series, the legendary Spitfire Mk 1 is rarely modeled, compared to the more popular later variants, but it’s a stunning warbird to build and fly. It’s also an excellent companion to two of my other warbirds, the popular Bf 109E and Fw 190A (both available from the AirAgeStore.com website). My friends and I have flown simulated dogfights with them, and it’s a great deal of fun and they look fantastic!
If you have ever wanted a Spitfire but were hesitant because the kits or plans were too complicated, or because the model just didn’t look like a Spitfire, then this is the warbird for you. Though not for a beginner scratch-builder, it is easier than you might expect, if you use these simplified build steps.
THE FUSELAGE
Begin by laminating and cutting out the fuselage formers. Most are made of laminated 1⁄16-inch balsa. Add the 1⁄4-inch square stringer to F2.
