Valentine's FT Spitfire: Durable, Crash & Rebuild

by angus | February 14, 2014 | (0) Posted in Tips

This article is a testament to the durability of FT Scratchbuilds and a warning not to throw away what might at first look like an irreparable wreck . So far I have had the pleasure of crashing a Versa, a Baby Blender and finally a Spitfire. I have crashed them hard. I have buried them in snow, broken them on ice, flown them into trees and yesterday hit my first brick wall. If you haven't figured it out, I'm new to this hobby.

The Blender hit the snow hard yet sustained no damage. The other two planes, not snow lucky. Funny thing is, with a little time, hot glue and some duct tape they are still flying.

The Spitfire hit the wall fast, nose first. The detachable wings came off ripping the front barbeque skewer and a bit of foam off where the leading edge meets the fuselage. The port side of the fuselage cracked in two from top to bottom at the tail and the starboard wing tip sheared clear off taking half an aileron. At first I thought it was the end for my spitfire but last night I fired up the hot glue gun and rolled out the duct tape and with very little time and a new prop, the Spitfire is ready to fly again!

Originally I had red tape on the plane to make it easier to find in the snow but now most of the tape on this plane is structural (see pics below). As today is Valentine's Day, and my duct tape is red, I decided to prepare it with an appropriate theme. Don't forget to take time away from your planes to spend with a loved one, that can be rewarding too.

 

Over n' out.

 

 

COMMENTS

LordVader on October 11, 2014
Love that paint scheme. These designs, in addition to DTFB are a perfect match for durability and fun.
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jrvalentin62 on October 11, 2014
You can't beat it. See your work flying, breaking, repairing and flying again. What a joy. Cute scheme.
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angus on October 12, 2014
PACKING TAPE - DUCT TAPE = TOO HEAVY! It was a long time ago that I posted that article. When I tried to fly the spitfire again it was very heavy. In hindsight I should perhaps have used packing tape. RIP Valentine Spitfire, RIP.
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alibopo on October 11, 2014
You 'gotta' love that hot glue gun! :)
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Valentine's FT Spitfire: Durable, Crash & Rebuild