1/32 Tamiya Merlin engine, Aires Cockpit, Revell Spitfire

[Twokidsnosleep]

Very nice work. Can't wait to see what you do with the engine (and where its from!)

You are tempting me to start another build while I literally have a pile of ones to finish
I got sprue H for the engines from this kit


It looks fairly detailed and I will mess about it to fit into a cradle or on a stand

[Stokesy44]

Very nice work. Can't wait to see what you do with the engine (and where its from!)

You are tempting me to start another build while I literally have a pile of ones to finish
I got sprue H for the engines from this kit


It looks fairly detailed and I will mess about it to fit into a cradle or on a stand

Wow, very nice. How did you manage to get hold of an individual sprue?

[digger303]

lovely sharp items.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Very nice work. Can't wait to see what you do with the engine (and where its from!)

You are tempting me to start another build while I literally have a pile of ones to finish
I got sprue H for the engines from this kit


It looks fairly detailed and I will mess about it to fit into a cradle or on a stand

Wow, very nice. How did you manage to get hold of an individual sprue?

Was posted on eBay as a 1/32 Merlin

[BigWall]

Sweet! This is really amazing!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Sweet! This is really amazing!

Cheers
Thanks for looking and the kind words

[Casper]

Brilliant
Some great work Scott, looking forward to the merlin

[Twokidsnosleep]

Brilliant
Some great work Scott, looking forward to the merlin

Indeed
Such a gorgeous engine used extensively in allied air defences and a big reason we are not all goose stepping about...if you know what I mean

[Kevthemodeller]

Superb detailed cockpit looking forward to the Merlin

[Twokidsnosleep]

Found another cool animated short about a Spifire dogfight

[Twokidsnosleep]

Was going to start on the Merlin engine
As I looked at the sprue I had and compared it to the instructions I printed, realized it this is the Tamiya Spitfire 1/32 sprue not the HK Lancaster
Sprue has Tamiya 60319 printed on it...that is the Mk IXc Tamiya kit
SO I ordered up a couple other more sprues to make things complete and printed out the proper instructions



Dusted off the big old Revell Spitfire and cemented her broken tail wheel and front landing gear
Painted up the wheel lugs and weathered them so ready to install
Now she can stand up on her own three feets

[Twokidsnosleep]

Going to make her black and silver

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ok well this build seems to have breathed new life into modelling for me again
I got the missing sprue Y from eBay . I thought was a total write off and it zapped my mojo for sure.
The seller cut Y it away from X sprues I had ordered before sending to kinda screw me over….story is in the ‘what did you get thread’
I will have to 3D print the rolls Royce emblem for the heads as I did not get the PE fret for that



So now I have a full set of engine and cradle sprues and done more research and can see where I want to get to and my modelling mojo seems to have bumped up a notch again

Research pics, not my work



Research pics, not my work



Research pics, not my work



Research pics, not my work

[Quax]

Gonna look good once you get going, this is the type of details you excel at!

Paul

[Twokidsnosleep]

Gonna look good once you get going, this is the type of details you excel at!

Paul

Thank you very much kind sir

[digger303]

Off to a flying start. Bit of a bugger having to buy stuff sprue by sprue. I bought several for a Famo from Tamiya Aussie distributor.....very slow under par service. Still waiting for one sprue that they missed off the order. Can't wait for the argument about who pays the freight

[Parker]

This level of detail is insane.
I don't have the patience nor the eyesight.

amazing work.

[Twokidsnosleep]

This level of detail is insane.
I don't have the patience nor the eyesight.

amazing work.

Ya the complexity if this machine is simply amazing. There are some super talented guys who will help me make mine look ok.

Modelling a Rolls-Royce Merlin
This sucker won WWII! It is an absolute icon to combustion motors
I am getting sucked into it’s amazingness while researching and reading.
On another note, it is a pure pleasure to model Tamiya. The engineering of parts to fit and align precisely and align only one way makes modelling with a photocopy part instruction book possible.
It is a pleasure to model a Tamiya for a change.

[Stokesy44]

Looking good.

Are you going to display it with its mount and firewall or with a ground type support like in the photo?

Also, if you love the Merlin, you need to take a moment to consider the new Airfix Mk IX in 1/24. The 2 stage Merlin on that looks stunning.

[Kevthemodeller]

Very smart looking Merlin there Scott

[Tomcat64]

Great to see you back at the bench and motivated again mate

Looking forward to seeing this progress.

[cor]

Thats looking very nice

[Twokidsnosleep]

Thats looking very nice

Cheers mate, barely started her and she does look good
Tamiya mouldings are second to none

[Twokidsnosleep]

Dropping this pic in here too as I build them in tandem

[digger303]

Cool.
I can see a Revell Spitfire in my future this coming year....it's time.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Cool.
I can see a Revell Spitfire in my future this coming year....it's time.

This Tamiya engine is engineered perfectly
It has nylon bits inside to let everything attatch, one way only positional parts and great detail
Just immaculate kit

[digger303]

Where did you get the Tamiya engine from ?
I can't see anything on scalemates or anywhere else about a Tamiya spitfire engine or did you get it from another whole kit ?

Happy New year.

[Twokidsnosleep]

I printed out some spark plugs and got one set added
Put a wooden prop on just to help hold the engine on the stand so I don’t handle the paint as much

[Stokesy44]

Prop looks nice. Interesting bit of history on the materials used for props. The very early Spits had fixed pitch wooden props, quickly replaced by 2 speed then constant speed metal blades. Then wood made a comeback with various laminated blades, the advantage being metal was in short supply for the war effort and a wooden prop cause less 'shock' to be transferred back to the engine in the event of a prop strike or a full on belly landing.

Fascinating - if one is a geek or a nerd.

[digger303]

Prop looks nice. Interesting bit of history on the materials used for props. The very early Spits had fixed pitch wooden props, quickly replaced by 2 speed then constant speed metal blades. Then wood made a comeback with various laminated blades, the advantage being metal was in short supply for the war effort and a wooden prop cause less 'shock' to be transferred back to the engine in the event of a prop strike or a full on belly landing.

Fascinating - if one is a geek or a nerd.

Great little bite of info.
I marvel at the strength of wood when you have a 1600hp engine flinging it round at 3000 rpm.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Where did you get the Tamiya engine from ?
I can't see anything on scalemates or anywhere else about a Tamiya spitfire engine or did you get it from another whole kit ?

Happy New year.

It was engine sprues from eBay
I think it was from one of their Spitfire kits

[Stokesy44]

Great little bite of info.
I marvel at the strength of wood when you have a 1600hp engine flinging it round at 3000 rpm.

I also think its amazing how variable pitch and constant speed propellers work, how is it possible to change the pitch of the blades while the props are spinning, is it automatic or how does the instruction to change pitch get to the prop mechanism?

[digger303]

Great little bite of info.
I marvel at the strength of wood when you have a 1600hp engine flinging it round at 3000 rpm.

I also think its amazing how variable pitch and constant speed propellers work, how is it possible to change the pitch of the blades while the props are spinning, is it automatic or how does the instruction to change pitch get to the prop mechanism?

Interesting points.

[Kevthemodeller]

I also think its amazing how variable pitch and constant speed propellers work, how is it possible to change the pitch of the blades while the props are spinning, is it automatic or how does the instruction to change pitch get to the prop mechanism?

Some simple but cleaver gearing I believe here

[Twokidsnosleep]

Some more Tamiya Merlin work
Some oil lines and a bit of the back wall






Finally got a good research pic of the engine to show that it seems left side magneto supplies BOTH left and right lower spark plug leads and the right side supplies the top leads..in some versions

[digger303]

[Twokidsnosleep]

So the crazy thing about the internet is that sometimes you come across the right people who help you
I watched a you tube video restoring a Merlin and asked about the magnetos and their supply
The left magneto does the twelve lower plugs…six left, six right
The right magneto does the twelve spark plugs in the upper ‘V’, six to the left bank and six to the right bank
Awesome to have the actual guys who get their knuckles greasy give you information

So twelve leads for the upper V




And this is how they hook in


This is a Merlin that was restored and brought back to working condition

[Twokidsnosleep]

Brass wiring harness with 12 spaced holes .
Keep the leads longer than need and carefully cut to length as you go…a bit long is better than too short
This is coated ‘wire wrapping’ wire I have multicolour in a big spool


Half the size of the 8 to be consistent, trim and then stretch the rubber tube diameter on a toothpick


Making the connector for the wire out of rubber tube
Slide the expanded tube on and past where you need it, CA glue the wire to harness and then slide tube in place
Right bank is forward hole, left bank is rear hole. I did them in pairs to be consistent




This R magneto ‘wire’ will connect in to the end of the harness


Everything a bit dusty and tubes have aplastic shine. I will dampen it with some matt finish and some silver dry brush

[Tomcat64]

Lovely detailing work mate

And awesome that you were actually able to get advice from restorers - that's very cool.

[aur0ra145]

So the crazy thing about the internet is that sometimes you come across the right people who help you
I watched a you tube video restoring a Merlin and asked about the magnetos and their supply
The left magneto does the twelve lower plugs…six left, six right
The right magneto does the twelve spark plugs in the upper ‘V’, six to the left bank and six to the right bank
Awesome to have the actual guys who get their knuckles greasy give you information

So twelve leads for the upper V




And this is how they hook in


This is a Merlin that was restored and brought back to working condition

That's awesome that responded!