PKZ Spitfire stock & Mods

[19000rpm]

I believe that many pilots may have prayed to God for a new Spitfire from Parkzone, but I think it was all the pestering on the subject we did at Parkzone that did the trick.

I loved the old PKZ Spit. It was a beauty and I had a few in various forms from stock to rocket. No matter what form it was in it was a joy to fly and watch in the air...Until you crashed it. Then it was a pile of thin foam and plastic skeleton. Ugh!

After recently discontinuing the old Spit PKZ has graced us with the new Spit, slightly larger, in Z foam. And lots of scale details.

Features

• 4-channel control – throttle, elevator, aileron and rudder

• Powerful 15- sized BL outrunner; 950Kv, installed

• E-flite® 30A Pro Switch-Mode BEC brushless ESC, installed

• Servos, installed

• Dual aileron servos for precise control

• Designed to accept E-flite electric retracts (EFLG100), sold separately

• Durable Z-Foam™ construction

• 20mm cannon, exhaust and cockpit details

• Authentic Johnnie Johnson World War II trim scheme

Specifications

Type: Airplanes

Wingspan: 43.2 in (1100mm)

Overall Length: 37.3 in (950mm)

Flying Weight: 41.1 oz (1170 g)

Motor Size: 15-size 960Kv Brushless Outrunner (installed)

Radio: 4 channels minimum; 5 channels for optional retract use

Servos: 4 sub-micro servos (installed)

Prop Size: 9.5 x 7.5

Recommended Environment: Outdoor

Speed Control: 30A Pro SB Brushless ESC (installed)

Assembly Time: Less than 1 Hour

Recommended Battery: 11.1V 2200mAh 3S 25C Li-Po

Experience Level: Intermediate

Is Assembly Required: Yes

Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 years

Retracts: Optional

Flaps: No

CG (center of gravity): 2.55 in (65mm) back from the leading edge of the wing at the fuselage

Control Throw (Ailerons): Low: 11mm up/down; High: 15mm up/down

Control Throw (Elevator): Low: 10mm up/down; High: 13mm up/down

Control Throw (Rudder): Low: 18mm left/right; High: 25mm left/right

My buddy Tim Tinkerman did a nice review. www.youtube.com/user/TinkerManRC?ob=5#p/a/u/0/2-Gkl9fxIRQ

It flies great, but it needs more power and a few other things: 25 motor, retracts, 60A ESC, 4S, 4 blade prop, flaps...

Here's a few shots of the stock Spit:


Beautifully reproduced Spitfire porportions.

Great detail down to rivets.

Nice cockpit and pilot.

20mm Cannons.

Radiators. Fixed gear begging for retracts.

Fixed flap begging for functioning flaps

Plenty of room for a 4S but it's going to take a bit of work to get that 60A ESC in there with room for cooling.

[akent]

That's an awesome looking plane! I love the Spit!

That looks like retracts are going to have to move at an odd angle.

I hope they figure that out and come out with some.
Kent

[19000rpm]

Yes, the Spit is one nice plane. And with this model; PKZ have outdone themselves with the finish and details. You don't look at it and say, "Nice for a foam plane." You say, "Wow, that's a great looking model."

The retracts are the EFLG100's. For th retract set up PKZ made pre-bent struts, PKZ5717, for the Spit like they did for the P-47D. Some guys had problems with the pre-bent struts for the Jug but the ones for the Spit are angled to fit the wheel in the well perfectly.

[19000rpm]

These are the Spit retracts:

The one on the left is the way the EFLG100's come out of the box. They are to be cut to length and a supplied axle added at the correct angle to get the desired result.

The one on the right is the pre-bent strut. Next to it is the plastic filler piece that inserts into the gear mounting plate when using the retracts. More on that later.

[akent]

To get the angles right, does the retract mount tilted? Is that why the plastic filler piece is there, perhaps?

I can't figure out another way for the wheels to be straight in the pocket when retracted.

Looks great!
Kent

[19000rpm]

Yes, The whole thing is tilted. The mount is at an angle that allows the retract with bent strut to fold up into the wheel well for a perfect fit.

One of the best things about the arrangement, either with the fixed gear or retracts, is that the designers allowed for a non scale chamber to the wheel for enhanced ground handling. Pilots that have flown the tippy PKZ BF109 will appreciate that.


Fixed gear removed.

Retract and pre-bent strut.

Plastic filler piece installed to create flush surface. Sorry about the fuzzy photo.

[19000rpm]

I finally maidened the stock version. It flies beautifully. No bad habits and plenty of power for standard aerobatics. It's very easy to take off and land on decent grass. Out of the box warbird parkflyers don't come any better than this.

I'm going to approach the hop ups in stages:

I think the first stage of hop ups will be the retracts and 4S. Maybe a bump up with the prop. The 4S is a quick way to add some serious speed. 4S may eventually be too much for the motor, but it is going to be replaced anyway.

I don't want to exceed the stock 30A ESC capacity at this stage, but if it needs it we'll add a higher rated ESC.

I've ordered a nice 4 blade spinner from HK to go along with the APC 4 blade prop. Eventually this will be pulling bird with the Power 25.

As the plane gets heavier landing speed will increase so this is when I'll probably address installing the split flaps. Some tricky cutting is required to neatly split the trailing edge of the wing. The flap it'self will be made of ply.

I've heard some reports of wing failure in high speed maneuvers. Somewhere around 90. Having had a wing or two fold in my past, one being th old PKZ Sit, it doesn't take much imagination to picture this beautiful bird augering in. UGH!

Looking at the FG wing spar and its location, very close to the leading edge, it is not confidence inspiring. It looks like the convenient way out, manufacturing wise, considering everything going on the bottom of the wing. Wheel wells, servo pockets, air scoops, etc., certainly not the best location from a structural perspective. At the very least, the wing will get a CF strip running parallel to the FG spar and extended somewhat beyond the length of the stock piece.

Here's a couple of pics of the Spit and her allied wing man the day of the maiden.

[Gabe]

I love when everything goes beautifully out of the box!