Repairing a Spitfire. Before and after

BLACKSNAKES · Post by **BLACKSNAKES** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:46 pm

My spitfire took a nosedive a few years back. It fell from about eight feet off the ground. Lost one prop blade and one landing gear. After that it was played with by my two sons for a couple of years. The other two prop blades... Busted! I finally got around to repairing the Spit today. The following pics show how I did the repairs. I used a 1/16 drill bit and the ends of 1/16 rivits to make for a very strong repair. Also some super glue. I think the pics will speak for themselves, but feel free to ask me any questions you all might have.

B SNAKES

BLACKSNAKES · Post by **BLACKSNAKES** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:48 pm

I did the repairs to the prop just like the landing gear.

B Snakes

CrazyinTexas · Post by **CrazyinTexas** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:33 pm

I have used small nails to fix wheels on hanomags and pak 40's. Same basic idea as yours. Works great.

DocTodd · Post by **DocTodd** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:17 pm

Very resourceful, i like it better in one piece.
DocTodd

snake · Post by **snake** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:25 pm

Glad you restored it back to "flying condition",Blacksnakes.

nooker21 · Post by **nooker21** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:08 am

How did you use the rivet ends again? I can't see how they help out in the final pictures...

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:23 am

nooker21 wrote:How did you use the rivet ends again? I can't see how they help out in the final pictures...

I guess that would be the whole idea.

He used the rivets as a center reinforcing rod.

Great patch job.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:38 am

So I guess technically Blacksnake riveted his spitfire back together

Not bad at all for such a hard landing!

BLACKSNAKES · Post by **BLACKSNAKES** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:07 pm

Nooker21 I should have been more clear on how I used the rivets. Like Pickelhaube said, I used the rivets to reinforce the gear and props. I used the part of the rivet that gets thrown out after a rivet is used. Basiclly a nail with no head. I use side cuts (wire cutters) to rough up the rivet (nail) so it fits tight, and really doesn't want to come out. It kinda grabs the plastic around it. And super glue just adds to the grab.

I know others have probably been doing something like this for years, but for someone new to the hobby this could really help out.

Finally, Thanks for all the compliments guys! I appreciate each and every one of them.

Next up my FW 190 D. Both main gear BUSTED!

B SNAKES

fightin · Post by **fightin** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:46 am

wow, great job. Very nice work!

Airacobra · Post by **Airacobra** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:31 am

I used the same method to fix the landing gear on my P-38. Just drilled out a hole on either side of the break on the landing gear, filled it with epoxy, inserted wire, and put landing gear back together. I did this about 3 years ago and it is still holding up. BTW, I have that same spit and the wings droop a bit. How do the wings fit on yours? Are they tight, or do they also droop?