Sterling Spitfire

[Mike Griffin]

I built this from plans from a kit that Walter Umland produced a few years ago.  In my opinion the prettiest warbird ever conceived.  Wish I still had it.

Mike

[Dave_Trible]

Really pretty Mike.  I built one from an original kit a few years ago replacing SOME of the kit wood.  Still a little heavy at around 46-47 ounces.  It still doesn’t fly too bad.  Someday I might try again with good wood.  The Sterling Spit was the first model airplane I ever saw flying as a 9 year old.  Loved the airplane and it planted the “Stunt seed” in me for life.  Denny Adamisin has a nice one too.

Dave

[Mike Griffin]

Really pretty Mike.  I built one from an original kit a few years ago replacing SOME of the kit wood.  Still a little heavy at around 46-47 ounces.  It still doesn’t fly too bad.  Someday I might try again with good wood.  The Sterling Spit was the first model airplane I ever saw flying as a 9 year old.  Loved the airplane and it planted the “Stunt seed” in me for life.  Denny Adamisin has a nice one too.

Dave

Dave it has been 13 years and I cannot remember what this one weighed.  It wasnt heavy as I remember.  I have the Brodak kit and a original Sterling kit and would love to build another one before I croak.   This model looked so pretty in the air. 

Mike

[Bill Hummel]

Mike, with your building skills, you could have one framed up in a week!

[Mike Griffin]

Mike, with your building skills, you could have one framed up in a week!

Thank you Bill but I have slowed down considerably.  I cant stand up for any length of time now because of chronic back pain and a lot of things just cant be done to my satisfaction sitting down.  I still love to build Bill and I was always a better builder than a pilot.  There are few guys in our club that just cannot build for one reason or the other and I have built and given several of my planes to them.  I just like to see them have fun with them. 

I recently built a Ringmaster 576, a Pat Johnston design, for a really good guy in our club.  I really took a lot of pains in building, covering and finishing it for him. It was really pretty when I got through with it.  I gave it to him one day at lunch and he absolutely would not fly it until I came to the field and watched him on the maiden flight.  Finally we had a pretty day and Iwent to the field and he started it and another fellow launched him.  The plane went straight up into a figure 9 and came down nose first into the concrete circle.  It just obliterated the model.  He was devastated and kept apologizing to me over and over and over . I finally said to him,  it is part of flying control line planes.  It happens to everybody, even expert fliers who have been flying for decades.  I felt so bad for him. 

We finally traced the problem down to the crimped lines he was using that came from Brodak.  Somehow they grabbed each other when the plane was launched and locked the elevator in the up position.

It just gave me an excuse to build him another one.

Good to hear from you Bill and I hope you are doing good.

Mike

[Randy Powell]

It's a pretty plane, Mike.

[FLOYD CARTER]

The Sterling Spit is nice, but..........straight wings?

Warbirds really need some diehedral.    I couldn't find plans the right size, so I drew my own.  60" span. ROJETT 61 for power.

[Mike Griffin]

It's a pretty plane, Mike.

It is Randy. Have built a couple of them. I also built your Ringmaster Deluxe.  It is still in white primer.  I need to finish it and go fly it.  I love that design.  When Allan Perret passed away, the one he had just disappeared.  Nobody really knows what happened to it but somebody got it.  Just do not know who.  His and yours is what inspired me to build one.

Mike

[Tony Drago]

My Hi Johnson Spitfire. Had it built by Walter Umland.
 

[Mike Griffin]

It's a pretty plane, Mike.

Thank you Randy,

Mike

[Dennis Leonhardi]

My Hi Johnson Spitfire. Had it built by Walter Umland.

Very nice Tony, is the construction anything like the Kenhi kits?  I really love those designs, but they are sooooo light and prone to warp ...

Dennis

[Tony Drago]

 Dennis. I would say a much more complex to build then the KenHi kits. The wing is a hard build. Everything else is a straight forward build. The plane is appox. 15 years old never flown. It is now  owned by Walter's son. Walter Jr.

[John Park]

The Sterling Spit is nice, but..........straight wings?

I agree with Floyd.  This is my favourite Spitfire stunt model: https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=7532

[Trostle]

Al Rabe drew up the outline for a late model Spitfire, like the Mk 22.  It would have been in keeping with his approach for his other designs including the Mustang, Bearcat, Sea Fury and Sea Hornet.  Unfortunately and as far as I know, the project never went beyond the outline he made.  It would have been gorgeous. 

Keith

[Angelo Smyth]

I built this from plans in 2007.  In my opinion the prettiest warbird ever conceived.  Wish I still had it.

Mike

What a nice looking plane! Did it fly well?

[Mike Griffin]

Yes it flew extremely well.

Mike

[Air Ministry .]

Thats Al's first one , won hung loo . He Said .



Thought Id sussed this . Eitherits takeing its time . Or its not . Tho could be two . 





https://apis.mail.yahoo.com/ws/v3/mailboxes/@.id==VjN-g5fwD6fTdLlaCs3JApBMlhcWds_Jh1FCj_zGhgT3Wtg9k-0-o8T4zP48sb8C_tJ0bajnw-E-wp8zNjTKIAFOnw/messages/@.id==AFGiL1IxlCvOXvHgUApI0DSlVKs/content/parts/@.id==2/thumbnail?appId=YMailNorrinLaunch

If theres a dozen pictures the same there in the morning , youll let me know, then. otherwise clicking on the link seems to get it .

[Tony Drago]

Yes it flew extremely well.

Mike.which type/size motor did you used
Mike

[Mike Griffin]

I had a OS .40 in it for power.

[Tony Drago]

Thank you