I've been modelling in Gmax/Max as a hobby for the past few years though I haven't focused the various techniques and skills I've picked up over that time into one proper aircraft project for a few years now. So over the past week I've started building an early Merlin Spitfire with the goal of making it as completely accurate as I can manage. I plan on making the Mk Vc first though a Vb is hard to resist. This is where it stands at the moment:





The model is based on the extremely accurate plans found in Spitfire IX/XVI Engineered by Paul Monforton. This will provide the basis for all geometry and most detail firewall rearwards. Original Supermarine engineering drawings have provided the basis for the early Merlin engine cowlings and will provide reference for modelling the port wing oil cooler - the only other point of difference between the Mk Vc and Mk IX excepting the engine and its corresponding components.

The next piece to be built is the wing fillet, which I've found to be the most complex shape on the entire aircraft.


I'll keep you posted on my progress with this bird!

This morning I've constructed the horizontal stabiliser! In involved cutting a hole in the tail section corresponding to the gap in the skinning for the stabiliser, then building the structure using splines shaped to drawings of the ribs. After CrossSection then Surface modifiers, and converting the mesh to Poly, most of the work was already done. All that was left was shaping the outer curved section and bridging the gaps in the mesh. Finally, the flange/fairing for the elevator hinge was extruded from the back portion. Once one was made, it was cloned - the intersecting vertices then welded.





More detail is yet to come - specifically the hinge arms for the elevator itself (as with the rudder), but this will be completed later on.

Looking great Lythronax

Thank you so much! I'm pretty happy with how it's progressing so far which is rare for me.

I've also just completed the fillet for the tailplane which was an annoying process to say the very least.

Looks great, Lythronax. Any interest in modeling WWI aircraft, say the Moraine Bullet?

Nice work Lythronax, are you hoping to incorporate your work into WOTR either officially or as a mod mate?

That IS an aircraft I love and would love to model at some point, though if there were any aircraft I'd want to see in WOFF that I'd be happy to model myself it's the Sopwith Dolphin



The current Spitfire Mk I 3d model in WOTR is excellent so a new one doesn't need made at all, but if the team want to offload the work of developing the model into later Spit variants I would be ecstatic to help!

Lovely big elevator; was nearly as much of a pain as the tailplane fillet! I dread to think what the wing will be like.



And some general views as to how things are shaping up!

Very nice! I think you have some talent, sir!

How long did you say you have been experimenting with GMax? I took a look at it a few years ago, but it quickly gave me a headache!

You are far too kind! I've been experimenting on and off with Gmax since about 2018 but I've taken "breaks" of over a year at least twice since. I'm building this in Max 2008 which has greater flexibility, is easier to use and should still have easy compatibility (or can be made to work with) tools required for CFS3 modelling.

At this very moment I have no idea what to build next - I'm stuck between the cockpit enclosure, wings, prop blades, or the landing gear :')

Last post in what's definitely been quite the productive day on my part - the beginnings of that timeless wing!






At the moment it extends through to the centreline but it'll be refined to true outline of the skinning in the real deal. Thereafter the wing fillet is the final basic contouring shape needed. Once that's sorted I can get onto the finer details, which I'm both anticipating and dreading.

"Shaping" up nicely!

I imagine that getting the elliptical wing just right will be a real challenge. You have certainly started out on the right track. Bravo!

The wing is shaped to the actual ribs in the real aircraft with the correct incidence and washout so it should hopefully be spot-on, though in the end it's the aerodynamic fillet which really completes the look so it'll be very important to get that absolutely right!

Speaking of the fillet, here's its beginnings!

First the middle contours of the upper fillet were drawn as splines, plus a lovely CrossSection then Surface modifier, then converted to poly. Thereafter it was fettled and fitted to shape.




Then, the end section section (actually a metal sheet attached to the fuselage itself) was modelled to the contours of the rearmost fillet section, then fitted to shape.



Next is the lower "gull wing" section, which is in my opinion one of the most important shapes in getting the contours of the Spitfire correct. Stay tuned.

And now, the completed fillet. Was definitely quite the hassle.

Well, to my admittedly untrained eye, your model looks fantastic! Good work!

Thank you so much! I owe the decent results to the very, very accurate and in-depth plans I have available. It's made my job roughly 100% easier. Whenever I do the Westland Whirlwind (the WW2 bird I really want to model) things'll be much trickier, unless I can get in contact with the restoration group who has made new plans.

This is where it's at this afternoon - the wings and fillets have been stitched together at the vertex level into one continuous piece to simplify construction, plus some cleaning up has been done on the shape of the underside.




Here is the completed basic wing shape, overall I'm very happy with how things have turned out so far. Planform, thickness, dihedral and washout have all turned out to my liking.

Beautiful. One question: is the fuselage really that thin, particularly from the back of the airfoil to the horizontal stabilizer? Might just be a matter of perspective. Still, your model is looking very good.

Actually yes! The Spitfire has a very specific contour, I'm lucky that I had drawings for each frame.

Makes sense, as they obviously wanted a design that was as streamlined as possible. Did the original Spitfires even have rivets? I know the British removed the rivets from the American P-51, giving that aircraft another 10 or so knots of airspeed.