Durafly Supermarine Spitfire Mk5b

As the sky is full of liquid sunshine again, I've started putting my Spit together.
So far, everything fits where it is supposed to! (Unusual for Hobbyking!)
But - the canopy was stuck on with two dots of bee-spit, and fell off when I started adding the decorations. (It isn't drilled for the rear-view mirror, either, although there is a dent in it! )
Note the advice in the instruction book that says to put the transfers on BEFORE you put the model together! Watch when you peel off the top clear cover by rolling it back on itself, the transfers haven't always stuck very well, and you have to 'trap' the edge down with your tweezers etc, to stop it lifting. The very small letters are the worst for that, especially the 'I's.
I found that my fin flashes were about 2mm too long, and had to nibble a little bit of red off, where it overhung the front of the fin.
Once I've put the wings on, I'll fit the cannons, radio mast, and cockpit mirror, but I'm not bothering with the pitot tube, which is out on the underside of the port wing, and our grass field will soon remove it!
Likewise I'm not bothering with the tiny lettering transfers, the model is for flying, not for decorating the sideboard (I don't have one anyway! )
Did anyone spot the classic Chinglish spelling mistake? Bottom row, third from the left - what's an 'electorical and radio socket' ?
When I sent for the model, I ordered two spare props - just in case! It's an odd size - 11.25 x 7 three-blades.

Crash-test to follow later!

I knew things were going too well!
I programmed my Taranis for the switched channels for flaps and wheels this afternoon, plugged everything in, and it all works, so I began fitting the push-rods for the control surfaces, with those odd hard plastic rings that have to snap onto balls on the horns. (That reads rude!)
I've got the appropriate pliers for the job. After some experimenting with trying to get the angles right, I found the easy way was to unscrew the tiny 1mm screw that holds the ball onto the horn, remove the screw, put the ball and the ring, in the pliers, into a plastic bag, then squeeze until it clicks in. The plastic bag catches the bits when they flirt off in all directions. Of course, to fit the rudder and elevator balls, you have to unscrew the ring from the pushrod.
No problem with that - EXCEPT I haven't got one for the elevator - ball, that is. There is only half a horn, as well!
I've sent for a spare tailplane, and contacted the help line to see if they will refund the cost, as it's not my fault!
So - the maiden flight will be delayed for a while.

Unfortunately no, O.T. It's moulded as part of the square driver for the other half of the split tail, and I'd be sawing a hole in that and the hinge!

It's a break, Q. Classic stress fracture break.
p.s. will one of the Mod's please put the other R into the title Supermarine!?

New tail feathers arrived, wrapped in bubble and loads of chopped paper!
Fitted, tested, model balanced. Just need to range-check, then see if it will leave the ground in a controlled fashion!

She flew this evening, once the rather blustery West wind had dropped.
It was off the ground like a scalded cat with a 4S2200 lipo on board. WAY too much elevator, as it came 'out of the box', and I had a bit of a battle on to stop the ground jumping up and hitting it, while I got the trims something like.
Landed it unscathed, and dialled in 40% expo!
Still very touchy, so I need to reduce the throws!
Full details in the 'been flying' thread.

p.s. if you are assembling one - BEFORE you put the wing on, make sure the push-rod clamps for the rudder and elevator are tight. (Guess how I found that out!)
Also - when you stick on the fake radiator scoops, sand the paint out of the slots first, or the airflow just peels the paint that is stuck to the glue - off! Mine came off just as the model broke ground, so it didn't go far, and will be re-stuck tomorrow.

I was wandering around the supermarket, this morning, doing the grocery run, when I suddenly realized why the Spit was so touchy on elevators!
I had previously flown it on 40% expo, and yesterday upped it to 60% and it was still a real beast!
So - when I got home I fired it up, and twiddled the sticks. Sure enough - stupid mistake!
I'm on the wrong side of the expo curve! I was on the negative side, and the Taranis wants it on the positive side to reduce the sensitivity!
So, I've re-set to +50%, and we'll find out tomorrow, perhaps!

+50 is a bit too vague, so I'll try 40, and I still have too much movement, making the model nervous in pitch. It also needs expo on the ailerons, so I'm going to try 30%.
I only flew the Spit once, due to the poor visibility (see the 'Been Flying' thread), but it's almost right, now.

Just a p,s,
I've reduced the elevator servo throw to 80%, with 40% expo. I've also got 30% expo on the ailerons, and now it is a nice model to fly.

And a p.s. to the p.s. - as there was hardly any wind, the landing approach was a bit faster, and highlighted a weak spot. On our rather bumpy field, the retracting undercarriage is not strong enough, and one of the wire legs has bent back a little, meaning the wheel won't retract.
No, it wasn't a - 'You can teach monkeys to fly better than that!' - series of kangaroo hops, just a normal uneven ground bumpy landing. So that is something that needs attention.

I took the bent leg off the Spit, this afternoon.
There are an assortment of fiddly little screws to remove, three hold the wheel cover on, two more for the grey retract unit cover, then four hold the retract into the wing, and four more hold the black plate onto the retract unit! (You need a smaller x-head driver than the one supplied).
Once the unit is out, two grub-screws hidden in what appears to be the pivot hold the leg into the unit. (The supplied allen key fits!) Two flats on the shaft stop it rotating, otherwise it is a rattly fit.
I bent it straight in a bench vice. I can see no way of getting the dummy plastic oleo cover off, so replacing the leg with proper piano wire would be difficult. When the wire leg bent, it cracked the plastic cover, so I'm sticking it back together with cyano, otherwise the wheel-cover will have nothing to fasten to.