1:1 Spitfire K9817 Cockpit Build

[Spits]

The question is, can you get aerosol cans of 'Spitfire Cockpit Odour', just to make it really authentic!! Can't beat the smell of real aeroplanes!

Just roll around under a leaky car,then stand next to a drag car.Then stand behind a 737 for that "wind in your hair" feel.
With every Spitfire being different from the factory I would think the pilot would have a bit of license with each of his mounts.
For drawings I can give a list of ones you need from Hendon to do up a pit.Well most of them anyway.

 

[Tony Hill]

A nice little message and photo from my mate tonight..completed tap handles (beyond my skill!)... so now I guess I have to spend some time this weekend building the mounting plates and fitting them.

During the week I started the long job of painting components and finishing the extra structural bits inside. I ahven't started on the monitor stand and computer box but soon....

The Fuelcock (yes I know, fuel **** but......) is finished and I am getting the faceplate done in the morning. So by the end of the weekend we should have some interesting pictures.

The only down side is that to paint I had to remove the instrument panel which will not now go back in until the end of the build. A great pity as I was enjoying looking at it and playing with the knobs whilst sitting in the seat.


Darryl

 

[Airframes]

And making 'Merlin' noises, followed by the 'Bam Bam' of cannon noises no doubt....!

 

[Wayne Little]

Think you might be right there Terry....

 

[Tony Hill]

Hey, I resemble that remark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[vikingBerserker]

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks all for hanging in there with me.

Whole lot of work this weekend to end up apparently behind where I started. I am happy but I have had to take the whole thing apart, so nothing much to photograph but hours of structural and general work done. I have been concerned with the glue joints and their longevitiy, so I went ahead and fabricated 18 alu brackets and fitted them to stategic points. That took some time, I can tell you!

I did get the fuelcock finished and will have photos of that tomorrow. I have taken the oportuninty of pulling it all apart to undercoat the whole thing and get some of the green coat on the controls...it is lighter than it was on the colour chart but I will live with it. The colour appears on some photos I have but is definately lighter than most. I believe however that the really early Spits were lighter on the inside.


I also got the Throttle unit painted green and the boost cutout fire engine red. Again, photos tomorrow night.



We are getting there.......6 -8 weeks for final completion is the plan!

Thanks all for your interest, this site is the greatest!!

Darryl

 

[Airframes]

Nearly there mate! Really looking forward to seeing her in her coat of colours.

 

[Tony Hill]

Yes Terry, tantilisingly close now. I am starting on the Deicing and Fuel pressure assemblies tonight and should have the taps from Gwyn by Wednesday.


Another job I have is to fit this:

I'll have to work out some anchor points near the seat and also how I am going to attach the high straps to the rear frame.

It is going to be very restrictive I think and I might need to work out some sort of tension release and an inertia reel.


Darryl

 

[Spits]

Original harness tensioner is a spring loaded affair.See picci..Could use a bungee strap or spring to achieve same result.

Here is a pic of the harness going beside the aerial mast.
http://spitfiresite.com/reference/v...9/03/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit/target17.htm
http://spitfiresite.com/reference/v...9/03/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit/target18.htm
Have a pic somewhere of the lap belt attach points on the seat in my Spitporn stash .

 

[Tony Hill]

Have a pic somewhere of the lap belt attach points on the seat in my Spitporn stash .

Thanks mate, my problem is that the sim ENDS at the frame behind the seatback and so there is nowhere to string the belt back too. I think I will bolt it to the rear frame but that has two problems, first it bends the belts down and along that frame towards the ground a bit..creating wear and second it will make spring mechanism tricky to attach without it sticking out the back...not desirable. I guess it will just be one of those "suck it and sees".


cheers

 

[Wayne Little]

Looking forward to more Darryl...

 

[Geedee]

She's lookin real beaut mate, coming along very nicely.

6 to 8 weeks to complete...Bl**dy 'ell, I'd better get my whatsit in gear and start catching up !.

Have you a color scheme in mind or are you going with a generic one ?. We need some piccies of you sat in her at some stage (with a suitably cheesy grin of course !).

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Wayne, moving at a good rate now. (unfortunately next weekend is a wash out, so no progress there,)

Gary, hurry along then!! Your ship is comming on nicely,
Colour scheme? I think the outside will be an off white now, not quite pink but THAT is just not happenning.
The polyethelene skin is apparently a b*tch to paint, so I am using the rough side as the inside and the outside may just stay white..I'll have to see.

 

[Tony Hill]

***I've just thrown away my third switch casing for the IFF Destruction and broken a switch into the bargain....moral, if you are tired, don't try to work with aluminium!!***

 

[Tony Hill]

Well, that was a ^% of a night wednesday!!.....but last night I went back out, made a better wooden "plug" and cut a fourth...that one worked OK, not brilliant but matchbox size is not easy to build with 2mm aluminium. The switch however fits snuggly into the housing and looks OK.

Later I built the Windscreen De-icing unit which went much more smoothly. It is currently drying its third coat of white and tonight gets the topcoat of satin black. Early next week I will get Chris to laser engrave the legend through the black into the white the same way we did on the magneto switch panel.


I'll wait 'til then and post all the detail pieces up to date.

Also wrestled with the Sutton Harness for a while but not much progress on that.

The next project will be the fairing that sits over the lines from the Chassis control to the instrument panel frame in the left of the picture of the real thing below. The small wheel is already done but nothing more.

The Windscreen De-Icing Unit can be seen on the right just near the gear handle.


Some random pics:

The rear of the instrument panel with gauges fitted.

The gunsight cleaned up and ready to fit

The TR radio controller ready to be fitted:

The "real" radio unit for the sim will now be mounted in the Remote Contactor frame as I think I am out of room on the left for a mapbox

More soon



.

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Darryl ! I wish I'd picked up one of those gunsights about 25 years ago - there was a place selling them, still in the wooden transit case, with spare bulbs, for £20 !!

 

[javlin]

frggin Nice!! Darryl.

 

[Rocketeer]

Looking good Darryl

I have just finished my de-ice tank, selector etc.....got drawings if you need....

 

[Tony Hill]

Terry, I could have cried when I read that.....I still need to find or make the bottom and globe holder for the thing and to buy that is going to be expensive...I may be better off actually buying a whole sight and keeping this as a "collectors piece". That way at least I can get the non rocket version..but my bank account will complain.

Javlin, thanks mate. I am, within my limited ability, trying to make it special.

Tony, the selector is finished but drawings of the tank would be appreciated and also of the Remote Contactor mounting if you have them? Thanks for the offer mate.

A little bit more progress before I have a weekend off...

The Fuelcock finished and ready to bolt on. It is built from some garden irrigation fittings and an old landing gear lever I had. the handle is 3mm aluminium pollished and the grip "buttons" are chromed nuts joined by a threaded rod.

Sundry Placards generously cut for me by Chris and his invaluable laser.

A couple of better photos of the compass...again, the degrees disk by Chris and the body out of 120mm plumbing fitting with the "card" holder in 2mm aluminium and a heavy gauge screw onto angle alu. As always a great 3d effect is obtained by multiple layers of acrylic with different details etched on them and painted.

The completed %^%$ of an IFF Destruction unit. Save for the 1 1/2" problem with the GA drawings in the fuselage, this bit has given me more trouble than any other. About 12 hours spent on it all up to finish!! It is a whole 8" long and 2" wide. I should have just bought a housing from Spitfirespares for $300...

A nice family shot to finish..

.

More later in the next week. As always, cheers for the interest.