1:1 Spitfire K9817 Cockpit Build

[Tony Hill]

Thanks guys,

weetam, Gary pretty much pegged it....to give you some idea, for what I've spent on the Spit and the F-16 together, I could have almost built an RV-7.

Gary, cheers...any progress on yours lately?

 

[Tony Hill]

Finally, an aquisition from yesterday, the rare and, in this case still fully functional, Harness Recoil Reel. This will make the Sutton Harness fully functional and allow for the extra cockpit check on takeoff and landing.

Not much to happen over the holidays as I am off trekking over mountains again....getting too old for that, just haven't realised it yet!!!

 

[Airframes]

Great find Darryl. You can go forward and back now, but make sure the anchor point is strong enough! Now then, when do the wings, or at least wing roots, get fitted ?!!!!

 

[Tony Hill]

 

[Airframes]

Love it !!
Reminds me of my friend's uncle, in the late 1960s. He built a light aircraft ( from memory, a Druine Turbulent) in the front room, but hadn't considered the problems of getting the fuselage out (the wing had been built in a large shed outside). So, he decided that the window, and part of the wall, would have to be dismantled, at which point 'Her Indoors' objected somewhat strongly!

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice find Darryl.

 

[Tony Hill]

Cheers Andy!!


Terry,

Believe it or not "fitting" was a big consideration even with the sim..she breaks fair down the middle for that reason. A lot of work (about 3 hours) to pull her apart and another heap (4 hours) to put her back..but the only way she could be moved between rooms!

The F-16 breaks into three parts!!


SWMBO would draw the line at windows and walls (particularly after she sees the credit card bill for the recoil reel I bought her for Christmas )

 

[Airframes]

There is no way that SWMBO will believe that that is the latest fashion accessory !

 

[Tony Hill]

There is no way that SWMBO will believe that that is the latest fashion accessory !

Somehow I think she will think it would look good wrapped around my ears!

 

[Wayne Little]

I hear that!

 

[Tony Hill]

 

[Rustybugs]

Being a new guy and all, came upon this thread just today. This and the other threads about 1:1 cockpit build. I can't add any other adjective that hasn't been used many times before. STUNNING!!! ABSOLUTELY F***ING STUNNING!!! My hats off to all of you, unbelievable attention to detail. I am flabbergasted................

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Rustybugs!!

Guys, back from the scrub in the South which turned out to be a mixture of Brecon Beacons, Jungle, peet marsh, beach and waist deep mud. A long trip but very satisfying. We had a small drama with a massive bushfire but got out ahead of it.

So, more progress soon hopefully,

Darryl

 

[Tony Hill]

Some very rough work on the door. This has proved to be a real challenge in that the factory drawings were inaccurate in the cockpit area so the whole sim is an inch too long. I have managed to "make" the door latch stretch but the proportions look a little off..never mind.

The real door is quite a work of art, very thin and strong and with a beautiful piano hinge base that pivots the whole thing out. It also fits snuggly into a designed recess, which was beyond me whilst using a wooden frame and plastic skin. It took me a wasted wooden blank, a small sheet of ali and about an hour to work out I was NEVER going to get it made like it really is!! So I settled on an "outside" fit of the skin, along the edge of the door "hole" in the sim and will use two or three ordinary door hinges. I wanted the door to "look" thin from the inside of the cockpit, so I made it thick enough to be strong but then made an inner skin which makes the whole thing LOOK thin when viewed from each side (and also gave me a useful cavity to hide all my dodgy joins, crossbraces and gluing!!)


I also found that to "look" square, the thing actually had to be made "out of plum" which was REALLY annoying until the outside skin went on and then it all LOOKED square...amazing and I can't explain it...just don't put a set square near it!!


So....The door itself, outside view.

And inside.

The Door latch, now attached to the top spar and complete except for fitting the aft latch claw and guide. The latch claw is made but the guide is this weekend's problem (hopefully).

The way it works..pivot point in the centre and rotates away, retracting the claw.

More to come when painted and attached.

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice work Darryl That latch looks like a work of art! Be careful when you paint the skin and use a mask, we don't want a repeat of last time

 

[Airframes]

Nice work there Darryl.

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Glenn, will definitely be engaging my new and much better chemical mask before priming this bit. The cheep surgical type with tissues stuffed in really can't cut it. ..last time is still VERY fresh in my memory, even though I see it was nearly 3 years ago!

Terry, cheers mate. It is good to be moving her forward again.






Have I really been going on this damned thing THAT long??..building since Easter 2009, getting bits together since June 2008. And then there was the F-16 that was started in 2005 and still isn't quite finished...madness!

 

[T Bolt]

..last time is still VERY fresh in my memory, even though I see it was nearly 3 years ago!

Has it really been that long? It only seems like last year. No wonder my beard is all gray. I need to get back to my 47 before I'm to decrepit to work on it

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Excellent work Darryl!

 

[fubar57]

Really fine work on the door and latch.

Geo