1:1 Spitfire K9817 Cockpit Build

[A4K]

Fantastic work Darryl , and a real labour of love..!!!

 

[plheure2]

Darryl, could you have someone take a picture of the bird with you sitting at the controls? I'd really like to see that, and thanks for answering my questions. I'm going to be using your pictures as reference material when I go to build my CMR Spitty Mk IX.

 

[Rocketeer]

Lovely stuff Darryl!!

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Guys!

There you go mate:

Tony, the Uc switch housing is great...ta

 

[Airframes]

"Crumbs, Bread Leader! I'm in the dough here, going to slice down before I'm buttered!".

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent work so far Darryl!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Sure looks neat Darryl.

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Gents!!!

We really are on the home straight now. The last two days have been spent on fitting the sutton harness tension/recoil unit in a decidedly NON standard way. I just don't have six feet of frames behind the seat to run the cable. This meant fixing the unit to the rear bulkhead and running the cable around wheels to take up the slack. The original cable broke the first time I used it, so I sourced a motorcycle clutch cable and took the WHOLE thing apart to fit that. In the end it came up well and functions perfectly...but unfortunately it is NOT a Spitifre unit, or at least if it is, it is from the rear seat of a two seater..you can see this from the frame being welded at 90 degrees from where a normalk Spit unit is..necessitating an angled block being mounted to make the handle travel through the "normal" arc...no matter, it was still a very good pickup. Remembering to disengage the lock before leaning forward will be a task but the hard edges of the Sutton Harness are a very good reminder, cutting in as they do to near the collar bone and leaving bruises when you forget (ask me how I know!! )


The real "run"

The main unit fitted and the home turned rollers to guide the cable.

The roller unit made from scratch with 3mm aluminium, bent in the vice, a turned brass axle and turned roller. For the first time my wife, on seeing this, asked where I found it and how much it cost!!! My machine work must have improved!

The handle/trigger unit fitted in the cockpit. The tensioning makes it quite a job to pull it down to release the lock, just like in the real thing.

Thanks, as always, for your support and interest guys!!




(Oh, and the Academy award for worst series of puns goes to.................Airframes........ Terry, you should be ashamed of yourself )

 

[Airframes]

I do try to please!!!

 

[A4K]

You certainly do 'rise' to the occasion Terry! (ba dum, TAH!)

 

[Gnomey]

Wonderful stuff so far Darryl!

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks again gents!

Now I just have to find time to pull the throttle out and rebuild it...and modify the primer...
Ah well, "shortly"

 

[Gerry]

An absolutely wonderful project, Darryl and, as Terry says - just like the real thing! Deep respect also to your stamina, I make it just under four and a half years since you first posted!

Sláinte,

Gerry

 

[Tony Hill]

Cheers Gerry,

Yes, it has been a long haul. I started collecting bits in January 08 and commenced building in January 09...so it was 12 month's work before I even took saw to wood.

I've met some wonderful people on the journey..no small number of them right here!

I'm a little sad to see her nearly finished but flying is great fun (although I am not sure it is as much fun as building). I am off to The Jungles again mid next month, so no work until after then now..I'm heavy into training. When (if??) I return, I will finish her off and I have already started doing some rebuilding and refitting of the F-16. So the next job is to get her "airworthy". She was started in 2005 and has been sadly neglected since my "12 month" side project to build the Spit started!!

cheers

Darryl

 

[GrumpyBadger]

Darryl,

I just found this actually via google-fu

all I have to say is WOW 8) excellent job and I'm so excited to see what you have done. It means I'm not the only crazy one in this madhouse that wants to do this!
Awesome job and I'm so impressed how you and the rest of the forum have stuck with it. This is great. Just be ready to start getting PMs from me when I get started on mine!

fair winds and following seas bud and be safe

Pat

 

[Tony Hill]

Pat,

Thanks for the kind words.

As to PM "support".. that will be my pleasure.

regards

Darryl

 

[Tony Hill]

Back, rested and, one 25ft (8m) fall down Kagi Gorge notwithstanding, relatively in one piece. Bounced off rocks down a 60deg slope until I lost enough momentum to "skid" sideways and come to a halt. A few pic's.

129.5km walked, 26,500ft total climbing up and 24,645ft total climbing down (much of it in 2,000ft to 2,500ft stretches), this time with a 40lbs pack "only", but the heat and humidity were brutal.

I now need to spend some serious time catching up on the board here!!

 

[fubar57]

Looks very exciting Darryl. More photos to come I hope.

Geo

 

[Airframes]

Now I know you're mental !
OK, I used to do similar - but I got paid for it !!