1:1 Spitfire K9817 Cockpit Build

A great boost to the Project this week with the acquisition of both a foot operated Shrinker/Stretcher and an English Wheel.

Apart from that, work continues on the double fuelcock for K9817 and the single for Ross' project. The new front plates have been lasercut and engraved by Chris and I've now started prototyping the frame. The double will stay as natural metal finish and has the engraving black powder coat filled. The single will be black with white writing. Both will now be drilled for the correct 4BA countersunk machine screws.

And some more good news with Replica Aircraft Parts donating a main instrument panel to the project when they have finished them!

Nice stuff Darryl!

Thanks Wojtek & Hugh.

No actual progress to show but Shrinker Stretcher built and tested and English Wheel currently under assembly.

Not sure what a Shrinker Stretcher is or does but I want one. Off to the Googler............

I think those were used at my last physical exam!

VB

Geo,

A shrinker stretcher is used to make curves in folded metal. You put one side of an angle into the jaws and a set of dies either compresses or stretches that side only, making the whole thing curve. Feeding in alternate sides can make compound curves. It basically works (for shrinking) like making a fan out of a napkin. Shrinking forms outside curves and stretching forms inside curves.


A tiny bit of progress and an enjoyable 3 hours.... The finger grips for the fuelcocks.


Project involving Lathe tools, file and two grades of finishing glass paper. I'm very happy how evenly they came out, as each half had to be made individually (six in total). Some "cheat" marks lightly engraved on the tool post allowed the cutters to be placed exactly on the right angle for each cut (two on each half grip) . Then the file was used to take the small edge off between cuts and round off a bit. Finally the paper smoothed everything off. The rivets for fixing the grips were hand made to ensure a perfect fit.

The second and third photos show a test fitting using the rivet gun and bucking bar on Ross' single lever Spitfire Mk V fuelcock....with the faceplate now countersunk to accept 4BA machine screws. I say "test fit" when what mean, of course, is "Darryl was in such a hurry to see a finished product that he rivetted the fingergrips but he forgot that they will NOT fit through the slots of the faceplate and had to drill them out and make a new rivet for them!" ...but then you guys already knew that

Sweet

Heck Darryl. you're putting some work into this - great stuff !

Thanks Geo and Terry.

Terry...you know what they say : "GIVE a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Give a man a Lathe and you'll never see him outside the garage again"

Good work so far Darryl!

Cheers Hugh,

Another "whole weekend" that turned into just a few hours..but never mind.

I haven't been able to source 1" brass at a reasonable cost but did get some Bronze. It doesn't machine quite as nicely as brass but still, not bad.

So time to have a go at the Fuel Gauge push switch...




The "fake" switch is made from a brass centre, ABS Plastic outer and a bronze retaining ring. The button is ABS but heated a little and was damaged doing the indent. I will remake it in Brass I think and high gloss paint it to make it look like Bakelite. I'm very pleased with it as, when it is in a panel, it will be indistinguishable from a real one..there is just the modern push switch tapped and screwed into the rear. The retaining ring came out at exactly the dimensions of the real one...a first for me! Usually, I will accept a thou' of an inch out.

Baby steps, I guess! the November next year deadline seems to be looming larger all the time!

Nicely done Darryl. I love the sound dead-lines make as they pass overhead.

Great workmanship there sir!

Awesome work!

Lovely work so far Darryl!

Great work Darryl

Thanks guys as always!

I recently detailed the logic behind the seat to Jon Fellows. I thought some here may be interested...... any comments, suggestions or corrections welcome!

The sim is flown with full parachute and a wartime Sutton Harness, so the correct seat was an early stipulation to the rebuild.

The seat Ross has built is a marvel…and so much more-so than most people will ever realise. It is built from the original drawings and is actually "time sensitive". I'll explain….

The project is being constructed as at the date that K9817, the 31st production Spitfire, was sent to the Photo Recon Unit. (PRU) This is late September – Early October 1940.

This is where nearly 35 years of Spitfire research comes in handy! She has incorporated all of the Modification Releases likely to have been implemented by that date.

With the seat, this is a "necessity is the mother of invention" mix.

So the seat is built as having been first made in October 1938...as a pretty much blank, bent piece of aluminium. Then, at later date, it has had the double riveted stiffener added across the rear of the seatback and the side hole cut in the starboard flank to reroute the lapbelt away from the seat raising mechanism.

It has not had the "extra" hole cut in the back (originally as a handle and MUCH later, to run the belts through).

Then it has had the brackets fitted for the seat armour introduced during the Battle of Britain but the Armour itself will have been removed to lighten the aircraft for PRU duties.

She will have the May '40 modifications made to the Sutton Harness run, to improve safety in the event of turning turtle!

The Flare Cartridge Rack... The jury is still WAY out on this one. I am inclined to leave it off, even though I have an excellent pattern for it and it looks like an interesting piece to make.

The seat will be painted all black as were some of the very early ones. It will have the leather patch put into the bulge on the port side to prevent chafing of the parachute ripcord. I need to do more research to work out exactly how this was attached.

Finally (and I am still debating with myself as to this) Edgar Brooks held the view that early seats probably did not have the back cushion fitted. I am inclined to represent K9817 as such. With a black seat it will not be particularly noticeable and it neatly avoids arguments as to the EXACT colour of the leather.