Ah b*ll*cks! Now look what you've done! I've just spent about six hours building all the internal framework, plus another 2 or so making and test fitting the front entrance hatch well and bulkheads. Now you've got me thinking of adding wiring!
No way! Well, maybe a bit!
I'm going to be adding a fair amount of scratch-built fittings and equipment, but only where it can be seen, or would be noticed if absent, if you know what I mean.
So, the laborious bit, the framwork, is done, and the tricky bit, the front entrance well, is constructed, resay for mating - up when the fuselage and lower centre section are joined. The entrance well was a bit of a sod, as it had to be built into the centre section moulding, and constantly checked for alignment and fit with the rest of the floor and forward bulkhead in one half of the fuselage. My eyes were straining and my head banging by the time I got it done!
Anyway, here' the run-down.
PIC 1. All the frames, liongerons and stringers have been added from different sizes of plastic strip and rod. Each one was cut and fitted individually, and I don't want to have to do this again in a hurry!
PIC2. The front entrance well, with the fockpit half - bulkhead and the grab rails, has been assembled and glued in place, using 1 mm plastic card, 'Evergreen' rod and stretched sprue. This little jobe to a touch over two hours, mainly spent aligning and dry fitting.
PIC 3. An underside view of the cockpit entrance hatch. The pivoting hatch cover and its ladder will be added, inthe open position, near the end of the build.
PIC 4. One fuselage half was taped to the centre section, which had the inner wing top also taped in palce, in order to check the overall fit and appearance. When the fuselage and centre section are properly joined, some adjusting will be done, and a trim added to the top of the double walled half- bulkhead at the rear of the cockpit.
PIC 5. The close- up of the cockpit area shows the genreal layout, and note that the cockpit tub has had some work done to it. Only the basic moulding will be used here, and so far, the side walls have been opened, and strips of rod added to represent the tubular framing. The moulded detail on the cockpit side walls has bee 'plated over' with 0.5mm plastic card. Eventually, the side consoles will have scratch-built throttle and pitch controls added, together with all the switches, knobs and other bits and pieces, and the side walls will have individual items of equipment and fittings added. The Instrument panel will also be scratch-built, and the rudder pedals and control column etc improved.
So far, somewhere in the region of 180 to 200 pieces have been made and added.
The next step is to add the basic brackets and mounts in the main fuselage, before spraying the lot Cockpit Green. Then it's time to make and fit the seats, radios, radar and other equipment, all of which will be scratch-built.
So, after that lot, I'm knackered, so I'm going to stretch out and relax.
Cheers!