****DONE: 1/32nd scale Beaufighter VIF, 46 Sqn RAF, Egypt 1943 Group Build (1 Viewer)

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The cockpit has progressed a stage, with the starboard sidewall done, and both side consoles scratch-built. It just needs cleaning up and then painting, before movong on to the instrument panel, control column and rudder pedals, followed by the canopy release handles and other small items.
PIC 1 is the starboard sidewall, mainly electrical equipment.
PICS 2 to 5 Show the cockpit side consoles from various angles. On the port side are the throttle and propellor pitch levers, plus the cooling gill controls etc, whilst the starboard side has the various trim controls, compas, and electrical panels. All of this was made from various sizes of plastic card, tube and rod. The wiring over the bulkhead will be hidden behind the centre section bulkhead when fitted, and the long white tube is the extension for the cabin heating duct, which will be bent into shape and joined to the duct in the forward fuselage, then painted to match.
Small blobs of PVA have been added to the tips of thethrottle and pitch levers, which, when painted the appropriate colours, will be more visible than in these pics.
Thanks again for your kind comments, and more in a day or two. Gotta finish that Avenger before I go on hols next week!
 

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Thanks Paul, it's appreciated.
The basic painting has now been done on the main cockpit components, and just needs some tidying - up and touching - in here and there, before the other small details are made.
Work has started on the instrument panel, using the blank part from the kit as a base. I needed to use a 3mm drill bit for the holes for the 'basic six' instruments on the blind flying panel, and this caused a small problem. The bit was just too big to fit my pin vise, and wouldn't fit my mini-drill either. So, I had to go 'large', and use a flexi-drive on a fairly big Dremel, as I couldn't find anywhere that sold the old-fashioned hand-drills anymore! Consequently, control of the drilling was a bit hit and miss, more the latter than the former, as it took twelve attempts to eventually get the six holes more or less in the correct positions! Fortunately, the real panel isn't dead 'square' with the instrument positioning, as some of the instruments are slightly larger than others. The panel overall isn't perfect, but by the time it's cleaned up and painted, it should look acceptable. I'm hoping to be able to cut and use some decals from the Revell Mk22 Spitfire kit, if they'll settle into the reccesses satisfactorily. If not, then it's back to painting and scratching! The kit provides a single, clear decal, with instruments printed which are rather ill defined.
There isn't a gun sight with the Beaufighter kit, but as I built a gyro sight for the Spit XIV conversion, I have a MkII reflector sight left over from the Hasegawa Spit kit, which will eventually be mounted on its folding bracket above the instrument panel coaming. Once the cockpit is finished, and the radar monitor built and fitted to the observer's position, then the fusdelage can be joined. When that's done, the model will be put aside in order to make room, and time, to finish the Avenger and its base for the PTO GB, as Karl and I are off to visit Roman in the Czech Republic this time next week, so I'd better get a move on and finish it!
The pics show the basic painting done on the cockpit so far, and the start of the instrument panel, which has yet to be cleaned up and tidied.
Thanks again for your interest and compliments.
 

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