Geedee's P-51D Cockpit Project

As its been quite a decent day....mid winter and all that !... I've spent 7 hours out in the Shangar working on my '51 today.

I really didn't want to start to do what had to be done, but you know how it is, once you've started, it isn't that bad....really

Decided it was high time to strip the upper panels off, dismantle the windshield structure and reprofile it all (drop the rear hoop by 2 inches in height.)


That really hurt as she didn't look like a '51 an more with all the stuff piled high on the work bench



I was not a happy teddy !!!


However, got Mr Miller and his cohorts, blasting out on the junkbox so it was out with the jigsaw...and then time to start putting it all back together again. And do you know what ?....."What" you all say in unison....I is well pleased how she's turned out.



With the correct angle of dangle on the windshield front glass, she doesn't look like a DH Chipmunk any more, looks a whole lot more rakish and sinister and business like. Incidentally, while I was taking it all apart and re-assembling, I took the opportunity to remove the paint from the hoop and front supports (these weren't normally painted, I have since discovered) and also marked a line along the painted section. I now have to remove the paint from below this line as yet again, I've found out, that the colored area didn't normally follow the fuselage skins as a demarcation line.

No worries. Gives me something to look forward to...probably tomorrow ?... stripping off the paint, then I can re-attach the top skins properly and she's back together again.
I'll also be fitting the left hand cockpit lamp and switch I recently got from a mate who's rebuilding a Dak cockpit...and yes, he has joined this forum and is working on starting a thread here (his Dak is quite simply bl**dy awesome !!) and I'll also be installing the correct dimmer switch box / panel for the gunsight that Tony brought back from the States for me.

And I apologise for the quality of the pics, they were taken with and old cell phone on account of my daughter has jammed my CF card for the camera into the computers card slot and I've got to dismantle the whole ruddy thing to get it out...and I havent done that yet....

Marvelous Gary. I know just what you mean about taking the windscreen off. Mine doesn't look like a 47 right now either At least you got it all back together right away. I hadn't noticed the wrong angle on the windscreen before, but now that you've fixed it , it makes a big difference. Once you get that light hooked up send me a sketch of how you wired it up. I can't seem to figure mine out.

Looking bl**dy good Gary! Like the sound of your mate's Dak cockpit - look forward to seeing that!

Lovely work Gary!

So cool

Sweet work there gary, looks great man...

Thanks for the continued support guys, very much appreciated !

So, what have I done today ?. Stripped the paint off the panels that needed the paint to be stripped from (duh !), and errrr, thats about it.




Aaaaand then my son walks out and hops in...bleedin hangar rats !!!!

Striping paint, one of my favorite things......................Not!!

Looking good big boy!!!! You've done some excellent work and put me to shame big time!! Gonna look good with the K14 dimmer fitted!!!
I hope to get back on to mine soon..... I have a tiny excuse....being your delivery boy with stuff from USA!!

BTW: I have put up a new thread which some mod has moved to an odd place....it is for all your toys...it is in off topic/misc the personal gallery...fill it up guys

Cheers guys.

Spent another 7 hours out in the 'shangar' today working on her.

Essentially, I discovered that knocking two inches off the rear hoop, while producing the correct height, meant that the rivet holes didn't line up from when first drilled. End result is, I spent pretty much all of the day de-rivetting everything I'd rivetted recently, and cutting and modifying the rest of the windsheild assembly to fit.

Once that had been completed and I'd re-profiled the perpex to fit inside the frame, I then took the time to instal the second cockpit lamp I'd recently acquired. Loads more to do in the next few weeks (dependant on the weather !) so I wont be adding any further updates until probably after 'Cockpitfest' in June. And then, I hope you'll see a bit of a change in my babe !.

Roll-on tomorrow, can't wait to get stuck in !!

Can't tell you how many times I've had to redo things like that. It's all part of 'figuring it out as we go along'
Should look fantastic with 3 1/2 months to work on it before Cockpitfest.

I feel you pain Gary. But you are doing an EXCELLENT job sir. Kudos! Don't let it get you down, just beat it into submission.

damn good work gary, looks great man...

Great seeing the progress on this project, Gary...I've even been thinking about starting a 'pit project based on the Me262. We'll see how time and space permits here in the near future.

Anyway, keep up the good work!

That would be GREAT Dave!!!!!!

Llooking marvellous

GrauGeist said:

Gary...I've even been thinking about starting a 'pit project based on the Me262.

Click to expand...

Top man !!. If you need any help, you are without doubt in the best place to get it

Well... I've spent another day out in my 'shangar' working on my babe. Quite pleased how things are developing but still frustrated by not having the necessary tools or skill-sets that I need to do what I still want to do before her next outing.

So, stripped the seat out again and spent a while finishing the floor tunnels for the wing mounted fuel guages. Made the tunnels out of some offcuts I've got in the bin and primed and then top coated. Still to do a little bit fine 'fettling before I'm happy but they look reasonable at the moment. By the time I've got them fixed to the cockpit floor, this will pull out the few remaining gaps and then I'll be happy.




One bonus of installing the left hand fuel gauge tunnel was the necessity to take the trim console apart as it partially covers the gauge tunnel. Once that was done I then installed the original rudder trim knob and pointer that I;ve had for umpteen years (or so it seems ! ).



The NAA original is the grey one. the two black knobs are courtesy of Tony's excellent casting skils.



Aaaaand then it was onto the latest goodie. This an original dimmer module for the gunsight (Tony brought this one back from his recent trip over the Pond) and I needed to make up yet another bracket.to mount it. It was then that all my primer and black paint cans went 't*ts up' and after fiddling and f*rting around for over half an hour to get some paint on the bracket, I gave up and mounted it anyway !.

It will be removed and finished off but, probably next weekend. . I did take an hour out to wazz off into town to the M*plin store and picked up two knobs for the unit. They arent a direct match to the Wartime originals (they are about 3/4 size) but mounted on the dimmer and tucked up under the instrument shroud, I think they'll do until I can get some full size ones to replace them,




And yes, I am pleased as I've managed to cross-off a few more tasks on my 'to-do' list. What I really want is a month off, warm weather, copious cups of tea to really get to grips and finish some of my plans for her before she meets the public for the first time this year. To finish off, I took a few more general shots, squeezed another quarter of an hour 'hangar flying' and then packed up for the day

Excellent work Gary!!! This just keeps getting better and better sir!