Geedee's P-51D Cockpit Project

[Screaming Eagle]

Looking great mate!

 

[GrauGeist]

It's really coming along nice!

 

[Geedee]

Thanks for the comments guys, really apreciate them.

Put a few more hours work in on bits 'n' pieces today and finished off by finaly mounting the rudder pedal assembly.

The plan now is to replace the 'L' shaped Ali that is in three pieces behind the firewall, with a continous strip that will add more structural strength. Then clad the wooden rear bulkhead in Ali and then finally rivet the firewall and bulkhead in place.

All the above I want to copmplete by next weekend as I hope to re-spray the whole cockpit assembly.

 

[Micdrow]

Looken good there Gary,

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Excellent work sir.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Beautiful job!

 

[Tony Hill]

Looking brilliant Gary. After the re-spray that is all going to just fall together...top job!!


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[T Bolt]

Gary,

I was looking for reference photos for a K-14 gun sight the other day and stumbled onto this site and was amazed that there was some one that was building something similar to what I was doing! I am currently about halfway through building a 1:1 scale replica of the cockpit of a P-47D30. My project isn't quite as large as yours, covering a fuselage section from the front of the wind screen back 28" as I am building it in the basement and am restricted to the width of the doorway so I can eventually get it out when finished. Your 51 looks great and I've already had some new ideas looking at your thread.

Keep building and taking pictures!

Glenn

 

[Bullo Loris]

vow you made a real cockpit

 

[Geedee]

Gary,

I was looking for reference photos for a K-14 gun sight the other day and stumbled onto this site and was amazed that there was some one that was building something similar to what I was doing! I am currently about halfway through building a 1:1 scale replica of the cockpit of a P-47D30. My project isn't quite as large as yours, covering a fuselage section from the front of the wind screen back 28" as I am building it in the basement and am restricted to the width of the doorway so I can eventually get it out when finished. Your 51 looks great and I've already had some knew ideas looking at your thread.

Keep building and taking pictures!

Glenn

Hi Glenn and welcome to the site (its a real treasure trove of info)

Mate, that looks a cracking project you've got there. Just building enough to incorporate all the interesting bits of yet another iconic fighter from the last big one. And it looks like you have an original '47 windshield asembly as well !....I am not jealous....I am not jealous.....I am not jealous !!!.

I am almost at the stage when I start figuring out how to make my windshield assembly. I am a tyro when it comes to making stuff out of Ali and some of the curves on the windshield are causing me to lose sleep as I havent yet figured out how to get rid of the wrinkles when you bend Ali.

Dont know if you realise it, but your project will 'open up' the '47 to maybe more people than you at first thought about. I'm working on the assumption that you intend to take your '47 to various shows etc ?. Any one can get the pilots eye view by standing / bending down slightly and even more importantly, its also readily accessible to people who are reliant on wheelchairs (This is something that we've discovered at some of the shows that Rocketeer (Tony) and I attend with our projects.) who dont normally get the chance to look inside 'planes.....and they are really appreciative of the fact that they now can

Please start a thread on your build, as I can guarantee that there would be a tremendous amount of interest !!. We may even prompt more of the guys on this site to have a go themselves.

So far we have my '51, Darryl's (Tony Hill ) Spitfire, Tony's (Rocketeer) Spitfire...when I can persuade him to do his own build thread...hint hint...) and soon hopefully your '47. There's mild suggestions about a 109 being started and quite possibly, even a 190 as well !!!. Crickey, at this rate, we'll need our own sub section on the modelling area !!

Forgot to say, if theres anything we can help with....just ask !.

 

[Rocketeer]

Wow love the Thunderbolt!!! One of my fav aircraft.....where did you get your screen?

I have been building 1/4 cockpits for some time (windscreen, gunsight, panel, stick top).....my Spit started as one.
In the pipe line, I have a Me109 and Whirlwind. I will start my own thread tonight.....

 

[Spits]

I am a tyro when it comes to making stuff out of Ali and some of the curves on the windshield are causing me to lose sleep as I havent yet figured out how to get rid of the wrinkles when you bend Ali.

Ahhh the old curve the aluminium angle trick hey....
Coupla ways to do it.The profesional way is to use a "stretcher or shrinker kit".Check here for one.
Sheet Metal Shrink/Stretc
Another way is to make a set of rollers but isn,t as effective..
Hammerforming ok but time consuming.Aluminium is like plasticine and will work into itself pretty well.Can you show us a pic of the offending wrinkles and what grade ally are you using.
Check out our blog to give you a few oddball ideas we came up with.
Spitfire Project A58-27
Oh hi Tony...Mate that will be a thread worth reading about with your amazing projects.Us Aussies down there bow to your Spitfire work...

 

[Rocketeer]

Hi Spits old chap.....I bow to your work.....would be nice to show you chaps around!

 

[Tony Hill]

Well, now Gary's thread has been well and truly hijacked..

a big welcome Glenn. Fantastic work there! I too faced the "get it through the door" problem. My solution was to build full length but in two halves longitudinally. please do start a thread and keep us up with your progress. I have never been a great fan of the Jug but started flying A2A Simulation's Accusimmed model and gained a real appreciation of her.

Now, Gary...more damned pictures sir!!!


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[T Bolt]

Wow!! I'm overwhelmed by the welcomes you guys sent me. It's great to know that I'm not alone out there. I've taken regular pictures along the way and will be going through them tonight so I can start my own thread.

Tony: I got the wind screen at a place in Florida Warbird Parts The guy apparently has a whole bunch of them he found on a shelve in various stages of assembly at the Corning glass factory where they had been made and stored since the Thunderbolt contracts were canceled in 45'. Mine was a banged up one so I was able to afford it although so far it has been my largest single outlay of cash.

Gary: This place has a lot of bits for Mustangs including wind screen glass, although the price for the glass made me cringe.

Darryl: Had a look at your Spit last night and will be asking you questions about how you plan to skin it as my 47 will have wood/ aluminum composite ribs with aluminum skin and I'm not sure how I want fasten the skin.

Thanks again guys and I'll be starting my thread this weekend.

Glenn

 

[Rocketeer]

Guys I would seriously consider using standard ally solid rivets and a compressor.....it is quite easy to bend/shrink semi soft ally.

 

[Spits]

I agree with Tony,rivetting is funGo with "A" rivets as they are straight aluminium and very soft and wont damage the ally skin as much.They are better looking than "pop" rivets and you won,t have the bother of filling the holes with putty.

 

[Geedee]

Now, Gary...more damned pictures sir!!!.

Ok mate, you asked.

Well...the weather has been 'kin awful. I was really hoping to be able to respray the interior completely this weekend, but the 'kin awful...sorry, already said that...weather put paid to that idea, so I threw an industrial strength sulk and have spent most the day stuck inside the shed, trying to work around the '51. I have got some of the internal panels marked out ready for cutting and completing, and did some work on a 'flat' instrument panel (one that will not have the original highly dangerous ...make you glow in the dark according to the Health and Safety killjoys !!) instruments but will have cast intrument bezels and photo's of the offending instruments behind glass. Working on the assumption that this turns out OK, I will probably be looking at moving my original fitment panel on, in the not too distant future.

Finished off by doing a dry fitment of some of my bits 'n' pieces in the '51 tub. The Seat is not from a '51 but when the back is cut down and shortened by around 4.5 inches and re-assembled (field repair, dontchya know !) and painted up, it will look close enough to the original that it wont look out of place and will do until I can get an original to replace it.

And yes....I did sit in, slid my feet onto the pedals, held the control column, closed my eyes and smiled !. When I stopped dreaming and climbed out, I then drew up a list of things to complete before fathers day when the '51 will be on display at Cockpitfest at Newark.....aaaaand....gulp, boy do I have a whole heap of work to do. Fortunatley, I've taken next week off work to try and get some serious build time in....just hoping the weather decides to play ball !.

Anyway, heres a few shots of the 'trial fit this afternoon. Apologies for the cr*ppy pics, the flash aint that good on my Canon. As you can see, I'm a bit pushed for space in my shed

 

[T Bolt]

Looking good Gary! And I thought my work space was tight.

 

[GrauGeist]

Awesome work, Gary!

And look how far it's come since last 'Pitfest