Time for an update. First off a huge thanks to you guys for your support, comments and suggestion, all gratefully accepted.
I have been a little bit busy for the few months getting ready for Cockpitfest and the '51's first major public appearance since last year. So, what have I done since my last update ?. The following pics should give an idea. I've had help from my son on the rivetting side of things and he's actually quyite good at it now. And my daughter, is absolutely brilliant at getting her hands into those awkward hard to reach spots that an old geezer like me cant get to, to put that final ruddy nut on the bolt !!
I've mounted the Instrument Panel (at long last !), resprayed the complete interior, completed all the rivetting on the tub so its now solid...and surprisingly rigid, so I must have done something right ! and I've made a start on the internal fittings.
These have been great fun in the making but are spoilt at the moment as I have no lettering above each switch. I've tried to hand paint them but that is just absolutely not going to work so I've been trying to track down some Letraset rub on dry transfers. I've found some on ebay but they are old stock and may not work so I knda stumped at the moment.
Using Tony's casting skills I now have a set of trim wheels for the rudder and aileron and these have been placed on the trim console. Oh yeah, I made that as well. And I have the wing fuel tank guages installed in the flooring.
In one of the shots you'll see just a general broadside of the 'pit. Thats how it used to look. The next one is where I've started preliminary polishing as my ultimate aim is to have her highly polished but with just the windshield (When I've made it) and the anti dazzle area immediately in front in the blue colour used by the Blue Nosed B*sta*rds of Bodney...thanks for the paint details Wayne !
Final few shots for this update are the latest pics showing the internal fittings and the work in progress on the 'shoulder' sections. More to follow but I'm probably going to have a little break form the build before I get burned out.
Oh and finaly finaly !. At Cockpitfest, an old distinguished looking gentleman came upto my '51 and was really enthusisatic about it and the '51 in general. It was his favourite plane of all time and I could tell that he really meant what he was saying. He told me about his life and what he did and that he'd never get to fly in a '51 now as he was in his 80's.
Me, being me,I broke my rule and 30 seconds later he was sat in my '51. Talk about grinning from ear to ear,he was sat there wallowing in his thoughts, hand on the stick, the other propped up on the fuselage side, it was brilliant. I was nearly in tears just looking at him savouring the moment. When he climbed out and finished shaking hands and patting the '51, he asked me if I had an identityfor her. I replied that allthough I didn't have an airframe number, I had come up with an idea for some nose art.
Well !... he then floored my by saying that he was a retired painter, he worked on aircraft nose art and if I would send him details, he would come and paint my nose-art on the '51 free gratis !!. Talk about being humbled, I'm still in a state of shock that my hamfisted attempt at building an iconic cockpit, can elicit that kinda response from some-one I've never met before. Neeldess to say, I'm now working over time to get my nose-art idea to a suitable state of design before I'm in contact with him.
Ted, you sir are a gent