Over the last 7 years I have been slowly putting together the front cockpit of a RAF Panavia Tornado GR1, it has taken quite a bit of time and effort to get it to the state it is now and it is still not complete. I have all the controls and instruments, there are just 2 buttons that I need to replace as the ones I have are not the correct ones but those buttons are proving very difficult to find. The next step, and the most difficult step for me is building a structure to enclose the cockpit and the housing for the side consoles, it will have to be very sturdy to support the weight of the windscreen as that is a heavy lump! It would be nice to get the correct ejection seat but again very hard to find and the few I have seen available to purchase are way above what I am willing to pay. I do have some of the components from the ejector seat, the PSP and seat cushion and the headbox which contained the drogue parachute plus the ejection handle, my plan is to incorporate these onto a wooden mock up of the seat.
My Tornado GR1 cockpit build project
- Thread starter Tonka
- Start date
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Very cool
T Bolt
Colonel
Very cool looking. It looks like you have put a lot of work into it.
I built (but have not finished) a P-47 cockpit with control panel, floor, partial sidewalls and windscreen, and used unistrut for the frame. It is available at local home improvement stores and is easily bolted together.
They do take up a lot of room don't they.
You can see how I did it here: T Bolt's 1:1 P-47 Cockpit
I built (but have not finished) a P-47 cockpit with control panel, floor, partial sidewalls and windscreen, and used unistrut for the frame. It is available at local home improvement stores and is easily bolted together.
They do take up a lot of room don't they.
You can see how I did it here: T Bolt's 1:1 P-47 Cockpit
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Very cool!
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank you, you've done a very good job with your project, do you have any more recent photos? what you have done is much more than I could do as my DIY skills are not that good, i have this condition called Dyspraxia (nowadays its called developmental coordination disorder) it means I am not that good at performing certain tasks, especially if it involves using tools doing up buttons and shoelaces is hard enough for me! I did put together the base that my main panels sit on, that is the first and only thing I have constructed myself and I was pretty pleased with it, still, I have come this far so i can't give up now I will just have to do as best as I can but it certainly won't be anything like yours. You even went as far as to use primer, I'm guessing most of that structure won't be seen once it is complete but for realism you did it anyway, that's very impressive.
You are right they do take up a lot of room, especially when I am living in just a 2 bedroom flat (apartment) I am having to pay extra on my rent for that bedroom as in the UK you are renting and have more than one bedroom if you are living on your own you have to pay extra, but it makes me happy so I think it is worth it!
I also live on the top floor, luckily there are only 3 floors but there is no lift so carrying some of the heavier parts like the windscreen up those stairs was a nightmare!
fubar57
General
Love it
T Bolt
Colonel
That's pretty much up to date other than bolting the bulkhead on. I haven't done anything on it in a while. I have a lot of components that mount on the sidewalls in boxes ready to go but I have to finish the little ribs below the canopy first and they are a major pain to make up and that is were I stalled. I really need to get back to it and hope to when I retire within the next year.
