Geedee's P-51D Cockpit Project

[Geedee]

After a pretty bad week last week (off two days feeling like I had the onset of glandular fever..had it once and am still waiting for the return !) went out to the hangar yesterday to do some more on the '51. The fourth screw I tried to undo on the assembly I wanted to remove to do some work on, decided it wouldn't co-operate. Following yet another bout of inventing swear words, I decided it was best to walk away so slammed the door shut and went off in an industrial strength sulk...again.

Got up this morning and actually felt a a lot better in meself so walked out the hangar and then...5 hours later, I've finished for the day on a positive note

In that five hours, I somehow figured out how to make the instrument shroud that I've been putting off for ever and a day. I was going to try to make it out of several peices but couldn't get my head around how to measure and cut it all, then this morning after some carefull measuring, its not only cut out in one piece, but its also painted and fitted up to boot and the gunsight is now firmly installed !. I'm looking out for some 'half-round' Aluminum extrusion to replicate the strenghening 'moulds' on the outside of the shield. These will be rivetted and filled in place before being painted to match the rst of the shroud.

I is very happy, I is !

And yes, I've clocked some more hangar time and comparing the look and feel of when I sat in my first '51 at Ezzell Aviation at Breckenridge in Texas back in 2008, I am pleased to say that my '51 is bl**dy close to the real thing. ? I can't stop grinning this morning

[Tony Hill]

Very nice mate!!

[T Bolt]

Excellent work Gary!! As far as the half round aluminum, How about taking aluminum tube and splitting it with a band saw? I've done similar with wooden dowels. You just need to make a V shaped wood block to hold the tube in place as you cut it.

[Airframes]

Bl**dy nice work Gary !
If you can't get the ally, you could always use half-round wooden mouldings, shaped at each end as needed. These can have the grain filled with a mix of clear polyurethane varnish and talcum powder, then lightly sanded. Fit in place with epoxy and, once painted, no one will know the difference.

[Rocketeer]

very good old chap!

[Gnomey]

Looking great Gary!

[Crimea_River]

Excellent work Gary. You should be happy you should!

[Geedee]

Cheers for the support and comments guys, much appreciated !.

Thanks Glenn / Terry, hadn't thought of those work-arounds !

Back to work in the hangar tomorrow (all I've done is about 2 hours 'hangar flying' today !!)as I've'e got a very busy month to prepare for....

This weekend I'm up at Duxford for the Sept airshow which also the anniversary for the immortal Spitfire.

On the 11 Sept, my '51 is booked to attend the annual Martlesham Heath Aviation Society open day ... Forthcoming Events MHAS

Then later on, I have been asked to take my '51 to attend the Boscombe Down Officers Mess Battle of Britain event (OK, she's not BoB vintage and she's not British, but she is reresentative of the WW2 Allied fighters (and as I work at BD and her namesake took off on her last flight back in Jan '45 from Boscombe Down, I am deeply honoured to have been asked to attend the event and will, raise at least one ...or more...glasses of Spitfire ale in salute to her pilot Group Captain John Francis Xavier McKenna A.F.C. | Flickr - Photo Sharing! and the ghosts !))

And finally, I'm taking her to Bottisham for the 361st Fighter Group Museums open day... 361st FG - Home Page... on the 25th !

That will effectively bring to an end the initial main build of the project for this year. Then I start on the detailing and this will take some time to complete

I have a feeling I will be meeting some 'ghosts' in Sept and I for one am sincerely looking forward to this time

[Airframes]

A busy schedule gary, and i hope you have a good time. Say hello to the guys at Bottisham for me.

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

STUPENDOUS WORK GARY!!!!!!!
And have fun!!

[GrauGeist]

Looking better than ever, Gary...can't wait 'till she's done (and I'm pretty sure you're thinking the same thing...)

As far as half-round aluminum, not sure what size you're looking for, but why not looking into tubing and cut it in half (much like the wooden dowel suggestion)...they make it in various sizes, pretty much like copper tubing, from 1/4" on up...

Anything larger, look into antenna parts; the radiator and radials are in sizes ranging from 5/16" (o.d.) up through 1" (o.d.) depending on the frequencies involved.

[Geedee]

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions guys, all greatfully receives and taken on board !

I've been off work this week ...on leave... and have worked pretty much solidly on her each and every day. Had to walk away a few times....like on the day when I went to move my box of rivets, and dropped them on the floor. End result nigh on two thousand rivets in 7 assorted sizes spread all over the floor...and I still havent finished sorting the little b*gg*rs out !...like the day my drill stopped drilling holes, couldn't figure out why so put a new drill bit in the drill and then discovered I'd accidentaly set the drill up in reverse !!!...like the day I carfeully drilled a 4mm hole into my right hand index finger nail !

So, whats been happening ?. I've mounted the right hand instrument lamp up under the instrument shroud, sorted out the bits of ali that curve up around the windshield and finally made the missing centre bit. Now this bit is actually a single piece on a pukka '51, but I dont have the tools or skill set to fabricate it in one bit, so I've made it in two pieces and rivetted it together. I will one day, get a correct bit made up, but until then, this'll do.

I've made and installed the interior 'shoulder' plates and got a good selection of blisters from drilling and rivetting, and I've installed some 5mm perspex for the front windshield (it should be nearly 3/4 inch thick but I dont have that stuff and I've still to try and figure out how to make the 'side' screens.

Then yesterday, I decided it was time to get some paper out and start masking her up...and went out and brought a new compressor and spray gun !

Fast forward to this morning and in between rain showers, finally laid some colour on her. Chuffed ? too bl**dy righty I am !. I open the hangar (shed) door and I'm now seeing a '51 looking back at me. Next on the to do list is to get my Nose Art sorted.

Planned in for the winter is a full rebuild of the trim console so that the trims will turn (instead of being held in place with 'blue-tac ) and also re-profile the 'undercart' so she sits at the correct angle simulating when she's on the ground. And I've also got to replace all the cockpit placards that are printed on computer paper instead of the real deal.

More work to do and updates to follow as and when. Right now, I'm stopping work on her as I'm packing up bits ready to take with her to Martlesham Heath Aviation Society (near Ipswich) open day on Sunday. My son is coming with me on this trip so he will be in charge of the camera for the day.

[Airframes]

Gary, she's looking bl**dy marvellous! Excellent job mate.

[Geedee]

Cheers Terry

I am quite ...no I aint !... I am really pleased with how she's turning out now. And yes, I've clocked another 30 mins hangar flying time this evening

Just for interest sake, this is what she looked like on her first outing to cockpitfest back in 2006 courtesy of Mark Gauntlet... Cockpitfest incorporating the ICC

[evangilder]

It's come a long way and is really looking sharp, mate!