Spitfire FR version (WARNING- NOT an airliner *G* )

[DarrylH]

At long last (and with the arrival of the ABU 11/A  clock) I have had a chance to cut the last of the instrument cutouts and finish off the panel.

I can tell you, as the hours built and the number of holes increased, I became more nervous that I would *&&^^ something up on the next hole and ruin the panel! But we came through unscathed in the end.

Here is the raw panel ready for painting:




The spray painting went OK, but spray cans are not as reliable as they could be so the finish is not perfect..but good enough for a rushed wartime factory job I think.

I let it dry for twenty four hours and then fitted all the instruments, switches and additions.

I am very pleased with the results but unfortunately the nightime photos with a flash wash out the panel and don't really do it justice. I'll try to get some better ones up soon.


Next I will finish fitting the controls to the shell and build the seat over the next couple of weeks. Not a bad weekend's work!!















I will take some more photos in daylight, the flash really does not do justice to the panel!!

[DarrylH]

Ok,

Couldn't leave it alone, some more progress in a short time tonight.


The updated photos in better light conditions:









The Trim unit I built (with a real P51 Rudder Trim and Gwyn's fabricated Trim wheel), the two switches at the bottom are for Camera Power and Pitot Heat. The "tracks" are to run the chains back from the Elevator Trim wheel to a dummy set of push/pull rods.

Next to it is Gwyn's shameless attempt at making me look REALLY bad..his beautiful throttle Unit!




"The Office"

The real thing:





The sim so far






My favourite shot of the whole thing so far...the view from the throne:




I am actually starting to think I may finish this......



Darryl

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Boy that sure has come a long way. It looks great Darryl!

Keep the photos coming.

[Trevor Hale]

Man I agree with Mike,  Looks amazing..  Nice work.  I bet she is fun to fly that's for sure..  I can just smell the fuel and the fumes in the cockpit already.

Trev

[Bob Reed]

That looks great Darryl... The rest of your pots are on thier way!!

[DarrylH]

Cheers guys, and thank Bob, I should have the seat finished by the time they get here..she will be flyable then.
Mike, yes I'm at one of those stages when a little bit seems to result in a large improvement...only fair payment for the many hours of work that go into some things without ANY visible result!

Trevor..wife went ixne on the lpetroe unfortunately..I thought the smell of petrol and oil (which the Spitfire is famous for) would add that certain je ne sai quoi to the pit room......women eh?!!!!!......

01:30 here and just finished test flying the instruments, making sure that nothing got knocked out of whack putting them in the panel..seems fine. It DOES look good to have them all functioning and in the main IP at last!!.


thanks all


Darryl

[Trevor Hale]

Hilarious Darryl..  I can't imagine why she wouldn't have gone for that..  LOL.  None the less I am sure you can manage without..  Besides..Maybe a little WD40 here and there "Sprayed generously on the hinges or seat rails" will be enough.. LOL

Thanks for sharing.

Trev

[PaulEMB]

Really nice to see it coming together, Darryl.

Makes me envious of the whole idea of a Spitfire sim, and I think the level of realism in your project is awesome - cant wait to see some video footage of you first dogfight!

Good Luck,

Paul

[when acting as a wave]

Wow. Nice work. And I love the natural light setting in the last batch of photographs too. This shot here is especially beautiful ...



Dean.

[DarrylH]

Thanks guys,

Dean, yes, my wife advised me to take the photos just on sundown. It worked well although I should have got a little closer for some of them. The flash still activated so i stood back a good way and used a 200mm lens. Photography is not my thing unfortunately, I'll see if I can get her to take some for me. The shot you picked is my favourite too!!

Trevor, WD40, brilliant and totally unable to be argued with...after all, a man has to lubricate!!  Um, well, you know what I mean

Paul, thanks mate, I am aiming to have it pretty close. I havea fortune worth of real bits that I can't even put in until nearly finished..radio control, Gunsight bulbs, morse Key, etc. They should really finish it off I think.

The aim is to have it feel like sitting in a real Spitfire. I haven't but have stood on the wing and photographed a cockpit extensively so I am hoping I can make it all work!



regards

Darryl

[Trevor Hale]

totally unable to be argued with...after all, a man has to lubricate!! 

LMFAO  Hilarious....

[DarrylH]

Sorry...you got me before my morning coffee....NEVER a good time!!!


I see you mention "Bad Canadian Jokes" on another thread..I only know 2.


1. A baby seal walks into a club...


2. Alanis Morrisette


D

[Trevor Hale]

    ROFL

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I know what you mean. I about peed my pants the first time I fired up the instrument panel for the first time and actually flew it with the MIP. Same thing nearly happened again when I finally got my engine stack running.

And yeah, from what I remember from many years ago, it does feel like sitting in a real 727. 

[Aerosim Solutions]

Can't wait for my first ride in a few weeks Darryl, I have two weeks leave starting Dec 21!!!

It's official - "Aerosim Solutions" is a registered Australian business!

Gwyn

[DarrylH]

Hi guys,

I spent Saturday doing all the cockpit placards and panel labels with my laser cutting mate!!

He did a first class job and the panel is now fully finished and looks great.
Pictures soon,


congrats on Aerosim Gwyn, and looking forward to flying with you over Christmas maybe??

BSW, yep very happy, adult diappers on order.....

Darryl

[Bob Reed]

Hey Darryl, any news on the pots? have they arrived to Gwyn yet? Can't wait to see the pics!

[DarrylH]

Bob,

haven't heard from Gwyn to that effect yet, hopefully not too far away.


Darryl

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Gwyn, are getting any flying in at all anymore?

I know you have business stacked to the rafters.

[Bob Reed]

Gwyn, are getting any flying in at all anymore?

I know you have business stacked to the rafters.

Last I heard he was moving to a better location for the sim. Where he was the sim was in storage.

[Aerosim Solutions]

Hi guys, I just love seeing some of my handywork on display! Great pics Darryl, keep em coming.
Bob - the pots arrived and Darryl now has them so the throttle quad will be alive in the Spitfire shortly.
Mike - I have made small progress on my sim, the other night we went around to my new place and reassemble the major pieces so it is back together again in it's own room. The room is perfect and it's half the reason I chose that house! My new home is still being rented to the people who sold it to me, they move to the UK on February the 10th and I will be in like Flynn to get the sim going. My 'tenants' have been great in allowing me in to work on the sim and I'm going around to mount the projector next week. The sim is behind a fibro stud wall and I just have to cut out a big rectangle to make a screen, I should have about 4m (12'6") projection distance which should give me a bigger picture than before. I'll fire up the projector, project the biggest image possible on the wall then mark it out for cutting. I have bought a new 500thread count bed sheet for the screen, these work great for rear projection.
I'm still busy with the scarebus throttles and Darryl's Spitfire amongst other things and I just spent the morning setting up my brand new lathe, it's fantastic, I'll post pics soon.

All the best to you all,

Gwyn

[Bob Reed]

Soooo........ Whats going on here? Is there any news? Pics or videos of it in action? Come on we want to know!!! LOL

[Aerosim Solutions]

Darryl's gone walkies! He's gone to New Guinea to do the Kokoda trail for the second time. Aparantly there isn't a McDonalds store on it so I'm not going!!!

Gwyn

[Bob Reed]

Oh!! There are lots of crashed WWII aircraft in those jungles. I have read stories on many and know of at least 8 AC in the States that came from there.

[warvet]

Hey Gents,
Congrats Gwyn and heres a page y'all might like to have a boo at    HERE

Hope everyone is well and talk soon.
Tim