Halifax Cockpit Project

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Small update, working on the frame 7 top arch, this is the highest point of the cockpit, it's quite roomy and in the finished cockpit it is easy to stand upright.

Cheers

Cees

Attachments

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 5,196

lovely stuff as ever Cees......I love bent tin work.....actually more fun than working on the hurri!!! But I never said that! I love it when I have a workshop full of yellow primed stuff.....though it looks nice with cockpit green now!
Keep up the great work and hope to see you at CockpitFest one day
Tony

Member for

17 years 1 month

Posts: 354

Great work , really interesting .

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Well to be sure, my mate Lex does the majority of the metalwork, I work as his assisant handing tools:D and helping with the work as well as making brackets and other parts that needs to be built into the components. So it is on the job training.

I enjoy this work very much and so is Lex as he has a grin on his face the whole day (only when something doesn't fit, the air turns blue:p).

Tony,

How about starting you own Spitfire Hurricane and other projects thread as well. So we can keep track on your progress as well.

Cheers

Cees

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 5,196

Well to be sure, my mate Lex does the majority of the metalwork, I work as his assisant handing tools:D and helping with the work as well as making brackets and other parts that needs to be built into the components. So it is on the job training.

I enjoy this work very much and so is Lex as he has a grin on his face the whole day (only when something doesn't fit, the air turns blue:p).

Tony,

How about starting you own Spitfire Hurricane and other projects thread as well. So we can keep track on your progress as well.

Cheers

Cees

Will do Cees, the Spitfire will have one (if there is the interest) after its unveiling at CockpitFest.....I have been a little 'secretive' because I want it to show the big step it has made from a quarter cockpit to a full cockpit...anyway enuff of my contamination of your wonderful project thread!

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Hi all,

Today a lot of work has been done again, we have reached the top, the arch on top of frame 7 has advanced very well today (all the hard work making the small bits and pieces doesn't really show, but it is there and cost a lot of time), the cockpit will not get any higher than this.

Cheers

Cees

Attachments

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Absolutely fantastic Cees! Wonder if there is a market for a production run?

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Not by me:p
The only concession we have to incorporate is to build up the
sections using angled aluminum sections with sawcuts to make
the sharp radiuses instead of hammering them over a former.
Well the thing doesn's have to fly (bit difficult without wings
or even the remainder of the fuselage missing)
Cheers

Cees

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Hi all,

I am looking for a similar fire exthinguisher (the small one). One came up on e-bay recently and I had nailed it, but the vendor had sold it on in the meantime.:mad:

If anyone has any leads on one, please let me know, I can provide a good home for it.
Cheers

Cees

Attachments

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

Looking for 3 myself Cees !!

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,605

Not sure if it will help but another way to put sharp curves in ally angle is to use a bit of 2x3 about 6 inches long,radius one end and then put a saw cut in the middle of it the depth of the flange parallel to the curve.Insert it into the angle and have under it another block of wood with a slight curve carved into it.Then hammer the b@stard till you get the required curve.It,s how I did the tight bits on the F5 cowling coaming for the Spit.Looks amazing Cees you should feel proud of what you have achieved.Us Spitaphiles bow to your work. :D

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Not much but the diagonal struts are finished and fitted now, these are also used to mount the two armour glass windows.

Cheers

Cees

Attachments

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

A pic showing where the pilot's seat is to be fitted. We are concentrating on the various frames which looks like we're making aluminium bananas, but in a few weeks time all the frames should be finished and then the fun really starts..

Cheers

Cees

Attachments

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 183

some great work.

fancy doing a Ikea flat pack version so we all can have Halifax cockpits? :D

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

What a fantastic idea neil996,of course a Halifax nose section would be alot easier to assemble than an Ikea flatpack cupboard though !!

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 183

i would prefer putting together a halifax today then this wardrobe :diablo:

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Really impressive Cees - you seem unstoppable at the moment. Looks like it has outgrown your loft now! Well done - bet you can't wait to paint it :D

Elliott,

Your words were prophetic. The cockpit will now be put on display in ouw museum in the same building where the cockpit is being built now. This way the quality of work will be higher as opposed to working in a dark cluttered attice running up and down to flights of stairs and into the garden and vice versa.:rolleyes:

No pics as I still haven't been able to put them up (should look into the photobucket option soon) but the frames are almost finished and after
that it is time to put them all in position and then the fuselage will ermerge in skeletal form. I am really enjoying this.:)

Watch this space.

Cees

Member for

15 years 7 months

Posts: 765

Wonderful workmanship.......its going to be a beauty.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 212

A pic showing where the pilot's seat is to be fitted. We are concentrating on the various frames which looks like we're making aluminium bananas, but in a few weeks time all the frames should be finished and then the fun really starts..

Cheers

Cees

Cees

Truly outstanding work and an inspiration :)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

I think we're all enjoying it Cees! Maybe not quite as much as you are :)

Its a shame you can't keep it at home, but at least it will now be seen and admired by a lot of people, which is just as good in a way.