Halifax Cockpit Project

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Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

Ben,

That might prove to be tricky with she who must be obeyed. from Hull towards York the roadsigns show all sorts of Halifax bomberbases. Wandering off track every time could be playing with sensitive parts of my body:D:D

Cees

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

Sorry for the wait guys here it is ! upon seeing it in detail, after my first very quick look at it two weeks ago, the perspex was not as good as I hoped but still pretty good for original. I was amazed to find a light assembly fitted in the bulge on the front

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Sorry for the wait guys here it is ! upon seeing it in detail the perspex was not as good as I hoped but still pretty good for original. I was amazed to find a light assembly fitted in the bulge on the front

I was also surprised to find that the oval panels on this nose perspex were thin(ish) glass, not perspex.

By the way, nice Heyford project Cees!:D

Any news for me??

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

The glass on a Lanc Bomb Aimers panel I came across once is the same kind of glass,

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

Impressive sight Tim - that's some find.

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

Yes it sure is a rarity I doubt too many more will turn up, but to all out there you never know what may turn up for your project one day never give up hope !

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 2,245

Nice find! I'd stop drill those cracks before they get worse though.

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 301

The museum idea would be nice, but in reality neither I nor my friend, and others I know, have had any luck with museums, I personally have either been met with it the kind of response along the lines we would be happy for you to give it to us, or sorry we dont have anything for trade or silly offers, best was a repro BFP and battered trainer panel for a major WW2 Bomber throttle Box, same museum has a very long list of wants needless to say. Another good one was after offering a rare rudder pedal assembly a group needed for their cockpit was to be told, I would have to wait 3 months until the committee next met and discussed it, no thanks, said cockpit is still pedal less, 6 years on.

The best of all when I approached a museum who had a stripped out cockpit, I had acquired 80% of the parts they needed, I offered them the stuff, I was met with sorry don't want it, so I asked if they wanted to sell the cockpit so I could restore it, and was told we are going to restore it (for which my first thought was how ? if you don't want the parts???????), then less than 12 months later after I had got rid of my stuff, I by chance found out they now wanted to sell it !!!!!

Those parts have now left the UK and that cockpits best shot at ever being restored has gone.

Oh mate... that is ~exactly~ how it is IMHO, especially the committee bit http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/WN957/Emoticons/rofl.gif

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Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

I bet other people have even better tales than those ?:rolleyes:

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 1,586

JC

That's a fantastic find, even if the perspex doesn't shine. IMHO this really should be on a Halifax or put on display in it's proper context.

As you said, this proves what's still out there, now where's that Stirling fuselage section.

Cheers

Cees

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

Yes where is that fuselage ?

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Some pics taken yesterday after a hard days work.
Cees

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Blimey, they certainly have man size engine controls on a Halibag!

Nice work Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

No, just a case of: honey I shrunk my sheetmetalworking friend.

Anyone with leads on undamaged trimming tab knobs? I have some as you can see but they have all "issues".
Cees

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 562

Nice work Cees!

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

Superb bit Tim !!! and looking good Cees...would look nice with Tims perspex.

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

I would be as happy as the next man to see it at YAM, sorry to be so negative but i have found over the years 100% of trades have been done with the private projects where the individual like yourself has a foot firmly planted in reality, sorry but it will be next week before i can get pictures, bite on a bullet if it gets too unbearable to wait :)

TOTALLY TRUE J.C. !!!! feet in reality and hand on wallet..get it whilst it`s there rather than regret no getting it...soooooo wish I`d bought that Stirling escape hatch off ebay !!

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Martin,

If you need something it's always better to get while you can or you will regret it. However expensive it might be, it will be even more expensive over time.
Anyone spotted the Hampden panel on e-bay?

Any leads on trimming trab knobs as used in the Halifax, Hastings, Beverly etc.??? See pic a few posts above.

Cees

Member for

16 years 1 month

Posts: 818

This is looking fantastic, your sheet metal guy is worth his weight in gold! Well done Cees.

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

He is, and I tell him regularly:D
I learn a lot from him in the process by making small parts such as instrument panels, brackets, etc. Which is very enjoyable. We mostly work on wednesdays, with him every and me every other wednesday. The days we both work together are priceless and time goes like bananas;). In two weeks time the museum season will be ending and then the whole project will be moved to another room in the museum. There a wall will be erected with windows so that starting next season (may 2010) vistitors can see the progress on a weekly basis while everything is closed off to prevent theft. So in the coming months progress will hopefully be rapid with definitive joining of parts (they are now temporarily fitted together using clamps,skinpins etc) and painting them. I have been busy spraypainting various insturment panels in the shed at home and the whole look of the parts is dramatically transformed. So, watch this space.

Any info about those trimming tab knobs anyone?:cool:

Cees