Halifax Cockpit Project

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Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Thanks for the suggestion chaps.

Here's a further update as of yesterday. Air Ministry's terminal blocks were also fitted
yesterday and the panels awaits painting but is already in primer.
The main instrument panel is trial fitted now that the top horizontal longerons are fitted
as well as the top arch of frame five. Next week the tubular canopy arch will be fitted and
the windscreen hopefully, this will be the start of the canopy construction.
The black levers were delivered to me and are new built. These will be fitted in the rectangular
opening of the pilot's bulkhead. Lot's of progress although it doesn't always show.

Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

More pics to follow soon.

Cees

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Stunning work Cees!

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

I'm amazed at how much progress seems to have been made in a relatively short time. Have you got a team of elves secreted away somewhere Cees?

:diablo:

john

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 562

I'm amazed at how much progress seems to have been made in a relatively short time. Have you got a team of elves secreted away somewhere Cees?

:diablo:

john

I was just thinking the same. Are you working to a wartime production schedule?

Member for

18 years

Posts: 367

Just an aside about the 'Semper in Excreta" nose art of LW625, which I believe was withe 192 Sqn (radar countermeasures).

The "Semper in Excreta" was originally designed by Flt Lt Douglas Bisgood, OC of 1403 Met Flight, not long after it formed at Bircham Newton in 1941. At the time 1403 was equipped with Blenheim MkIVs, and the design (an umbrella over skull and crossed bones) was meant to reflect the crews would fly when everyone else was grounded by the weather - in other words they were "Always in the ****) (source: "Even the birds were walking" by Peter Rackliff and John Kington.)

Bisgood survived the war but was killed on 18 April 1947 when Halifax ST807 of 202 Sqn, failed to return from a routine met reconnaissance sortie out of Aldergrove.

Given the role of 192 Sqn one can understand why the artwork was 'lifted' for LW625 - it was probably often Semper in Excreta itself.

Brian

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Thanks chaps,

Well, it cetainly looks as if a lot of progress has been made since we moved to the new location in the building in November, but a lot of the parts were already made and just waited to be fitted. And then RVP (rapid visual progress) is swift when large parts such as the frames and instrument panel are fitted. Lex starts very early as well (at around 07:00 and I will be present a 08:00, I am from the patatgeneration). Apart from wednesdays, we now work on saturdays too when work in the museum allows and that adds to the state of progress as well. Apart from the work in the workshop leads on parts are still being chased. About those elves, I wish I had some:D
Cheers
Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Getting ahead of schedule.
The elves have been hard at work again. :p

Today the canopy arch was fitted, this is the main supporting
structure of the canopy and forms the basis for the entire
canopy construction and between this and the main pilot's
bulkhead the escape hatch is fitted in between.

Also the fuel control levers (see earlier pic)
were fitted and work like a charm. Now, I need to get some
pushpull rods to connection them to, time to contact
Blocktube Marine, Mike do you have a contact person there
after your recent experiences with them for Bluebird?
Pics to follow later this week.
Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Here are the pics as promised.The canopy arch has
now been fitted as you can see. An original handgrip
can be seen. It came from LW343 which crashed near
Anna Paulowna and was recovered by us during 2000.
Cheers
Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Spot the differences. Thanks to Air Ministry the
terminal blocks are now in place.
Thanks Alan,

Cheers
Cees

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

I put up five new pics and nobody bothers to comment?

Well read it in the mag then.:diablo:

Cees

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 780

Here are the pics as promised.The canopy arch has
now been fitted as you can see. An original handgrip
can be seen. It came from LW343 which crashed near
Anna Paulowna and was recovered by us during 2000.
Cheers
Cees

Cees,

I've followed this project via the thread & now things are really coming together I'd just like to say you're doing an amazing job-can't wait to see the finished article.

Well done!!!!! You deserve a well earned pat on the back.

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 562

Looking good!

Will you be constructing anything below the main cockpit floor?

Member for

19 years

Posts: 2,895

Cees - I'm one of the many who look at this thread when something new appears, probably think it's great you are making more progress but don't neccessarily comment. Surely you keep track of the number of visits - nearly 12,000!!!

Roger Smith.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Looking great Cees! I didn't see the other three pic's until now well done! I like the addition of an original handle on the canopy frame..

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

is that a torch holder left of the pilots seat on the bulkhead ?

Hi Martin,

Yes, it is, I am looking for a RAF torch, any pics to see what type to find?

Cheers
Cees

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

[ATTACH]181921[/ATTACH]You should be looking for one of these I think Cees.Standard brass aircrew torch A.M. Ref 5A/47.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 411

Stunning work Cees! Just one little question... should you ever need to remove the cockpit from the museum, can it be taken in one piece, or will you need to take her apart. Hopefully, the former! Keep up the great work though, either way.

All the best,
Richard

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

[ATTACH]181921[/ATTACH]You should be looking for one of these I think Cees.Standard brass aircrew torch A.M. Ref 5A/47.

Thanks Martin,
Now I know what to look for.

Richard,

The building is a large fortress just ouside of Amsterdam with walls
about 1.5 metres thick but the doors are small however. A Merlin
with exhausts removed can just fit through them so......
But in the (hopefully unlikely) event of moving out it can be
dismantled by drilling out selected rivets and unbolting the structure.
It will come apart in large sections that will go through the doors,
Some touching up of the paint is all that is necessary after it has
been put together again.
It would be a hell of a job and not something I am looking forward too
but we had to think about it anyway,
Cheers
Cees

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

Wow!
What a project, nice to see for me, living in proper Halibag Country (East Yorks.)! Keep posting updates and keep up the great work; I'll be following this one :D