Halifax Cockpit Project

Pics taken on saturday, thanks Harm for taking them.

Hope you like the current state of build.
Cheers
Cees

WoW! I am impressed!

Just curious….what type of paint are you using?

blimey Cees, you have been a busy chap!:cool:

I take back what I said earlier, we’re not catching you up by any means…..

keep up the good work

John

Very impressive Cees! Will it be skinned and painted in ww2 colors? Noseart??

Very nice Cees – It really looks fantastic. I promise I will upload the remaining half of the IWM photos as soon as I can but it’s a bit tricky at the mo.

Well done!

One more.

Cees

Thanks chaps,

Yes, to say that I am pleased with the current progress is an understatement:) Thanks to Lex van Heusden who works every wednesday on it (and I every other wednesday or spare hours) the progress is kept up to speed.

Peter: yes it will be fully skinned and I am looking for any suitable nose-art. Was thinking about “Ned Kelly’s Gang Rides Again”. I had a very nice profile of that in an old book by Gordon Swanborough but lost the book at some point.

Mike: I have a part of Halifax VII NA347 with the original green colour in excellent condition. It was matched against colourchips from a local paint supply store. Didn’t want to pay over GBP 100 for postage alone for a tin of LAS paint. Spraypainting is not an option in the workshop so grey primer is first brushpainted and rollered on and after that the green coat. I am very please with how it turned out. The aim is not a factory fresh cockpit but one that looks like it has been in a museum (AKA PN323) for some time and looks used.

Elliott: take your time, I am already pleased with the pics you put op.

Cheers
Cees

Hi Cees,

Is a lot of the internal structure pop rivetted together, if so you’re lucky, virtually everything on the Stirling is solid rivetted:rolleyes:

John

Cees

The only place on the Stirling I’ve seen thus far that has pops is the shroud on the floor around the control column, as you say everything else is dome head solids. thankfully we’ve got a decent enough environment in which to carry out reaction rivetting, but we could do with a bigger compressor now.

either way the standard of work on the Halifax is superb and if that’s the only compromise other than using non aircraft grade metal then you’re to be commended

cheers

John

John,

If only, the structure of the Halifax also uses domeheaded rivets. In the first workshop when the project started we had pneumatic rivetting guns available and here we build the floorsection and some of the interior detals where rivets would be clearly seen. In the current building we do not have that luxury as we have no way to keep out water of the system that causes corrosion in the rivetting tools. Pop rivets are thus used but they are a very good alternative apart from the holw in the middle. These could be filled of course but that would be very tedious and together with the sawcuts in the frames for the radiuses we intend to keep it like this to show the workmanship that has gone into this build (97% Lex’s work), and apart from the use of commercial aluminium, the rest is exactly according to specifications.

Cheers
Cees

Well skip the Ned Kelly nose-art. It won’t fit the cockpit or only the horse’s (you know what) will be seen. So, any suggestions for a representative nose-art for a Mk III? The cockpit will short just short of the triangular port window and just below the side windows of the WOP and Navigator.

Cees

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

Looks amazing Cees!!! I`ve had a few developments, but sadly can`t post any photos at the moment.

Well skip the Ned Kelly nose-art. It won’t fit the cockpit or only the horse’s (you know what) will be seen. So, any suggestions for a representative nose-art for a Mk III? The cockpit will short just short of the triangular port window and just below the side windows of the WOP and Navigator.

Cees

Not sure if it’s for the correct Mk of Halifax but on page 114 of the “Metal Canvas” book by Stephen M Fochuk, there’s a nice large piece of nose-art for “Easy Does It Too!” (429 “Bison” Squadron) that looks like it might fit.

Sorry I am not able to scan and post it.

Nose Art Suggestions

Cees – for the area that you have – the artwork that fits for a mk3 includes:

Semper in Excreta ( LW625)

The Queen ( MZ921) ( Varga)

**** of the North ( 424 sqdn)

There are a couple that are a little bit forward of your piece

Miss Canada (LW 597) and Pistol Packin Mama (LW582)

and a couple on other mk’s

Per flak ad nauseum (BB323)- Varga
Thunderin Heard ( JB 859)
Happy Valley Sally (JD210)
Y for Yokum
Green Dragon (LK947)
lift got love – Elvgren
Medicine Hat – 419 Sqdn
Every Drop COunts (lemon)
Admiral Bill (popeye)
Flying Kiwi ( DT819 ) – possibly

Otherwise keep rivetting forward…

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

More pics to follow soon.

Cees

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?

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

Stunning work Cees!