AM, here’s a slightly more damaged version from Mustang AP171. Identical in size and design. Would be interested if it was spare. 

Thanks for the tip, NewOldSpitty. I was a tad worried about googling French Whipping, but you were spot on. It’s for a Polikarpov R5 Spade grip, and the only illustration I could find, (having bought a CD manual first) shows the spiral rib from the process. Now I need to get the steel prepped ready for whipping. Thanks! 

Excellent picture AM. Thanks for sharing. Any idea of the string spec? I’m thinking ‘twine’ of some sort. Have a Russian grip to bind. 

If it is DN251 then the aircraft flew into Brown Clee in Shropshire. F/C Mason is commemorated on a memorial, along with many others, at the top of the hill. There is, or certainly was, a large piece of engine mount from this aircraft at the Warplanes Aircraft Recovery Group Museum at Slepe. 

Lovely work. Have you managed to make the moulds for casting copies? I had a few resin copies of a Meteor grip. They had been made for science fiction film props, but the detail was superb. Also pictured is a possible addition to the collection, an A-4 Skyhawk stick. It has been posted, but has sat in San Francisco for a couple of weeks now.

That’s a nice one, Brightspark. Was tempted myself, as the trim switch is slightly different to mine. There is something very satisfying about lifting the safety and the trigger dropping down.

That looks superb. Thanks for the cockpit pictures. It looks very similar to a Rockwell B1 cockpit, lots of analogue and strip gauges.

Taking advantage of a quiet afternoon. Making models to sit with sticks. Tu-22M3 and Su-7 B