F18..

A quick update.Managed to hammerform F18 up today.Just have to flare the lightening holes and fit up the Buttstraps..

Bits and pieces.

Just a quick one today.Progressed on finishing off frame 12,seat frame parts and F11 bracing.Focusing on the seatframe so we can hang the seat as soon as it is repaired.Also rebuilding the brake valve relay that works off the rudderbar.As it was apart gave Neale a chance to draw up all the parts..A huge undertaking considering the small parts involved.Also the voltage regulator got a good spruce up with a new lick of paint.The back plate is nearly relay then it will be mounted to the back of F11.

Cockpit section

Just some pics of the cockpit section so far.Internally we have frame 9 to complete as well as the F6 and F7 hatsections.Also the internal ribs for the cockpit coaming including the canopy rails need to be made.Then we can start fitting her out.This cockpit section will be then presented to the museum to be displayed in the main Hangar.Work can then continue on the full fuselage in the jig.

Hungover

Well not quite.Getting the cockpit ready for Caloundra was a huge undertaking and a lot of thanks goes to the volunteers from the Wednesday and Thursday group.Thanks for taking time off the other projects to give me a hand and also to the Army trainees who were between courses.Most were given a crash course literally on aircraft sheetmetal work.I think the results speak from their professional attitude.
Work continues on filling out the cockpit with sorting out what needs to be finished off with the rudderbar and seatframe assemblies.More work is progressing on the drafting side as thanks to the QAM at Caloundra we got to sit in the MkV,MkVIII Spitfire there and hurridly got some much needed pics and measurements.
Our final lot of formers arrived from Murray at Australian Waterjet in Brisbane and the work is fantastic.Also in the stash was the first couple of Instrument panels,BFP,s and a whole lot of blanks to machine up all the lightening hole tools.
Also from Caloundra we got to meet up with fellow restorer Chris (Aka Ausflyboy) who has a Boomerang project at Bribie Island.He has a nice little furnace setup to replicate castings etc so he took on the job of doing a gunsite mount for us.Many thanks also to Geoff who supplied us his to use as a master pattern.
Chris is hoping to do a complete set of castings for the Spitfire in time so watch this space.

Still not at work yet...

Working flat out on the Spit though as we have totally blown the cockpit section apart and have cleaned up,primed and currently assembling all the frames.Lots of fiddly riveting going on but feels good to be able to finish things off.Also have just got a big package in the mail containing our main canopy.Is uncut and looks great.Sheetmetal wise working on the cockpit door and coaming skins that sit above the datum longeron.Hope to have everything back together by the end of next week.

Few more piccies!!!

Just a few I couldn,t fit on the other post :D

Winter time

Sorry for a break in updates but due to losing my job and moving house have only just got things back on track,well as much as I can.The front fuselage section has been fitted up to a trolley frame so movement around the workshop is now possible.Firewall has progressed with channels and stiffeners going on as with a set of dummy stub spars made out of wood.Have no idea how many people that have mistaken them for the real thing.A good indication that we are on the right track.Also we have started rivetting together some of the frames and control box in the cockpit.The search for instruments has begun as the panel has been painted up and fitted to the F8 hoop.The panel doesn,t actually sit on frame 8 but in a hoop of ally angle that rivets to the datum longeron.The Blind Flying Panel is suspended off two brackets on F8 and one off the instrument panel.The F8 coaming channel has been rolled and drilled off and note to self,don,t use old aluminium as it has taken a few weeks just getting the perished plastic covering off the parts.If anyone knows an easy way please let me know.
3D wise have worked out the fuel tank bracing using a couple of ends dug up as patterns.Awaiting some tracings off original coaming skins to start working out the area around the windscreen down to the datum longeron.Also a lot of smaller bits and bobs being made.Hope you enjoy the pics.