Mosquito: Cockpit details

Progress may seem slow but since I am assembling this at a friend's house, I sit down over there to get some building done, then realize I am missing something simple like red paint. So I make a list and everything gets delayed a week.

That being said, a number of steps have been taken. The obvious stuff has been painted a simulated cockpit green background colour as detailed in the last post, and some cockpit pieces have been painted in other colours as well. The first photo shows the cockpit floor (dark gunmetal piece at right front) and a couple of cockpit bulkhead bits (to the right behind the floor). The pilot's seat is at the back right.



Next some subassemblies have taken place.



There have been a number of interesting little problems. I mentioned that a lot of the cockpit floors and whatnot need to be butted together at 90 degrees; I'll glue these all together into the fuselage half at the appropriate time to preserve the 90 degree angle. I also have come across a few items where a pin or shaft was actually missing. In the photo below, there is a metallic piece on the cockpit floor just behind the leather-colored cover for the stick mechanism; this is supposed to have a shaft joining it under the pilot's seat to the big gear and chain mechanism attached to the pale green bulkhead. I'll wind up making something out of 1/16" styrene rod, but the lack is somewhat surprising.





In any case I am pleased with progress so far. Next I need to make up the missing control shaft, apply a few decals, and glue the various floor and bulkhead panels into the right-side fuselage half. Now let me see, that would be the port side, right? Hey I'm getting it! Also I need to get brave and tackle the instrument panel. Stay tuned!