You are all very kind.  Thank you.

Joe

So cool.

BK

Very impressive and wonderful scratch building job !

Thanks to your videos I understand how to build the various equipment etc.

My question is where do you find the information as to what radios, gear  etc. go into the aircraft?

Very very kind, thank you.

Jay researching is much of the fun of these for me.  Google and Ebay can be your close friends with it.  For me it starts with something simple such as, "P-40 Hydraulic system".  If such a search is empty play with the wording.  Somewhere you will find names for equipment, at that point you are golden.  Just keep searching for the different equipment and make sure you save the searches in a folder.  

Joe

Ok Joe,

Ty so much for easing my frustration during searches . I now know better how to do it.

Wow, how on earth did I miss this till now- fantastic work!!! 

Jay I am glad I could help ease your frustration a little.

Gamera you really have not missed much to this point.  Still a long road to travel.

Joe

Just a quick update.  

Spent some time getting some of the internal details constructed.  Again they are not 100% but they will work for what I need.

The hydraulic pump.

And the landing gear/flap unit

I have also begun to frame in the cockpit.

I will be doing some crossmembers for the stringers.  These will only be there to make sure the detail has a place to anchor.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.

Joe

Joe,

Nice detailing!  That's going to be spectacular when finished.

I'm not sure if you've seen this, but since you're starting on the cockpit, I thought I would mention that the NAS museum has a virtual cockpit for the P-40B in their collection.

Just follow the link, scroll down to the bottom and rotate away!

http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=p-40b_tomahawk

Gary

Many many thanks.

GAF appreciated.  I have actually been looking for that link.  I had it but it was lost somewhere.  

Joe

The next major construction stage is to work on the cockpit.  

This begins with framing in the pit.  Bulheads and frames.  After putting in the bulkheads each stringer was cut to fit.  I used .020 by .040 strip for the bulkhead.  I used .020 square strip for the stringers.  

And how it looks all together.  Taped of course.

Now there are a couple of major flaws in the pictures.  One I have fixed the other I will live with.  

Moving right along and actually kind of quick with this part so far.  

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.

Joe

The NAVAIR Museum's P-40B's black leather head cushion is wrong as Curtiss used brown leather as evidenced in the many LIFE color photos of the assembly line.

You are really pouring your soul into this one. The detail is already quite impressive.

BK

Many many thanks all.  

Rich I will remember that.

Joe

She's starting to come together Joe. =]  Some of these parts are so tiny, I have my doubts that I'm ready to tackle that at 1:48.

Coming along nicely!

What an amazing build! I can't wait to see more.

I'm curious to see the stockpile of styrene you have?
I'm picturing either a librairy of highly organized plastic of every variety or a big box of searching 

I am most humbled by all of the kind words.  

The parts are small yes but in this scale they are needed.  In a smaller scale they may not.  My stock of styrene at the moment is being reduced a bit (obviously) but I store it in a larger tupperware type of container.  I will get a picture of it next round to show it to you.

Joe

Its back......on the bench that is.

Joe

How about a long overdue, a month since the last one, update????

When last we saw our hero the framing for the cockpit had been readied and installed.  We had prepared to begin to start detailing.

This update is all about the seat frame and the port side.  

Working off of several pictures work began with the electrical panels and the throttle control.  Using strip, rod, tube, and scrap plastic the panels were fashioned.  After they were ready some little odds and ends on the port side were fashioned to match the pictures.  

The port side.

I also worked on the seat framing.  This is not 100% accurate but needed to have a bit more strength than what I could see for a plastic frame.  I canibalized a seat from the parts box and have it in place temp.

And finally just a glimpse of what this looks like, minus the port detail, with the fuselage together.

That is about all the detail seen in my pictures for the Port side.  Next up will be to work on the Starboard side.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.

Joe

Truly impressive to say the least.

BK

Very kind, thank you.

lawdog114

One Joe to another.................speechless. You are the master of the cut away my friend.

 

My friend I thank you for the very kind comment, in my mind though Dan Jayne was the master.  I fall far short of his level.

Joe

On to the Starboard side of the cockpit.  A little of detail but to be honest I missed a couple of things that I will have in the next update.

Radio boxes, a light, and the canopy handle dominate this side.  

Now let me back up a bit, playing with different camera settings.  Here are a couple of shots of the Port side using a different background and different settings.

Next up will be the top of the wing/floor of the cockpit.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.

Joe

What can I say?!!!

fermis

What can I say?!!!

 

I believe that spoke volumes,  Many thanks.

My friends most of the cockpit is now ready for paint.

There are a few things that I have not worked yet but they can be done at paint.  

I added a box on the starboard side, reworked the frame a bit, reworked the instrument panel to add some detail that was lacking, and added just a couple of things to the floor/top of the wing.

This section is now far enough that I can move on.  

Next up will be the firewall and the engine compartment moving into the engine.  

Many thanks all for sticking around this long.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.

Joe

I think I am seeing another FSM article coming to life here.

BK