Glare Shield...

Its been a while since I have updated this… due to the fact that the cockpit’s progress is almost near completion.

Having acquired a correct compass and cockpit clock, the glare shield needed to be sorted, having searched high and low for a genuine glare shield; fabrication was the next best thing until we can source a genuine part.

Funny foam and 0.5 sheet metal were glued together, and with a bit of jiggery pokery, hey presto

Not bad for a first attempt if I say so myself. (Comments gladly received J)

So for now I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, till then all the very best…………..

Trailer

As you may be aware to get the cockpit out anywhere you need some sort of trailer… trying to find the correct one is another mission in its self!

We first started off looking at boat trailers, and the shape and size of them are of that near the cockpit. But with the prices of them being that nearly four figures it soon came apparent that there must be a cheaper and simpler way.

So here we go… a Caravan chassis!

Caravan chassis are the same shape as a boat trailer and also nearly the same shape as the cockpit. Caravan chassis come with the huge wooden and polystyrene floor still in place. Getting rid of that was a big task in its self. Then we had to shorten the trailer. We cut off around 4ft off the back of it and used the off cuts to create a back support to hold the shape and also the light board in place.

Once the shape was there then the work of making it from a old unloved Caravan chassis from a breakers to a trailer worthy of towing a Harrier cockpit around began. We sanded down the trailer and decided to paint it white, and paint the axel, hubs and wheels black, along with sheets of marine ply painted in a rosewood varnish. The ‘A’ frame at the front is topped with checker plate and we just tidied up the towing hitch with a new coat of paint. 

Tag Heuer Cockpit Stopwatch

One of the final things left to fill the cockpit spaces was a Tag Heuer Stopwatch. After researching them on the internet it soon hit us that it would be near impossible to obtain one after seeing them sell for between £500-£2000!

So once again we thought… it can’t be that hard to make! So we purchased some of the parts from Portugal and including postage it came to a grand total of…………… £20! Talk about bargain of the century!

Although the hands need to be remade as they are there temporary, they don’t really look that out of place. 

Panels Fitted...

The four panels that we've made have now been fitted, and that fills all of the 'major' gaps and holes that were missing panels. For homemade replicas, they don't look too bad i think!... 

Remaining Panels...

As we only had four more ‘cannot miss’ holes to fill in the right hand side of the panel, and with parts seeming to get rarer and rarer to find, we decided to take a few afternoons in the garage and began to fabricate them, using bakelite, aluminium and red tint Perspex and a few altimeter counters we bought off eBay.

 We started off making the fuel quantity indicator, fire warning/threat lights, engine performance indicator and the ECM control panel.

 The final products don’t look too bad… 

Now for the Fuel Quantity Indicator and ECM control panel...

Throttle Box update...

 Having modified a simulator throttle box, we now have finally a 99.9% complete throttle box! And to be honest, I don’t think it looks that bad! (Considering most of the parts are hand-made by me and my dad). Still a long way to go in other areas (awaiting replies from many emails) to help us, will keep you all posted.

Parts Update 2...

A good few hours were spent in the garage today as me and dad knocked up a throttle box. The one that we had was built for a simulator, so the right hand side was slightly shy of the dzus rail, so after some precision and (skillful) cutting involving my dad and a grinder, we now have a throttle box worthy of a place inside the cockpit.

A few knobs and switches will still need to be added, but as long as there is a throttle box filling a once empty hole, I don’t mind waiting…

 I made the panel in college out of scrap aluminum, and then we spent today cutting out and drilling holes for the throttle lever and nozzle position lever. A door draft excluder from a local D.I.Y shop helped out as the brush dust guard.

 We still need to get the throttle grip tapped onto the shaft, as at the moment Its only held on by a thin piece of plastic.

Starfighter...

Was just going through some pictures from last year and came across this one of me checking out a Starfighter F104. 

What a piece of kit, you wouldn’t thing something with such small wings could fly! Brilliant!!

Parts Update...

Hi, just a quick parts update which have now supplied and fitted! Some hard graft involving my dad, Perspex and MDF took place to create a screen for the MFD surround which looks pretty cool, and again, some more non-Harrier hole fillers.

Not many more holes to fill now, possibly 4-5 fascias, and then we will have a near complete Harrier cockpit!

A stencil seat is possibly going to be the most expensive part, alongside a canopy, but for now the MK10B seat will still suffice (as we have said before, it will create a double talking point).