Flying Controls, Instrument Panel and Glycol Tank work
During the summer we have made steady progress in making more components for inclusion in the Project. These include flying controls under the pilot’s seats, in particular a bracket with pulleys for aileron controls and mounting of levers under the P1 seat. The levers and shafts being made by Soren and John Scott of Bedford Model Engineers. The Bomb Jettison ‘T’ handle has now been fitted to the instrument panel and the Autopilot control panel completed. We have also started to refurbish some of the electrical junction boxes and completed the centre and rear pulley blocks from the coupe centre section.














Glycol Tank and Pilot’s Bomb Jettison T Handle
Although restricted to working from home due to Covid-19 the team have been busy researching the next stage of the build.
We must say a big thank you to Sam Ollis of Chester who volunteered his services and has made components for the build. They are the Pilot’s Bomb Jettison T Handle mounting and the Glycol Tank Dipstick/filler cap. The T handle mounting is the final component for the pilot’s instrument panel. With the need to ensure the workshop is safe and secure we have visited and took the opportunity to assembly the Glycol tank filler cap.










March 2020 Updates Glycol Tank and more
March has been a very productive month for the Project with the delivery of the R1155 Receiver refurbished by Carl Proctor, the manufacture of the Glycol tank by Artec Engineering organised by Andy P, refurbishment to working order of the Navigator’s angle poise lamp, fitting of the P1 Control Wheel Bomb Release Switch and rebuilding the coupe controls centre pulley block. The rear pulley block is now in work but not in as good a condition as the centre item. We have also taken delivery of an Engineers Trunk from East Kirkby.
















Footrest and pilot’s seats progress










Over the past 3 months we have completed the 4 footrests, both pilots harness mechanisms, started to make the Autopilot control panel and reassembled the trim box.
Bedford Model Engineers having made components for the seat harness and the elevator trim dials. East Coast Castings making the footrest rear edges.
Summer Progress
During the summer we have again made some incremental additions to the flight deck and made some very fruitful contacts who have assisted us in completing some of the long standing frustrating bits; and in short order produced some items we thought we would struggle with, with our current tools and skill set.
The Pilots footrests are nearly complete with only the P2 outer remaining.
The Pilots P1 seat harness go-forward mechanism is complete and the P2 nearly finished. The cables being supplied by Bruntons, the manufacture of the original items, therefore maintaining a close link to the aircraft. The P1 armour remains to fabricate.
The Trim Control Box donated by NELSAM (Sunderland) has been refurbished and only requires the Elevator dials to be made. Thanks to Bedford Model Engineers and Any P’s contact in Devon in assisting in making replacement items.
A prominent item on the pilot’s instrument panel is the Flap Control Panel, this has been refurbished including new labels.
We have several end sections for Bomb Crutches and they have been dismantled with a view to making a pattern item so we can make up to 12 for the current build.
Project Update May 2019
Due to a glitch in the web site 18 months worth of progress updates are no longer available, therefore this update covers several of the activities from this period. They include the coupe panel for the floodlights, centre floor panel, flying control lock attachment lugs, pilot’s escape hatch refurbishment, aircrew de-icing control panel, prop feathering panel, manufacture of components for the elevator control levers, pilots footrests progression, and manufacture of components for the Sutton harness release mechanism.
A special thank you from the Project to those who have assisted us, including East Coast Castings Watton, Bedford Model Engineering Group, Bruntons Cables, Sorin, RAF Museum Store Stafford, North East Land, Sea and Air Museums Sunderland.
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Seat Cushions and Progress Up-date
Thanks to a donation from the Stirling Aircraft Society, we have been able to get the Pilots’ seat cushions manufactured with enough leather left over to manufacture the Navs seat cushions and the Bomb Aimers ‘couch’. These are as close to the original as we can get based on photo evidence and personal recollections. We’d like to thank the Society for their donation and hopefully our connection will be closer in future.
A new bracket and slider for the U/c indicator switch is in progress, originals of which are as rare as rocking horse poo.
The 1st Pilots control column fwd stop assembly, which is yet another example of Shorts (over) engineering is taking shape. The 2nd Pilots’ is yet to do and then the 4 off sloping footrests.
The rudder controls between Frames 3 and 6 have been connected.
Finally a great thanks to Dormer Drills who have shown an interest in the Project and have kindly donated a selection of drills and cutting fluids to us.