Progress on construction the Pilots’ footrest continues. The cover plate to the first one is in the test fit phase and the outer footrests structure are nearly complete. For access the P1 seat is removed.

Since Christmas we have continued to add to the cockpit area.  Most recent the fitting of the Flying Controls Lock attachment brackets to the P1 Control Stop Panel. The brackets were provided by one of the team.  

The North East Land, Sea and Air Museum (Sunderland) have loaned a section of the Coupe for reference.  This contains a near complete Control Trim Box for us to use as a pattern.  The pictures include the donated coupe section plus the P1 escape hatch and also the NELSM section and our own section.  The sections will provide good reference material for the construction of the coupe.

Recently received are more levers for the Elevator Controls which are located under the pilot’s positions.  These were manufactured by a local engineer. They go with components we had previously made and the turnbuckle recovered for “MacRoberts Reply’.  The turnbuckle will be one of the original Stirling components incorporated in the build.

Manufacture of the pilot’s footrests continues as can be seen in the pictures of the Control Lock pictures.

Construction of the P1 and P2 inner footrests continues, P1 now only requiring attachment of the left sloping section and the top cover.  The P2 is still in the early stages of construction.  

The Pilot’s escape hatch is now ready to be fitted, only needs the rest of the Coup to fit it into.

Manufacture and assembly of the Pilot’s footrests are now in progress. The No 1 Pilot’s inner is the first and with the rear attachments made by East Coast Castings from Watton Norfolk now available most of the components are now ready to be assembled. The Pilot’s escape hatch is now being re-assembled after replacing the perspex and should be ready for final painting soon.

Progress on the flight deck continues whilst planning for the forward fuselage sections and bomb bay are finalised.  The area around the control column is the current area of work with the Pilots’ forward control stops now complete along with the flat panels fwd of the rudder bars.  Work is now starting on the Pilots’ footrests that are either side of the control columns and replacement of the Pilot’s escape hatch perspex. 

First up is the Propeller Feathering Panel directly in front of the 1st Pilot, this was based on an original example that was kindly loaned to us by the Fenland Aircraft Museum. Theirs was missing the support bracketry which we’ve recreated using some very grainy photos as the basis. 

The second is the Airscrew de-icing switch and Booster Coil switch panel, that mounts directly in front of the 2nd Pilot. As always, we’d like to express our thanks to Screens and Graphics of Cottenham who kindly recreated the labels for us.-icing Controls Panel and Feather Control Panel.

Also completed recently is the permanent fitting of the P2 Control Fwd Stop.

The P1 fwd control column stop is now permanently installed and painted with P2 to follow next week. The 2 bare metal channels attached to the box are the first parts of the rudder pedal footrests, 4 to make. 95% certain of the construction of these based on photos looking down from above and upwards from the Bomb Aimers compartment. The latter are always in shadow and it’s hard to define what’s there but we’re pretty much on top of the design now.

The P1 and P2 Pilots’ Fwd Control Stop near completion, the centre flight deck floor panel is now complete.  The De-icing Controls panel progress with the labels now ready for fitting.

Work over recent months has included making the Undercarriage Master Switch and Undercarriage Indicator Switch, all from drawings scaled from aircraft Instrument Panel photographs. The P1 Control Column fwd stop assembly is nearly complete with P2 under construction. The seat cushions are now in place thanks to the Stirling Society for their sponsorship. The cockpit floor panels continue to be added to with the trial fit of the de-icing pump and pilots’ oxygen economisers, also the in work is the Airscrew De-icing Control Panel.

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.