P-12 Coming Along
I really need to investigate creating a gallery so I can show what I'm talking about, but for now your imagination will have to do.
The latest efforts on the P-12 have moved the project from somewhat resembling an aircraft, to really being an aircraft sitting in the hangar. Last week my Dad mounted the engine to the fuselage in a permanent manner with safety wire and the whole deal. It's not the first time it's been mounted, but it isn't just a test fit this time. The firewall foot wells are just about one millimeter away from the upper engine mount supports, so it's a snug fit. Sure does look good though! Sitting in the cockpit it isn't even that tough to see past the top cylinders, and the gun troughs will line up very nicely between them.
The sheet metal pieces for most of the fuselage have been completed, which was a lot of cutting, fitting, filing, bending, drilling, riveting, and priming. A huge amount of work has been done on these pieces and they really look great. It's almost like a professional did the work. Oh yeah, he is a professional...
The cockpit enclosure is a piece of art. The P-12 has a very angular wind screen on top of an angular section for the instrument panel ahead of the cockpit that changes to rounded cross section ahead and behind. Because we wanted a second cockpit forward, and didn't want to compromise the integrity of the upper wing or the fuselage, my Dad needed a way to allow a normal adult to squeeze between the top wing and the pilot's windscreen to get into the front cockpit. He designed an ingenious sliding cockpit enclosure which when slid backwards allows just enough room to slide into the front cockpit. The way it works is that the rear of the enclosure is latched down with hooks which when released allows it to lift on two hinging arms. There are two small wheels in tracks at the front corners of the enclosure and as it is lifted it moves and slides to the rear. Even with it all the way back there is still room for the pilot to sit in the cockpit without getting crushed (although the instrument panel is then about 2 centimeters from the pilot's nose). Anyway, it looks really good, fits great, and is all finished ready to mount the finished instrument panel and gauges.
Next up will be routing engine controls, fabricating the four remaining sheet metal pieces, then getting the fuselage on it's landing gear.
Exciting times ahead!