Thank you, gentlemen, for the kind comments and interest in this project, and particular thanks to Dave for the helpful treatment of a photograph. There are no drawings, so pictures and eye are what I must depend on.
Putting the Junkers D.I together has got my hands and mind back into the groove, and I consider it a happy coincidence this revival of El Sonora will be my five hundredth post.
I have finally sorted out to my satisfaction the seating arrangements. In the four photographs I have showing the seats more or less clearly, three distinct arrangements are shown: one with a passenger's seat to either side of the pilot (1 photo), one with a passenger's seat only to the pilot's left, but with other arrangements the same as the two passenger version (2 photos), and one with only a passenger's seat to the pilot's left, but with some differences in how the seats are supported (1 photo, and that taken later than the others). I am going with the version there are two photographs of, which is taken in 1913, when a contract pilot, Didier Masson, flew the machine.
I wince every time I handle this thing, and it took a bit of figuring to be able to test fit pieces. I finally hit on the idea of tacking bits in place with white glue, so that things could readily be taken off and put back without need for much force. So here are the seats and supports, tacked in place as rough pieces:
You can see at lower right some early tries at the seats, that were a bit oversized for this, but may prove useful later for some other project. The two cylinders at the left are blanks for the fuel tanks, that were slung alongside the motor. They are made from sprue left from an ICM 'old tool' I-15bis, which was half round in section, and providentially the same width as 'what looked right' in the pictures relative to the size of the men (measured off a pilot figure) suggested to my eye --- about 4mm diameter. There are a couple of halves nearby, and an earlier effort that proved a hair too short for the purpose.
Here at the parts for the seats, and the fuel tanks with their sumps and fastening bands, ready for painting and assembly to the model:
The long bit of rod slats up and out from near the wheel to the leading edge of the wing. The short piece of rod goes across the main girder to the 'extra' brace. The pilot's seat goes in front of this, on supports which rest on the main girder, the front of the passenger's seat is set on this, and its rear is set on the leading edge of the wing.
When these are all attached, and a little more plumbing put in around the motor, I will be able to take the great leap and put the upper wing on....