I had some wood left from a boatbuilding project (don’t ask). These were meant for deck planking, but with a little fantasy and adjusting they can be used for the slats of the cockpit floor.
The seams are prescribed and so it is easy to cut very straight slats, single or doubled. They are of the right size and scale. Since the actual floor was made of wood, I thought I might give it a try and I am very happy with the results. I used simple PVA wood glue. The bottom is a little warped because in same places I used the glue a little too liberally, but that can be fixed easily.
The last slats are glued on and held down between two glass plates with weights on them. I will leave it to dry for at least 24 hours. After that I will trim off the excess wood.
My ToDo list for the coming weeks:
- building up of the vertical construction with the struts, the brace wires and the plywood sides.
- mapping out he position of the steering column, and the elevator and rudder controls, that protrude through the bottom and the pilot’s seat.
In the meantime I am also working on all the gauges, meters, tumbler switch boxes, pushbuttons and engine control levers that have to find a place in the crammed cockpit on the instrument panel and the sides.
I’ll be back.
Willem
