Work on the cockpit interior equipment has begun. The seat was made by heat-pressing plastic sheet. The instrument panel was also made by drilling holes into a thin plastic sheet. The control stick was fabricated by soldering together pieces of brass wire. The side consoles on both sides of the seat were made of synthetic wood, with small levers and switches crafted from brass sheet and soldered in place. The canopy sliding handle was made from a section of plastic runner with a brass-wire lever soldered onto it. Next, work proceeds to the seat harnesses.

Fig. 4-4-1 Cockpit Equipment

The seat harnesses were made with extra care. The two belts on the left are lap belts, and the two on the right are shoulder belts. Tracing paper was used for the belts themselves, while buckles and metal fittings were made by bending 0.1 mm enamel wire and soldering it together. The finished appearance is quite convincing.

Fig. 4-4-2 Seat Belts

An ETC504 rack was temporarily installed under the fuselage, and a 300 ℓ drop tank, formed from two molded halves, was test-fitted. The rack was shaped from 2 mm-thick sheet material, and the sway braces were made by cutting thin brass sheet into narrow strips. The drop tank was shaped in the same manner as the spinner: first, a precise square block was made, and circles representing the maximum diameter were drawn on both end faces. The block was then turned into a round rod, roughly carved into a bullet and conical shape using a knife as if sharpening a pencil, and finally finished with sandpaper. Since the final surface finishing has not yet been done, it still appears slightly rough. The joint line between the upper and lower halves was scribed with a needle.

Fig. 4-4-3 Drop Tank

After completing all components, a temporary assembly was carried out to check the overall balance and appearance. The long-nose “Dora” gives quite a different impression from the earlier A-type. The next step is surface priming with surfacer.

Fig. 4-4-4 Completed Mock-up