I am very pleased to be able to share some update photos of Build-002. One of the first builds to actually start, the builder/owner has been making steady progress and his cockpit is almost complete. The quality of craftsmanship is superb and he has been meticulous in every detail.
One of the options presented to builders of the HFS Spitfire is cladding over the plywood fuselage cover with a thin 0.5mm aluminium plate. This has the advantage of the strength inherent in glued wooden frame/cover construction, where the cover provides great rigidity, while lending the visual appeal of aluminium plating. The result was envisaged in the following graphic:
While some builders have elected to go directly with a 1mm aluminium sheet on the plywood frame, Build-002 is the first build following the originally recommended method. It has been further enhanced with accurately positioned riveting, achieved very simply with an appropriately sized hollow punch. The result is outstanding!
The builder has also created a minimalist stair to make access easier. It could have come from a Scandinavian design house, it is so impressive!
Some more photos of the build in progress:
