Next up is to work on the pilots cockpit. First up is installing the seat frame to the cockpit floor section. Next it is to prepare and paint the RH and LH side cockpit rails. Avionic components black, the fire extinguisher brass(Testor's Gold actually). Add the PE bits on the RH console. Once thats done, next is to add the seatbelts to the seat. Next to install the control stick to the cockpit floor. Lifecolor faded OD and Xtracrylix

Gloss black for the handle. AM grey plastic is really soft. But easy to work with when trimming. Next is to install the seat and then the RH side cockpit bracing/rail assy. And that will do it for now. More to follow.

12 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Tom, that is a really detailed cockpit, and you're doing it justice. Whose seatbelts? They look really good.

Thanks Bernard, the seatbelts are Eduards and are very nice.

The more I see this built, the more I want to add to the stash...! Looking really great!

Louis, thanks for posting that. I've never seen the uppers done in Blue Gray. I was expecting the overall cockpit to be Bronze Green, by the time the -3 went to the Marines. Looks like they also left that one support member in the previous silver rather than overpaint the switch box mounted on it.

Rick, thanks. If this is one of the aircraft that was pulled out of Lake Erie, it was probably reconditioned back when before it went to Training Command. Doing takeoff and landings on the Wolverine, a rebuilt paddlewheel steamer, formerly used as an excursion steamer. An interesting story in itself. Needed a training carrier for neophyte pilots, thus the Wolverine.

Rick is 100 percent correct Bernard. The plane at the National Naval Air Museum is a dash -2. It was restored in the correct aluminum colored fuselage interior and depicts a quick painting of camouflage over the original "Yellow Wings " or overall Light Gray colors. I'm going to agree with Rick also on the interior of the fuselage on the Dash -3's being green. However I am 95 percent sure that they would probably have been a "Dull Dark Green " just like in the early Birdcage and Raised Cabin F4U-1A Corsairs. This would seem to make sense since these two types of planes were being manufactured by the same company, Vought.

I'm glad you enjoyed the link to the website. I really thought it was cool to see the actual inside of a sole survivor Vindicator.

Your build is really coming along great Chuck ! Please keep us posted as you can... Thanks my friend.