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Alaska Airlines N512AS 737-800
Good evening good folks!
I'm going to try this one more time as there must be a conspiracy against my name as my new threads seem to be visible for a day and vanish just like that.
Although i've been a registered user at mycockpit.org for quite some time, i spent all my time in here admiring other projects and learning a lot about sim building.
Two and a half years ago i started my first project, meant to be a multi purpose sim pit. The project turned out very good but i kept finding myself always wanting more. Let's change this and let's change that.
Well, i guess the final triggering point to building a 737 started with purchasing Prosim737. Ok, i was off and running......again. Of course all of this while a sceptical wife kept shaking her head.
Below you can see a short synopsis of where it started and where it sits today, 3 weeks after I started. Everything is scratch built and my joints are aching after running the jig saw for hours :)
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...4-21185434.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...4-24185412.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-03213825.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-06194832.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-10232248.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-13204825.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-13174632.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Ok, we are up and running again. Got the hardboard hauled home yesterday thanks to my friend Gene so now I hope to have the skin on the lower part installed by end of day tomorrow. The progress has slowed down a bit due to work related travel as well as spending some quality time with family.
Maybe I will let the first officer sheet his side of the flght deck? :)
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-18211147.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-18211235.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-18211943.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Nice work. Every time I see a shell like this I find myself wishing I had the room, the tools and the talent to jigsaw out all those curved members and do something as nice as this.
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
neilh
Nice work. Every time I see a shell like this I find myself wishing I had the room, the tools and the talent to jigsaw out all those curved members and do something as nice as this.
Thank you for the kind words Neil.
No doubt a lot of work has gone into the project so far and it's daunting to know that i've barely started.
Although I haven't kept a pulse in the exact hours spent in my garage so far, i'm guessing somewhere around 150.
I remember my childhood years in Norway, watching my dad craft beautiful things out of nothing. Things didnt turn out so nice when i tried to copy him but he always appreciated the effort. I guess i have always wanted to be the craftsman my dad was, hence i kept at it and before you knew it people started recognizing the crafts :)
It has kind of been the same way during this project. Started with a few planks and a ton of pictures, a few measurements and a lot of heart. It's funny to think back on the month of work as i've had bypassers ask why im building a boat, a bed, play fort, etc.
Being that I live in a community where houses are 8ft apart, our street turned into a traffic jam this last weekend as everyone seems to have heard about the mad man building a plane in his garage with a jig saw, a chop saw, a finish nailer, lots of screws, some basic hand tools, a broom and a very patient wife.
The skynis the limit Neil. You can do it.
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Very, very nice looking shell mate! Wish I had the time, skills and money to build a sim like that. Will closely watch this thread. By the way, was the name of this project, and the project itself inspired by the Norwegian 737 Project? :)
Cheers,
Ollie
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Good work! :) The Vikings bring it every time! :) Just look at Ivar Hestnes. He did the same thing.
Tip: sand the surface smooth, then cover with epoxy and glass fiber. DONE! :) Just check out my side wall build...
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AndreNordheim
Thank you for the kind words Neil.
No doubt a lot of work has gone into the project so far and it's daunting to know that i've barely started.
Although I haven't kept a pulse in the exact hours spent in my garage so far, i'm guessing somewhere around 150.
I remember my childhood years in Norway, watching my dad craft beautiful things out of nothing. Things didnt turn out so nice when i tried to copy him but he always appreciated the effort. I guess i have always wanted to be the craftsman my dad was, hence i kept at it and before you knew it people started recognizing the crafts :)
It has kind of been the same way during this project. Started with a few planks and a ton of pictures, a few measurements and a lot of heart. It's funny to think back on the month of work as i've had bypassers ask why im building a boat, a bed, play fort, etc.
Being that I live in a community where houses are 8ft apart, our street turned into a traffic jam this last weekend as everyone seems to have heard about the mad man building a plane in his garage with a jig saw, a chop saw, a finish nailer, lots of screws, some basic hand tools, a broom and a very patient wife.
The skynis the limit Neil. You can do it.
Hi Andre.
My dad was a joiner (specialist carpenter who hand-builds furniture) by trade. He could do beautiful things with wood. I picked up a few tips from watching him work. I learned a bit at school, too - I went to a school where woodworking & metalworking was compulsory for the first three years - and I turned out some nice stuff that's still in use in my parents' home today. So I can, in theory, do better than my current 'straight cuts and lots of screws' effort. But I also learned how to build quick structures Ikea-style.
What I lack, more than anything else, is space and time. I'm building in a back bedroom on the first floor. The property is rented so everything has to be stand-alone and non-destructive to the room. The room itself is 2.4m x 3.2m (that's 8' x 10'6"), and that has to accommodate the shell and the workspace and the tools (though I suspect I'm going to spill over into the lounge pretty soon). Oh for a proper workshop-sized cutting table :) And to be honest, the raw materials available to me are not fantastic either. Half my batons and planks are warped, and I'm mostly using ply instead of MDF to keep the weight down (as I mentioned, it's a first floor room - and the floor has weight limits). I can only really work on the shell at weekends, for a few hours a day, when I can use power tools without being anti-social to my neighbours upstairs and downstairs. Right now, due to personal circumstances, I have to be away every third weekend, and of course I have a life so some weekend days are just taken up with other stuff. All of which means I get maybe three full days of work done every month on the project. Once I get to the post-shell phase and I'm doing mostly electronics and small partwork, I'll be able to work in the evenings, and the pace should pick up. I hope.
I made a conscious decision, when I started, to keep it simple and concentrate on the inside, not the outside. So I'm going mostly with straight lines and cuts, keeping the fundamental structure simple, at least for the big parts. I've been inspired by the FDS aluminium shell range - though mine is all wood and is more bizjet than 737. I do have a nice table fretsaw ready for cutting the complex bits for my TQ out of MDF :)
I've almost reached the point where I'm willing to post some photos again. If I get a fair bit done at the weekend I might do next week.
Thanks for the kind words, though... I had a distinct slump a while ago and I need all the inspiration I can get :) Will be great to see how your project turns out.
Vidar's right, BTW - all the best shells seem to be Nordic. Ivar Hestnes, the Norwegian 737 Project, I know there are others too. Must be growing up with all those trees <g>.
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Yeah, Vikings are known for their wood......... :cool:
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
vidarf
Yeah, Vikings are known for their wood......... :cool:
I was going to say something slightly different Vidar but decided it would be best keeping it to myself :)
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Hey,
Have you decided what is going to go INSIDE the sim?
I can imagine that you have been putting all of your efforts into the outside, but have you thought of what MIP you will use, what overhead, CDU, throttle quadrant etc?
Ollie
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Qantas747
Hey,
Have you decided what is going to go INSIDE the sim?
I can imagine that you have been putting all of your efforts into the outside, but have you thought of what MIP you will use, what overhead, CDU, throttle quadrant etc?
Ollie
Hi Ollie,
I am still debating on the internal components but I'm starting to narrow down the choices.
I have ordered the MIP from simworld.
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Ollie, I have for sure followed Kjetil during his build but my inspiration goes much further back than that. The dream goes way back and i guess i can say that ut was triggered back when Ivar built his fantastic 737.
The love for aviation and the neverending desire to craft things with my hands caused me to pull the trigger on this dream project of mine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Qantas747
Very, very nice looking shell mate! Wish I had the time, skills and money to build a sim like that. Will closely watch this thread. By the way, was the name of this project, and the project itself inspired by the Norwegian 737 Project? :)
Cheers,
Ollie
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Base layer of skin applied. Now i will let the wood settle and glue dry before applying the finish layer. Now I'm going to grab a cold one and rest for a bit.
I still have to plug along with the window frames.
Feels like i didn't make the progress I had hoped for as traffic and curiosity slowed me down. Wish I could keep the garage door closed to keep out of the sightlines but space is premium until I get the old simpit torn down.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-28164827.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-28164905.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Why don't you put up a sign:
"One question for 10 minutes of work, or shut up!" :D
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
vidarf
Why don't you put up a sign:
"One question for 10 minutes of work, or shut up!" :D
I think I'm just going to skip directly to "shut up" :)
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Dude, where's the "nordlending" spirit?
Or you could just answer like a fishing captain from Lofoten would do. "Stekk av, di pesshysa!" Should leave you in peace pretty quickly! :D
And for our non-norwegians out there: if you don't understand what I'm talking about, get your cabooses off the coach and travel to Norway. On your way to Lofoten, visit me! :)
Andre is a great example on how great this hobby is. I've seen his project, noticed the Norwegian sounding name (although a lot of Americans has Norwegian names) but did not think about it. Andre lives on a different continent, in a different country. But I just learned that he was born and grew up very close to where I live!
The world has indeed become small!
PS: Do NOT ask me to translate that norwegian phrase. It is impossible! :D
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Å Vidar, æ har mykje mainskjit prat i mæ. Huska du denna? Nei fy faen, den hælvetes vaskemaskinen e nu så førpult.........!!!!! :D
"Excuse me, this may sound like a stupid question but are you building an Igloo?". I looked at her and said nothing but thought to myself "what the f$&@ is wrong with people?". An Igloo????? Really?????? Do you really want to go there??????? I contained myself and shook my head as she moved on, muttering to myself that she would be one of those people who didn't deserve a closer look or an answer. The progress may not be that noticeable but I did finish the skinning of the entire captain's side, including finish sanding and nails punched down. Actually, I was so excited that I had to pull out the filler and get a rough coat onto the rear portion of the captain's side. Tomorrow I will ensure that the first officer gets the same treatment. The roof will have to wait until this weekend.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-31204947.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...5-31205017.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Alright, we made it to 5 weeks. I feel like a cripple every night going to bed after working 2 full time jobs (one of them pays me and the other one takes money away).
Where does the build sit right now?
Sheeting done, surface sanded and nails punched on the entire lower part of the flight deck.
8 cartridges of glue used.
About 5200 finish nails have gone into the shell.
About 800 screws on the framework.
4 sheets of plywood.
6 sheets of hardboard.
3 #2 drill bits shattered.
One orbital sander went to heaven.
One jigsaw landed in the street because it couldn't cut straight (true!).
One of the hand drills only works when it wants to now. May end up in a street near you soon!
3 Jigsaw blades.
One pair of tennis shoes are now leaking as a nail decided to poke through my sole.
One gallon of drywall compound so far.
And the list goes on............
Today's question from a random bypasser..... Is it flyable now? Serious? When will these stupid questions end? I've considered putting up a big dry erase board and list the top 10 stupid questions for everyone to see. Yes? No?
Anyway, as you can see on the first picture I really have to consider demolition work on the old simpit sooner rather than later. It kills me to tear it down but I'm afraid I have no option :)
Wanna see pictures? Here we gooooooooooooo..
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-01210135.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-01210103.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Alright, pulled the roof section off in order to apply the second layer of hardboard. Hope to get this done tomorrow. Shouldn't be too big of a deal. The next step after that is to get multiple layers of filler on and sand it ready for paint.
As for the bottom I still have some finish work with window framing to do and prep for window installation. Both captain and first officer side have one coat of filler applied and it will soon be time to start the dreaded job of sanding.
Worked on the rounded corners of the aft side windows today. Ended up too rounded in the upper corner but it will have to do.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-02212403.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-02212335.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-02195728.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Very good looking work there! :)
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
I have to give My wife credit for this one as she took on the challenge of silencing curious bypassers. She scavengered the gift shop at The Museum Of Flight today and came up with a sign that is now posted anove my garage door. Just wait and see.....Some jerk will steal it :)
Anyhow.......I have started the second layer sheeting on the top (center aft section on the second picture) and what I have done so far turned out really good. Very minimal sanding will go into prepping for the filler. If all goes well we are within a couple of weeks of paint.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-03202931.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-03202904.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Ok, so I did listen to my doctor for once. With recent health issues and the need to drop some weight, I carefully approached the 737 for some light duty this afternoon/evening.
The only remaining portion on the exterior was to finish the second layer of sheeting on the roof and prep sand before filler. This has now been accomplished.
The first layer of filler on the lower portion has been sanded and is ready for coat number two.
My hope is to have the body ready for paint by the end of the weekend. I have some minor trim work that needs to be completed, one of them being the channels for the window installation.
Oh and I mocked up the nose with some styrofoam sheeting containing a short and sweet descriptiom. Funny thing is........No questions today!!
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-08214141.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-08222027.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Uploaded a quick clip to our friends on the tube.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A_4j...e_gdata_player
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
A big milestone in the project has been reached. My indefinite counter app on my iPad shows 50 days, 11 hours and 38 minutes since the first cut was made with the jigsaw.
I guess I really haven't taken much time to reflect on the build so far as I went all in during every spare moment I had since the April 21st start. However, it hit me today....This is a BIG project!!! I don't think I have embarked on any single project this big during my 38 years of life. Actually, the N512AS project would probably outnumber everything I've done in the past.....combined!
That being said I felt very a great sense of accomplishment when I closed the garage door this evening.
I would like to thank everyone who have stepped up with advice, given me a hand, listened to my bitching and most important of all....to my wife for allowing me to build my dream...
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-10204423.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-10190949.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Smooth as a baby's butt! :) Nice!
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
How will you make the surface hard so it will not get dented so easily?
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Not sure what you're referring to? People just have to stay away from the actual shell with regards to traffic back and forth. Shell is pretty hard as is but filler can of course always chip. Not too concerned with it as my garage is guarded well ;)
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
I'm hiring some professional paint help this weekend just to make sure I have someone to supervise me. However, it came at a high price as my 9 year old wanted a new purse for payment :shock:
Well, i don't think she will spot the difference between fake or real. Right?
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-11201517.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Andre, compliments on the shell. That is looking awesome. Just subscribed to your YT channel.
Are all Scandinavians equally mad? ;)
Keep up the good work!
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bas_v
Are all Scandinavians equally mad? ;)
What's that???
Thought that was self-explanatory. Even for emigrants... :cool:
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bas_v
Andre, compliments on the shell. That is looking awesome. Just subscribed to your YT channel.
Are all Scandinavians equally mad? ;)
Keep up the good work!
Hey there!
To answer your question......no.
See, there are many levels to mad and we have plenty of nutcases in Norway who define each and every level.
Here are a couple of examples of what you may run into.......:-D
Where do i rate? Way up there :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWpl...e_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyUf7...e_gdata_player
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
I received a private message on one of the forums I have my build posted at 2 days ago.
To my big surprise I was told by two of my norwegian compadres that they were going to show up at my house to see the build. Sure enough, last night they rolled into Puyallup in their rented RV and I had to take them on a special tour of the area, including the final stop with them certifying my shell for paint :)
What a cool experience! Had a really cool time Vidar and Ketil!
Future of flight tour in Everett.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-13153044.jpg
You are hereby certified to paint!
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-13182110.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Scandinavians are all mad, I think... I've never had the pleasure of going to Norway but I have been in Sweden a few times - the company I worked for did a long-term Web project with Volvo in Gothenberg, and my main memory of all the awesome people over there is them being... how to put it politely? A bit eccentric. But lovely with it :) I've lived and worked with Swedes, Norwegians and Danes - quite a few of them, now I come to think about it.
Way back when I was young and first moved to London, I shared a flat on a 'landlord-allocated share' basis - which is to say, I had no control over who I was sharing with, the landlord let out the spare rooms. I spent a few months sharing with a Norwegian medical student and got to meet his extended set of friends and family who all happened to be living in London too (it this some kind of Norwegian rite of passage, like it is for New Zealanders? <g>). All bonkers, to a man (and woman). Great fun, though. I walked in on his mother in the bath (our bathroom didn't have a lock and our 'code' for someone being in there was to hang a tea towel on the door handle, which of course she didn't know). She didn't bat an eyelid, said 'good morning', and got on with her bath as if being barged in upon was perfectly normal. I made my excuses and left :)
The one thing I have learned in my dealings with those from Scandi-land is to stay away from that awful schnapps-like stuff (apparently the one I had was made with some kind of tree bark). Made me hallucinate and gave me heart palpitations for 24 hours. Never again!
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
neilh
Scandinavians are all mad, I think... I've never had the pleasure of going to Norway but I have been in Sweden a few times - the company I worked for did a long-term Web project with Volvo in Gothenberg, and my main memory of all the awesome people over there is them being... how to put it politely? A bit eccentric. But lovely with it :) I've lived and worked with Swedes, Norwegians and Danes - quite a few of them, now I come to think about it.
Way back when I was young and first moved to London, I shared a flat on a 'landlord-allocated share' basis - which is to say, I had no control over who I was sharing with, the landlord let out the spare rooms. I spent a few months sharing with a Norwegian medical student and got to meet his extended set of friends and family who all happened to be living in London too (it this some kind of Norwegian rite of passage, like it is for New Zealanders? <g>). All bonkers, to a man (and woman). Great fun, though. I walked in on his mother in the bath (our bathroom didn't have a lock and our 'code' for someone being in there was to hang a tea towel on the door handle, which of course she didn't know). She didn't bat an eyelid, said 'good morning', and got on with her bath as if being barged in upon was perfectly normal. I made my excuses and left :)
The one thing I have learned in my dealings with those from Scandi-land is to stay away from that awful schnapps-like stuff (apparently the one I had was made with some kind of tree bark). Made me hallucinate and gave me heart palpitations for 24 hours. Never again!
Two things:
How did she look?
No one beats our booze!
LOL
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-15162256.jpg
Doctor, doctor..........
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-15194854.jpg
My wife's comments went something like this "it looks like you're preparing for something illegal". Well, it isn't that bad as I'm finally ready to spray the primer, followed by the glossy white base coat.
I'm also trying to duplicate the 2 shades of blue in order to get the Spirit of Seattle color scheme as realistic as possible.
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-15205542.jpg
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AndreNordheim
Two things:
How did she look?
No one beats our booze!
LOL
Not to take this thread out of the realms of a G rating... let's just say what they say about Scandinavian women ageing well is clearly true :-)
As for the booze, that I did enjoy (bar the hallucinogenic schnapps). The English are a drinking nation as you know - mix Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian blood (let's ignore the French bits for now) and what do you expect? I developed a taste for Swedish-style 'pear cider' that pre-dated it becoming big in the UK. Used to be hard to get Kopparberg over here; now it's everywhere.
Dammit. Now I want to go to the pub.
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Re: The Seattle 737 project
Typically you won't see the paintjob applied until a fully functional plane rolls off the line. However, this is no typical factory job so I reserve the right to make any decisions I please cause it's MY stinking (literally) garage.
Well, the paint isn't 100% complete as my buddy Steve is cutting a stencil for the "Proudly All Boeing 737" which will go on the lower portion below the windows and I also need to get the 512 posted above the front windows.
The final touch on the body itself is to get the skin installed to the lower frame. This may seem like a tiny thing but will add a lot more to the color. Decided to keep it off until the old simpit is gone in order to avoid accidental scuffing. Space is definitely at a premium now........
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-17120123.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-17121341.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-17190429.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-17184735.jpg
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/y...6-17184657.jpg