Easy Scale Details — Vintage Pilot Seat

Easy Scale Details — Vintage Pilot Seat

So my Fokker Triplane had been finished for a while and tI flew the airplane several times without any problems. But there is that big issue of an empty cockpit. So, I converted my old Mini-Me 1/3 scale pilot figure into a WW1 leather helmet and goggles guy with a great set of cloths including a great leather jacket and some black trousers. With a proper Triplane driver, I still needed to make the guy a good looking (and removable) pilot seat. Where to start?

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

Go to a dollar store and look for some woven straw place mats or a cheap straw hat with a wide brim. Cut out a horseshoe shape from some foam poster board and size it for your pilot’s butt. Roll the woven straw material around the poster board and mark for your cut lines. Cut out the material and use some ZAP Goo adhesive and and let dry with some weights added until dry. Cut out some more of the material and glue it to the seat top.

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

For seatbelts I cut some slots in the seat and glue in some Velcro straps. This way the pilot can be secured in place without gluing him in place.

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

To secure the seat in the fuselage I used a spruce crosspiece and a couple hardwood blocks and screws at each side of the cockpit

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

The seat does a great job hiding the radio gear and puts the pilot figure at the proper height so he looks correct during flight.

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

In the back where the seat contacts the aft former, I used some stick-on magnets to make a firm but easy to remove connection.

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

My new Mini-Me looks the part of a WW1 Triplane pilot. His seat is also accurate for that era of aviation. The clothing I used came from Wendy at www.perfect-pilots.co.uk .

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

Strapped in, The seat is now glued to the crosspiece. When dry remove the screws and the seat is easy to remove for access to the radio.

How To Turn a Straw Hat into a Scale Pilot Seat

Add a couple of scale Spandau machine guns and we’re good to go! Anybody see where Snoopy went with his Sopwith Doghouse?!

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