A dummy stick and torque tube were made from whatever was handy. The dummy assembly was inserted into the torque tube bearing blocks, and a "pseudo-seat" was thrown together and installed where the seat would be. At this point, I climbed in to see how things "fit" me. I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT ABSOLUTELY NO "AIRPLANE NOISES" WERE MADE AT THIS TIME. ( I was in there for a good 30 minutes though.) Fortunately, no photographic evidence of this shameful event exists.
