My collection of the instrument panels
- Thread starter Gary Cain
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- #22
Not the ones posted so far. I do have a couple of panels that were full on restorations and are basically new. Here is the T-38 I did. You can plug it into an airplane and fly, it is Airworthy.Gary Cain did you touch them up with paint because they look so fresh.
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Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 38,244
- Mar 26, 2007
Wow. Thats 3 in a roll. Are there stories to be told how you collected this gems? Or just the one.
Why and how do you pick the subject? Must have been some keen collecting to get such a different in subject but very high class of panels.
Why and how do you pick the subject? Must have been some keen collecting to get such a different in subject but very high class of panels.
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- #24
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 38,244
- Mar 26, 2007
They look if it can no doubt about that. I am out of wow i am afraid for a while. My wow do not come cheap. Spledid collection.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 38,244
- Mar 26, 2007
But see post 23. I am very curious how you pick a subject.
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- #27
I soloed waaaay back in 1979 and had always been collecting militaria. I found an old T-28 panel that was beat to heck and did a "restoration"
-\")on it. Basically found the instruments to fit the various slots and poof, it's DONE! 
Then I met Jim Underwood at an Edwards Air Show, and the rest, as they say is history. He showed me how to do a proper restoration, and helped me when I couldn't find a particularly difficult part, and, because I was rather poor then, he allowed me to pay on time, and reduced the costs the best he could. He introduced me to horror of horrors, original flight manuals! I never even saw a flight manual for the airplanes I was piloting at the flight school! Now I have well over two hundred of them.- Thread starter
- #28
I am a bit of a hoarder. I hoover up pretty much any aircraft part I can find. I then will sometimes store them for years until I have a project for them. The T-38 I did a full restoration on because I love the aircraft, and had the pleasure of flying one a few years back. I have a couple of F5F panels that i am going to do a full restoration on becaue I love the aircraft, and Tac Air is down the road from me and I hope to sell them one!
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- #29
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- #30
And this is going to be my next long term project, an all original B-17 instrument panel. I just finished cleaning the panel housing up. I have the three original panels to go on it, but I am still debating how I want to do it. Full on restoration to like new, or leave the panels exposed so people can see what they are made of?
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Crimea_River
Marshal
Great stuff.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 38,244
- Mar 26, 2007
Well as the Fort is a landmark machine i ( and who the hell am i ?) would opt for exposed. There is a reason for my madness. Anybody with a slight intrest in ww2 airplanes will know from what ever publication the front of the panel. But how about label it to where those instruments went? What was connected to airspeed where did the rev counter got its info?
A manual picture is nice, your panels are far..... far beyond that
Any way... i hope you have fun and keep us updated on these projects.
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- #33
I agree with you, here is the right side and center for the 17 panel. I can't find the left side right now! It is in my workshop somewhere!
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- #34
Jimbob
Airman 1st Class
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- #36
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- #37
Those are some nice panels, even if repro. The collecting of the instruments for them is getting harder every day.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Gonna throw this out there but do either of you have British BFP spring mount brackets 6A/838 for sale? I need 3.
Ralph Haus
Tech Sergeant
What a great 'hobby', as such. Just wondering where you have room to store/display all of these treasures? I lost count on the number that you have in all phases, but there must be a lot? Your collection will be invaluable for those that are modeling and want accurate information.
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- #40
I have a workshop, and a hangar. So plenty of space!
