That bit between the instrument panel and windscreen.

[old thumper]

That bit between the instrument and bulletproof windscreen, I am talking about the small part of fuselage that is enclosed within the canopy of fighters.

First of all is there a name for it?

And secondly was there a general rule on how it should be painted? I am currently building a Desert Air Force Kittyhawk and have noticed that this part of this aircraft is most commonly modelled as being black. I have never really thought about this before, but now it springs to mind I have seen this part of different types of aircraft painted in either black, the cockpit colour or the camouflage colour of the aircraft concerned.

[Bonhoff]

I call it the coaming.... feel free to call it what you want.

[Wez]

For all the 30+ years I've worked on aircraft I've only ever referred to it as the coaming.

It is usually in an anti reflective colour, most commonly but not exclusively black to prevent reflections back onto the interior of the windscreen.

Some aircraft have hard coamings whilst some have a canvas or similar one - the F-104 Starfighter is a good example of the latter. On that aircraft it is a dark green colour.

Some aircraft don't have coamings or covers and the back of the instruments are exposed, the P-47N is an example of this.

Basically, not all aircraft are the same and if you want to be totally accurate you need to research how it was done one the individual type.

Wez

Edited March 22, 2015 by Wez

[noelh]

Yes I call it coaming too although I wonder if that's strictly accurate. But they are usually dark to prevent reflection on the windscreen. The sense of which becomes obvious when you foolishly throw a chart or something light coloured onto it.

They do get very dusty too, so in a desert that may well be a factor to thin of.

[Don McIntyre]

And, btw, it's "coaming" not "combing..." I wish I had a nickel for every time I've seen it spelled that way online or in print...

Edited March 23, 2015 by Don McIntyre

[old thumper]

Thanks all, funny this had never entered my mind before.

[FalkeEins]

... once included the word 'coaming' in a piece I was working on for a well known (US) aviation book publisher. Got an email back and among the queries was "... don't know that word, what is it ..?"

[Flankerman]

If you look up the word 'coaming' online, you get.........

a raised border round the cockpit or hatch of a yacht or other boat to keep out water.

I have always known the part on an aircraft you identify as a coaming - same as the part on a car between the windscreen and the steering wheel.

Probably should be 'instrument shroud' ???

Ken

[fatalbert]

Glare shield !

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Map stowage!

[wellsprop]

The Spitfire barely has a coaming and what little it does have is black.

This wasn't between the instrument panel and the canopy though, as the Spitfire's cockpit is so small, the instruments are basically under the canopy, and the canopy is right in the pilots face (compared to a P-51).

Ben

[Edgar]

In their drawing of the windscreen on the Mk.I Spitfire, Supermarine/Mitchell use the word "coaming," and if it's good enough for them..........

[NorwegianWood]

Have to agree with fatalbert. Glare shield. Never heard anything else. But it might be a US/UK thing. My first hand experience is from the F-16 and it has quite a bit of glare shield. Matt black to prevent reflections on the canopy.

[fatalbert]

If one puts in glare shield into Google images you get pictures of aircraft instrument panels :-)

[bentwaters81tfw]

Was always referred to as 'coaming' when I used to fly. I think the 'glare shield' refers to the overhang (where fitted) over the IP.

on certain US fighters, (F-117) they are fold down flaps known as 'elephant's ears'.

[fatalbert]

C-130's have black fabric held in place by popper type fastners.

[pigsty]

If you look up the word 'coaming' online, you get.........

a raised border round the cockpit or hatch of a yacht or other boat to keep out water.

A borrowed word, then, most likely. This happens a lot. Tanks have hulls and turrets because the very first ones were effectively developed, through a convoluted route, by the Royal Navy.

[tonyot]

A borrowed word, then, most likely. This happens a lot. Tanks have hulls and turrets because the very first ones were effectively developed, through a convoluted route, by the Royal Navy.

I agree and come to think of it `Cockpit' is a strange term to use too,......especially as we have women pilots too! I`m surprised the PC Police have not got rid of this term too!! Seriously though,.....it is a medieval term to describe the pit which fighting cocks (ie male chickens with razor blades strapped to their feet !) were thrown to fight to the death while the crowd betted on which one would win.

I`ve always used `coaming' too,.......`combing' is what Bobby Charlton does to hide his bald head!! Glare shield is the part of the upper nose section beyond the windscreen painted in a dark or dull colour to prevent the glare of the sun blinding the pilot. Glare shield can also be used on the metal panels fitted to the side of the fuselage to prevent the glare of the exhausts blinding the pilot at night time.

Cheers

Tony

Edited March 22, 2015 by tonyot

[PFlint]

A borrowed word, then, most likely. This happens a lot. Tanks have hulls and turrets because the very first ones were effectively developed, through a convoluted route, by the Royal Navy.

...and were originally called land ships....

[PFlint]

I`ve always used `coaming' too,.......`combing' is what Bobby Charlton does to hide his bald head!! Glare shield is the part of the upper nose section beyond the windscreen painted in a dark or dull colour to prevent the glare of the sun blinding the pilot. Glare shield can also be used on the metal panels fitted to the side of the fuselage to prevent the glare of the exhausts blinding the pilot at night time.

I agree with you there, Tony

100% logical

[Kallisti]

`combing' is what Bobby Charlton does to hide his bald head!!

Which you could also call a glare shield when the sun is shining

[Edgar]

I agree and come to think of it `Cockpit' is a strange term to use too,......especially as we have women pilots too! I`m surprised the PC Police have not got rid of this term too!!

Not to mention the joystick, which appears from between the pilot's legs.

Ever wondered about "dogfight" as well? Since when did dogs circle round behind each other to fight? Right first letter, but wrong word; it was "modified" in WWI to stop the memsahibs having the vapours, if they read it in the Times.

[NAVY870]

We called it a glare shield in the A-4G and the Macchi's, coaming in the Firebox and Wessii.

The Sea Venom dont got one.

[Graham Boak]

Wessii? Not met that one before. My wife calls them Wessici.

A shield is an object that comes between the viewer and the glare, so just painting a panel black shouldn't rate the name. Trust the Cousins to get this wrong. The black/olive green patch painted on the fuselage ahead of the cockpit is the anti-glare panel. Presumably US yachts have coamings, so unless US sailing community use some other word altogether I suspect the publisher was just ignorant.

[Stein Meum]

I saw someone mentioning that the P-47N didn't have a coaming, and that you could see the back of the IP. This is wrong. There was a 1/48 P-47N kit released some years ago. The full sized plane used for the company's research had the coaming temporarily removed to do some maintenance in the area, and this was duly recreated in the kit.

Stein