Avro Manchester Bomber Instrument Panel 1:1

[Sergeant]

Carl, Isn's comment below reminded me of something I wanted to mention earlier regarding the Morse Key light switch that you did a few weeks ago. The cipher (flashing Morse Code) used by the Allies when they flew over the invasion fleet off the Normandy coast was dit-dit-dit-dah or dot-dot-dot-dash, code for the letter V in the English alphabet.

 

The code "V" stood for Victory (Allied Victory). It was tapped out to the rhythm from the opening of the Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven, who as you know was a very great German composer. I think there was a bit of irony in choosing that code, which was probably understood by most airmen at the time, but it’s meaning may have been forgotten over the last 79-years.

 

Harold

 

On 1/14/2023 at 7:18 AM, Brandy said:

Gorgeous work here. If it's almost impossible to tell the original from the replica then you must be doing something right!

I also learnt something about morse light signalling!

 

Isn

 

Edited January 28 by Sergeant

[Sergeant]

23 hours ago, alzictorini said:

Evening BM’s

 

The dayglo paint arrived, mint

Whilst I was waiting for the paint, I cracked on with the Bomb Jettison handle (another jettison handle – I know). I found a few pics on-line and this is all the handle looks like:

 

 

The one above is a straight pull but ours comes out of the panel at 45 degrees and faces the pilot.

Again, I designed what I saw in fusion and began to print. This took about 1,5 hours to print so I did not make a cast, here are the first few items of the bed:

 

 

A quick test fit showed it all came together perfectly. Just a sand down clean up and paint:

 

 

Whilst the aluminium paint was drying on the Handle I stuck on my graphic to the Suction gauge and painted the dayglo onto the numbers requiring it:

 

 

Both items painted and complete:

 

 

As 12jaguar mentioned, mine glow the same as the real items did but with zero radiation issues:

 

 

Enjoy

Good morning, Carl. Excellent results on the moulding, graphics, and paint work above. Also thank you for the size information on your square gauges, I was thinking they were a bit larger. The HP 555 Inkjet printer does a great job with your graphics. I have an ancient HP 2540 printer (2013) that I would like to replace with something like you have, but that 'dog' of a printer will not die.

 

Is the purpose of the Bomb Jettison handle to get rid of unused bombs before returning to base, or does it have something to do with bombs hanging up in the bomb bay?

 

Harold

Edited January 15 by Sergeant

[alzictorini]

Evening Harold

 

To answer your question, I think the pilots notes can answer them easier than I can bud, see below:

 

 

dit-dit-dit-dah 

 

 

[Sergeant]

Thank you, Carl. I take those instructions to mean the jettison handle was used to release the entire load of bombs so the aircraft could make a safe landing.

 

Harold

 

Edited January 17 by Sergeant

[alzictorini]

Evening BM's

 

Next on the list is the MkVIII Oxy Regulator. Looking at the panel pic from the pilots notes it looks like the early A model on the MKI Manchester. Looks something like this:

 

here's a real item on ebay:

 

 

I've made plenty of these in the past so it shouldn't be too difficult to make, just need to find the old moulds??? Oh yes:

 

 

Got some other parts in the spare box already made (and some evergreen sheet for it all to go on):

 

 

Again the name plate was already made in the spares box:

 

 

Little bit of paint here and there:

 

 

Test fit:

 

 

I have run out of black die for the casting so I cast the gauges in natural white, ill have to spray them black tomorrow:

 

 

Looking good, should have it finished by tomorrow??

 

Enjoy

[alzictorini]

Evening BM's

 

Just finished the MK VIII gauge. AS I mentioned, I sprayed the gauge housing black. Made some graphics to attach:

 

 

A little paint and  put it all together:

 

 

Not much more left to make?? Think I have a few electrical switches to do and that's about it. Panel soon.

 

Enjoy

Edited January 18 by alzictorini

[Sergeant]

10 hours ago, alzictorini said:

Evening BM's

 

Just finished the MK VIII gauge. AS I mentioned, I sprayed the gauge housing black. Made some graphics to attach:

 

 

A little paint and  put it all together:

 

 

Not much more left to make?? Think I have a few electrical switches to do and that's about it. Panel soon.

 

Enjoy

 

I’m looking forward to seeing all your flight instruments in a panel.

 

Harold

Edited January 19 by Sergeant

[alzictorini]

Evening BM's

 

Just some minor bits now I noticed I am missing. Switches!  I need a few single type 543s and a twin switch for the compass 5C/993.

 

 

Fresh from the 3D printer:

 

 

 

Ill make some casts from them in the morning.

 

Enjoy

[alzictorini]

Evening BM's

 

This week I made a dimmer switch type E, 5C/724. I have just about all the dimmer switch types (real items) which I have come across over the years from Lincolnshire markets (bomber county).

It was a simple cast copy I made in the usual way.  Here's a few replica dimmer switches Ive cast from black resin. The front 2 items are my copies and the rear item is a real dimmer switch:

 

 

I'm at the point where I need to start looking at cutting out the panel:

 

 

With the basic shape drawn out I checked the locats for all the parts (made so far):

 

 

With a basic shape drawn I cut out the panel from whit MDF (3mm):

 

 

With the parts in place, I can look at making all the labels and warning signs!! There are lots - best get designing.

 

Enjoy

 

 

[Learstang]

Amazing work!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[12jaguar]

Awesome Carl

 

You could see some of those items individually as some are as rare as hens teeth like the autopilot steering controller lever

 

John

[alzictorini]

Evening John

 

I know, some are so hard to come buy or cost a fortune if you come across them.

 

Thanks guys

[Sergeant]

Good evening, Carl. Is the 3mm MDF the finished panel material (substrate) or the pattern for the panel? If it is the finished panel, will you need something behind it as backing material to give it strength?

 

Harold
 

Edited January 28 by Sergeant

[alzictorini]

Morning BM's

 

That 3mm (currently white) MDF cutout will eventually become the finished item. As its a prototype Ill also use it to draw a master drawing from before final assembly and completion (save for another day).

What I usually do is mount the finished panel on a 6 or 10mm MDF backing board (depending on how big the final frame is going to be - weight). This backing board becomes the back of the picture frame. I print off spacers which I place between the panel and said board. They contain threads which will take screw/bolts from the panel face and the back board. It becomes rigid! It is part of the back board as such when attached and that back board I frame. For example:

 

Heres the panel on a board being readied for mounting/framing. You should see x1 attaching spacer to the left (white). I paint them the same colour as the backing board or the panel before completion:

 

 

 

This also lifts the panel off the board by about 10mm, gives it a nice little gap which compliments the backdrop, for example:

 

 

Because my instruments have no backs and the panel is only 10mm from the back board frame, the final framed item is thin and is perfect for wall mounting:

 

 

 

Hope this makes sense?

 

Enjoy

Edited January 28 by alzictorini

[Cees Broere]

Mindboggling as ever.

 

[alzictorini]

Morning Cees

Any chance you could show the BMs your Hampden panel?
 

 

[Sergeant]

That makes sense to me... I wish this beautiful piece was in my home.

 

Harold

Edited February 1 by Sergeant

[12jaguar]

Top Notch as always Carl

 

John

[Cees Broere]

Will do so soon Carl.

[alzictorini]

Evening BMs

 

Just looking at the parts for the panel and noticed I dont have a clock!!

 

The Manchester drawings show a S Smiths & Son MKII 8 day clock (6A/579) which looks like this:

 

 

Ive made lots of these in the past and I still had 3 of the main components in my spares drawer. I was missing a face and so 3D printed one off in 15mins:

 

 

I also had some graphics Id printed off some time ago which I attached to the face:

 

 

 

Once stuck to the face I painted the numbers with dayglo paint so it glows in the dark like radium (this is not radium!! Its kids paint).

 

I looked in my spares box and found some appropriate hands Id made previously:

 

 

These I assembled, sprayed white and added dayglow in the hand centres:

 

 

A quick fitment check showed it went together with ease (time being as always, 08:15).

 

 

 

I now need some glass for the front bezel. As this glass sits proud of the rim I need something about 6mm thick. Ill see whats lying around in the shed - laters.........

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by alzictorini

[alzictorini]

A quick look round the shed turned up some 7mm green tint perspex (I think I used it for shelving in a display cabinet). Its a bit scratched and dirty but it will clean up well:

 

 

I cut out the rough shape on my bandsaw:

 

 

Its now the long process of sanding it circular and to the correct size so as to click into the clock bezel??:

 

 

20 mins later, top fit:

 

 

Now back into the sander to give it a bevel of plus 45 degrees, 5 mins later:

 

 

Now onto the polisher:

 

 

This gets rid of all the scratches and makes it look smooth:

 

 

Time for final assembly at this point. The body is glued together and the bezel is attached by 3 tiny brass screws, tiny:

 

 

It looks spanking:

 

 

Glow in the dark check shows this:

 

 

In a stand:

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you picked up some tips

 

Enjoy

Edited February 2 by alzictorini

[Sergeant]

Nice work Carl. I like the green tinted lens. Who is responsible for making sure the clock is wound and synchronized with the pilot and navigators watches?

 

Harold

 

 

Edited February 3 by Sergeant

[alzictorini]

Evening BM's

 

Name plates

 

WWII RAF Aircraft especially British bombers had little name plates for all the important items in the cockpit. The Manchester was no exception having about 25 plates for a number of items. these are what I've concentrated on this weekend. Some of them have been difficult to decipher as pics are not clear and they are not exactly the same as similar plates used in the later Lancaster.

 

All these plates I designed in fusion and printed off over the last 2 days. Some of them I changed as the font seems slightly bigger in the Manchester than the Lancaster items. 

 

 

These printed on my creality like so:

 

 

These are some of them and the one in the centre is post clean up and paint:

 

 

They fit in between the gauges and switches and give the pilot an idea of whats what, for example:

 

 

 

 

 

Ill concentrate on the plates next before cutting out and painting the panel before final assembly:

 

 

Have a good one.

 

[Pete in Lincs]

On 2/2/2023 at 10:28 PM, alzictorini said:

It looks spanking:

It certainly does. I love that framed Spitfire Instrument panel too.

 

On 2/3/2023 at 12:50 AM, Sergeant said:

Who is responsible for making sure the clock is wound

Should be the instrument fitter on the before flight inspection. He'd also make sure the instruments were clean and lights working.

[alzictorini]

Evening Pete

 

Thanks buddy, the Spit panel is in Kinema in the woods, Woodall spa, outside screen 4 if you are passing.

 

You are correct about the clock, have you and Harold seen this. Spit Service

 

enjoy