The British Collection

When complete, this collection will consist of instrument panels from the early 1930's to the late 1940s. I've choose this period because many like myself, consider this to be the golden age of fighter aircraft, those that don't will have to wait.
So what is on the agenda?

Six, life size panels from the following aircraft:

Gloster Gladiator
Fairy Swordfish
Hawker Hurricane

Supermarine Spitfire
Hawker Typhoon
Gloster Meteor

Exact scale  Instrument 
Panels POSTERS
This is an EXACT copy of a genuine MK.IX panel from a museum kept example. No Resturation instruments here, It's illustrated precisely as when it was retired at the end of WWII. Even though it's a MK.IX it has the basic layout used on all marks.
This panel is an EXACT reproduction based on the Hurricane 1b at the RAF Museum in Hendon. The missing instruments on that example have been supplemented with those shown on original Air Ministry documents. As with all British WWII aircraft, the basic layout and instrumentation remains very similar throughout the Marks.

NOTICE TO  MY Aero FRIENDS. WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF ALL PRINTS.
THERE WILL BE ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN THE NEW PRINTS ARIVE.  

Spitfire Mk.IX Instrument Panel 100% scale size. 100cm x 70cm print.
€
40.00    
 
 
Superb quality, signed high resolution print on 300g matt paper.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
Only €40 plus package & postage
Spitfire Mk.IX Instrument Panel 50% scale size.
Perfect for framing to hang in the study.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
NB. includes less text than featured on full size poster.
Price excluding package & postage
€
36.00    
Spitfire Mk.IX Instrument Panel 30% scale size.
Perfect for framing or fitting to large models.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
NB. Only features Headline, does not include text as featured on full size poster.
Price excluding package & postage.
€
34.00    
Hurricane MK Ib Instrument Panel 100% scale size. 100cm x 70cm print.
€
40.00    
 
 
Superb quality, signed high resolution print on 300g matt paper.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
Only €40 plus package & postage
Hurricane MK Ib Instrument Panel 50% scale size.
Perfect for framing to hang in the study.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
NB. includes less text than featured on full size poster.
Price excluding package & postage
€
36.00    
Hurricane MK Ib Instrument Panel 30% scale size.
Perfect for framing or fitting to large models.
Supplied rolled in hard tube.
NB. Only features Headline, does not include text as featured on full size poster.
Price excluding package & postage.
€
34.00    

All full sized instrument panel posters feature 
aged dials for 100% authenticity.

Poster version on the left. Model version on the right. 

Picture

USAF, I will not be forgetting you.

I'm currently collecting materials for the P51 and P47. If you have anything of interest, or could put me in contact with the keepers of genuine museum kept examples, please take contact.

Spitfire Mk.IX
The worlds most genuine panel?

The Spitfire Mk IX panel is an exact full size reproduction from an original Spitfire LFIXE TE565 NN-N kept at the Czech National Technical Museum. Because this example has spent so many years mothballed behind the iron curtain, it's in a remarkably similar condition to that as it was when left, in 1948. Because it's undergone very little restoration, it's considered by many to be the absolute best example of a genuine Spitfire MkIX instrument panel in existence. A triumph of preservation over restoration? Many would say so. Looking through many images of museum examples, NN-N looks convincingly genuine!

Hurricane Mk 1B.
A reproduction from a the Mk.1b kept at Hendon.

I've been recently completing the recreation of a Hurricane Mk 1b instrument panel and this will be quite  soon be reaching completion. The panel I've illustrated is based on the Mk.1 in the RAF collection at Hendon. It has taken a considerable amount of time to complete as there is surprisingly very few documents are showing original panels as they would have apeard during the Battle of Britain and VERY little help (read ZERO) to be had from BAE Systems, the keepers of Hawker drawing and records. Frighteningly non cooperative! Sounds familiar? Drop me a line here.

close  enough.

As I hope you can see from some of these close ups, the attention to detail is anal retentive to say the least. Viewed from a normal distance it is basically impossible to distinguist between the illustration and the real instrument panel. Even missing screws, bolts and scratches are being reproduced for your pleasure. Take alook here. Then go here and see  the RPM indicator and compare it to the finished version on the left. Note the dust around the rim. Nice touch.

Great news for Radio Controlled modellers.

If you to enjoy spending you weekend excercising your thumbs, you'll be glad to know that I will supply smaller copies of each panel so they'll fit inside you model. Believe me, these illustrations have so much depth, tones, shadows and highlights, when people see them they won't belive they're flat. Just send me your models scale here.

Picture