What instruments are you using?

brinesharks · 20 April 2005, 08:03 PM

Maxim08 - thanks for your input. I'm very much a live and let live person - if someone wants to paint their Tiger Moth in "Red Baron" colours - it's their plane. But for me I have sat down and worked out my own requirements. The top of the list is safety (I want my kids to grow up knowing me), the second is relative ease of operation and finally accuracy. This all adds to the instruments I need so I think I will end up using more modern gauges and change their faces. I would also like to hide a transponder somewhere (not many out of the way places in a Nieuport, etc). From my "day job" perspective, ongoing spares supply is also a consideration so modern engine/instruments are also an advantage for that reason. In the end I want a plane I am proud to display as a replica but that I can also do some lazy circuits in on a calm summers afternoon/evening without having to find a team of people to help me get airborne.

BTW - I'm searching for a nice square, flat "Aerodrome" that still lets me live close enough to work (can't retire yet!).

21 April 2005, 05:10 AM

We've used the photoshop trick on some of the oxygen instruments on the B-24 i work on, the guys have done a nice job with them, the only thing against them is some times they can get a little fuzzy around the numbers nothing to bad, but if you put in so much effort into your aircraft it might bug you a bit.

brinesharks · 21 April 2005, 09:41 PM

If you're looking for some great photos of instruments and other parts try:

http://www.canvasfalcon.com/index2.php

Their online museum ha some great detailed shots of instruments you could certainly work off to draw your own faces. After talking to a graphic designer I'd recommend a large 2-3 times scale drawing in photoshop then take the file to a screen printer - talk to them first but they will probably appreciate the file in .bmp or similar so it scales down crisply. Some could even print it onto metal (aluminium) for you.

22 April 2005, 06:21 AM

Thats a good idea about the screen printing i would never have thought about that.

wulffo · 25 April 2005, 09:11 AM

I am going with a complete set of original instruments in my dvii project. I have been collecting originals for about 2 years now and would like to post some indications on prices. Obviously with these things, when sold by someone who does not know what they have prices can frequently be as low as 50 USD for a Manometer, 100 USD for a compass and this does happen more than once in a while. It pays to be out early at the shows as most guys are massively wwii focused. Please do see the prices below as an indication from my limited experience. The US is probably more expensive anyway. Also, I do NOT sell instruments. This is just to help figure out how much the original setup will cost a fellow builder.

Tachs:
Phylax RPM gauge for a Daimler (1:2) should be between USD 500 and 750
Phylax RPM gauge (7:4) rotary engine should be between USD 750 and 1000
Deuta RPM gauge for a Daimler (1:2) should be between USD 700 and 900

Fuel gauges
Absolut fuel gauge +/- USD 500
Maximall fuel gauge depending on airplane type between USD 500 and 700

Lufft Altimeter should fetch between USD 750 and 1200

Bamberg and Plath compasses are roughly USD 1200-2000 depending on the mounting, aircraft type...

Bosch ignition switches are between USD 300 and 600, Starter magnets between USD 200 and 500

Manometers .... difficult to say, I got mine cheaply and I have never seen any of them in an open sale. I would assume them to be between USD 200 and 800

Prices have been skyrocketing. Used to but altimeters at USD 500-700 from a very reputable source (Joe Gertler) when people were trying to tell me he is expensive. They now go for more than USD 1000 on ebay (2 years later). There is some big money in the game and at the present price level for instruments I see no reason why it could not double or trebble in the next few years. Therefor I am of the opinion that any Dollar spend here is never wasted.

brinesharks · 25 April 2005, 06:47 PM

Wuffo, Thanks for the info - it's great to see someone trying to replicate things accurately.

Can you post pics of your instruments for people? It will help people identify what they are looking for and also may help those who want to modify more modern instruments to look "right".

In Oz the only WW1 instruments you see are generally brought over by emmigrants from UK/Europe and sold after the pass away. There are also a few "trophies" from German aircraft but they are even rarer.

wulffo · 27 April 2005, 03:20 AM

Here are three aspects of the Deuta Tach

wulffo · 27 April 2005, 03:26 AM

Now this is what I believe to be a Phylax but restored by the Flugzeugmeisterei. Interesting for converters of modern instruments as the dial will be very easy to reproduce.

wulffo · 27 April 2005, 03:33 AM

And a standard Phylax 2 versions the second oe with the brass rim is for a rotary engine and says on the dial 7:4 the first one is for an inline marked 1:2

wulffo · 27 April 2005, 03:44 AM

This is anPhylax up to 2000 rpm with an unfortunaltly broken glas that was convex. The second one is a panel mounted version with an unusual black dial. I have one of these with a white dial as well. There are numerous different variations on the dials of these. If there is phosphorus markings they come in two ways. Numbers generally have the face cut out for them and then filled with luminous material (!!!PLEASE BE AWARE THIS STUFF IS RADIOACTIVE aparently ok if behind glas and not underneath your pillow but when working on it breathing or swallowing or eye contacting the dust can be very hazardous) bar indicators on the dial are usually glued on. It is a bit debateable if these, that now appear yellowish always had this colour. There is reason to believe that this material was much lighter originally.