Aircraft model interiors
The same as in other branches, even in the model-building field, progress strides inevitably ahead. The model accessories market provides new engines of higher capacities and outputs, which enables modellers to build still bigger flying aircraft models. Most of them are in fact half-models or fine detail scale models (reduced models of real aircraft) built in the 1/4, 1/3, and even in 1/5 scales. Also the manufacturers of model kits, or of complete ready-made aircraft models, adapt themselves to the new conditions. The outlook of models corresponds to their full-scale originals, including surface panel outlines, rivets; retractable landing gear or functional bomb racks are becoming obvious. A perfect surface finish of a model, sometimes including weathering, which imitates the aircraft's operation wear and tear, colour scheme and marking corresponding to famous originals are a matter of course for some models. It should be obvious that the cockpit outfit could not be cut off with a shilling as this should be the cherry on the top. However, contrary is often seen. Manufacturers of overall perfect kits or ready-made aircraft models most often leave up to the decision and craft of a model owner how the layout of an aircraft's cockpit will look. Therefore various cockpit layouts may be seen. Beginning from the most simple canopy “glass” painted on a model, so nothing can be seen “inside”, to the most sophisticated cockpit outfit, including a pilot figure. It is true a certain part of model-builders brushes this issue off, saying nothing can be seen in a cockpit of an aircraft air born and, moreover, due to a possible accident also the elaborate cockpit interior will be damaged. Naturally, our products have not been designated for this model building group. Our effort is to simplify the rest of the model-builders their decisionmaking how to resolve the cockpit outfit of their aircraft models. Our intention is based on the recognition expressed by one modeller: “Originally, it was good enough when a model could fly; later, it had to fly well and had to be controlled safely; now, it must even look well - this is the present standard”. This view is getting more important due to a simple calculation: If a model event takes approximately six hours, the flight time of a model, i.e. when it is air born, represents roughly one hour; for the rest of the time it stands on the ground and is subject to the interest of other modellers and spectators. A nice model interior is enjoyed by all of them. How to design the outfit of an aircraft model cockpit. Background documents for such cockpit outfit may be obtained either from various air fan magazines, or by visiting museums, airports, and, naturally, from the nowadays inevitable internet. It is often encountered that an aircraft exhibited in a museum does not include an original instrument panel, or its panel is not fitted with correct instrumentation; the same applies for seats and for other items. The same problem may be encountered on internet, when you select an aircraft placed in a museum. When dealing with internet, another difficulty has to be mentioned: due to rapid image down-loading ability, images are often not available with a resolution sufficient for a correct model-building. A similar danger of unoriginal instrumentation is met when a modeller acquires his/her documentation in the course of an air-show. That is to say, most airworthy veterans are equipped with more modern instrumentation completed by modern navigation instruments due to the operation safety. Thus it is necessary to compare all available documents and only then to start with the modelling work. A great mistake would be to fit an aircraft of 30s with a
modern radio or GPS. Many interesting background documents may be found on the web site www.airliners.com . As soon as verified background documents of an aircraft interior outfit have been available to us we will select the technology to be used for the work to come. A cockpit interior may be divided to the: Instrument panel including a possible gunsight and compass etc; Pilot seats, or cabin seats in sports and touring aircraft; Control sticks, steering wheels, pedals; Other control elements (throttle, landing gear controls, flap controls etc.). The cockpit interior design itself The situation is simple where a drawing of an instrument panel is available. We will enlarge or reduce the drawing according to the actual inside width of our model's cockpit and the basic pattern is in fact ready. Where only a photo image is available, there is no other way than to draw the panel shape carefully according to the photo. Good luck has those who have a photo taken from the view perpendicular to the panel; it is ideal to scan such a photo and to re-draw it e.g. in COREL DRAW.
It is clear that this shape must be adjusted to that of the model bulkhead. When designing the instrumentation layout, it is suitable to observe the following principles: Aircraft board instruments The aircraft board instrumentation may be divided according to various aspects. The most simple and - at the same time - the most transparent one is that of their purpose. Aircraft board instruments Flight control Aircraft control Flight Navigation Engine control Framework control Altimeter Compass Tachometer Position indicator Airspeed indicator Directional gyro Oil-pressure gauge Climb indicator Radio compass Oil temperature Artificial horizon indicator Turn indicator Boost-pressure gauge Fuel-pressure indicator Cylinder-head temperature indicator Fuel indicator The standard size of flight and navigation instruments is 80 mm; the engine instruments have the standards size 57 mm (a frequent exception may be the tachometer, which is often of the 80-mm size). We can meet even smaller (45-mm) diameter instruments and especially in German WW II aircraft a 120-mm horizon was used. On the other hand, in WW I aircraft we can see bigger diameter instruments.
Instrument diameters in individual model scales
Real instrument diameter 80 mm 57 mm 120 mm
1/5 scale 16 mm 12 mm 20 mm
1/4 scale 20 mm 15 mm 28 mm
1/3 scale 28 mm 20 mm 40 mm
The instruments of the specified diameters are made by PROPAGTEAM Vsetín; the 40-mm instruments are made specially to order and, together with the 28-mm instruments, they may be used even for 1/2 scale models. As regards other control elements (as control sticks, steering wheels, switches etc.), it is necessary to draw them using suitable photographs or drawings, and to make it individually of the most suitable material. If a panel contains more identical elements, it is advantageous to make a mould and to cast them, applying available materials (e.g. Epoxy, Axson, etc.). Utilised may be a number of control elements and switches that are contained in the standard offer of PROPAGTEAM Vsetín. When deciding which elements to place in a cockpit, a possible placing of a pilot should also be considered. Then, it is, for example, useless to fit the cockpit with pedals. When designing individual elements, we also decide about the use of respective colours. In particular for WW II military aircraft certain standard colours were used by individual belligerent nations, so it is good to be aware of such standards. Colours used in cockpits of WW II military aircraft (1939 to 1945) Initially, it should be noticed that this is an extensive topic and individual aircraft types and their concrete manufacturers should often be mentioned. Standards were often changed even in the course of the war, thus we can find an individual aircraft type with two or more cockpit colour layouts. Luftwaffe, Germany The German Luftwaffe entered WW II with a regulation precisely specified by the Air Ministry (RLM). This determined that all inside areas had to be painted by RLM 02, i.e. by medium grey with a light green tint. In the course of the war two different colour charges were produced as this colour started to be used as a surface primer, too. Then its tint was medium grey-green. The board instruments, radio transmitters/receivers, and the aircraft outfit placed inside of cockpits had to be RLM 66, dark grey. As of mid war this colour started to be used as the main cockpit interior colour in fighter aircraft (Bf 109, FW 190). Colour matching chart: RLM 02 = FS34159, FS36165, FS24226 RLM 66 = FS37030 The both authentic colours have been made by producers of enamels for plastic model kits. RAF, Great Britain In 1936 the British Air Ministry also issued a regulation in which it arranged the colour of aircraft cockpits and inside surfaces. The by then used interior aluminium colour was replaced by the Interior Grey-Green, i.e. by a medium grey-green colour. This was used for all inside surfaces, except for the instrument panel and of some instruments and units that remained in their original colour, mostly black. The interior green tint changed a little in the course of its production so we can meet variants of this colour. Colour matching chart: Interior Grey-Green = FS34128, FS34373
Even this colour is sold as an authentic colour made by most world producers of model colours. USAF, the United States of America Prior to WW II, the United States followed two aircraft development lines; for the Navy and for the Army Air Force (AAC, USAAF). Thus also the colour layouts differed. In the pre-war aircraft cockpit inside surfaces remained in the original metal finish; non-metal airframe parts were sprayed by aluminium colour. This colour finish was adopted by most of the early war navy types, the S2B Vindicator, Douglas Devastator to be examples. The unmasking effect was recognised soon and the cockpits were sprayed by the Zinc Chromate Yellow primer. This colour is characteristic for all Navy aircraft of the first war period. As this colour was still too bright for aircraft, it was replaced by the ANA 611 Interior Green on the basis of the Bulletin No. 157 of September 1943. This act corresponds with the introduction of the navy fighters, F6F Hellcat, and bombers, SB2C Helldiver 2. However, the production of components being covered by numerous subcontractors, we may see, that for example, pilot seats were still Zinc Chromate Yellow for some time. Due to the aircraft manufacturers, and their exports, the army aircraft were sooner in contact with the enemy. Most of them were yet supplying their machines to the only party then on war with the fascism, to the Great Britain. Therefore as early as in the initial stage of the conflict in Europe they introduced the habit of a camouflaged cockpit, so the inside surfaces were sprayed by Zinc Chromate Yellow and Bronze Green; as of 1942, Zinc Chromate Green was created by the addition of Olive Green to the Zinc Chromate Yellow. Some manufacturers used their own pre-mixed colours (aircraft cockpits made by Curtiss were sprayed by its own interior green throughout the whole war). Other manufacturers used the mixture of the Bronze Green and Zinc Chromate Yellow, which gave rise to the ANA 612 Medium Green, renamed to Cockpit Green as of 1943. The Bronze Green was still used by many manufacturers to certain cockpit parts throughout the war; as for example by North American for their P-51 Mustang seats. Colour matching chart: - Zinc chromate Yellow - different tints at different producers, DuPont, Ford, etc. - Zinc Chromate Green - different tints at different producers, DuPont, Ford, etc. - ANA 611 = FS24151 - ANA 612 = FS34012 - Bronze Green = FS24050 Most of these colours can be bought as authentic colours. The Japanese empire The biggest confusion in painting cockpits originated in this otherwise neat country. As no exact colour tints were determined throughout the whole war, every manufacturer adapted them itself. Moreover, the rivalry between the Navy and the Army Air Force caused further mess. Before the war some manufacturers left the cockpit grey or in the metal finish, sprayed over by a clear cellulose varnish. This, however, deteriorated soon and became pearl bluegreen. The Mitsubishi Zeros were painted this way as late as during the Pearl Harbor raid. As of 1941 Navy aircraft were painted green or medium grey inside. Army aircraft had their cockpits camouflaged as early as of the Khalkhin Gol conflict. There the rule “every manufacturer - a different colour” was applicable again; therefore we meet medium grey,
grey-green, or green. There is no standard at all and concrete manufacturer's habits and concrete types should be observed. Some aircraft cockpit colours: - N.5 Bamboo Green, the Navy, FS34098 - Aodake Iro, Mitsubishi, clear varnish, soon changing its tint to pearl blue-green - Interior grey-green, FS34226 - Interior olive, FS34255 - Interior khaki-brown, FS33448 The Soviet Union Before the war there was no standard for the colour of aircraft interiors in the Soviet Union. Therefore they differed according to manufacturers. For example, Polikarpov had its primer light grey-blue, the instrument panel was black and the seat and some units were bright green. With the introduction of the new aircraft generation the interior was unified, using medium grey and a black instrument panel. Airframe tubes often remained in the colour of chromium/ molybdenum steel, i.e. black. As a lack of materials was often encountered during the war, some components remained unvarnished. The grey tint was changing in the course of the whole war. Therefore it is impossible to specify it exactly for every type. The recommended medium grey is only for a very rough orientation and everyone must select it him/herself. Moreover, there are lots of exceptions and everything must be solved by studying literature on a given aircraft type. Italy In Italy a regulation was issued before the war, which unified the colouring to bright green. Unfortunately, this covers a wide range of tints, so we can meet tints between green-blue and emerald green. Concrete colour should be selected after having studied background documents on a given aircraft type and respecting manufacturer's usage. France Cockpit of French aircraft differed within the widest possible range. The aircraft made in France should have had their interiors Bleu Interieur, i.e. night interior blue. Unfortunately, no one observed this so we meet cockpits in grey layout (Caudron, Morane-Saulnier), green (Curtiss), interior blue (some Bloch's types), etc. A given aircraft type and manufacturer's usage should be considered again. The Czechoslovak Republic Though Czechoslovakia did not participate in the war affairs itself, aircraft of the Slovak State had a good chance to fight. Therefore we make note even on the Czechoslovak aircraft. In the pre-war period, no regulation existed in respect of the cockpit colouring. So everything was in its original colour. The airframe, i.e. steel tubes, were black, aluminium panels remained in their original colour, radio transmitters/receivers were khaki. Instrument panels were either of wood or were black. The used canvas was whitish, so inside fuselage, its tint is pale grey. Poland For the aircraft of Polish origin applies the same as for the Czech machines; the cockpits remained in the colours of their original materials of which they were made.
As regards other aircraft types (sports, airbatic, touring aircraft, and gliders), the situation is rather different. Instrument panels and their outfit, cockpit equipment, and even the colour of upholstery is made to individual orders and demands of customers. Thus it is ideal to acquire photographs of a concrete aircraft. However, if you do not build a contest maquette, it is enough to observe the above basic principles and your cockpit layout will satisfy even a view of an experienced pilot. Selection of instruments and instrument panel accessories Where photographs of the desired panel are available, and where we wish to have the panel's outfit as close to the original as possible, our work will be very much simplified by a visit to the web site www.propagteam.cz where we can select, from a catalogue of instruments, those corresponding to our intention. The catalogue contains more than 300 various instrument types and it has been completed on a permanent basis. On orders the most important issue is to precisely specify the model scale, which is in fact the first digit of the catalogue number (5, 4, or 3). 1/2 instruments may be made to order. At the same time, it is possible to order a set of switches, which contains ca 10 items suitable for a given instrument panel. A set of stencils for a given instrument panel kind may also be ordered. These are information and warning stencils that are located on every instrument panel. Another option is to fit an instrument panel with advantage priced instrument sets that are offered by PROPAGTEAM for individual aircraft types and time periods (see Annex). These sets are delivered in the 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 scales. Again, the scale is referred to by the first order number digit.
Other needed components may also be selected from the PROPAGTEAM catalogue, let alone gun-sights for fighters, or compasses, control sticks, steering wheels, etc. Available are also seats for fighters and into touring aircraft. Do not forget the safety belts. The production line of these products is still being extended so it is suitable to visit the mentioned web site prior the decision making what to equip a cockpit interior with. Manufacture of an instrument panel The same as in a real aircraft, the model instrument panel consists of a base-plate, of individual instruments, switches, and of other control elements; most of the instrument panels are also provided with a number of information and warning stencils. In many cases, an instrument panel bears also a so-called deviation (compensation) compass table, which provides information on the compass deviations on specific aircraft courses. There are aircraft types that have the throttle on the instrument panel, too (as well as the mixture control) and propeller setting. Manufacture of the base-plate In accordance with the model scale a corresponding base-plate should be selected; for the 1/4 and 1/3 instruments produced by PROPAGTEAM the 3 mm thickness is recommended (for the 1/5 scale 2 mm then). The ideal material is plastic used by advertising agencies for paste ads. It is stiff enough and can be well machined. However, WW I aircraft and old gliders had their panels made of plywood. We will use the same material, however, be careful, as edges may become dented on cutting and drilling. Cut the basic panel shape, mark the instrument centres and drill openings either with common drills for wood or with the so-called “stub drills”. Round the
opening edge off on the panel rear side (for an instrument to be more easily inserted, when fitted from the back) and sand the opening with a sand paper. This is necessary as the PROPAGTEAM instruments are made exactly and when pressing them to the holes with force the panel could bend. Then drill opening for screws imitating the instruments' fixing to the panel. For this operation it is suitable to make a guide, e.g. from a clear foil. For some panels this operation is unnecessary as instruments are fixed in a different manner. We will discuss it later. Plywood panels are stained with common liquors and then painted; plastic panels must be degreased and a required colour is sprayed, using enamels for plastic model kits. Real panel surfaces are of various tints, however, mostly dark and semi-gloss. It is always good to have a photo of a real panel available. When sprayed, the panel must be handled carefully not to leave finger-prints thereon or not to scratch it. . Installation of instruments The instruments are fitted from the rear panel side and pressed in so that the instruments would surpass the front panel side. The result will be a more “spatial effect”. However, this principle does not apply for instruments fitted from the front panel side. Typical are German WW II instruments. In this case the PROPAGTEAM instruments are solved so that, after having fitted an instrument from the rear panel side, the instrument is pressed so that a collar backstop on the rear instrument side touches the board. From the face side the instrument is fitted by a frame, which is a part of the original instrument. Instruments are carefully fixed with a cyano-acrylic adhesive on their rear side; the same care should be taken when bonding the frames. If original instruments do not use any frames, their model counterparts are provided with four screws to imitate the fixing of the original instruments. These screws (diameter ca 1 mm or bigger for larger scales) may be bought in optician's or a set may be ordered in PROPAGTEAM, cat. no. 2011-4 (or 5 or 3, according to relevant scale). After having been fitted, the screws should also be fixed by the cyano-acrylic cement from the rear side. To be correct, we must mention that American instruments were installed, using crosshead screws, as early as of the 30s of the last century; other manufacturers used standard screws (diameter 3.5 to 4 mm). . In real aircraft, another method of fixing of instruments is used: The instruments are fixed to the base plate by four screws and then the whole panel is covered with a pressed sheet with openings for the instruments and for various control elements. A typical example may be the L-13 Blaník glider, Zlín Z 142, and also some types made by Cessna. From the modelling viewpoint, this method is solved so that we make a standard panel, fit relevant instruments in, that must, however, match with the panel surface. The top covering panel is made of a 2 mm board and, after having drilled openings (that should be drilled together with the base plate) we round off and clean the edges that will then represent cover panel offsets. Then the panel is sprayed by a corresponding colour and cemented to the base plate. The authentic outlook will surely surprise you. .
Finishing the panel
Now, it is necessary to complete the panel with respective switches, sparking magnetos, fuel taps and others, according to the photos. Standard switches may be found under the cat. no. 2002 in the PROPAGTEAM LINE. Naturally, these items are painted or sprayed by the relevant colour prior to their installation. Then, only the information and warning plates are to be cemented; they are either in the form of water decals or paper plates. Be careful in the case of the paper plates not to damage the panel with cement around the plate. To improve the effect, bigger screws may be placed on the instrument panel perimeter that will imitate the fixing of the panel to the aircraft structure. This way the model instrument panel has been finished and we can continue with other cockpit equipment. Control elements This paragraph contains the control stick or steering wheels (i.e. the elevator and ailerons controls in a real aircraft), pedals (i.e. the rudder controls) and other control elements that are not placed on the instrument panel of a given aircraft type. These are in particular the throttle, which is on the left side of the cockpit in individual aircraft types, the landing gear controls, the aircraft trim. A number of these elements may be found, in a respective scale, in the PROPAGTEAM production line and if you would not succeed here, it should be made individually according to photographs and sketches. Pilot seat and passenger seats Where we count with placing of a pilot inside, the solution is simple. It is necessary only to make the seat backrest. However, where there will be no pilot in the cockpit, the whole seat should be considered. Again, PROPAGTEAM's production line contains some seat types for WW II fighters and some for the touring aircraft. If none of the ready-made seats suits you, a new one should be made. The seats for fighters, but later also for airbatic aircraft and for gliders, were mage as monocoques as pilots used either back or sitting chutes. A typical example is the seat for FW 190 with a thumb for the back chute. Such a seat can be made by vac-forming from a ca 0.8 mm thick foil. A “tree” of the seat is to be made and if you do not possess a vacuum press at home, it should be realised where in your neighbourhood they have it. If such a company produces vac-formed products they will surely have a necessary material, too.
Where the touring aircraft seats are concerned (Cessna, Piper, etc.), we again consult the PROPAGTEAM production line. If none of their types suits us, we must make them ourselves. Again using photographs or sketches. The best material for the manufacture of the seats is balsa. After the seat's completion we select its surface treatment, i.e. either spraying (imitating leather or artificial leather seats), or we can make the upholstery of artificial leather or fabric. Here, we count with the fact the same material should be used for the door upholstery, luggage boot, or the cockpit rear plate. For the outlook of the seats safety belts are very important. These are of the multi-point layout in fighters and airbatic aircraft (as well as in gliders). The touring aircraft have only waist belts, sometimes completed with a belt fixing a pilot or a passenger across the body and fastened in a main buckle. Basic types of safety belts, including buckles, are again made by PROPAGTEAM. To complete this issue, it should be added that 50 mm wide belts are most often used in real aircraft (i.e. 10 mm in 1/5 scale, and 13 mm in 1/4).
Now, a cockpit is to be finished with such details as a map, headphones, etc. and the work is well done. I am of the opinion that, using the PROPAGTEAM accessories, the cockpit outfit may be made efficiently and the result will be very good. It is important to work carefully, however, this is natural when making an aircraft maquette, isn't it so? Wishing all model-builders much success, we promise we will be publishing all our accessories for the model cockpit equipment on our web site www.propagteam.cz on a regular basis.
ANNEX List of instrument sets 4101/1 Sports and touring aircraft (Cessna, Piper etc.) 4101/2 Airbatic aircraft (Extra etc.) 4101/3 Navigation instruments 4102/1 Czechoslovak historic gliders (Luňák etc.) 4102/2 Present Czech gliders 4103/1 Present world gliders (real instrument diameter 60 mm) 4103/2 Present world gliders (standard instruments) 4104/1 German WW II aircraft 4105/1 American WW II aircraft 4106/1 Czech sports and touring aircraft 4107/1 British WW II aircraft 4108 American aircraft of the 30s 4109 PIPER L4H/J3 4110 British WW I aircraft 4111 American WW I aircraft 4112 German WW I aircraft 4113 Soviet WW II aircraft 4114 TIGER MOTH 4115 BOEING STEARMAN 4116 German historic gliders of the 30s