I have recently acquired two original BFP’s one is 6A/760 and the other I cant at the moment remember as I dont have it to hand but I found out it is a mk2a.
I have found a little information out from previous threads, but I am surprised how many variants of BFP there are.
I am interested to know if anyone knows why so many variations on one theme were instituted, it seems odd that a simple plate for holding 6 instruments could be re designed so much.
The radiused top is also a change I cant fathom the reason for.
Also does anyone know what was the reasoning for making them out of brass ? that seems odd as in wartime I would have thought brass was a scarcer commodity?
Were any of the designs meant for specific aircraft or were they always made as generic panels ?
It would be interesting to see pictures of the different types on here for future reference and the stampings, finding information on these has been hard ?
By: Puukka - 24th May 2007 at 14:04
So it´s wartime, congratulation!
By: Junk Collector - 24th May 2007 at 13:44
Just to add to the confusion I have a very late 6A/760 (dated 1965) which has the sec/ref. no. stamped into it but no crown OR broad arrow.
Seems odd they would still be making them by then, perhaps a re inspection stamp maybe ? by that time I can’t think of many service aircraft that would use them, and I would have thought they would have made so many in ww2 they wouldnt need to make any.
To confuse even more the 6a/1336 brass panel i have has the AM crown stamped on the back !
this could be a real anorak subject 🙂
By: MarkG - 24th May 2007 at 09:21
If you look on the old Airsam site, the 6A/760 on there has a broad arrow mark instead of a Kings crown, when did that change ?
Just to add to the confusion I have a very late 6A/760 (dated 1965) which has the sec/ref. no. stamped into it but no crown OR broad arrow.
By: Puukka - 24th May 2007 at 07:02
If you look on the old Airsam site, the 6A/760 on there has a broad arrow mark instead of a Kings crown, when did that change ?
It´s not easy to find out, when they changed but my guess is around 1944.
Regards,
Herbert
By: Whitley_Project - 23rd May 2007 at 22:10
Dave
Do you know what mods they had done to them? I have some late moded BFPs.
Cheers
Mark
You are correct in stating that DH modified the standard blind flying panels for some of their aircraft.
I have DH drawings for later marks of the Hornet that show mods. to the standard panel, for example.
By: Junk Collector - 23rd May 2007 at 22:05
If you look on the old Airsam site, the 6A/760 on there has a broad arrow mark instead of a Kings crown, when did that change ?
By: Puukka - 23rd May 2007 at 19:09
As far as I know these were introduced 1944.
A friend of mine got this one with all the instruments exept the ASI.
It has king´s crown and the instruments were from 1943.
Regards,
Herbert
By: Junk Collector - 23rd May 2007 at 18:23
The early Spit BFP (blindflying panels) were the rectangular Mk I 6A/616.
Later they were cut, so they´ve got the radius on the top “to facilitate installation when the panel is fitted closely to the contour of the cockpit”
(Taken from A.P.1275A Vol. I 1948). They were now called Mk IA 6A/760.
Later there was also the radiused Mk II 6A/1336 made of brass and swaged vertically and horizontally to increase rigidity.
Regards,
Herbert
Thanks for the replies keep them coming, the brass panel I have which is stamped 6a/1336 isn’t swaged as described above, the instrument holes have a pressed lip around them as does the whole panel.
Were the brass ones made in wartime exclusively or post war ?
By: QldSpitty - 21st May 2007 at 09:34
Factories…
Did different varients come out of the same factory or did they sub them out to different factories to be made..?
By: TempestV - 21st May 2007 at 09:21
Modified Blind Flying Panels
Mark
You are correct in stating that DH modified the standard blind flying panels for some of their aircraft.
I have DH drawings for later marks of the Hornet that show mods. to the standard panel, for example.
By: Puukka - 20th May 2007 at 22:31
The early Spit BFP (blindflying panels) were the rectangular Mk I 6A/616.
Later they were cut, so they´ve got the radius on the top “to facilitate installation when the panel is fitted closely to the contour of the cockpit”
(Taken from A.P.1275A Vol. I 1948). They were now called Mk IA 6A/760.
Later there was also the radiused Mk II 6A/1336 made of brass and swaged vertically and horizontally to increase rigidity.
Regards,
Herbert
By: MarkG - 20th May 2007 at 21:11
I’m no real expert on these things but I know of at least 3 versions of the basic wartime-style BFP.
There’s the 6A/616 which I think is the square topped version, then there’s the 6A/760 which has the rounded top. A lot of 6A/760s were converted from 6A/616s by having their top edges rounded off and the sec/ref no. restamped. You’ll often see the old 6A/616 stamping still visible but struck out.
The curved top was introduced so that the panel would fit into aircraft that didn’t have clearance for the two original upper corners. Have a look at a Mosquito cockpit for a perfect example where the panel is fitted tight up inside the curvature of the fuselage – in fact the upper mounting bracket is attached directly to the inner fuselage.
Talking of Mosquitos, some BFPs fitted to them had a rectangular cut-out section in the bottom edge below the T&S to allow clearance for the undercarriage lever locking catch when ‘up’ was selected. They still have the 6A/760 sec/ref no. though so I’ve always assumed it was a de Havilland mod. rather than an ‘official’ design.
There’s also the brass version you mentioned which is made from much, much lighter gauge metal but has ridges pressed into it between the instruments to stiffen it. Don’t know a lot about those so have no idea if they had separate sec/ref nos.?
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May 20, 2007 at 3:06 pm