This week's mystery panel

Here is yet another unidentified panel from my collection.

Unlike the others (Herald, Vulcan and Firefly), I think this one will take a while to identify, the more so since it is clearly not a pilot’s instrument panel and is therefore unlikely to have featured in the Pilot’s Notes. The Air Publication, Volume I maybe, but Pilot’s Notes, probably not.

I’ve attempted to offer a few clues, based purely on guesswork. The equipment shown at right in the second picture all fit the apertures and screw holes where I’ve indicated.

The hole at the top (1) is almost certainly for a Mk. VIII oxygen regulator of one mark or another.

Below it are two identically sized holes. I cannot think of a piece of equipment of that size which uses a three hole mounting except perhaps some of the various rheostats in use in the 1930s and 40s?

I’m reasonably certain that the two holes marked 2 are for dimmer switches. They must be a rear fit as neither hole is large enough for the dimmer’s body to fit through – this is not uncommon though.

The small four holed cluster at 3 is for a Cockpit Lamp, Mk. II and the small hole above and to the left is for its wiring.

There is then one cut out for a small instrument, and four screw holes for the surface mounting of some kind of small (electrical?) box.

The rest of the many smaller holes on the panel are probably for fitting data plates, tags and maybe junction boxes or cable clamps on the rear face.

The only major clue in terms of parts numbers etc is a single, rather badly stamped number which appears to be *65072, where * = a single character/digit which is too faint to read.

The panel is of paxolin, or a similar resin bonded material.

So! Any takers out there? 🙂