Hello everyone,
I’m working on the team restoring the fuselage of the Comet 1A F-BGNX at the De Havilland Aircraft Museum at London Colney. Specifically, I’ve taken on responsibility for re-equipping the aircraft with pilots, engineers and navigators instruments panels!!!! Given that it hasn’t got any, there’s quite a lot to do.
Anyway, work is progressing: we’ve found (at the BAe Systems archive at Farnborough) the original drawings for the Air France aircraft pilots panels and have almost finished re-drawing them in CATIA V5 prior to having new panels made. We’ve sourced many of the instruments already, although I may be posting begging letters before long!
My question at this juncture is this: the drawings call for the panels to be finished in “D + PC Black” which I believe to be a crackle black paint finish. Can anyone cast any light on what this finish was and how it might be replicated today?
Alan
UPDATE: Found out what the acronyms mean: D refers to a surface treatment to be used on the aluminium prior to finishing. PC means Crackle Stove Enamel finish. I haven’t been able to find anyone capable of reproducing this finish today, but can recommend Unimet Enamellers of Reading for their Crackle Powder Coat finish, available in black….it is almost exactly what the Comet Instrument panels originally looked like.
By: alanaitch - 11th December 2014 at 15:41
Hi Ed
The archive is open to the public for personal visits by prior appointment. They may also be able to answer simple research queries, but there are only 2 members of staff and they are not directly employed by BAe, but by a Document Warehousing company that, I think, is only charged with keeping the records safe, not with providing a research service. I’ve spent 4 days there now, rummaging through box after box of indexed original Comet 1 drawings!!
If you tell me the exact nature of your interest, I’ll ask them what they can accommodate.
Thanks for your tip on paint! It’s important that the finish is “crackle” rather than “wrinkle”! I’ll see what I can find online.
Alan
By: Orion - 10th December 2014 at 10:35
IIRC the crackle finish was produced by first painting and then heat treating. Can’t remember more, sorry.
Regards
By: powerandpassion - 10th December 2014 at 10:31
Hello everyone,
I’m working on the team restoring the fuselage of the Comet 1A F-BGNX at the De Havilland Aircraft Museum at London Colney. Specifically, I’ve taken on responsibility for re-equipping the aircraft with pilots, engineers and navigators instruments panels!!!! Given that it hasn’t got any, there’s quite a lot to do.
Anyway, work is progressing: we’ve found (at the BAe Systems archive at Farnborough) the original drawings for the Air France aircraft pilots panels and have almost finished re-drawing them in CATIA V5 prior to having new panels made. We’ve sourced many of the instruments already, although I may be posting begging letters before long!
My question at this juncture is this: the drawings call for the panels to be finished in “D + PC Black” which I believe to be a crackle black paint finish. Can anyone cast any light on what this finish was and how it might be replicated today?
Alan
Alan, is the BAe Systems archive accessible to the public ? How does one seek assistance or access if it is not a public archive, Thank you, Ed
I have a 1955 DH Inspection handbook, with inserts to 1960. Chapter 18 deals with ‘Fabric & Paint’, but unfortunately that section is empty !
Crackle finish black paint, and other colours, are available from any auto finisher dealing with custom vehicles. You may have to make a few phonecalls, but you will find it. I have purchased it in spray cans before, but am in Australia. I would be surprised if you could not find it in the UK.
By: Bruce - 8th December 2014 at 21:18
Alan,
You can began aerosol from Light Aero. If,you look in the chipmunk, the centre combing is painted with it.
Bruce
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December 8, 2014 at 8:20 pm