Canberra TT18 cockpit photos help...

By: Robert Whitton - 22nd June 2006 at 14:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Why not post a photo of your panel and the illustration you have received?

By: stringbag - 22nd June 2006 at 14:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

If you post a fot, I'll pass it on to a couple of ex-FRADU Canberra drivers I know.

By: Davej - 22nd June 2006 at 17:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Your right hand photo looks as if the panel was at one time fitted to 'Charlie Uniform' (white code letters) which was WJ682 a TT18 of 100 Sqn

By: LesB - 22nd June 2006 at 23:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Davej's correct there, the populated panel would seem to be from WJ682.

However Cliffair, I wouldn't agonise over yours being a FARADU or RAF TT.18 as the panel you have is the main pilot's panel and these were essentially* the same in all B.2 and PR.3 derived Canberras (as were the TT.18s). The Target Tug instrumentation was usually on a separate binnacle on the stbd side of the cockpit.

* I say 'essentially' because of mod state and year. No two Canberras were ever really the same in their cockpits or nav stations, especially nav stations. Similar yes, but the same? Rare.

:cool:

By: robmac - 22nd June 2006 at 23:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

* I say 'essentially' because of mod state and year. No two Canberras were ever really the same in their cockpits or nav stations, especially nav stations. Similar yes, but the same? Rare.

:cool:

Now how did I guess you would have been in here Les :D

By: LesB - 23rd June 2006 at 11:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Now I'm just wondering if there is a way to try and trace which airframe the panel is from....

Not really. These panels were general spares and not specific to one aircraft, although the actual act of fitting to an aircraft may make a panel unique. Only way I can think of is if the sqn or unit themselves identified the panel (as with 'CU' in the pic above - and that's probably there to remind the pilot of which aircraft he's currently flying! :rolleyes: ).

Other methods of id are related more to populated panels and that includes those that come out of scrapped aircraft. Occasionally a sqn or unit will mark an aircraft serial on one or more of the instruments (on the body of inst, usually in white paint or a label left attached somewhere). This is to ensure that that instrument, after separate servicing in a bay, is returned to the specific aircraft. And this could be because the specific aircraft's panel has been 'adjusted' to mount that instrument. Not all instruments, guages and corresponding panels were as 'interchangeable' as everybody likes to believe, some measure of adjustment for fit could be expected - usually with a half-round file. :rolleyes:

All this is not to say you wouldn't be able to id your panel, but with no 'clocks' it seems unlikely. Never mind, lot of fun can be had researching Canberra pilot's panels and searching out suitable instruments. You might like to try talking with the International Cockpit Club, there's a wealth of knowledge with those blokes on sourcing, fits and layouts for paneleers. Or checking with a museum that owns a TT.18 for pix of their panel, etc. Good luck.

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