Starliner L-1649 Panel Project HELP !

SABURO · 10-16-2007, 12:34 PM

Hi everyone ,
I need help with my Starliner project.
I recently purchase an ex-Air France Starliner (F-BHBN) Co-pilot panel without instrument and I'm trying to complet it.
Unfortunatly the documentation about those aircraft cockpit are not very easy to find. If I identified most of the missing instruments I still have 2 parts that I can't put a name on it (one is a instrument the other one a switch (?)).
Does anyone on this forum know personnaly this beast ?
Does anyone have clear "1649" cockpit (1960 era it's important !) pictures of the cockpit / panel ? (The TWA panels were different from the Air France and Lufthansa Panel but it may be very usefull)
Does anyone have any technical manual for Lockheed Starliner ? (with parts number list will be the best...I know I'm dreaming...) ?
Thank in advance for any help on this subject.
Cheers,

Olivier

FLYBOYJ · 10-16-2007, 12:51 PM

You know the panel set up might be operator specific but If I had to guess I would think your missing instrument might be aa ADF head. Here's a photo but it doesn't show what you need.

FLYBOYJ · 10-16-2007, 01:01 PM

Here's a C-121 - I think this is close to what you have...

ccheese · 10-16-2007, 01:21 PM

Saburo: Here's a pic of the instrument panel of an EC-121T (N548GF)
which should be just about the same thing. Hope it helps.

Charles

SABURO · 10-16-2007, 02:04 PM

Thanks very much FlyboyJ & Charles that was quick !
The probelm with actual photos and C-121 is that they use mostly military instruments, I found this picture of the pilot panel on the net (see below) and it's from the TWA Starliner Pilot manual (but this is the only photo I've got), so is that the ADF you are talking about ?
Any ideas what is the selector switch (?) for ?
Thanks again for your help guys,

Cheers,

Olivier

FLYBOYJ · 10-16-2007, 02:14 PM

Hi Saburo;

Actually after looking at that picture the instrument is a directional gyro. As far as the switch, I thing it's a static source selector. It looks like it had "alternate" and "normal" positions.

SABURO · 10-17-2007, 02:52 PM

Hi FLYBOYJ,thank you for your time,
Today I went to one of the rare Aviation bookshop in Paris, and I found "Naval fighters number eight" C-121 constellation and there's diagram of a "typical" C-121 instrument panel on which there's a "static selector valve"
so your identification was very accurate !
You say that the instrument could be a directional gyro, the 1st word of the label just under this instrument looks like "Polar" as those aircraft were often used on "Polar Routes " do you think that was a very specific directional gyro ?
Thanks again for your very valuable help,
Cheers,
Olivier

FLYBOYJ · 10-17-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SABURO

Hi FLYBOYJ,thank you for your time,
Today I went to one of the rare Aviation bookshop in Paris, and I found "Naval fighters number eight" C-121 constellation and there's diagram of a "typical" C-121 instrument panel on which there's a "static selector valve"
so your identification was very accurate !
You say that the instrument could be a directional gyro, the 1st word of the label just under this instrument looks like "Polar" as those aircraft were often used on "Polar Routes " do you think that was a very specific directional gyro ?
Thanks again for your very valuable help,
Cheers,
Olivier

My pleasure Oiliver - The DG might of been set up so it compensates for variation as the aircraft operates over the poles - just a guess but I'll look into it. Charles flew on these guys he might have some info as well....

SABURO · 03-26-2008, 01:06 PM

Slowly but surely...
Not as easy as I though at first, civil US instruments are not so easy to find (from France).
I'm still looking for any document concerning original Starliner cockpit (manuals, lockheed photos...etc) Many Thanks.

Cheers,

Olivier

Célérité · 03-26-2008, 05:12 PM

Salut SABURO, connais-tu le site aviationtechno? Pas très technique certes, mais plutôt complet dans l'ensemble.

SABURO · 03-27-2008, 02:45 AM

Oui, Merci beaucoup Célérité, et comme tu dis trés complet, certainement le site le plus complet concernant les principaux modèles de constel et l'utilisation qu'en a fait Air France! Encore Merci, à bientôt, Olivier

Yes, Thank you very much Célérité, and as you say very good site indeed, certainly the most complete site concerning the three main models of connies and their use by Air France! Thank again, Olivier