L-2 Instrument Panel

[guilliat]

I am looking for a new or used uncut instrument panel for my L-2 restoration. The fixed instrument panel not the shock mounted type.

Thanks: Gary

[dbdhenson]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

Gary:

Are you looking for one like this (see attached web page)?

http://gallery.taylorcraft.org/main.php?g2_itemId=7943

David

[warbugdriver]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

David:
I think he's looking for the L-2 or L-2A/B panel.

Nice work on your shock-mounted panel! I'm just starting to put together the pieces to convert my L-2M back to the proper style. Mine has an early style panel (ala L-2A/B) that was put in sometime in the late 1940s.

I think the difficult part for me is assembling the various military gauges. The tach and compass are pretty common but I've not seen many B-7 engine gauges around.

[Greg Guy]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

Could someone give me a little history on the panels.
Some are metal and yet others are wood as in the picture in the
earlier post. Are the metal ones around for sale.

I need an L2 fuel tank sight glass, any ideas?

[warbugdriver]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

L-2M panels are wood and feature military gauges.

I believe the earlier L-2s shared the same metal panel as the civilian DC-65 Defender.

The pilots notes for the L-2 have a drawing showing the various panel layouts for the various models.

Site glass tubing was discussed somewhere on this site and/or on the L-2 Forum:

http://groups.msn.com/L2LiaisonAircrafts/general.msnw

[Ron Greene]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

Greg,

I posted this about a year ago;

The correct material is Butyrate tubing 3/8 OD.

It is available from McMaster-Carr at www.mcmaster.com

It comes in 6 foot lengths and is heat bendable.
Below is the page from McMaster-Carr and the L-2 drawing is D-335 on Disk 1 if you want to take a look go to www.taylorcraft.org and look at the L-2 blueprints

Part Number: 8565K33 $2.65 Each
Material
Butyrate

Shape
Structural Tubes

Structural Tube Type
Plain Round

Structural Tube Tolerance
Standard

Outside Dia.
3/8" (.375")

Outside Dia. Tolerance
±.010"

Inside Dia.
1/4" (.25")

Inside Dia. Tolerance
±.010"

Color
Clear

Operating Temperature Range
-40º to +170º F

Rockwell R
78

Tensile Strength
6,300 psi

Impact Strength
4.5 ft.-lbs./in.

Specifications Met
Not Rated

Length
6'

Length Tolerance
+1"

[Dick Huish]

Re: L-2 Instrument Panel

I have gauges made by using the fixture tha Dorothy used at ther factory. The planes were finished using fs-595a-xxxxx spec codes. I have a list of the numbers here. Dick