44-85828 Instrument panel

[AIR DEPOT]

I am restoring the instrument panel for Tanker B30/B37. The numbers are; 44-85828/N9323R. It is the panel used while it was still an air tanker. Does anyone have a photo of the instrument panel from that usage? I saw some posts on WIX about the aircraft while it was a tanker, but no instrument panel photos. please contact me if you can help.

[DryMartini]

Best I can do is how it would have looked coming off the assembly line....

[gary1954]

Did you ever get the photos you needed? I have a couple of pictures of the cockpit of 44-8543 B-17G N3701G at Wheelless Airport, Dothan, Alabama I shot in July 1977 when she was used as a Myrex sprayer of those are any use to you

[Second Air Force]

The panel in '543 is a bit non-standard so it may be very different than the one from '828. Chuckie has a more IFR-friendly panel than the standard Fortress. We did a bit of research on the panel in '543 to see when it was modified but never really found any real good references. We think it may have been updated when she flew with the All Weather unit in her later years with the USAF.

Scott

[AIR DEPOT]

Could you send me a photo of the instrument panel. They might match. Thanks. Don

[Second Air Force]

I'll have to do some digging to see if I have any photos of the panel of '543. I took a few of the center pedestal when I was rigging the airplane in Fort Worth, but I removed all the pictures from my computer after the airplane moved to Virginia. I suspect I haven't any of the entire panel.

Briefly, the panel in Chuckie has the engine instruments in the center and a full set of flying instruments in front of each pilot. A standard panel places the engine stuff in front of the copilot and the flying instruments from in front of the pilot to roughly the right side of the pedestal.

I've been told the panel in '543 was called a "Mod 1" panel but I don't have anything on paper to confirm it. One theory as to this panel was that it was fitted to airplanes that were H2X equipped (as Chuckie was originally), but, again, I don't have any written proof to tell me that is true. The airplane flew a LOT of hard IFR when it was assigned to the All Weather Research unit and my personal theory is that she got the dual-instrument panel during that time.

I'll start looking for my photos......
Scott