p-51 dash board

That would be a great added detail to your P51. I am currently doing a 1/48 scale kitbashed sci-fi fighter and was wondering the same thing about cockpit and panel lighting.

Dan

you should be able to use fiber optics to do this. think of fiber optic christmas trees. micro mark should have the items you need.

joe

Actually, they are usually refered to as Instrument Panels. Youv'e obviously been building too many car models, where the instrument panel is sometimes refered to as a dash board, though I don't know why. Anyway, sounds like an interesting project. If you pull it off, post some pic's.

Rjk, I build real aircraft for a living. The term was used for expedience not accuracy. But that is besides the point. :) I suppose I could use fiber optics on this model since it comes with a base that attaches to the belly of the aircraft.

Sorry 13b20, I meant no offense with the dash board remark.

They're called dashboards because in an accident you dash your head against them!!LOL. Seriously though, they're called a dashboard because thats what the corresponding part was called on a horse drawn buggy. In some old literature the slanted part of the floor board on a car is called a buckboard!

Semantics aside for the moment, you can also use a high intensity LED, either by itself behind the panel, or as a source for your fibre optic cables. These do not run hot and consume low power.
If absolute realism is what you are going for you can also use red LEDs for the side lights in the cockpit, for that night time lighting effect.

Enjoy!
Bruce

No problem rjk! We can pick on each other without giving offence!