P-38 Cockpit Photo

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:58 pm

Why does it have a autopilot???

51fixer · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:48 pm

Jack Cook wrote:

Why does it have a autopilot???

Curved windshield so it is earlier than a J or was it G when the flat windscreen was introduced. Probably a photo aircraft. Auto pilot control is where the gun charging unit was mounted IIRC.
Interesting mirror to see the far R/H instrument that faced straight up along the lower console.
The Instrument 2nd from the right side along the bottom row might be part of the auto pilot system. I don't recognize it and the one knob says WIND.
Rich

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3332

A couple of slightly more recent shots for comparison - Jack Croul's aircraft.

Mike Bates · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:44 pm

51fixer wrote:

Jack Cook wrote:

Why does it have a autopilot???

Curved windshield so it is earlier than a J or was it G when the flat windscreen was introduced. Probably a photo aircraft. Auto pilot control is where the gun charging unit was mounted IIRC.
Interesting mirror to see the far R/H instrument that faced straight up along the lower console.
The Instrument 2nd from the right side along the bottom row might be part of the auto pilot system. I don't recognize it and the one knob says WIND.
Rich

Pilots manual says thats generator switches. All the cockpit photo's I've seen if the auto pilot is not installed that space is empty or had compass correction cards hanging over it. The panel above the auto pilot according to the manual is part of the auto pilot system.
After checking a diagram of and F-5B panel I would say it is a recon bird.

Mike

n5151ts · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:16 pm

I was doing an air show with Lefty Gardner and strangely my wife actually came. I plunked her down in the cockpit of the 38 and she sat there for a while looking then said "OH I get this its just like being in flash!" flash was her 1964 VW bug that her parents bought new for her and she still had 25 years later...

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:57 pm

i'll take the old radium dialed instruments any day..... :nuker:

..... but an interesting comparison with the more current cockpit set up.

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 2:24 am

a few more

Martin

ausflyboy · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:04 am

That "wind" instrument is a BC-608-a Contactor Unit used as part of the 'pipsqueak' system for IFF

http://www.radiomilitari.com/bc608.html

Cheers all

51fixer · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:52 am

I stand corrected on the center opening.
The -Js I worked on didn't have that feature. They also didn't have an auto-pilot.
Also it has the curved windshield but not the separate bullet resistant plate behind it. Nor does it mount a gun sight. Probably the F-5.
The Sperry Instruments mentioned in the manual page for the F-5B-1 above would be connected to an auto pilot.
Rich

JimH · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:34 am

Jack, is that cockpit a photo of Bill Lear's airplane? would explain the auto pilot.

jim

Mgawa · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:36 am

Great pics.

Michel C-GNCJ · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:54 am

This is the first time I see the cockpit of a P-38. I was surprised to see it had a side mounted steering column instead of a center mounted stick,

Perhaps it's just an optical illusion but wouldn't the steering column layout to the right like this create a pressure point for the pilot's right leg ?

Very interresting pictures !

51fixer · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:22 am

Michel C-GNCJ wrote:

This is the first time I see the cockpit of a P-38. I was surprised to see it had a side mounted steering column instead of a center mounted stick,

Perhaps it's just an optical illusion but wouldn't the steering column layout to the right like this create a pressure point for the pilot's right leg ?

Very interresting pictures !

With the stick in the center all the control mechanisms need to connect to it. This is out of sight for most aircraft. The P-38 has the nose gear retracted under your butt. There is no room to connect any cables or push rods because of the retracted nose gear. So Lockheed built the control column (You don't steer when you fly) off to the side to allow cables to be connected to the bottom side of the column.
The column is off to the side so that it doesn't interfere with your legs which go straight from the seat to the rudder pedals.
Rich

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:30 am

Quote:

Jack, is that cockpit a photo of Bill Lear's airplane? would explain the auto pilot.

no, it's a NA photo from 1941-42 of a early production a/c

gunnyperdue · **Posted:** Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:03 am

Jack Cook wrote:

Why does it have a autopilot???

Because it is a Recce bird... they were equipped with autopilots for high altitude flight....

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