Fullsize P-47 instruments panel size
Hello everyone,
I'm trying to answer a (seemingly) very simple question: what's the size of the P-47 instruments panel?
Obviously the reason I'm asking this question is because I'm building a P-47 (the kit by Top Flite), and I'd like to build a detailed cockpit for it. However I find it very hard to find out the size of such a cockpit. Specifically the width of the instruments panel.
I know that the scale of my kit is 1/5.75 (derived from the fullsize P-47 wingspan of 12.42m and the kit wingspan of 2.16m), so if I knew the cockpit size for the fullsize airplane I'd be set.
One thing that I noticed is that the P-47 instruments panel changed a lot between different variants. So, to be precise, I'm interested in the size for a D-30 variant.
Checking all of the drawings and photos that I have, I came up with a scale insturments panel width of 137mm, translating to a fullsize width of 787.75mm (31"). However this sounds both too small and too big at the same time: if you look at a photo of the interior of the P-47 cockpit, you'll see that the outer supports for the rudder pedals more or less line up with the outer edges of the instruments panel. Now, try sitting with the outher side of your feet 31" apart... That doesn't seem like a very comfortable position. So this should indicate that the cockpit panel may be smaller than this.
On the other hand, if I print a paper outline of the instruments panel at 137mm and place it on the relevant fuselage former, the panel seems too small compared to the drawings that I have.
So, to solve this, does anyone know the actual width of the fullsize instruments panel for a P-47 D-30? Or, alternatively, does anyone know the exact size of some of the instruments in the panel? With this latter information I can infer the width of the panel in some of the photos that I have.
Oh, and going to a museum to measure the panel myself is not an option, unfortunately. There's only one P-47 here in Italy, but it's in storage, so no chance of seeing it, much less taking measurements in the cockpit.
Andrea.