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Mystery switches

N

NCGent

TopFlightBuilder
Hey Fellow flight simmers

I have some switches here that I can not find any info on, by any chance does anyone know what these mystery switches are? The are in the Vultee BT-13.

Thanks

Chris
 
If I have to hazard a guess.....from front to back

Windshield washer

Turn Signal

Combination lock to the super secret stash box full of Chico Sticks

Toaster

Microwave Oven

Now, the first two and the last two are most likely not even close...but the middle one...I am sure that I have that one dead to rights...cause I know if I had a cool vintage airplane, IT WOULD have a super secret stash box full of Chico Sticks.

Tim
 
I looked through a reprint of the P-40 flight manual and those look a lot like radio controls.

The "combination" dial is actually a tuner.

The others are for selecting different radio options, like which receiver you wanted sent to the headphones, or which transmitter you want to send on.
 
Maybe it has something to do with overriding systems, because if im not mistaken this was an trainer aircraft right? . So maybe they are switches so that the instructor can take control and pilot the aircraft from his pit?
 
Looks like something to do with comm, possibly the intercom system between student pilot and instructor. Another guess would be external and/or cockpit lighting. WW2 trainers often had controllable coloured recognition lights for comm between aircraft or the ground without having to resort to radio.

N.
 
Looking at my P-40 handbook, the box just aft of the black dial looks identical to the "SWITCHBOX BC-345" which has a three-way selector for 'range, voice, and both' and a phones jack on the bottom. An early audio control is my guess.

The black dial, while not a perfect match, sure resembles the ADF tuner.

Just going by the similarity between those paddle switch boxes and the ones pictured in my book I'd guess at least one of them is a transmitter selector, if that aircraft was equipped with one.

I suppose those switches are so big so you can grab them while wearing the leather flying gloves that were common then. They seem so oversized compared to what you see in modern cockpits.
 
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