Looking For Info On 1930s Smiths Aircraft instruments

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

I'm trying to help the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society find some instruments for their Scion restoration. They have the Smiths part numbers only and are trying to match these up with a 6a/ Air Ministry or even a picture of the gauge face if possible. Here is the message I got from them:

The appropriate Ministry 6A/ numbers would be useful to convert from the Smiths model number.
Required are 2 x Smiths AV499 Rev counter, 2 x Smiths AV455 Oil Pressure and 2 x Smiths Oil Temp gauges of similar design model number unknown.
Flying Instruments in Cockpit
ASI Smiths AV549
ALT Smiths AV576
Fore and Aft level Smiths AV733
Compass Smiths AV745
Clock 8 day Smiths AV687

Thanks for any help

Original post

Member for

12 years 10 months

Posts: 462

Will have a look through my stocks tomorrow

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 526

I had a quick look through the Flight global archive, numbers all around what you are after..but no cigar.

Do they have a photo of a panel ? They might be able to match up with something similar, using a Mk I eyeball.

Attached is an earlier post that covers AV455.

Regards Mike

https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?25142-Smith-gauges

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,911

Most of these gauges are from Smith's non-military range and as such will be difficult (if not impossible) to track down in Stores Vocabularies. They are the non-flange mounted designs, clamped to the dashboard by a bracket attached to the rear of the instrument case.

I found most of them by trawling through Smith's adverts in the Flight Global Archives of the 1930s.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

Thank you everyone for your advice. Stan, if you don't mind looking through your stock that would be great.

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 40

[USER="35001"]Stan Smith[/USER] Did you ever come up with anything on these instruments? I'm looking for instruments for my (1934) restoration project.

Member for

15 years 11 months

Posts: 729

I've got a couple of books on pre/early-war instrument fitting and maintenance that covers quite a bit of Smiths kit both civil and military. No specific part numbers but if it helps I can scan the diagrams/face photos if that helps?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

That would be great OneEightBit

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 40

Can anyone advise what colour fluid would have been in a Short & Mason fore and aft level? I'm having mine restored right now...

Member for

11 years 8 months

Posts: 1,354

Fluid in a Reid & Sigrist F&A is black on white ivorine background. Not sure if this is the same as Short & Mason.

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 40

Thanks - I've been assured by the restoration company that the F&A fluid was a blue colour. The background certainly looks like white ivorine. These guys have restored several in the past and can even blow new glass tubes.