Fairey Firefly

fairy firefly ligting control box

Looking for some electrical advice
i have one of these exterior lighting control units and i want to wire it up to a picture of the aircraft with small lights in poking through on wing tips etc, perhaps in a box with perspex cover on it, you get the idea, but how to do it, 240v mains power with light wire running from each switch, or 12 volt batteries with say..caravan type bulbs may be safer, any advice would be most welcome. and yes very serious geek, just something i have to do to add to my wierd collection

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You need to use a double insulated transformer/rectifier similar to the type of charger used for mobile phones laptops etc. That will give you a safe low voltage DC output to connect to the panel. Then you need individual LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) as your aircraft lights hooked up to the appropriate switch with thin single core or double core wire. This would require simple soldering skills. By using a common earth return you might simplify the wiring.

For a supply of components on-line ttry MAPLINS Electronics UK by Search Engine.

many thanks i was considering using an 12 volt adapter, but i have found some kit car dash lights in green red amber, they will look quite bright and period looking, quite looking forward to this small project !

You could also go for a dry cell battery box with an ON/OFF switch to the panel or use one of the switches on the panel for that purpose because dependent on your choice of photograph you would only be able to show the position of some lights not all. Using LEDs you could put a flasher unit in too for the nav lights.

Another choice would be a three-view drawing of the aircraft, coloured perhaps, to enable all the lights to be shown.

ok so what would be the best angle to show the most lights? i was considering using an actual poster in a light box with led lights popped through?
i like the 3 angle idea, but ive no idea how to fit a flasher unit to the under belly strobe light? or indeed where to buy one ?
Also has anyone got a diagram of where all the lights on a ww2 aircraft would be, ie which colors where ??

The vendor that I mentioned should have DC flasher units similar to those used on Chritmas Tree light sets. The flasher unit can go anywhere in the circuit that controls the lights that are required to flash.

The obvious lights are the Navigation lights. One in each wingtip and one in the fuselage tail. The port wing was Red, Starboard wing Green and Tail was White. Then there were Identification lights (usually flashable to show Morse Code. One on the Fin top and on on the Fin bottom. Others on top of fuselage and underside.

Others more knowledgeable can comment on the variations but you need to know which lights your Firefly box controlled.

It is impossible to show all the lights on an aircraft from one angle which is why their were so many.Thats why I suggested a three view.

I really would try and obtain pilots notes or a lighting schematic for this, as the lighting can vary between types considerably.

I know the Firefly has the wingtip leading edge nav lights, the tail light mounted low on the rudder, and rearward facing formation lights in the wingtips.
I think the downward ID light was just aft of the flaps or hook, the upper one being between the observers glazing and the fin. The ID light would normally have different colour lenses fitted to conform with the code of the day, and controlled by one of the morse keys on your box. I think the other morse key would flash all or just the formation lights.
It wouldn't have had strobes or flashing beacons as such, they are a more modern thing, but I think all the lighting could be selected to flash intermittently, so you could have your display with either the lights steady on or intermittently flashing.

I have lit my instrument panels just using household 240 - 28V transformers, but they use the original bulbs.

Oh, and it's Fairey!

I've got a similar project but I have to built and wire the panel from scratch to original spec in our Horsa.

I've just figured out how to make reproduction Uniflex and Duoflex cables myself using bootlaces and black paper tape

having received the item i did expect there to be a main feed input area to power the lights, then lighting wire going to each light, however there is only 13 outputs to go to lights so i suppose this box is like a junction box with no power going to it? this could be complicated ??
any ideas, ps i have a wiring diagram for the box printed inside the cover :confused:

Can you photograph the circuit diagram and put it up here?