My Historic 747 Project Part 1

[Michael Verlin - HJG]

Part 1: Integrating Ernie Alston's ISG gauges into the Ready For Pushback panels


These have already been uploaded to AVSIM.

[Tony Madge - HJG]

Wow this looks good Michael, can you tell us is this a freeware 747 and panel is it a package? is it an easy panel to work with or do you have to have afull start up sequence etc, looks great

[Michael Verlin - HJG]

Tony, the panels are from Ralph Tofflemire's Ready For Pushback Package. It was released as Freeware sometime last year. As you probably know, this is a very complex package. It mimics the operation of the 747-200B very closely. I've spent the last few months fixing the panels to work with the version 4 POSKY models released last year. The EFIS addon is from the ISG payware package by Ernie Alston. It is a great value for the money. I just uploaded my part of this which represents the modified panel bitmaps, and panel configuration files along with the revised aircraft configuration files that allow the panels to work with the POSKY models.

[Tony Madge - HJG]

many thanks for the information Michael it certainly looks a great package

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

VERY NICE INDEED .... really a credit to you Michael !

I'm sure a lot of folks will appreciate this !

Those tape engine instruments appearing in Michaels first panel image above certainly bring back a few memories for me.

When AIR NEW ZEALAND transitioned from DC10-30's to B747-200's during the early 1980's, the airline insisted on this type of engine instrument configuration .... because most of our transitioning aircrew had become familiar with this standard of gauge/instrument since the early 1970's when our DC10's were first introduced. In fact I think we (AIR NEW ZEALAND) were 1 of very few airlines in the world whom opted for this standard of engine gauge instrumentation with their B747's .... which was apparently hardly popular among airlines.

When AIR NEW ZEALAND disposed of it's entire B747-200 fleet during the very late 1990's (all 5 aircraft were sold to VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS) .... one of the first things VIRGIN did (at Auckland) was to replace these tape instrument gauges with the common round analogue type as seen in Michael's 2nd panel image above.

Mark C

[ivan]

Anyone knows the reason why the tape gauges are called 'Martinair gauges' in holland... did KLM have different ones installed?

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

As I mentioned above .... tape engine gauges weren't common on B747's, but, they did exist.

They were more common on DC10-30 .... and of course MARTINAIR did operate both aircraft types and these instruments were likely installed on their aircraft. Given then the rarety of this instrument standard .... and MARTINAIR's possible use of them .... I guess that may explain why the name "MARTINAIR GAUGES" might have been conjured up in the Northern Hemisphere.

I'm only guessing though off course !

It's possible .... though I can't confirm it .... that "some" of KLM's B747's were equipped with tape intruments too. KLM also operated the DC10-30 .... as did SAS, SWISSAIR, and UTA ..... otherwise referred to within the airline industry as the "KSSU Group". I know for a fact (because I've seen then whilst jumpseating across the Pacific) that UTA DC10-30's featured tape instruments .... and it's likely their B747-200 & -300's did too .... probably selected for the same reasons of aiding aircrew transitioning from DC10 to B747 as was the case with AIR NEW ZEALAND.

There may have been other instrument changes to the panels of "some" KLM B747's too when a few of their original GE powered B747-200's were later upgraded to -300's during the late 1980's.

Again this is just an educated guess though !

Mark C
AKL/NZ