#panavia — Public Fediverse posts

Manchester Monday 25th May 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/05/25/manchester-monday-25th-may-2026/

Manchester Monday 25th May 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/05/25/manchester-monday-25th-may-2026/

Manchester Monday 25th May 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/05/25/manchester-monday-25th-may-2026/

Manchester Monday 25th May 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/05/25/manchester-monday-25th-may-2026/

Manchester Monday 25th May 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/05/25/manchester-monday-25th-may-2026/

Photo of the Day 28th April 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/04/28/photo-of-the-day-28th-april-2026/

Photo of the Day 28th April 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/04/28/photo-of-the-day-28th-april-2026/

Photo of the Day 28th April 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/04/28/photo-of-the-day-28th-april-2026/

Photo of the Day 28th April 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/04/28/photo-of-the-day-28th-april-2026/

Photo of the Day 28th April 2026.

https://mancavgeek.co.uk/2026/04/28/photo-of-the-day-28th-april-2026/

So I started taking a closer look at the various panels I got with the old #ViperPit, which is a challenge in itself, since not everything has a handy badge telling me what it is. It’s also not like I’d have a clue in the first place. Figured out that this one apparently belonged into a #Panavia #Tornado but I don’t know the exact model yet. It was installed in the rear cockpit on the left side of the front panel and operated by the Weapon Systems Officer and is apparently no longer in use since ~1990. It’s safe to assume that this thing did see action and was closer to space than anything else I own.

Next was finding out how this thing is wired to see if I can convert it into a button box for PC gaming. The segment displays look pretty straight forward and I’ll definitely need some multiplexers to drive them but that has a low priority. The switches can easily be checked with a meter but thanks to @[email protected] I was able to track down some wiring diagrams as well. Turns out these are not also very old but apparently rather pricey too? Someone mentioned an eBay offer for whopping 300 USD for a single button – which is insane to me 🤯

Speaking of wiring: The backplate may be missing but some of the original cable management is still in place. This is where we can see the rather beautiful cable lacing, which is used in avionics for bundling together wires with waxed nylon or linen cord in an environment with lots of shaking and vibrations. No I didn’t know this before and would probably have ignored it but A Hornet’s Nest just released a video about Cockpit Cable Management where he talks in detail about this technique. Great channel!

Another question was for what voltage the lamps are designed for. Each button comes with at least one lamp. This is a rather old fashioned and not a LED yet (and in fact LED replacements are rather expensive even). This specific one is the model OL387 rated for 28V DC and 40mA. Apparently this all is up to military spec MIL-S-22885 and bright enough to still be readable in sunlight and comes with high duty cycles before it needs replacements – so it will probably last a lifetime in my man cave 🤓

This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

https://beko.famkos.net/2024/12/05/weapons-control-panel/

#homeCockpit #Panavia #simpit #Tornado #ViperPit

TIL: I have a #Panavia #Tornado WCP here. No idea which [Tornado] version. Now I juuuust need a wiring diagram. Or figure it out myself (pain xD).

Any #DCS player around that knows what type this is exactly?

#TONKA !! Panavia Tornado XX489 Prototype 6

#panavia #tornado #avgeek #aircraft #military #europe #raf #coldwar #bae #flugausstellung #hermeskeil #photography (Instagram 10.08.2018)

#TONKA !! Panavia Tornado XX489 Prototype 6

#panavia #tornado #avgeek #aircraft #military #europe #raf #coldwar #bae #flugausstellung #hermeskeil #photography (Instagram 10.08.2018)

#TONKA !! Panavia Tornado XX489 Prototype 6

#panavia #tornado #avgeek #aircraft #military #europe #raf #coldwar #bae #flugausstellung #hermeskeil #photography (Instagram 10.08.2018)

#TONKA !! Panavia Tornado XX489 Prototype 6

#panavia #tornado #avgeek #aircraft #military #europe #raf #coldwar #bae #flugausstellung #hermeskeil #photography (Instagram 10.08.2018)

#TONKA !! Panavia Tornado XX489 Prototype 6

#panavia #tornado #avgeek #aircraft #military #europe #raf #coldwar #bae #flugausstellung #hermeskeil #photography (Instagram 10.08.2018)

Panavia Tornado F.3 The Tornado GR.1 was originally produced by the European multi-national Panavia concern as a 'strike' aircraft. However, the Royal Air Force also needed an air defence fighter, capable of defending U.K. airspace. Redesign, including a lengthened fuselage, new radar, air-to-air missiles, and engines re-worked for higher altitude operations, gave rise to the Tornado F.2. Sadly, the new radar wasn't ready in time for this aircraft, which meant that early examples flew with a concrete block in the nose to restore balance! The final version, the F.3 (as shown here at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum - NELSAM - in Sunderland) proved itself a capable long-range interceptor. #NELSAM #NorthEastLandAirandSeaMuseum #museum #aircraft #Panavia #multinational #NATO #RAF #RoyalAirForce #fighter #interceptor #missile #engines #UK #airspace #radar #Tornado #TornadoF2 #concrete #European #aviation #aviationphotography #photography #avgeeks #avgeek #aviationmuseum #exhibit

Panavia Tornado F.3 The Tornado GR.1 was originally produced by the European multi-national Panavia concern as a 'strike' aircraft. However, the Royal Air Force also needed an air defence fighter, capable of defending U.K. airspace. Redesign, including a lengthened fuselage, new radar, air-to-air missiles, and engines re-worked for higher altitude operations, gave rise to the Tornado F.2. Sadly, the new radar wasn't ready in time for this aircraft, which meant that early examples flew with a concrete block in the nose to restore balance! The final version, the F.3 (as shown here at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum - NELSAM - in Sunderland) proved itself a capable long-range interceptor. #NELSAM #NorthEastLandAirandSeaMuseum #museum #aircraft #Panavia #multinational #NATO #RAF #RoyalAirForce #fighter #interceptor #missile #engines #UK #airspace #radar #Tornado #TornadoF2 #concrete #European #aviation #aviationphotography #photography #avgeeks #avgeek #aviationmuseum #exhibit

Panavia Tornado F.3 The Tornado GR.1 was originally produced by the European multi-national Panavia concern as a 'strike' aircraft. However, the Royal Air Force also needed an air defence fighter, capable of defending U.K. airspace. Redesign, including a lengthened fuselage, new radar, air-to-air missiles, and engines re-worked for higher altitude operations, gave rise to the Tornado F.2. Sadly, the new radar wasn't ready in time for this aircraft, which meant that early examples flew with a concrete block in the nose to restore balance! The final version, the F.3 (as shown here at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum - NELSAM - in Sunderland) proved itself a capable long-range interceptor. #NELSAM #NorthEastLandAirandSeaMuseum #museum #aircraft #Panavia #multinational #NATO #RAF #RoyalAirForce #fighter #interceptor #missile #engines #UK #airspace #radar #Tornado #TornadoF2 #concrete #European #aviation #aviationphotography #photography #avgeeks #avgeek #aviationmuseum #exhibit

Panavia Tornado F.3 The Tornado GR.1 was originally produced by the European multi-national Panavia concern as a 'strike' aircraft. However, the Royal Air Force also needed an air defence fighter, capable of defending U.K. airspace. Redesign, including a lengthened fuselage, new radar, air-to-air missiles, and engines re-worked for higher altitude operations, gave rise to the Tornado F.2. Sadly, the new radar wasn't ready in time for this aircraft, which meant that early examples flew with a concrete block in the nose to restore balance! The final version, the F.3 (as shown here at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum - NELSAM - in Sunderland) proved itself a capable long-range interceptor. #NELSAM #NorthEastLandAirandSeaMuseum #museum #aircraft #Panavia #multinational #NATO #RAF #RoyalAirForce #fighter #interceptor #missile #engines #UK #airspace #radar #Tornado #TornadoF2 #concrete #European #aviation #aviationphotography #photography #avgeeks #avgeek #aviationmuseum #exhibit