Probably another silly question...

[mkd1966]

Do any of the aftermarket folks make an assortment of clear windows in various shapes and sizes ?  I need a flat round window for a Spitfire PR XIX where the camera goes on left side of fuselage behind the cockpit... I've looked in my parts bend but nothing...

Thanks, Mike

[thierry laurent]

Not in large scale. I made my round windows out of a CD cover. Not the easiest solution but for one or two of them you get a crystal clear and not far too thick part. I engraved a circle in a corner, cut it with a Proxxon power drill, grinded most of the plastic to remove with the same power tool and ended the job with files and sanding paper. You can also do it with softer and thinner clear plastic such as out of a vacformed blister.

[mkd1966]

55 minutes ago, thierry laurent said:

Not in large scale. I made my round windows out of a CD cover. Not the easiest solution but for one or two of them you get a crystal clear and not far too thick part. I engraved a circle in a corner, cut it with a Proxxon power drill, grinded most of the plastic to remove with the same power tool and ended the job with files and sanding paper. You can also do it with softer and thinner clear plastic such as out of a vacformed blister.

 

Thank you Thierry... I appreciate it... Mike

[Aerobat]

Quote

I need a flat round window for a Spitfire PR XIX where the camera goes on left side of fuselage behind the cockpit.

 

CD Case plastic is great for windows, but I have a hard time with making round ones. I have used acrylic rod of the correct diameter for several of those. More work to file / sand down (it's a harder medium), but it polishes up very clear.

[RadBaron]

Instead of making a perfect sized clear round window, glue in a piece of clear plastic larger than the finished window, sand and polish it to a smooth finish, then mask the window and paint over it.

 

[thierry laurent]

Alas you cannot do that with a recce Spit as the flat windows were always recessed because of the fuselage curves.

[MikeC]

6 hours ago, thierry laurent said:

Alas you cannot do that with a recce Spit as the flat windows were always recessed because of the fuselage curves.

Indeed so, as they had to be optically flat.

[Ali62]

Well there does seem to be a few variations to these as the following pictures supplied to me via Tolga Ülgür shows, there are definitely flat ones and ones that have a curved surface.

Coincidence would have it that Tolga asked me to develop some a month or so back, so if you bear with me I will see what I can do over the next little while. At the moment we have the lenses at 7mm diameter do let me know if you have any other thoughts on size or need a different size.

I will be producing these probably in batches of either 4 or 6 of each type in set, to try and make a viable product.

 

This is what I have drawn at the moment, obviously the casting block and sprue will be cut away by the modeller, lenses will be about 1mm thick.

 

 

[mkd1966]

6 hours ago, Ali62 said:

Well there does seem to be a few variations to these as the following pictures supplied to me via Tolga Ülgür shows, there are definitely flat ones and ones that have a curved surface.

Coincidence would have it that Tolga asked me to develop some a month or so back, so if you bear with me I will see what I can do over the next little while. At the moment we have the lenses at 7mm diameter do let me know if you have any other thoughts on size or need a different size.

I will be producing these probably in batches of either 4 or 6 of each type in set, to try and make a viable product.

 

This is what I have drawn at the moment, obviously the casting block and sprue will be cut away by the modeller, lenses will be about 1mm thick.

 

 

 

Yes Sir - that looks like exactly like what I need and 7mm is the right size for the application I'm needing... I would definitely like to purchase a set of these lens...

Thanks, Mike

[thierry laurent]

12 hours ago, Ali62 said:

Well there does seem to be a few variations to these as the following pictures supplied to me via Tolga Ülgür shows, there are definitely flat ones and ones that have a curved surface.

Coincidence would have it that Tolga asked me to develop some a month or so back, so if you bear with me I will see what I can do over the next little while. At the moment we have the lenses at 7mm diameter do let me know if you have any other thoughts on size or need a different size.

I will be producing these probably in batches of either 4 or 6 of each type in set, to try and make a viable product.

 

This is what I have drawn at the moment, obviously the casting block and sprue will be cut away by the modeller, lenses will be about 1mm thick.

 

 

Hello Ali. Are you really sure some were curved? All the close-ups I have are showing flat ones and from an optical perspective any rounded window would result in heavy picture distorsion. To me this applies to all British recce planes of the era without any doubt: Spitfire, Mosquito, Sea Hornet, etc.

[Ali62]

6 hours ago, thierry laurent said:

Hello Ali. Are you really sure some were curved? All the close-ups I have are showing flat ones and from an optical perspective any rounded window would result in heavy picture distorsion. To me this applies to all British recce planes of the era without any doubt: Spitfire, Mosquito, Sea Hornet, etc.

Thierry I agree with you, we are leaning towards FLAT as being correct, so may end up with flat ones only. Initially Tolga asked for curved ones, after looking at the pictures and references even more over that last while, I am more convinced all were flat. Thanks again for your input as discussion always prompts further thought and investigation 

[Tolga ULGUR]

1 hour ago, Ali62 said:

Thierry I agree with you, we are leaning towards FLAT as being correct, so may end up with flat ones only. Initially Tolga asked for curved ones, after looking at the pictures and references even more over that last while, I am more convinced all were flat. Thanks again for your input as discussion always prompts further thought and investigation 

Yes now it seems that they are flat. Maybe the view of silver mk.14s caused an optical illusion to me.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Tolga ULGUR]

This picture is more detailed for the subject

 

[Tony T]

Those peepholes would do very nicely with these cameras...

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/AIMS32P25?result-token=Rzicg

 

I want both for a recce Mossie. 

 

Tony