Here's an idea. I have been looking at this site: http://home.hccnet.nl/jwopdenakker/building%20tip.htmlNow this guy is using this "print on lexan" for his knobs & annunciators. But how about using this for panels as well ?The question is, if this printing can be done in grey (exact color as my other real F50 panels). If so, I could have all panels printed. The panels go grey and the text & stripes & such stay unprinted (so transparent). Then if I glue these sheets on white plexi panels, the text & stripes & such will look white and at night, light will come trough. Now for the final trick .. I would need paint with the exact same color as the sheets. This way I can paint the sides of the panels and perhaps even sand them to have round edges.Could this work ?

I think it can work...it's exactly what I want to do for my panels.The only thing that I'm not sure about is how much the ink of an inkjet printer (like the one that maybe we all have at home) is blocking for the backlight since the light must only go through the transparent "tracks" and not also through the paint itself.Regards,Bob

Guys, can you imagine how much work and energy goes into this one holy grail of simbuilding: backlighting, and how little it actually matters in practice. A simple floodlight setup will make it perfectly possible to see the lettering. Of course it's important for the "mood" but if one is interested in more realistic *flying* functionality, backlighting is not on the top of my list at least :)//T

I know what you mean ... besides, the chance that I'll get the backlight to work in the REAL panels I got is perhaps small.But if it is an option, why not go for it ?I see folks on their website building panels using plexi while not using backlight. That; as a product designer I can say that :( ; is plain silly. There are less expencive materials which are less hard to work on that can do just that.Either way, the eaton (korry for others) switches will have to be backlit. We all know why.I've been thinking 'bout a way to do those during class ( :$ )And I figured a smarter way than the one shown by the guy in that page I mentioned in a previous post. Again he's using plexi which in this case has been lasered. Expencive! Why not find squared extruded profile, and fill it up with hotmelt-glue ? Have a part inserted before which bloks the light in 2 parts for both text legends. You could even hot-melt-glue the switch you're planing to use inside !That's what I plan to do now.But back to the panels. If I'd use wood and make my panels out of that and paint them grey, again I would need lettering. How can I get that done ? Add labels ? Tried that, it's ugly. Have them engraved ? Then you might just as well use plexy and do backlight. Add printed paper on top ? That's just as ugly and not durable. Have printed paper laminated and then on top ? That's an option provided I could find laminate-material that has a non-glossy effect. But all that doesn't make the panels easyer or that much less expencive.

Hi Phillipe,I have done panels from plexi for years, using a laser printer. Lately, I started to do backlighting too, and I can confirm that- the panels look very nice- they are durable. My oldest panels have by now seen 8 years of demanding service life in my cockpit :-)I have lots of building details and photos on my site.Best regards,Hans

Hi, I have done panels from Juan Cordon methods with modifications.I printed the front of panels in white paper heavyweight high resolution , then the background was in boeing color and the legends in white. Back of this I put 3 similar transparencies in black. This block the light. All off this is "sandwich" with 2 plexis (acrylic) 1mm in front, 3 mm back. The light is 5 mm amber led 2500 mcd. In the "night" they look very nice. Probe it!. Photos soonJuan Cordon site: http://users.skynet.be/jcordon/cockpit/index.htmRegards.