Francisco:

you know, one of the great things about the internet (and OnTheDash and Chronocentric) is that you never know where your interests and exploration will lead you. one month ago, the Mercury missions were things I watched on a blurry black-and-white TV, as a 7-year-old kid. Now, I am reexamining this fascinating era of science, politics AND WATCHES, through the NASA archives, photos, etc.!!

So I am no expert in the early days of space flight -- X15 or Mercury.

Based on what I have learned over the past month (as I have studied the NASA archives), I do not believe that the instrument panel shown in the diagram was ever actually built or used in a Mercury capsule. It appears that the diagram, with its multiple clocks / timers, was simplified to what we see in Friendship 7.

On the X-15, that stopwatch is almost certainly a Minerva. Strange to see the decimal minutes (rather than seconds), but perhaps that was the system / count that they used. something else for us to explore and learn!!

thanks for the info and the super scans!!

Jeff

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: ...VERY interesting reading.

: I don't know about the X15 dash timers, but I'm
: currently making some research and i found
: some info that might be of interest to your
: research: First, a Mercury2 main instrument
: panel diagram and a Mercury 7 picture of
: the interior There are significant
: diferences between the two, the M7 not
: beeing so complete as the one on the diagram
: (M2) and appearing to have only one clock on
: the "timer panel", maybe that is
: why Glenn had to carry the chronograph on
: his wrist (?) - Both pictures can be found
: here

: Second, to respond to your question about the
: scans of the X15 dash...oops!... cockpit
: :-), there's an interesting picture that has
: enough resolution to show us that the
: chronograph used is a likely a Minerva, from
: the (blurred) logo on the dial...This
: picture, taken on April 1963 can be found
: here

: Best Regards

: Francisco