Hi all,

I am recreating a Boeing 747 classic series aircraft for flight simulator and I am trying to accomplish this recreation to the highest standard possible. 

A standard font that is used for aircraft and gauges going way back has been Futura, and the 747 is no different. Pretty much every gauge and indicator on the flight deck uses some version of Futura for it's display.

However, there seems to be some notable differences between every version of Futura I have been able to find versus some specific examples of gauges on the flight deck. See below for examples:

The first example is a difference in the letter 'W' as seen in the KW text on this kilowatt gauge:

I have not been able to find a match for this narrow-looking W in any Futura font I have ever seen. Here is how it appears in Futura PT:

Here is another puzzling example. On the altimeter gauge, the appearance of the 6 is different than any font I can find, as well as on the hundreds place counter, the numerals appear quite narrow. The 6 on the instrument digital readouts appears to have a longer 'arch' (the arch on the 6 in Futura is straight), that terminates horizontally (parallel to the direction of type). The closest I can find is Futura BQ, but it is not an exact match and has other inconsistencies with the other numerals. Examples below:

Futura BQ:

Any assistance in locating the exact font for these would be greatly appreciated!

Chris

I noticed this as well. Do you have any updates on this

A very good article on this very site explains why you may never find a match.