Construction of Main Panel Support StructureOK...... next in the construction installment documentation of my "little" project. See earlier in this "Homebrew Simulated Cockpits" thread for what has gone into it before this.
This unit shown here will be the support structure that will hold two monitors on the lower shelf that will be the "glass cockpit" primary flight display in front of the pilot and the Nav display and the "backup" control instrument displays. On the upper shelf part the glareshield will eventually be located projecting out over the front surface ....and then on the very top of it all will go the outside display monitors.
Photo #1Again as in the other stuff........ 3/4" MDF for the upright sides and 1/2 MDF for the shelves. Pine furring for the attachments. All is "screwed and glued".
Photo #2The two narrow strips are for the back of the unit....will be against the back wall of the cockpit under the "windscreen"........ to add structural integrity to the "legs" of the shelf. They will get covered from the
inside later to shield them from view from the pedals side of thngs.
Photo #3The holes are again for wiring passthroughs...... and are lined up to match the holes drilled in the adjacent shelf structure.
Photo #4Photo #4 shows the completed unit. It sits to the immediate left of the other shelf unit (shown in prior posting) and the two butt up tight together on the common vertical wall.
To the left of this unit will eventually be a side wall armrest type console that will have some controls and the sidestick mounted on it. It will buttt up to the front panel edge alligned with the left side vertical support. The "corner" area that will be formed by the two modules will be a space that will contain pieces of cockpit support equipment and electronics.
So...... that's where it all is for now. Next step will be to add the panel "facing" to the whole thing that will form the panel backdrop that the various instrument modules get "screwed" onto.
Of course in the case of the "glass cockpit" stuff....... they will actually be holes showing the monitors displaying the instruments behind the panel shield......... with a fake "mount" put on the front to increase the realism. Eventually I MAY get some real instrument modules to augment this.... but that will be WAY down to road.
Cost for this part is about $15-18 USD in wood and screws and glue ..... and maybe 2 1/2 hours of time.
best,
.................john