Cockpit Construction Continued (Part 16)

[JBaymore]

More Work on Interior of Shell


In photos #1 + #2 below, you can see that I gave the inside of the cockpit shell a coat of paint to get things started in there.

[SilverFox441]

Very sweet.

I responded to your servo question over at Phidgets...basically offering any servo advice needed.

Your pit must be looking fairly complete now...you're definitely into the final stages. Almost time to put up a website chronicling the whole journey.

[JBaymore]

Your pit must be looking fairly complete now...you're definitely into the final stages. Almost time to put up a website chronicling the whole journey.

Steve,

Thanks.  But the pit is FAR from done.  Some of the most time consuming work is still to come.... the wiring and debugging.

I already have a site started.... but the docs here are more extensive at the moment.

My computer virus mess and the identity theft stuff that was part of it consumed a bunch of time that I HAD wanted to spend on the pit.  Oh well.  Got some stuff done on it.  More photos coming soon.

best,

...................john

[SilverFox441]

LOL!!

Sorry John, differing background and experience coming into play here. I knew that wiring and debugging were still to be done...but for me that barely registers as a task, let alone work. All that time spent as a Instrument/Electrical Technician on jets coming into play...I consider that the easy part of my cockpit project, incidental to the actual work.

On my 'pit the physical construction is the daunting part...I've only been able to handle the planning without pulling hair by considering it as a group of very large model boats! Planning is almost done now though...time to start cutting MDF is coming. Your project, with it's full enclosure, would have tripped me up...no telling when I would ever get to start building.  :o

If you need help with the website just tell me, I'm pretty good for an amateur. You might also ask Pete if you need hosting...it's very Flight Sim related and it might make a good addition to the "family".  ;)

[chomp_rock]

After you do all of this construction you should remember to use a couple PC cooling fans and make some imitation AC ducts... They are a memorable feature of a real aircraft and will keep you cool in that otherwise still cockpit.

[JBaymore]

Chomp,

Yup... been planning on dealing with the real environmental controls all along.  It is an interesting point that building a simpit that is enclosed results in you having to consider many of the exact same factors that real cockpit designers deal with.  "Creature comfort" is certainly one of them.  All that electronic crap in there is going to generate a lot of heat.

The monitors and computers will have DC computer type fans exhausting heat which are controlled by the "Avionics Cooling" switches on the overhead.  They will vbent up toward the ceiling of the room....... but the pit sits in the room.

One of the few "real aircraft" parts that will be in my simpit is a couple of real ceiling mounted air conditioning nozzle units.  I acquired them (3 of) on EBay for a steal.  The housing mounts were Boeing Brown.... but a little tape masking and a can of spray paint... and they now match my gery cockpit.

I plan on using a DC squirrel cage blower with a variable speed control for the main "air conditioning" and heating air control in the pit.  Power for this unit will be routed thru the switches that control the Pack Air on the overhead...... so it won't work if the right combo of Pack switches are not in the right positions.

When I hit the Powerball lottery for 48 gazillion bucks, I might consider REAL airconditioning in there for the summer.  Right now it will just be moving air.  However, heating it will have, using the element out of an old bathroom ceiling fan/heater unit I have laying around.

best,

...................john

[JBaymore]

And so on to Part 17 in the continuing saga.........