PeterK If anybody has thought of usung a real GA airplane body for a cockpitproject heres a Bone yard near my house that has a wide selectionthey basically go for $500 a piece...Aircraft parts Unlimited at the New Bedford MA airport...pictures atHttp://home.attbi.com/~kodistpete

Pete,You may have yourself a business there. Post some pictures, act as a "finder" for simpit builders, and arrange shipping. Watch those dollars fly in... live in the lap of luxury...Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

PeterKWell..I know the guy who owns the bone yard..Not well but he letsme on the property and even took pictures of me standing next to theplanes...His name is Albert.. He claims to have sold a bunch already for Cockpit simulators andother parts for Mini golf coarses...The catch you have to take it awayhe will take the $500... Im married with children what makes you think Ill ever see the money...LOLI posted the pictures for the hobby and to show there are theselittle bone yards around the country..Hey mike..are you going to have any pictures at you web site???pete

PeterKNow!..How do we get these things home!pete

Pete,I have a few pictures of the homebrewing I've done with air-core instruments. There really isn't much else right now. My "sim" such as it is, consists of a really cheap joystick picked up at a swap meet. When the girls aren't doing homework on the fast machine, I get to plug it in and fly. The machine I use most often (Gateway P5-100) was salvaged (for free) seconds before being dropped on the recycling center. A Bios upgrade, a new hard drive and a cheap video card brought it back to life. It works well for browsing and writing, but not game playing.Currently my focus is on investigating different approaches for making simulated aircraft instruments, about which I am writing a hobbyist-level book. I left my last employer about five months ago on most pleasant terms as a redult of a mega-merger, and am taking this opportunity to try something new: self employment. Oh, how naive I am! Thinking I would zip through a notebook full of idea, I now find my productivity less than before when I had to attend management meetings, safety meetings, career development meetings, and on and on... On the other hand, It's a heck of a lot more fun now. I actually get to do some engineering.My thought is to highlight the different home brew instruments in either a 172 'pit (nostalgia, I have a lot of good memories in one) or a helicopter sim (I have an hour in one and it was fun, if frustrating).Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

PeterK Well Mike at any level your contributing to the hobby..Iv been to a few forums and this one seems to be a little homefor some of us odd balls in the hobby... I know how you feel about work..Im now a Field Tech and my goalis to never manage people again...I like wires and equipment..driving all over the place and saving the world..I dont think anybody ever noticed though..but boy I know I could makealot of people really mad if I wanted too! LOLI worked on Sub Warfare equipment years ago for the P3 and Kamansea sprite helicopter..Fond memories...I think 8 hours in a P3 will cure any romace of flight as for the sea sprite!Ill stand on the tarmac..you go for the ride!pete