I thought I'd post a few pics about our sim project at the aviation club. I have mentioned a bit of it every now and then, but I figured I could post a few pics and maybe they are inspirational to someone.It's being built on a C150 front section, we have built seats from plywood, made a plywood instrument panel etc. We are using SimKits instruments for the panel, and doing radios with FSBUS.

http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/mik_simu/aaf.sized.jpgHere we are salvaging the fuselage from the backyard of the airport. I'm the one needing a haircut badly :)http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/mik_simu/aav.sized.jpegThe door needed some persuasion to let the thing go through...http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/mik_simu/abb.sized.jpegHere the simulator is being lifted on very simple and rudimentary "legs" that keep it at the correct position, and high enough so you can "hop in" the plane instead of crouching in :)http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/mik_s...t/aao.sized.jpgMe pretending to be a mech guy and fixing the instrument panel..http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/mik_s...t/abk.sized.jpgThe visual system is one collimated mirror segment from an ex Finnair DC-10 simulator that was removed from use. The pictures dont do much justice. Here we are having fun testing it, going 120 knots below treetops following roads to the woods :-) The feeling of depth is pretty convincing on that mirror..http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/more_...t/aab.sized.jpgThe thing starts to resemble an aircraft bit by bit. Another view of the visual system and also the panel. Note how the scenery is out of focus when camera is focused on the panel.http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/yoke/aab.sized.jpgThen a friend of mine helped with the yoke construction. He has good tools and facilities at his workplace, so we spend one day there this weekend..http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/yoke/aae.sized.jpgThis should be strong enough ;)http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/yoke/aaj.sized.jpgAt this point, when we sprayed it black, we made some "ooh, dude! ooh!" -noises.. Realizing this will be a very very nice yoke at the end..http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/albums/yoke/aan.sized.jpgThe construction. The aileron-movement is taken care by a wheel-control unit that has been in "Turbo Outrun" arcade game in its previous life, now salvaged for a flight sim use :) - The elevator movement is going to be done like on a real Cessna - the vertical bar is bolted to the floor and has a pivot point, and the yoke "axle" is routed through the instrument panel hole. Still need to figure out some bungee cord stuff or something to do the centering. Aileron centering is handled by the outrun-game mechanism.

Fun stuff, but an insane amount of work. We've been doing this for a year soon..I hope this is inspirational for someone, and if others are doing GA stuff "in the closet", please come out and show pics of your work, that is always good to see.Oh, the club is "Malmi Aviation Club" at www.malminilmailukerho.net if someone is interested, or even lives in Finland. We fly two Cessnas, a 172 and a 152 Aerobat in addition of those of us working also on the simulator :)Best,Tuomas

MOST impressive, Tuomas!BTW, what's alll that white stuff in the first picture?Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.comCalifornia, USA

>BTW, what's alll that white stuff in the first picture?It's H2O in solid form :) The pic was taken last fall, around november or december.Tuomas

Ahhh. Thank you. I've heard about the stuff. Didn't know it existed under natural conditions. Looks a lot like the stuff that collects in my freezer.Looks like pretty country there. I envy you your group of talented club members.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

From Pete Hey you got The 150 in the house in 1 piece...I had to cut MyMooney M20 down the center to get it through the door...The wife would be a little upset If I cut the door frame out...I think Using a real airplane adds to the whole effect of sim use...My plywood capsule worked but Its is not the same as an aluminum beast to fly in..pete http://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard :-roller

>From Pete> Hey you got The 150 in the house in 1 piece...I had to cut>My>Mooney M20 down the center to get it through the door...The >wife would be a little upset If I cut the door frame out...>>I think Using a real airplane adds to the whole effect of >sim use...My plywood capsule worked but Its is not the same as>>an aluminum beast to fly in..It is also quite interesting to notice how really small a C150 actually is.. The sim will only have one set of controls, no need for dual yoke and pedals in a simulator for this purpose. The idea is to give the pilots on the club something to do while the weather is bad :) Basically it will be a great tool to practice cross country flights, ATC communications (either on VATSIM or with an experienced pilot friend, or maybe an instructor) - and of course it is plainly fun also. Something you cannot log in your logbook, but which can be a really useful training tool anyway.The "realism" factor is a bit different here, since we also have the two real planes behind the wall, so if one wants the gasoline and oil smell, just go walk there :) But I agree the real plane section does have its nice sides. Although it makes everything crammed and pretty hard to work with, since there is so little space inside the panel for example.Tuomas

PeterK I sqweeze in with a friend once a month into a 150 or 152 rentalbird at the local airport for and hour of flight..It is tight..The Mooney M20 cockpit in my basement is just as tight as the 150....You have to grab onto the door frame and slide in over theseats and slip into the seat,The Mooney does not have a left doorlike the 150 only a right door.Once im in,, buckled up head set onrunning fs2002 its quite annoying to see my Soda on the workbench....I dont have the guages and instruments im using dual monitorson the dash..1 for the panel and 1 for the radio stack and gpsthe 3 rd monitor is outside bolted to the fire wall...Ill Debate with anyone who says that flight Simming is not like thereal thing...No it does not move or toil like the real thing..but if you set the wind and clouds up correctly..Use the ATCand fly the correct airport traffic pattern Im still fightingthe rudder pedals slipping sidways onto runway 32 just likethe real thing...my cockpit still has an oil smell from drainingthe hydralic fluid from the brake system...Pete http://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard :-wave

>The Mooney M20 cockpit in my basement is just as tight as the>>150....You have to grab onto the door frame and slide in over>the>seats and slip into the seat,The Mooney does not have a left>door>like the 150 only a right door.Once im in,, buckled up head>set on>running fs2002 its quite annoying to see my Soda on the work>bench....Yea, Pipers also have a door on the right side, over the wing.When one has a fully enclosed sim cockpit, it is important to completely "seal" the real world out of view, so have you tried putting a white cloth or something over the side windows, so that you only can see the stuff on the front visual display, everything else is white. That works pretty well, and it is actually exactly how it feels when you enter IMC on an IFR flight - you just see white all over while in clouds. That should help block out the soda can, and should give you a very nice feel of immersion. That plus good sound system can do wonders - a motion system is always a lot of work. And I think when the "enclosure" is done correctly it will help you feel more like you are flying. And the white cloth or plastic or whatever will let light through, so it feels more natural.Of course for night flights you want black covers on the windows and just a dim red light for maps and instruments..Tuomas

PeterKWell..To help the whole effect of flight iv added a few things.. Im running not to much of a sound system..Basically 2 Packard bellspeakers under the dash and a radio shack amp running the head set..Im not booming the house with a sub woofer... Added feature was a muffing fan on the right side intake in frontof the door..This makes the gimbaling air blowers in the cockpitblow air on your face as your sweating in this thing...A strobe light on the roof just for the effect..when the lightsare off in the room it works great off the windshield as a reflection...And A map light mounted on the windshield support post...Turn this on and the cockpit has a red glow..great effect too A random flashing IFF ident light on the dash..that wasdone with 2 NE555 Timers and 2 leds mounted in opposing polaritiesand a cessna Mic that controls a light on the radio stack..I doesnt seem like much but it looks like the mic really works..I buffalo many people by talking with the mic and hitting the#s & enter buttons on the fs2002 ATC and everyone thinks the ATC really works... Heres a Tech Tip for FS2002 users Run the control tower and thelocal Control center on the radio stack Use (both) on the stackThe radio doesnt stop babbling with all the AI traffic... I dont have a sheet yet but i was thinking of a sytem that thesheet could slide forward and back or just be removable...I didnt mention this before but the yokes were removed for the monitors so im now running floor mounted sticks so this mooneyis not really to origional factory specs any more...Pete http://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard:-wedge

> Added feature was a muffing fan on the right side intake in>front>of the door..This makes the gimbaling air blowers in the>cockpit>blow air on your face as your sweating in this thing...>A strobe light on the roof just for the effect..when the>lights>are off in the room it works great off the windshield as a>reflection...And A map light mounted on the windshield support>post...>Turn this on and the cockpit has a red glow..great effect too> A random flashing IFF ident light on the dash..that wasYep, small things like this really do wonders. Ever thought of using a speed controller servo or something to adjust the fan speed in relation to airspeed, so that flying fast blows more air, and you really sweat while waiting on the holding point to the active runway? :)But I know what you mean. Small lights, blinking stuff and whatever things that *seem* minor, added together they can make a lot.>I didnt mention this before but the yokes were removed for the>monitors so im now running floor mounted sticks so this>mooney>is not really to origional factory specs any more...Yep, whatever works. What matters is the yoke grip and how it moves around, not how it is linked to the simulator itself. One doesnt look at those things while flying anyway.Do you have more pictures of your simulator online btw? I only saw photos of the old one on your site? Would be nice to see some new, and possibly higher resolution ones..Tuomas

PeterKI dont have A Digital Camera But I shot the end of a roll of 35mmfilm of the cockpit..The roll along with 3 rolls of 110 film frommy daughter is sitting on top of the refrigerator waiting to go to get the final go ahead...I guess when the next paycheck comes inthey will be going off to the 24 hour local pharmacy to bedeveloped...Bills -Bills -Bills... The other cockpit worked pretty good..The picture shows it alittle sparce bit it filled up fast.I have more pictures of the yoke and other views...Ill have to find them and scan them largerfor more detail..pit #1 was more the size of a DC-3 or such...It came to space ,the mooney only takesup 60x48 Inches that makes room for the Nascar/Fighter jetsim using a Isuzu car seat and a VW passat stearing system...plus a joy stick....Ill basically play any sim I can find...It pretty much Hobby time for me...The #1 cockpit yoke systemwas salvaged and is on the workbench in a table top cessna systemto run older sims like fs5.1 on a p160 with a s3 video card..Fs5.1 pretty much wont work on a 3d card...As for variable speed on the fans...tell you the truth I want biggermuffin fans the air flow Is a bit slow...I flew in a 402C a monthor two back and the air flow was great...In need a high outputmuffin fan to feed the ductwork to the gimbaling vents...The cockpit gets real stuffy Ill say vents are high Priority!pete http://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard:-wedge

R/C Model aircraft electric "ducted fan" engine units should give you some thrust :-)/Tuomas

To Tuomas From Pete I hope your sujesting an electric Ducted fan those .35 engines getpretty noisy in side...Hi Hi I guy i work with had a electricflying wing..I was surprised the output of a 9.6v fan,,,I stopped by the airport to get the reg. off the boom of my mooneyits N1398W...Looked it up...Seems on January 13th 2001 the pilothad a icy carb issue ,,by the time he pulled the carb heat heripped the tail off the plane going through some high tensioncables which also destroyed the propellor and ditched it into the Taunton river here in Massachusetts...The pilot survived but theyhad to chip the ice off his nose..Whats interesting is that its an Arizona aircraft..That boom hasArizona Tax stickers from 1983-89 and the plates on the radio stackhave YuMA and Deer Valley which is north of Pheonix...She was far from home belly landing in Masschusetts 12 years later with aRhode island owner...Did your Cessna 150 cockpit project have such an exciting deathor just ran out of time...She looked in one piece...Pete http://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard:-wedge

>Did your Cessna 150 cockpit project have such an exciting>death>or just ran out of time...She looked in one piece...I dont know for sure, it was bought as spare parts by the previous owner, never flew with him.There are signs of a emergency landing though - the wing leading edges were struck in, looks like landing-on-woods or something. and the firewall has some bends too, as well as the window frame support, it is not straight. But it is not that badly bent that it would hurt for the sim use - just visible when you know where to look. The only information I have found was that it was written off in 1984 or so.Tuomas

PeterK Tuomas...Are you going to put doors on and the glass in orjust run the CRT and Magnifing lense on the dash???Petehttp://home.comcast.net/~fs-boneyard:-wedge