I'd like to hear the oppinion of those of you whom got a nearly finished full cockpit environement.I am staring for 1h now at this picture:http://home.planet.nl/~nwkaan/images/Overhaul/MySim5.jpgAnd I am wondering if I shouldn't switch to a setup like this. Re-use the most important parts I got already like overhead panel, glare and pedestall.This is +/- what I have so far:http://users.skynet.be/plipke/PF50HC/images/roof.jpgI am starting to think that wanting to continue this project is financialy unrealistic.Either way, I will get functionality .. but how important is it realy to re-create the enviro as much as possible ?

>I am starting to think that wanting to continue this project>is financialy unrealistic.What do you mean? The shell is nearly done..?>Either way, I will get functionality .. but how important is>it realy to re-create the enviro as much as possible ?Nico's setup is good, it all depends on what you want and how much space you have. But as you have built a nice looking shell for the cockpit, you might just as well use it. But make it immersive, plug the holes so you dont see out, otherwise it is no good. A simple curtain to the back, black or white boards on the non-used windows etc..A fully enclosed cockpit *is* adding to the realism since it helps to isolate you from the room you are in. So in that sense it does make a lot of sense.I guess you mean the right seat stuff with the financial trouble - just make dummy stuff there, add black cardboard with overhead projector film on those gauge holes so it looks like a turned off LCD, or just print dummy gauges there like you had on the center pedestal before. If you mostly fly by yourself, there is little sense in spending time and money on the right seat..Our enclosed Cessna sim does work well in creating the feeling of flight. But we did not build a right seat yoke for example. Well, not least since we stuffed C172 instruments to a C150 panel space, it's slightly crowded and there would not have been much space for a yoke there - and it is not really needed in a simulator since the student does not die if he/she goofs up :) //Tuomas

Hi Philip,Thank you for staring at my set-up for 1 hr ;-)Ofcourse there are several approaches possible (zoals "er zijn vele wegen die naar Rome leiden", heel toepasselijk deze week overigens).I am a pilot who necessarily has build a home cockpit ("knutsel") because I wanted to make the use of mouse and keyboard redundant. It took me 2,5 years to arrive at where I am now. My website is not yet up to date. Since the arrival of the LevelD-SDK I now have all the leds in my overhead working, changed my hydraulics panel to a complete functional replica of the real thing and I added three Knitters that control the IRU's. The state of the IRS is now displayed at my upper-left LCD (on-AC, align, fault, ...).With this set up I can now start-up the LevelD-767 from a cold and dark cockpit state, without the need to view the overhead panel or the pedestal panel. All controls are there and all the feedback necesary for the position of switches and the state of systems is given (by approximately 76 leds...)Another pieces of hardware that has come to live since the release of SquawkBox3 is my SB3 transponder. It's great to have feedback on voiceroom connect, Tx,Rx, ident, textmessage, and so onOf course a shell would give another useful dimension to it. However I like flying more then building, and I simply have no space for such a thing. But if it's dark, and my cockpit is fully alive, other pilots in sight and real human ATC transmision in your head set, you are really attracted into the game and you tend to forget where you really are..Another problem is lack of time, I have a full time job ( and a wife...)Nicowww.nicokaan.nl

Here's what I think I'll do.The reason why I am doubting is that I have to move to another house soon (like within 1 year it should be done). The house I will move to will be smaller and I don't want to bug my mom asking for a house with a spare room large enough for my sim. Beside that I am 24 now and my biggest wish is to find a place of my own soon to start a life with my girlfriend and I know we will not be able to start big. So I am concidering keeping the idea of a full size sim for when I'm a lot older, kids out of colege and on their own .. then I get their bedrooms free space and hopefully a better financial situation :( I think it is better now to focus on a sim like the one from Nico and get some actual flying done, preferably online. Get the most out of what I got so far. I made some sketches and it shouldn't look too bad. One desktop should be enough. Idealy I should find a second computer +/- as fast as my P4 2.4I don't like the setup I got now, having to switch the AGP card from the slot (parhelia vs GF2 Ti 500) every time I want to fly vs play another game.I think I will break up the sim in prospect of the moving and after that keep the shell parts on stock. Keep the MIP on stock (except for the gear lever part). Then just focus on getting the lot interfaced and working smooth. Ain't such a bad plan. I think it is better to focus on; and work with; what I got now already and not start dreaming of more realistic looking (daken sky) panels and replacing all the switches with the cory-type I was working on.