D_Dragon

I am thinkiing about creating a MIP for a SEP with G1000 panels. I plan to use both a PFD and MFD with a 17" monitor. I want to create a bezel around / before each monitor in which I want to place push buttons for the functions present on a G1000. I already tried it using the buttons on a joystick and FSUIPC to activate G1000 within Prepar3D / FSX (in a Carenado CT182T). The NAV and COM functions can be activated this way (except for switching between NAV/NAV2 and COM1/COM2) and also the heading bug can be moved that way. However I cannot operate any of the softkeys in this way. Does anyone have any experience with this way of controlling a G1000 equipped SEP and if so which aircraft by which manufacturer. Thanks in advance. Greetings, Theo.

Today I mounted the PoKeys devices against supports for the MIP. I also attached the wires for the Led Extension Board to two of the three PoKeys. I used the bottom most 24 connectors for it. I also mounted the power outlets against the back panel. To read the complete story, visit my website http://thair.nl/?p=3355

I finished mounting the monitors and also mounted the aluminum front panels. I am not quite satisfied with the fitting of the console for the lower EICAS. I have made lighting panels with a different shape than those the console was originally fitted for. I will have to think this over during the weekend and make some adjustments. For a complete story, see my website http://thair.nl/?p=3334.

So, the main part of the shell has been mounted and the screens for the MIP have been put in place. It is starting to look like a cockpit. For a complete story of this step see my website http://thair.nl/?p=3324.

Thanks for your advice. I have a sun screen on the outside of my simroom and already have the fans stocked up. In the 'foot compartiment' there will be two 12cm fans and above the windows I will mount two 8cm fans. All these fans will be controlled from the lighting panel (both on the Cpt. and the F/O side). If this is not enough then I also have an airco unit which I can turn on. I only have to make a panel that will fit in the gap of my window and make a hole in it for the hot air hose. If that is not enough I will have to do something in the way I dress ;-) Greetings, Theo.

So, the simroom is ready for the build. I mounted cable trays and put all the cables in, mounted an extra power outlet (I like spare outlets) and cleaned and hoovered the room. The next step (probably after the weekend) will be to start mounting the shell. If you want to see more see my website http://thair.nl/?p=3295

So, the paint on the last panels has dried and I brought them upstairs. The DIY package for my cockpit is ready. This weekend I will cleanout my simroom which means I won't be flying for quite some time. I f you want to read more, see my website http://thair.nl/?p=3279.

For those who want to see all the 'in between' activities (and they are quite numerous) see my site http://www.thair.nl and click on the English flag... Greetings, Theo.

I'm quite shamed to not update this site with the progression of my simpit. :blush2: But I have not been sitting still in the mean time. I will show you a short excerpt of my activities in the past 10 months. First the 'surroundings'. I have bought a new beamer (BenQ W1080ST) and I am very pleased with the result. Then I bought a (second hand) overhead panel. I added quite a lot of switches and interfaces until it suited my wishes. I created backlighting in my (OC v2) MCP) And made quite a lot of aluminum parts to fit the shell thus creating my MIP And finally I am just ready with the paint job (only the paint still has to dry) Tomorrow I can bring the last panels upstairs and I can start dismantling my current setup and start mounting my DIY shell package. Greetings, Theo.

I still had an old computer (Pentium 4 on 2.0 GHz), so I added this one to the cockpit. I installed the web interface of ProSim737 on it so I can look at it whenever I want / need. This gives more space on the 'normal' screens and when the original cockpit is finished this screen can be mounted against a side wall of that cockpit.

In fact it is quite simple, although without the manual you will probably not be able to split the audio. The tric is that you have to right click in het ProSimAudio window (with the error text) on each client to get to the configuration window in which you can enter the IP-address of the ProSim737 server computer. After that you get a listing of all the sounds available. Then it is just a matter of checking the boxes with the sounds you want on that specific computer and clicking on the Test button to hear that sound and you're done. The sounds will automatically be 'downloaded' from the server so no hassle. If you want sounds that are not readibly available then you have tot get those sounds from somewhere (I use the sounds from PMDG which I had before converting to ProSim737) and put those sounds in a (separate) folder on the ProSim737 server computer. Then, on the server, you select Configuration / Sound add-on and add those sounds, their names and locations, to ProSim737. After that you can select (in the normal Audio screen) to which gate that specific add-on sound will have to react. I added the sounds for APU starting (once played), APU running (continious played) and APU stopping (also once played) and selected the gates for those sounds and they all became automatically available on the (client) computer on the opposite side of the room thus playing those sounds from the back of the cockpit. The GPWS and TCAS sounds normally come from behind the front side of the Overhead Panel, the other alarm sounds normally come from behind the back side of the Overhead Panel. In those spaces it must not be too hard to 'hide' the (small) speakers. If you have got 2.1 systems, then you can 'hide' the subwoofer somewhere in the cockpit (behind the MIP or so). I find it very convenient to have remote controls for each speakerset so I can fine tune the volume of each speakerset while I am flying in the cockpit. Greetings, Theo.

After having had a triple bypass in the beginning of june 2013, I am now recuperated enough to be able to continue the build of the cockpit. During the past hot days I have done nothing (I can’t stand the heat), but now I have been busy with the gear lever. This afternoon I routed the sounds, through ProSim737, to the computers and thus to the speakersets. This meant that I had to hook up speakersets on two of the four computers. The sound of the APU now comes from the flight preparation computer (for now a 2.0 system, later a 2.1 system) that is located on the other side of the room, so when you’re flying the sound indeed comes from the back of the cockpit. I then divided the sounds available in ProSim737 to the two supporting computers. When the cockpit is finished, one speakerset (2.1 system), with all the GPWS sounds, will be fitted behind the front side of the Overhead Panel and the other speakerset (for now a 2.0 system, later a 2.1 system) will be placed behind the rear side of the Overhead Panel. The main computer will produce the normal flight sounds and the speakers (4.1 system) will be mounted in both the cockpit and behind the rear side of the Overhead Panel. All speakersets have a (wired) remote control or will have one on the new speakersets. This enables you to control the volume while flying. Theo.

Thanks guys. I will surely take care of myself in the first place, else there won't be anything left for flying ;-) Greetings, Theo.

Don't think that I have lost my appetite for finishing my cockpit, but a little over a week ago I had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. At the moment I am back home but still recuperating and awaiting a tripple bypass in about four weeks. I don't think I will be able to work on the cockpit in the meantime, but you never know.. Greetings, Theo.

Nothing on TV... So I did some work on the 'electrical department'... For a full report see my site.

Fortunately they do. It is my second one, I wore the first one completely down and it had to be replaced. The beam I am planing in the picture is a 2x4 of 160cm (64") long. I almost had to plane half of it of and it took me less than 5 minutes. Compare that to a 'manual' plane ;-)

Neither can I....

Finally finished with the woodwork. Today I finally finished the woodwork. The last two scores were the window and a small console for the Saitek TQ. For a full report (with more pictures) see http://thair.nl/eng/?p=1136

The First two errors. I stumbled upon the first to errors (fortunately fixable). For a full report, see http://thair.nl/eng/?p=1095 Repair actions. I fixed the errors. For a full report see http://thair.nl/eng/?p=1100 GFreetings, Theo.

After flying for quite some time where I bought more and more hardware (and software), I started thinking of building a more realistic cockpit. I made several drawings until I was finally satisfied. Today I broughr the sawplan to the DIY store and collected the panels a little later. In the mean time I have started building the frame for my new cockpit. You can find a full report on my activities (wit pictures) on my site http://thair.nl/eng/?p=1088. Greetings, Theo.

At this moment I am in the process of making 'A Tour of Europe'. It consist of 36 flights with a total distance of over 4.200nm and a flying time well over 21 hours. The first part I have already flown, the rest not, but here we go: EHRD - EGMH - EGHH - LFRC - LFRB - LFRS - LFBD - LEBB - LEAS - LECO - LPPR - LPPT - LPFR - LEJR - LEGR - LELC - LEVC - LERS - LFMK - LFML - LFMN - LIRP - LIRF - LIRN - LIBD - LDDU - LDSP - LDRI - LOWK - LOWI - LSZH - LFJL - EDDF - EDDE - EDDV - EDLW - EHRD The shortest haul is 69.2 nm and the longest is 149.2 nm both as the crow flies. With an average speed of 200 knots that means flying times from 0:21 to 0:45. You can fly as many (or as little) legs after one another or take a pause betweeen flights as fits your time for flying. Theo

I can remember seeing a topic 'somewhere' about this calculations, but where was that 'somewhere'? I have some links that may be helpfull to you. A calculator from BenQ about screen sizes and distances: http://www.benq.com/product/projector/calculator/index.htm A tutorial from Ivar Hestnes about a 225 degree projection: http://www.flightdeck737.be/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Visual-system-tutorial.pdf I hope these can be helpfull for you. Greetings, Theo.

I have once been in a (static) B737-800 simulator with four flat screens. The immersion was absolutely perfect. If I had room enough in my simroom I would also go for three flat screens and not a curved one. I took a couple of lessons in a B737-800 with three projectors and a curved screen. The immersion was also very good, but I also noticed that the projected scenery was not as sharp as with my own projected flat screen at home. Greetings and succes with your decision making, Theo.

No problem. I use the 3 surround monitors for the instrument panel and the 4th monitor (in my case a beamer) for the scenery. Greetings, Theo.

I know an i5-3570 would be enough for FSX, but that is not the question. Not only the scenery will be displayed, but also a CBE client will be displaying a (touchscreen) monitor with the CDU and lower DU. The other three PC's (P4 processors) will be running the other three screens (cpt & fo PFD/ND and standby & upper DU). I want to run all my FS PC's without a gateway to internet so I wont be needing a virus scanner. However I do need an uplink to the internet for weather information and access to IVAO and by having those links open I will be needing a virus scanner. I was more thinking along the way of a PC with two NIC's, one for the internet access and one for the (separate) FS network. The question is if this will be enough to prevent virussus from accessing the FS PC's or that I will need extra precautions. And if I do, what will they be? Greetings, Theo.