A selection of photos from various stages of my sim build. This will be added to over time, so check back later for more…
The old (MDF) sim… (up to April 2010)
The new (plywood) sim… (April 2010 onwards)
The first attempt at the base, using MDF
The console starts to come apart…
New plywood sheets on top of old MDF
The finished base
A-frames and front pillar in place
Re-done A-frame bases
Inaccurate joints require shims
A-frames, Take 2
Metal supports are used to keep the frame in place
A-frames, Take 1
The window frame, minus top
Frame for one of the side windows
Window frames, take 2
The nearly-complete frame with added filling
Ceiling frame with panels in place
The Dremel circular saw attachment
The window post, freshly glued
The pilot’s main window view
The story so far…
Shell frame with bulkhead and stringers attached
The interior surface of the main bulkhead
There are a few gaps here and there
Outside framing for the ceiling
Current state of play from the outside
The rear is kinda messy, but will be covered up…
Underside of the bulkhead – cool, huh?
The full (and slanted) glory that is the skin
The window posts were moved back a few millimeters
Various complex shapes needed to be cut for the skin
The approximate seating position for the pilot
The newly-slanted post…
…compared with the old, straight one
My first attempt at routing a straight groove
The hideously useful Dremel plunge router attachment
Two halves of a window post, with grooves for the perspex
New upper frame installed, lower frame removed
The joints are all flush, no gaps or holes
Woodworm? No, just lots of bodging. The old window frame.
Each half of the frame is glued and screwed together for strength
The new lower frame in place without window posts
Sadly, the fit is not 100% perfect…
…but my patented wood-shaving filling technique will fix that
The new, simpler window posts in place
The frame for the read bulkhead in place
The middle section in place
Two thirds of the rear bulkhead complete
The completed rear bulkhead
The completed door on its own
First panel goes in
First hinge in place – note the floating hinge pin
Oops! The door doesn’t quite fit the hole
The door in place on its hinges
The magnetic door catch (1 of 2)
Stick a handle on it, it’s done
The pilot’s footwell
My new inspection lamp lights up the void
Footwell frames in approximate place
I had to rout open the holes here to get at the screw stands inside
The exposed guts of the CH yoke
The wiring inside the yoke handle
The buttons come out nicely as a unit
The main circuit board for the yoke
The disassembled handles ready for spraying
The yoke handles after two coats of black satin
The steel tubing and wooden rod for the yoke shaft
The yoke handle bolted to the steel tube
The bolt assembly inside the steel tube
Retaining bolts fixed and glued into the wooden rods
The electical blanking plates before drilling
Electrical blanking plates with 30mm holes cut
Steel tube and wood joined, with exit plates and bearings
My lovely new temp-controlled solder-station
A bridge board used to connect cables with very thin wires
Once soldered, the board is covered in glue to protect the wiring
The PCBs from both CH yokes are glued into a plastic utility box
The potentiometers connect via 3.5mm stereo jack plugs
The yoke-holder assembly in place on the frame
Yoke rod in place and at maximum inward deflection
The yoke at maximum outward deflection
The right-hand yoke-holder assembly
The whole enchilada in place, albeit without linkage
The MIP frame starts coming together
The glareshield frame begins to take shape
The glareshield has now acquired a central box for the MCP and an awning
The front awning in place – rear to be installed
The left-hand shroud
The right-hand shroud
The left-hand shroud seen from outside
The final front window post
The trimmed left shroud before painting
The right hand shroud with trim in place
The left hand shroud with trim in place
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