A fairly quiet weekend, because I’ve had a stinking cold and haven’t felt like doing much before Sunday afternoon. When I did get down to things I chose to stop work on the yoke – which I think requires a greater degree of concentration than I feel I can give it right now – and move on to some of the framing for the main instrument panel (MIP). Read More
Category: Shell
Yoke build update
I had planned to leave this post until later in the yoke build, but since I anticipate that it might take a few more weeks to finish completely, I wanted to post some pictures for the curious. This post is going to be largely content-free and photo-heavy. Read More
Yoke fitting begins
Not a full post, this, but just a note to say that I reached a major milestone today when I was able to test-fit the yoke assembly (or, at least, the left-hand side of it) into the frame. The rod-carrier – which is mounted on drawer rails to allow it to slide back and forth – is now mounted to the frame in the correct place, and with that done I was able to push the yoke rod itself – complete with handle – into place and verify that the pillow block bearings are correctly placed and that the yoke rotates smoothly. The in-out movement is not quite so smooth, but I think a quick oil of the bearings will help that.
Much remains to be done. While all the in-handle electronics are done, all buttons tested and working, and the innards of both CH yokes put into a nice box ready to be mounted on the frame, I still have to mount and configure the potentiometers for both axes, and then work out how to fix lengths of bungee cord to provide resistance to movement and automatic centering of the controls.
A full post on the yoke build – with exciting pictures – will be forthcoming soon, when the right-hand side is done and mounted and I can test the double-yoke movement.
But hey; it’s progress. Right?
Even more slow going
A very quick update, this one. So much so that I won’t even bother to Twitter it. As usual I didn’t get much done over the weekend – I really need to find a way to increase my project momentum. But I did get the footwells clamped down to the floor and the frame in their final positions. Then I added the first part of the framing for the rest of the MIP. In this case, a simple rectangular front frame for the second level of the MIP, which will house the yoke system and a few switch panels, and a weather radar / multi-function screen display in the center. I made this from relatively thin baton and discovered, yet again, the ease with which it will split when screwed into without a pilot hole drilled first. Hmph. This frame was then secured to the sides and middles of the footwells. There will be further supporting frame members coming up from behind, but I didn’t get onto those today. No pics this week, you’ll just have to imagine.
The next level of the MIP is the main panel with PFD/MFD, some more switch panels, gear control and standby instruments. I’m currently designing this based on the available space and the frame build for it will be rather more complex, so I doubt it’ll be done quickly. More updates as and when…
Until then, back to MyCockpit.org for the lot of you!
Slow going
Not much to report this week. At the moment I seem to be able to get about 4 hours work done every weekend, and that’s about all. For one thing, I respect my neighbours and don’t start work until 10am earliest, 12 noon on Sundays, finishing all loud work involving power-tools by 6pm. For another, I often find I need to pause between parts of work for glue to dry etc, and I’m not quite organised enough to have other things ready to go when this happens. This weekend I didn’t do any work on the project on Saturday as I had other plans, so all I’ve managed to do it finish up the footwell frames I started last weekend, plus a couple of trimming jobs elsewhere in the frame. Read More
Work begins again
Today I started back on the sim build, although I didn’t do a great deal. I took the best part of the day to tidy up and prepare the room for this phase of the build.
Apart from a few minor tweaks and touch-ups, today was spent beginning the work on the console which will contain the MIP and glareshield. This is the point at which I’ve been stuck for a while, trying to work out in my head the best way to go forward. In the end I decided to do what I do best, forge on and see in what direction things lead me. Read More
Hanging the door
Despite it being a bank holiday and there being an extra day to the weekend, I didn’t really get a lot done this weekend. At least not that you can see. I did go out and buy quite a lot of stuff for the next phase of building, and after that I took care of hanging the door that I made last weekend.
This turned out to be easier than I had thought it would be. Imagine the challenge – hang a door that’s as tall and wide as you are, on a frame, with limited space to manoeuvre, on your own. I wasn’t relishing it. But in the end it wasn’t hard at all. Read More
Shut that door
I’ve been meaning to get around to the main door for the sim for a while. Today I finally got down to it.
The door itself is a simple construction – a small amount of framing plus the usual 6mm plywood skin. From the inside, the door is intended to resemble the existing vestibule wall; nothing unusual or fancy like portholes. From a simulated POV, the door to the sim should be at the rear (where a false door will be marked and painted for effect), whereas the actual door should be a wall. So keeping things hidden is the order of the day.
Bringing up the rear
I have acquired a heavy cold. Not that this would be of much interest to cockpit builders or indeed posterity, but I thought it was worth mentioning since, once again, I didn’t get a great deal done today. What I did get done was the rear bulkhead (read: wall) which gives me two completed and skinned sides. I had hoped to get the side door done too, but I ran out of energy and the will to cut plywood mid-afternoon.
The day began early enough, waiting for a delivery from Wickes of some more 6mm plywood sheets. Since almost all the interior skin and non-backlit panel surface will be composed of this, I needed a fair bit more, so I ordered 10 0.6 x 1.2m sheets. Just as well, as I ran out of plywood for the rear bulkhead due to mucking up the cutting of one panel. The new wood duly rocked up at about 2pm. Read More
You’ve been framed again
UPDATED 12/08/10 (update here)
Earlier, I set myself the goal of replacing the existing window framing, which was both ill-fitting and full of holes where parts had been moved and re-moved. Rather than fill and bodge the frame further, I decided to learn from my lessons and re-do the frame, measuring in place for extra accuracy.
I set to the task this morning with my trusty tape and mitre saw at the ready. I took down the existing frame, measured up the pieces and the gaps, and re-cut all the parts. This took a while because there are some tricky angles. Read More
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