747-400 cockpit project

[Blake H]

It is here!       

The real deal.

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Congratulations!
I can't wait until my next trip to Perth to see all of your good work.
Keep it up !
Regards, Richard

[Blake H]

No worries, anyone coming to Perth is very welcome to see the cockpit. I am planning to do at least 16 hours a week of work. The overhead and MIP is empty back to the cross section after this weekend adventures. I feel very bad when I am drilling out rivets, even worse when the angle grinder is out. It is the only way for the cockpit to live again. The landing gear panel is for sale as I already have my own panel. Weight to me is everything for the motion gear. My panel is much lighter.

[Blake H]

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=36B948F70276CA00&id=36B948F70276CA00%21103#cid=36B948F70276CA00&id=36B948F70276CA00%21121

[stekeller]

Wow - I would LOVE to have that in my garage. If I had a garage...

Not much call for that in downtown Chicago I am afraid.

Congrats and thank you for posting these!

- Stekeller
KORD

[the mad hatter]

Blake its really small I did not think you could get it cut down that far... word of advise  "Throw the angle grinder away" it does more damage than good, besides all the bits that you need to come out are mostly screws, nuts (8mm 5.8ths 13mm and few others) cannon plugs everything is mostly "push turn and pull" this way you keep your wiring intact right? and you can use the cannon plugs to connect to PSX etc etc right?

what else can I yell ya oh yeah that's right get it up higher off the ground much easier to disconnect the TQ from the bottom up than the top down same with the controls

don't pressure wash but steam wash once back to base green .. the weight of light-plates is "bollocks" in the overall weight for motion.... Your real issue is your visuals and this will change your CG  the math is .... 90% visual 5% sound 5% motion the rest child's play...NO?

How are you going to mount that base as is to a motion platform? ( via a plug- or knuckles), now what about your floor (which weights about 800lbs in it's natural state stripped....now the floor you have is obsolete because as you said weight is everything to you so then transfer point by point the fitment of the Yokes and rudders to your new floor which includes the total area for your visuals (because your visual system is going to extend beyond what you currently have right?.....Then what about your instructor station? (if internal you are going to have to extend your floor area right?

Thus...keep the trim for your internal shapes plus cut out the windows... now you have something that weights at most
XXX and you have the inside done right??? But then nothing beats the real thing does it?.. Once you are committed to a real deck you are committed :mrgreen:

[Blake H]

It was easier to cut some sections of the MIP. Some rivets are on unusual angles and tight places, back to front behind for a good drill point. I guess it was never intented to be disassembled, also were the cockpit was originally cut this needs to be smoothed out. It is not just the gear panel it is the whole structure of the MIP that goes with it. I am going to have a 3 piece MIP left center and right. This makes easy for maintenance. The gear panel does not work with my concept. The standby attitude indicator and center engine display are off the one LCD, all the original structure would be in the way. The plan is gut the MIP overhead and side panels leave the a/c as this will come in handy. Then tip on its side mount the frame for the motion platform. The place on 44 gal drum to work on controls tq and remove unwanted parts. Oh cant forget gut the p6 panel the weight is around 80 lbs. My new I/O box. This is where I will have all the wiring coming into the I/O cards and out the sim. It is cruel but has to be done this weight is unacceptable. I will have a few Cbs that are operationally need.

Noted, I will steam wash

Note, cockpit weight 905kg off the dock. Like to get down to 700kg.

Blake

[the mad hatter]

OMG Blake you are going to burn !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL, a man and an angle grinder.. I bet you 10 bucks you took an angle grinder to the MIP because you got vexed with the landing gear and the removal of such. IF you drill out the rivets at the base of the glare you could have pulled it out from there...I know I have the skin left on my deck to prove it ;-)  

Does this mean you still have the 8x8 cans for the displays? if so I want em ( I stood on mine by mistake) ...Interesting concepts you have there good sir :-)  I will be keen following your progress as you go.. keep us posted

thanks

[Blake H]

No, binned.

Rubbish bins went out yesterday.

Sorry.

[Phil Bunch]

Quite amazing to see the photos of your cockpit - thanks for posting them.

Reminds me of the saying "one photo is worth a thousand words"...

Wishing for you the best of luck (and success)!

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Blake: do you have this switch?

[John Golin]

Oh hoppie!  :twisted:

[farrokh747]

good doing blake...., lots of work ahead - !

sent you a mail, bouncing back....

cheers

fc

[Blake H]

Negative  

[the mad hatter]

what a cool switch thanks Yes Blake Mr F is right you have some hard work ahead of you... I am sure you will have a ton of fun if not some skin off your knuckles,, I have have found these flightdecks were not designed to come part

[boeingrocks]

Wow, it looks awesome good luck!!!!

[Avi]

Blake: do you have this switch?

Will PSX have it?  

[Blake H]

Update...

Progress mmmm.

Cleaned and repainted.

The overhead and maintenance panel is completely installed same with the pedestal. All wiring is completed to the avionics bay p6. P6 has been turned in the i/o box. I/o cards are installed, just no connection yet to the spaghetti wires. All lights work except the map reading light. Just on order GE 1308's globes. Glareshield is completely installed.

Halfway through the MIP, using Flight Deck Solution panels. Cockpit is 925mm off the ground, This is the height of the motion platform. Base and rear compartment plus visuals are under construction. Have x2 747 jump seats been shipped as we speak. Gwyn Perrett from Aerosim solution is building aircraft control system gears for pots and dc motors next months. I have x2 Eros mask, x2 emergency torches, x2 headsets, x2 observer map reading light shipped. Just can't find stowage boxes for the masks.

Note, I am using 3 turn pots for control systems. Flight control are force feedback dc motors.

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/potentiometers/4601893/


I will release photos Jan next year, hopefully as a complete cockpit.

Come on MIP....

[Blake H]

I might have been vague with complete, what I mean is inside the cockpit no visuals motion or aft section. 

[Blake H]

Finally had time to upload. Enjoy.


The landing gear panel/lever is for sale if anyone is interested.