Rob65
11-15-2009, 03:07 PM
Hi,
I am almost completely new to simming. I did play around with FS 3.1 way back and I even bought a 'proper' joystick with throttle handle - nothing fancy just a MS Sidewinder. Never followed any lessons or bothered to look at procedures that should be followed, I was just passing some time plowing through the runway and all the fields around it :eek: I quickly discovered that a PC keyboard and a mouse are not the right tools to control an aeroplane and the stuff got thrown in a corner.
But now I am infected again (thanks Hessel!). I like to make stuff and decided to start flying again, combined with instrument building. Not a complete cockpit, there is no room (yet...) for one, but just some instrument panels, yoke, throttle and what else comes on my way. I still have my Sidewinder (I hope - need to check that last few moving boxes in the attic) so I can start building while playing/learning.
I like a challenge so I am limiting myself by not allowing any factory stuff or kits and the instruments should have the proper look&feel - all instrument will be completely made by me but I do allow others to help me out where I am stuck.
Just to show the first thing I started working on today: the standby attitude indicator of a Boeing 757/767:
http://flightsim.myvoice.nl/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/SAI.png
Still only a design but in a few days the servos will arrive and I can then verify the size of the servos and start building.
Since I am a complete newby in the field of panel building I have no idea how to get the proper dimensions for the instruments. I used some known measurements, combined this with bevel design and sizes I found on the internet and decided to go for a 3.975 x 3.975" instrument.
Is this the way to go? Just guess what the actual size should be?
I am not too concerned about the exact shape of the cutout of the front panel or the exact markings on the indicator - I found that these do vary throughout the years - but if I mess up the dimensions I need to do a complete rebuild - something I don't fancy.
Regards,
Rob
I am almost completely new to simming. I did play around with FS 3.1 way back and I even bought a 'proper' joystick with throttle handle - nothing fancy just a MS Sidewinder. Never followed any lessons or bothered to look at procedures that should be followed, I was just passing some time plowing through the runway and all the fields around it :eek: I quickly discovered that a PC keyboard and a mouse are not the right tools to control an aeroplane and the stuff got thrown in a corner.
But now I am infected again (thanks Hessel!). I like to make stuff and decided to start flying again, combined with instrument building. Not a complete cockpit, there is no room (yet...) for one, but just some instrument panels, yoke, throttle and what else comes on my way. I still have my Sidewinder (I hope - need to check that last few moving boxes in the attic) so I can start building while playing/learning.
I like a challenge so I am limiting myself by not allowing any factory stuff or kits and the instruments should have the proper look&feel - all instrument will be completely made by me but I do allow others to help me out where I am stuck.
Just to show the first thing I started working on today: the standby attitude indicator of a Boeing 757/767:
http://flightsim.myvoice.nl/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/SAI.png
Still only a design but in a few days the servos will arrive and I can then verify the size of the servos and start building.
Since I am a complete newby in the field of panel building I have no idea how to get the proper dimensions for the instruments. I used some known measurements, combined this with bevel design and sizes I found on the internet and decided to go for a 3.975 x 3.975" instrument.
Is this the way to go? Just guess what the actual size should be?
I am not too concerned about the exact shape of the cutout of the front panel or the exact markings on the indicator - I found that these do vary throughout the years - but if I mess up the dimensions I need to do a complete rebuild - something I don't fancy.
Regards,
Rob