To shell or not to shell ? That is A question !!! :D

[Nick1150]

So I was wondering, given that building a shell requires many more things than the shell, for example interior liners, definately 3 projectors, map lights, tillers, A/C, huge spare room, etc, etc, etc..... Are there any people here that have choosed a simpler way of having fun than building a shell ? Are there any people who have tried both ?

I am giving pictures below to give you hints to start the discussion:

;)


http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/B737shell.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/B737shellprojectors.jpg

VS

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/SimConstruct-001.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/SimConstruct-002.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/SimConstruct-003.jpg

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Nick1150/My%20Cockpit/SimConstruct-004.jpg

:D

PS. Photos from your project could be nice ;)

[Matt Olieman]

That's tough question Nick. :) Bottom line is, how much room do you have and then what are you going to do for visuals. If you go to the extent of a shell, you won't be happy unless you have good visuals.

The other reason for the shell is to get that enclosed cockpit feeling. It does make a difference and helps give you more of the cockpit experience.

Then on the other side without the shell, in a dark room and minimal enclosure you can get a very good feel of the cockpit experience.

Oh, money helps too :) :) :)

Because of my current limited space I'm looking at the frame work setup as in the pics above. Have to find someone to do the metal work for me :) :) :)

Love the graphics.

[737NUT]

I have had all levels from just a single PC up to a real 737 cockpit and 8 pc's. I can tell you that Matt is right, nothing beats sitting in an enclosure for the feel of actually being there. That being said, there were many times climbing in and out of that shell that i longed for the simpler days of a single PC! lol To each his own as they say, but a shell is better.

[No Longer Active]

Many people just build inside outwards....

They start with the basics such as the MIP and pedestal, then build a window frame, then side panels or side walls, then overhead etc etc.

I'd say just build up slowly and eventually you will end up more enclosed than what you think!

Panel at a time my friend!

Check this thread out:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/17461-767-300-update-5?highlight=737+update

[Steve A]

1st i started at the desk with a mip, and then moved onto an "enclosure" of sorts that basically consisted of windshield and overhead frame, much like the graphics above but homemade and pretty rubbish lol. Now i have a fully enclosed cockpit "shell" i say "shell" loosely because again its home made and a little like a garden shed. I have a back wall and entry point but no door, this is just a curtain i slide across, but once its closed i am completely immersed and i wouldn't go back to the other two options unless i suddenly had no space thru moving house etc. I can only imagine how great it must be to have a real or pro built shell with all the trimmings like sidewalls and perspex winscreens etc.
On a side note i have only one projector at the moment and the visuals coould be better but a little trick i used was to block off the side windows with shower curtain stretched flat, it takes some of the things you dont want to see away from your view and with the big screen up front a real sense of motion is achieved.

[No Longer Active]

Where would you be without your shower curtains Steve, lol, you love em' ;)

[choffmann]

Hi Nick,

I second to all who made a post here before: It is absolutely true, that the complete enclosure of your home cockpit creates an intense feeling of actually being in a real one. Even if you don´t have space to accomodate side view projections, a front view outside from within a shell is simply great. You don´t necessarily need to build the outer surface of the shell, you can make a rib model and close it with interior linings. That´s the approach I took. If you have plenty of room, you can access the outside and cover it with whatever material is appropriate.
If you are in a shell, for acoustic reasons, the cockpit noises sound much more realistic than in an open cockpit.

Cheers
Chris

[Steve A]

Good point about the sounds Chris, that also adds a lot to the experience, a few well placed speakers for even more immersion.

[rjvcarvalho]

How could i resist build this?!
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/3586/dsc6177i.jpg
Here is my build (http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/20018-My-hybrid-cockpit-build)

Trust me, the shell makes all the diference.

[fsaviator]

Nick,

I'm going halfway. I'm building the framework, then enclosing it from the inside. In other words, top and side panels, rear bulkhead etc. I'm not concerned with it looking like an airplane from the outside. I want full immersion inside though. I don't have the room to walk around it anyway.

I plan on building all the panels myself with fiberglass. It will give me an excuse to learn a new technique. I've been reading up on it and I believe that I can get some good shaping with foam, then cover with fiberglass. In theory, if you know what you're doing, you could complete it for under $200 and some time.

When talking about fiberglass, I mean cloth and resin. Put down some resin, lay down the cloth, put down more resin etc.

Sand, Bondo, sand, prime, paint... Too Easy:shock:

Only time will tell, as I've never worked with fiberglass.

Warren

[jsfboat]

Just make sure to use a respirator when mixing the resin and catalyst, use proper resin and catalysts for the desired cloth and mix thoroughly and change the orientation of the cloth direction every layer.

[fsaviator]

You bet. Thanks. I'm optimistic that after a few trials and errors, I may actually get something that looks right.

The key will be building the panels small enough to get them in the basement after they cure. Not enough ventilation down there to try making them there.