EMB Legacy..AHHHH Cessna

[BlackWidow]

Hello All

I have been lurking here for quite some time and have just started to build a simulator. At first I was going to do a EMB Legacy but just last weekend while visiting a yard full of old aircraft (Military & Civilian) parts. I happend across a 172 that was in perfect shape for a simulator. A few calls (To make sure i wasnt going to destroy a plane that was worth alot) & 100.00 USD later i was on my way home with the 172. So now I am building a GA cockpit.

I will be using the PM GAGC software and since i had already purchased the RJ software i figure when I am ready to upgrade from GA to RJ it should be alot easier for me to do. I will post some images this weekend. Anyway just wanted to say Hi and introduce myself and my sim.

Mike

[AndyT]

Hi Mike,

Feel free to send the 172 to me in Waipahu Hawaii. I'll even help pay shipping! :D

Seriously though, How about some pix of the baby before you get started on her?

[Matt Olieman]

You lucky dog $100, I'd like to find those kind of deals :)

Please keep us posted on your project, and of course if you got pics of you C172, PLEASE :) post them....

[jabomeister]

wow my '172 fuselage' which is a desk from Walmart cost nearly as much....lucky indeed. How did you get it home?
Was it towable on the main landing gear>?

[BlackWidow]

I have my own welding buisness and my welding truck is a F350 Crew Cab with the 8' bed. I cut the tail section off of the 172 right at the rear window bulkhead. Then i just pushed it over on its nose (The firewall forward was already gone & no doors) then me and one of the yard workers just slid it in upside down in the back of my truck and I drove the 45 miles home with no problem.

Unfortunatley it was late the next day and i wanted to move it in to the garage so instead of taking the time to remove the bolts that hold up the landing gear I just got out my torch and cut them off. A friend of mine who owns a 170B said the landing gear was worth about $300 so im a little upset with myself for that but nothing i can do now. Although I did sale the solid axles for $50 so i made up half my cost already.

[Trevor Hale]

I assure you that this is one, but surly not the last mistake you will make that ends up costing you some money. The Pit building hobby is very much Trial and Error.

However take confidence in knowing, "Mycockpit.org is here to try to relieve some of those costly mistakes, as some of us have made them, and can teach others how to avoid them"

Regards,

Trev

[BlackWidow]

Ok I just got back from the Yard and here are some images of the stuff i have seen there. The last image in the series is what i purchased for $40.00 USD i hope i did good.

http://www.mgwelding.homeip.net/

[Bob Reed]

I would have to say you done did real well!!!!!

[Trevor Hale]

Man, What I wouldn't give to have some fun in a place like that.

Great Job

[BlackWidow]

I have updated the images on my website. There are now images of the 172 just scroll down to the bottom. Well it apears that it is a 182E and not a 172 like i Thought COOL

http://www.mgwelding.homeip.net/

[dodiano]

If you want to get rid of that Black MFD I´ll be happy to buy it !! Lot´s of cool stuff that Grey Panel I will Think Apache Helicopter or something like that the one with the 2 openings for screens!!

DUDE IS THAT AN F-18 PIT??? My GOD I WILL JUMP ON THAT LOL!! And those seats are worth you r time jejejejejej Thanks for sharing!

Regards.

Roberto

[AndyT]

Ok, Which one of you is going to send me a couple of plane tickets so I can go and scrounge in there..??? :D

[Bob Reed]

You first after me!!!!!

[Michael Carter]

Wow, great find at the right price. The glass being intact is a real bonus.

What boneyard is that? Surely there must be enough parts there to make at least one whole airplane!:D

[jabomeister]

remember guys if you're not a US citizen they won't sell you that stuff. You need to get someone else to buy it for you.

[steve diamond]

first well done on your new plane,now the fun starts,by the looks of it youve got a great base to work on,so now you need to plan plan and plan again,i can help with the wiring in of the controls ect,so when you get there give me a shout,one suggestion is to go for phidgets to control you aircraft,you can fit your main controls and brakes on one or two cards,and they are easy to setup,
once again well done,and welcome to the real metal club,
steve diamond

[dodiano]

remember guys if you're not a US citizen they won't sell you that stuff. You need to get someone else to buy it for you.

Nope that is not true buddy! You can buy it without being from the U.S.!

Regards,

Roberto

[BlackWidow]

My FDS SYS3 Board has just arrived. WHOOO HOOOO.

So as an update I have fabed up a new firewall and a new panel I have made my cutouts for the two 15"LCD's that will go in the panel. big difference between the 10" or 12" you get with the real G1000. My monitors will take up most of the panel. I will post pics this weekend I am drawing up the plans for the switches and rotarys that are around the screens.

[Bob Reed]

Very good. Please keep us posted!

[Trevor Hale]

Talk about being bitten by the bug.. Man your moving fast :)

[BlackWidow]

Hello fellow simpit builders

Between building my fence in the backyard and other various projects I have managed to do some work on the panel for my Cessna sim. Here is my link the first three images are the work I have completed so far on the panel

http://www.mgwelding.homeip.net/

I will try this weekend to create a photo gallery on this site.

MG

[Bob Reed]

Looks GREAT! You are doing a very nice job. Keep the pictures coming!

[BlackWidow]

The otherday I jumped into FSX to test some switches on my panel. Thats when i noticed that although the Taxi and Landing lights were switched on I could not see them on the runway. This was in FSX so i jumped over to FS9 and they worked perfect, back over to FSX I swithced into various aircraft (stock & Payware) and none of the lights seemed to project onto the runway.

Is this a known issue or am I missing something


Thanks,

Mike

[Bob Reed]

Last I knew this was not fixed in FSX.. It is not your hardware!

[BlackWidow]

Thanks Bob i have been moving all my sliders and messing around with my setting on the grafix card and nothing helps I guess i will wait for a patch lol

[BlackWidow]

Well an update in case anyone is interested there are new pics at http://www.mgwelding.homeip.net/ the frist 5 are the new ones. I have the panel wired and all ready to go less decals. the overhead was wired up but decided to disconect them and use them at a later date. I am saveing up for 2 lcd screens for the holes in the panel. Right now I am in the process of installing the yokes just a bit more fab work to do and they will be ready to go.

[BlackWidow]

Well its been awhile Hello sim builders I have been super busy at work and now getting ready for Airventure (and a flight in Aluminium Overcast EAA's B17) I will get my sim up to date when i return from Airventure Cya in the air

[Bob Reed]

Good to hear from ya man!! Stop in a little more often!!!

[BlackWidow]

Yes i promise i will right after i get back from airventure work is slowing down so i will be back to the sim soon. cya

[Bob Reed]

Airventure is that the T-6 thing?

[Bob Reed]

Airventure is that the T-6 thing?

Ok never mind I see where you are going.

[BlackWidow]

I am on my 5th rebuild of the cocpit shell. No matter what happens when i try to build with wood it never comes out the way i see it in my head. I was fooling around with an idea for the windscreen and made a small replica out of aluminium and I realised this was going to work I made a full scale version of it and it looked awsome except for the fact that it did not look anything like the airframe i was building. But it did look like a CRJ windscreen so I have once again changed my mind and am now building a CRJ sim. not that this is all bad the CRJ was one of the first sims i thought to build. I feel like a pancake bieng fliped all the time and i think (hope) Im finally golden brown and ready to come out of the fryingpan.

[BlackWidow]

Well its been along time since i have updated this post.. So here I am today with yet another new direction for my sim hobby. My garage that i had intended to use for my simpit is not near finished (ie heat, Front roll up door etc...) So I am using a small walk-in closet area that is out of the way and we don't use it anyway. I have decided just so i can feel like i am in a plane flying i would build a simple Super Cub pit I love the super cub and if i had the money I would buy one so i thought what the heck. Here is my panel that i have been working on. The gauges are from FSXpand and even though i only have the demo it works perfect. I still plan on putting some switches in the panel and a few other things then i will work on the main shell.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1219092118a.jpg

Here is the image with the lights out

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1219092118.jpg

Anyway Until i can build in the a Garage this is what i will use.

[BlackWidow]

Hello again

This is what i did today

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1220091503.jpg

The black rotary switches are from Goflight the white squares are actually combination LED/momentary push button the push button function will be for FSX/Xplane related stuff like Pause, Esc etc... the LED portion will be used to display the VAC, ALT, and OIL indicator lights. The two lower toggle switches are for L/R magneto's and the round momentary push button is the starter switch the upper toggle is for Pitot heat. I have the two square switches are for other FSX/Xplane function. I still need to locate the Carb Heat switch which will be a push/pull switch and the Mixture lever. All of my lights and other switches will be located on the inside wing structure like some Super Cubs i have seen. Thanks

[davek]

Hey Mike
Thats a great idea using the walkin closet. Its a great way to control the lighting esp for those night flights, and having the monitor in front will tend to keep your focus for the immersion.
My pit is huge and will need an entire bedroom, good job the kids have gone!

Love that panel. Nice work. What software did you use for the instrument layout?
cheers
Dave

[BlackWidow]

The software is FSXpand. I think it is a very nicely done piece of software it is very smooth and provides all the info i need. Plus it is very customizable. Thanks for the kind words. BTW the closet is nice except during our 110degre summers. there is not much air flow so i have to usually put a fan blowing from the adjacent room to try and keep it cool. Otherwise my PC will lock up from heat.

[BlackWidow]

Over the past few days I have done some work on the shell. this first pic is both sides. The second image is a close up of the outside showing the .16 Aluminum that is used for the skin. This will also be used inside. I'm not sure if i am going to put in an actual door yet.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1223091046.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1223091047.jpg

[BlackWidow]

Hello again

After a few house chores before family comes to visit I did a little bit more.

This is the fitment before the inner skin goes on.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1223091511.jpg

With the skin on and the cover plate

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1223092107.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1223092108.jpg

Thanks for looking

[BlackWidow]

Some more work done on the pit

This is not the final color I am going to do a forest green interior and a beige outside. I still have to do the upper portion of the shell. Overall I am pretty happy with the way it has turned out.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1225091446.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1225091445.jpg

[Matt Olieman]

Nice work Mike :) :) :) very nice :)

[BlackWidow]

A little more work today

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1227091157.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1227091508.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1227091519.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv228/BlackWidow29/1227091156.jpg

This last pic looks black but it is actually green. I still want to get a GF-46 to put above the GF-48 and that will take care of my radio/nav and transponder issues. I also added a 12 volt map light.

Thanks for looking