New 737 simmer

[jaymo]

Just starting, and I know the struggle will be long and hard to get to speed with a lot of you guys.

As a start, I already have the following softwares, PM, FSUIPC, WIdeFS, Wideview, FSX ( 2 copies - one for the side views).
As for hardware, I ordered the FDS MCP / Efis combo to start (Supposed to be easy- Plug and play?)
Already have: 1- InFocus Projector, 3- 19" LCD's, Triplehead2go, 1-17" LCD, 5PC's, Cat-6 cables w/ 5-Gig Nic cards and Gig switch..and have a lot to go ordering hardware..

I am presently fighting with myself ( and trying to accomodate my wife) as to either going with a real 727 cockpit ( modifying it for a 737NG), or just start from scratch by using Aerodeck Engineering parts.. :rolleyes:

I will be asking for help as I go along , since I am not a wiz at a lot of things, like configuring/ calibrating FSUIPC, etc. I have read the document but I am more confused than before..( Hey, at 56, what can you expect?)

So, without further adieu, I hope to be accepted to the world of real simulation!! Thanks..

BTW, I am located in the Miami area, so if there are any simmers close to me, let me know!

[Bob Reed]

My 2 cents. Yes I have flown a few real shell sims. Yes they are nice...BUT.... You are confined in your building to the actual layout of the shell. NO EXTRA ROOM PERIOD! I have decided that a real shell will never be an option for me. My cockpit is in the open right now and I find it tight corders working on it. I can not imagine what it would be like trying to do this in a real shell. ( I used to work on real AC... NO ROOM!!!!) I do not care what the outside looks like. 2 reasons. My sim will never have motion so I do not have to worry about that and I do not fly it from outside. The inside is the important part! I just think a lot of headaches can be avoided by not using a real shell..... Oh and welcome to the Dark Side.... It never gets better, only worse!!

[Trevor Hale]

Welcome to the community. I look forward to seeing pictures of your setup. Post in the gallery often so we can see what your up to. More so, Our community is full of information, please use it as you need it.

Great to see you.

Best regards,

Trev

[Michael Carter]

Welcome to the site. Sounds like quite a project you are starting with all of the aquired hardware.

That's miles beyond where I am right now.

Good luck with your 737.

I'll never have a shell either due to space constraints. Heck, I don't even have room for the entire instrument panel, but I'm satisfied that it will be a decent sim when I get it close enough to fly.

[Bob Reed]

AS there seems to be a number of new builders here I am reposting this link and "recommend" that you newbies (and some of you oldies :) ) read this! There is a lot of good information in that thread! And remember fly, fly, fly!!!! If your sim is not flyable, desktop fly! Work on the AC you are going to use in the sim. Learn the systems... BUT!!!!!! FLY!!!!!!!

[Michael Carter]

I still do a fair amount of flying. Since the MIP is the last to be built, I'm still using a 19" monitor for that and the outside view.

I love to fly this aircraft. It feels like a comfortable pair of jeans or a well broken in pair of boots.

From a short hop from EHAM to EGPH

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/7799/edi7nn8.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/7065/edi3sb9.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/6595/edi5te1.jpg

A short sight seeing trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow. Aircraft is the Caronedo(sp) C-206 Stationaire

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3060/glasgow1uf8.jpg

[aviaparts]

Hi there,

Well, my 2 cents if it comes to using a real flightdeck or not would be that if you are in a hurry to start flying the sim, best would be not to go for a real shell, BUT if you are willing to invest a lot of time in first refurbishing the flightdeck and then installing all the components, I would defenitely recommend a real deck.
If I had to do it again, I would restart with a real deck (I used a retired 707), every time I step into the cockpit and close the door behind me, it does give a special feeling ...

[Trevor Hale]

If only the walls of that 707 could talk, I am sure that they would have a lot to say.

If I could have a real shell, I would. Just knowing that the item your sim is installed in actually used to fly would do it for me.

Wish I could have afforded to get one.

Ah well, I will just have to envy you folks that do.

[jaymo]

Wow, what a RECEPTION !!!! :D
You guys really have made it comfortable for me.
I truly appreciate your responses and ideas. Glad I found this site.
Hopefully, many moons from now, I can return the same reception to other "Newbies" ..

As far as the "real shell or not" , I can sum it up like this : I think like Trevor-The idea that a real shell actually flew sure sounds enticing and it would be a heck of a thrill "flying" it again, but the work needed to refurbish it, well, it puts my spine out of place....The other way, Need lots of $$$...........Money vs. work and time...decisions, decisions....That's for the next Chapter.

[Trevor Hale]

Well,

Keep us posted on your decision.

I can't wait to see your progress.

Best regards,

Trev

[Westozy]

Welcome to mycockpit.org jaymo,

737's are the easiest build because of the availability of hardware. I would avoid a real shell for sure. Check out my 737 which can be dismantled and loaded for transport within 30 minutes. So my advice is to keep it simple as possible to avoid some of the frustrations we all encounter.

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=547

My 2 cents!

Gwyn

[Trevor Hale]

His sim will be ready for transport in 30 minutes, but it will take him 2 hours to set it up again....:p

Right Gwyn.

Stay away from the Kangaroo pee (fosters)

:)

[steve diamond]

hi,and welcome to the dark side,??!!!!!! my own veiw is that a real deck although hard work is very well worth it,if ;you go that route lots of us can help with the problems you will come up against,,and doing your preflight checks on a real deck with real panels ect is very nice,but then some of the pits i see on my cockpit are amazing and sometimes i cant tell the difference between made and real ,
keep up the good work and you will be rewarded,
where you from,?
cheers my boy,
steve diamond

[Westozy]

Errrrrrrrrrrr wrong, it goes back together just as quick, multipin plugs everywhere. Pop over and have a look Trev, I taught McGyver everything he knows!

Gwyn

[Trevor Hale]

ROFL Gwyn... Sure... Sure.. :) If everything works that good, thats incredible. I am sure if I disconnected my pit and tried to move it, It would never work again :).

[jaymo]

I can see both sides of the coin, keeping it simple ( like westozy) or get that immersed feeling all around you (like aviaparts and trevor)..Hmmmm

More food for thought....

What's tempting as heck is that there are some real cockpits available around town here right now, very convenient..A 737-200 and a 727-200...the 727 is cheaper, and has a flight engineer's area ( turn that into a flight instructor's area?..Hmmm....

More food for thought # 2......Stay tuned...

[Bob Reed]

By the way a 737 and 727 cockpit are almost indeintacal...... Might want to keep that in mind....

[ekezz]

hmmm, Bob, minor detail, there are three engines to a 727 :lol:
ofcourse you know that

[Michael Carter]

I know I know it. :lol:

[Bob Reed]

But the cockpit structure does not care if it has 3 engines or 2! They are pretty much the same insdie. It will only matter if the 727 comes with a quad and then if it is cheap enough, who cares!

[Michael Carter]

Well, Bob's right. The 707, 737, and 727 all share the same upper fuse.

Just about everything in the control cabin from the early models is interchangeable except for the center three instrument panel pieces and the TQ.

[W9XE/Project777]

Jaymo

You do have some advantages many others don't like having Aerodeck Engineering near you. I believe they sell old cockpits but not sure there cost. I sent them an email a few days ago with some questions but no word yet.

There can be some savings in a real cockpit. Many times you can get the pedals, yokes and even the throttle quad with some. These are added expenses that mount up.

I believe you were deciding on a 737 or a 727. There is much more out there for the 737 so availability of parts will be of more help. On a 727, unless you are going the steam gauge route best would be a real cockpit here. Unless you have the talent like some of our pioneer builders to make the parts yourself you may wait sometime.

As popular as the B777 is there is still only one place for those parts FDS and they are limited at this time.

I think there is some other builders in your area that might PM you. I know of a couple in Florida that are using real cockpits there. 8-)

[jaymo]

Well, not really...Aerodeck Engineering is actually located in Dominican Republic. This is where they do the actual manufacturing of the parts.
They only have an office in Miami which is barely manned. As of now, they have 2 - 727 real cockpits (anyone want one?) here in Miami...One of them is an ex-Delta 727.

I thought about it , but I am still undecided as to what to do.. The cockpits have the pedals and yokes, though ..Only problem for me would be the following:
How to load and unload the thing onto a truck and at the home.
How to wire the real pedals and columns/yokes to the computers?
I am not too talented for certain things...

I do have connections with a place that can make a fiberglass shell (from a real 737 ). So, while easier for me, it would cost a whole lotta $$ to go that route vs. buying the real cockpit...

Any words of wisdom are welcomed ! :D

[ralmav]

Hi out there,
there´s a third possibility... go for 1:1 shell fibreglass replica.
That´s what i did, look at my website.It came in 4 parts and if you do some work ,like cutting, painting etc. by yourself its not that heavy and expensive like a real shell i suppose.The advantage of a real shell or a replica is ,that you have a structure from where you can measure where the other parts should be , like MIP etc.That was very helpfull for me!
Best Regards
Ralf

[jaymo]

Hey Ralmav, nice going! You are a 100 years ahead of me...I think I am also going to go the Flightdeck I/O boards...

Question: Can't you just "Y" off the PM -PFD/ND Capt monitor to feed the F/O's screeen? Just asking..

The shell ain't bad at all, it is just the walls that are going to be a pain to make it look like a 737NG interior...

[Bob Reed]

Hooking electronics to working peddles and tillers is EASY!! PROVIDING they are still hooked up! The connecting parts a lot of times are gone.And they usually cost more then the shell to replace.

[jaymo]

Hooking electronics to working peddles and tillers is EASY!! PROVIDING they are still hooked up! The connecting parts a lot of times are gone.And they usually cost more then the shell to replace.

Ok, you are going to be my tutor!!! I don't have the slightest clue how to begin with that type of work...Easy?:(

[Bob Reed]

Well I will try to give you an idea. Your yokes and peddles will be hooked together under the floor. So this means you only have to hook a pot to one of the control rods or linkages (better term). So one pot for rudders, one pot for left and right (yokes) and one pot for up and down (tillers) I have some pics that show how others have done it with real cockpits I will dig them up.

[jaymo]

Well I will try to give you an idea. Your yokes and peddles will be hooked together under the floor. So this means you only have to hook a pot to one of the control rods or linkages (better term). So one pot for rudders, one pot for left and right (yokes) and one pot for up and down (tillers) I have some pics that show how others have done it with real cockpits I will dig them up.

Thanks, Bob.. It is appreciated ..I would like to email you separately so as not to flood this thread too much. Would you mind ? I need to be enlightened in more details ( like, how to wire the "Pot" to the PC?)...maybe like a sketch , that type of info...Again, thanks so much to all on this fourm..

[ralmav]

Jaymo,

a 100 years ahead ...that´s what i thought when i saw the sims of the other guys here ..:-) to be honest... i started building my sim in september last year. But before there where years of planning, saving money, saving money....saving...and convincing my wife ;)

..Question: Can't you just "Y" off the PM -PFD/ND Capt monitor to feed the F/O's screeen? Just asking...

That´s no problem if you have a display card with two outs ,then simply clone the Win desktop on two monitors.But if you going for a MCP with two EFIS it makes sense to have the PM F/O Remote license.

..The shell ain't bad at all, it is just the walls that are going to be a pain to make it look like a 737NG interior...

Cockpitsonic in Germany sells interior parts as well, i have the overhead and "eyebrows" interiors from them.I´m thinking of making the floor interior parts by myself ,maybe a combination of wood and fibreglass (epoxy).
I think making the floor interiors is not that heavy cause there are not those "round" parts that you have in the overhead section.

Ralf

[jaymo]

Thanks, Ralf...I hope to get this project going soon and providing pics ...

( I hope your wife is convinced soon, mine is not taking it too easy) She claims I have the beginnings of Alzheimer's and could commit me to the funny farm) !! :(

[Trevor Hale]

( She claims I have the beginnings of Alzheimer's and could commit me to the funny farm) !! :(

Join the CLub buddy, Join the club. If I had a nickle for everytime my wife thought I was nutts regarding this pit stuff, I would have enough to buy a full motion sim from CAE.. LOL