What Members are Building

[W9XE/Project777]

If you are new to the IFSBI website and have not been into the Gallery you must check out what the building community is doing. For instance check out Westozy’s pictures and drawings. Just to start with the rudder pedals. This is a work of art and simplicity at its finest. This design will work and it looks like a great choice if on a low budget. It looks real and would be easy to interface. Another area is his sim floor base. Most builders are using wood but he is using a metal frame. This is the way I plan my base as well. This would be good where you have a low clearance ceiling to contend with. Strength will be a big plus for me in this design. I will be using 3 L1011 seats in my 777. Can bolt directly to welded cross members in the base.

He also has recently posted some new pictures of his throttle work and drawing.

Well Done Westozy

[W9XE/Project777]

Here is another great project coming along. Check out VeeOne’s pictures in the Gallery. Using a metal frame and a nice fiberglass shell. Getting the real feel without having to purchase a nose section. Strength and beauty in one or should I say VeeOne

[Rodney]

Speaking of VeeOne and his metal frame and fiberglass shell, that's awesome. A little out of my budget today, but it is good to know that it can be done. I may go the route of FDS's shell, and modify it to fit my space. Who knows, I'm not that far.....yet.

[Westozy]

Cheers Larry for the comments on my work. It's a buzz to hear good feedback.
I've designed my sim to be modular and portable. At some stage, it will have to be dismantled to exit the "hangar", for painting and finishing on it's way to the Flight Stimulator room. When it is dismantled, I'm going to document its construction details, simplify it, and create a set of plans. What you see in my pictures has cost me less than $1,000 aussie dollars so far. Hundreds of hours have obviously gone in to it and I'll be sad to one day finish it! I know my Mk2 will look the same and be half the weight. The thing that scares me is the PC stuff, I know very little, (thanks for the offers of help Rodney). I'm not looking for commercial gain, I just want to share my ideas so I can gain the PC knowledge. My budget for the build is my left-over pocket money, so the Matrox Parhelia and projector arrive in 2027!
Captain Gwyn, the Westozy

[Trevor Hale]

Westozy,

You have know idea how I understand your dilema. Fortunatly I managed the projector from my work, I told them instead of buying a new bulb get a new projector. They gave me the old one and all I had to do was scrape together the coin for the bulb. This sim stuff it hard to do when your on a tight budget. I too Built all my A330 panels using Publisher to draw them then printed onto a "Back Light paper" then glued it to Plexi. Works nice, but the only down fall was I needed to use Round switches not Square, cause cutting square holes in 1/8" Plexi is not nice.

Give us a Woot for doing it as cheep as we can. I too Love the hobby, (new website updates comming soon) And am going for the Realism, but at a cost I can handle.

"PIT BUILDING SURE BEETS MOUSE FLYING"

Great to see you all here, Can't wait to see all of your projects.

Best

Trev
http://www.fsflightservice.com

[W9XE/Project777]

Captain Gwyn

This is exactly why we created IFSBI. The cockpit doesn't have to look exactly like the real deal down to DZUS fasteners. There are so many on a budget that just cant put 15 - 30K in a sim. My first sim plan kept the cost way down below $1000 but when I decided a 2 seater was necessary then the budget we more than twice. Then you start adding the real nice realistic looking panels price up again, original seats, up some more. It just never seems to stop.

I have looked into building my own CNC machine to build panels but I am not that good in the graphics department. Brian our feature Builder of the month did just that. Another great inspiration on what can be done.

One of the early projects I was most impressed with was also in Australia. I am sorry I forgot his name (maybe Duncan) but lived in Aculade (sp). Building a 747 out of a car. Made almost everything from MIP to throttles and with a 4 engine it doubles the work.

I am so pleased how much home design information is showing up. I hope we can get the word out to more sim builders to stop by and see that not every piece has to be purchased. There is a lot of talent out there that is showing up here.

Trevor I like the replacement projector idea. Will see if we can do that at my shop it it should ever happen.

[Bob Reed]

Good to see you all here. This is what IFSBI is all about. Lets share all we can! I have more pics to put up and some are very old... THey almost look silly now! Good job folks!

[Westozy]

I've asked a mate. Peter Stark to get a ifsbi link printed in Computer Pilot magazine. Peter writes good articles in CP, and he's another westozy and follows my project.

Captain Gwyn

[Matt Olieman]

Gwyn, that would be absolutely wonderful. Fellow builders need to know where they can go to share information and help other builders. We want this site to be a COMPLETE builders site, and we're always looking for new and better ways to provide this service.

Thanks Gwyn

[Westozy]

Drill a hole smaller than your square, use waste plexi as a back up, clamp it so it cant jump. Try not to drill all the way through the waste, this makes clean holes with no grabbing or breaks. Use high drill speed. Fit a small piece of a fine square file to your jigsaw and go for it. Spray the swarf away with CRC (spray lube), and clean the file regularly. Stick some tape to the shoe of the jigsaw so you don't scratch the plexi. Messy, but neat and quick.

Gwyn