2 Place Collimated Display

[fsaviator]

Looking good, John. I'll be waiting! Have a great summer. Has it stopped snowing there yet?

[tmcnam]

Hi Gene,
I know this was originally the thread for the 2 place general aviation size screen. It sounded like you had completed the design phase and I was wondering if it was at a point you could sell the CAD drawings? I realize the manual may not be completed but thought you might sell the drawings and write the manual as some are built. If so, let me know as I am ready to purchase either drawings or a short kit (although I have a good size CNC router with Aspire/VCarve).

BTW, I built a Rostock Max and lo and behold, who wrote the excellent manual for it...you did! Excellent job!

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to inquire.

Best Regards,
Tim McNamara MD

[geneb]

Tim, due to outstanding patents, I'm not going to be able to publish plans and such like I wanted to.
I'd promised the project to Castle before I fully understood where I stood with regard to the outstanding patent that my design uses. To avoid being turned into a greasy stain on the floor of some courtroom, I decided it would be in my best interests to not provide CAD drawings or plans to anyone else, sorry!

Congrats on your Rostock MAX! I hope you enjoy the machine. It's a blast.

g.

[tmcnam]

Hi Gene, I understand completely. Would you be willing to pass on the name of the supplier for the larger mylar?

Thanks,
Tim

[geneb]

Oh certainly! Unfortunately, it's on a sticky note at the office and I'm on vacation this week. Castle, can you post the source I pointed you to for the Mylar for Tim?

I'll send a note to my work address on the off chance he doesn't get to it by Monday.

g.

[castle]

Oh certainly! Unfortunately, it's on a sticky note at the office and I'm on vacation this week. Castle, can you post the source I pointed you to for the Mylar for Tim?

I'll send a note to my work address on the off chance he doesn't get to it by Monday.

g.

Also have been on vacation, but see you have posted the supplier. One comment, depending on the width of mylar you desire they can provide the specified size with one caveat. There is a limit on the size UPS will handle. Above that number you have to ship via freight and that is a tad more expensive. So if you want something for the 737 size, for example, might as well order a bunch (I got a thousand foot roll of 124" width). Never know when you might damage the mylar by dropping a tool, smudging the finish, or whatever.

[castle]

Also have been on vacation, but see you have posted the supplier. One comment, depending on the width of mylar you desire they can provide the specified size with one caveat. There is a limit on the size UPS will handle. Above that number you have to ship via freight and that is a tad more expensive. So if you want something for the 737 size, for example, might as well order a bunch (I got a thousand foot roll of 124" width). Never know when you might damage the mylar by dropping a tool, smudging the finish, or whatever.

Ooops, got my numbers mixed up. Bought a 1000 feet of the two side sticky tape and 400 feet of the mylar. That should be enough for 10 "tries" or re-skins of the mirror. Estimating the mirror will require a single section of mylar between 35 and 40 feet in length and about 100 feet of tape. The freight charges are pretty steep, so might as well by a bunch.

The sim room is progressing nicely. Electrical, heating and drywall should be done this week. Hopefully will have it done is a few weeks and get back to the main event..

Cheers
JW

[castle]

Howdy,
Well after a number of delays due to weather and contractor availability ( the fires and floods the past two years has created a building boom in the area ) the "sim-cave" project is ready for occupancy. started moving in the pieces and such last week in September and began building the mirror frame.

With clear sailing, hope to have the frame done and positioned by the end of November. It is one HEAVY beast! So once it is set in place and sections connected moving it would be just about impossible unless one was to disassemble the sections. Then the plan is to build the projection screen -- another large item, and finally to set the screen and then skin the mylar. The size and weight suggest it's best to have everything in place and set to preclude an accident if the mirror was done prior and while hoisting the screen into place something slipped. With just an open cavity we have more flex and don't have to be as careful when moving around the structure.

[castle]

Howdy,

Time for a progress report and some pics....

Attachment 8330

Had to back up quite a ways to try and capture the entire frame and with my back against the wall still not enough. so here are shots of the left and right ears..
Attachment 8331 and the right Attachment 8332

My live model was not available to give an idea of size, so the 8' ladder will have to do. The white ring is the two sided tape. The silver tube on the right edge is the roll of mylar. The team to attach the mylar has been assembled and we're discussing the best way to proceed. For you math/geometry types. consider wrapping a sheet of paper around a cone. In theory, you could calculate the size and shape of the mylar, add a margin , find an open basketball court, and cut away. In practice, think we'll go at it starting from the center and work toward each ear one side at a time.

Attachment 8337 Attachment 8338

I made some major mods to the spider design to lighten the weight and allow for assembly "in-place". Reduced the width of the arms and added doublers to retain strength and added a member to the hub to join the rear arms. The lower portion of the projection screen arc was hoisted into position after the hub and the arms were set in place. The ribs for the screen will be attached after the mylar is in place.

Also going to reduce the weight of the screen by cutting holes in the ribs. This will reduce the weight from around 50 lbs to around 35lbs; not a lot, but every ounce helps.
197_9712.jpg

And finally a shot of the carriage frame to hold the 737 cabin. Installed on casters so as to enable one to slide the unit away from the mirror and provide more space for access to the electronics housed behind the MIP and above the overhead, as well as the flight controls and control loading mechanisms.

197_9709.jpg

Still a few nits to work on as well completing the exhaust setup. We'll probably attack attaching the mylar after the Thanksgiving holidays.

Will be glad when this is done and I can get back to writing/updating software for FlightGear, the 737 glass displays, warping code, and reassembling the cabin to make it all come ALIVE.

Cheers
JW

[castle]

Nuts!!

left ear197_9707.jpg right ear197_9708.jpg center197_9706.jpg
Somehow I messed up some of the thumbnails and attachments, so here is a core dump of the missing pics

spider from above 197_9711.jpg from below 197_9710.jpg

My apologies for the screwup
JW

Howdy,

Time for a progress report and some pics....

Attachment 8330

Had to back up quite a ways to try and capture the entire frame and with my back against the wall still not enough. so here are shots of the left and right ears..
Attachment 8331 and the right Attachment 8332

My live model was not available to give an idea of size, so the 8' ladder will have to do. The white ring is the two sided tape. The silver tube on the right edge is the roll of mylar. The team to attach the mylar has been assembled and we're discussing the best way to proceed. For you math/geometry types. consider wrapping a sheet of paper around a cone. In theory, you could calculate the size and shape of the mylar, add a margin , find an open basketball court, and cut away. In practice, think we'll go at it starting from the center and work toward each ear one side at a time.

Attachment 8337 Attachment 8338

I made some major mods to the spider design to lighten the weight and allow for assembly "in-place". Reduced the width of the arms and added doublers to retain strength and added a member to the hub to join the rear arms. The lower portion of the projection screen arc was hoisted into position after the hub and the arms were set in place. The ribs for the screen will be attached after the mylar is in place.

Also going to reduce the weight of the screen by cutting holes in the ribs. This will reduce the weight from around 50 lbs to around 35lbs; not a lot, but every ounce helps.
197_9712.jpg

And finally a shot of the carriage frame to hold the 737 cabin. Installed on casters so as to enable one to slide the unit away from the mirror and provide more space for access to the electronics housed behind the MIP and above the overhead, as well as the flight controls and control loading mechanisms.

197_9709.jpg

Still a few nits to work on as well completing the exhaust setup. We'll probably attack attaching the mylar after the Thanksgiving holidays.

Will be glad when this is done and I can get back to writing/updating software for FlightGear, the 737 glass displays, warping code, and reassembling the cabin to make it all come ALIVE.

Cheers
JW