Now the real work begins...

[Michael Carter]

My MIP arrived two days early. I wasn't expecting this until Wednesday, so I was pretty excited after arriving from work tonight.

I hope I'm not getting in over my head...

[NicD]

Mate - we're all in over our head ... but at least we can come to this community and think "phew ... glad I'm not the only one"

Panels look good. All the best with the project.

[Bob Reed]

Hey I agree... Way over our head! But that's what makes it so much fun! Yes the panels look great, but why 2 sets of marker annunciators?

[Michael Carter]

They were from two different aircraft. Boeing had a lot of different panel configurations for the 727. Customers could specify where they wanted what on the main panel.

They could get a tape R.A. or a dial-type too. This one uses a tape-type gauge.

THe marker lights on the second panel will be removed and a metal plate attached to the panel to cover the holes. There is another metal panel on the far left panel under the HSI hole that will be removed for a switch installation. The holes are already there.

I have a lot of prep work and mods to do to get this panel to accept LCD monitors.

I have a source for a glareshield and the pnuematic brake handle that I may pick up in a month or so. I'm very hesitant to buy the GS because I will have to cut it and I don't want to do that. It has the complete fire handle assembly included.

What I may do is buy the GS and remove the fire handle assembly and use the GS as a pattern to make two thirds of a copy of one, then turn the GS on e-Bay.

[Michael Carter]

I received a message from Paul Golding and an image of how he has configured FS Panel Studio to work with the DreamFleet gaige file.

I was not able to use the gauge file from the DreamFleet 727, not because they were protected (which they are, they are locked to the aircraft), but because of one little checkmark in a box that was supposed to be marked for this particular gauge file.

The box I needed to check was, "Resolve all .dll descrepancies". Once I placed a checkmark in this box, the gauge file and all of the gauges appeared.

Here is a rough instrument placement for the full size 727 MIP. I have a lot of modifications to do to the MIP to be able to get a monitor behind it, so this is not a final work.

I'm pretty excited at this point as I really thought my 727 MIP was going down the tubes before I had even begun.

[Trevor Hale]

Nice,

I really enjoyed my days playing with FsPanel Studio. I had my up's and Downs with it thou, and may frustrating evenings.

Looking Good.

[wollo]

Thats going to look sweet. How are you going to display the gauges? Wideview?

[Bob Reed]

Sounds to me like he plans on doing something like WestOzy has done...

[Michael Carter]

I'll have to use WideView. I really have no other choice. No one makes the instruments I need, modifications to real instruments are out of the question due to cost, and I don't really want to build my own.

This is probably the easiest way to do it.

The one exception is a company that makes analog flap position indicators for the 737. If they are the correct size, I may use a pair of these gauges for my 727 with a faceplate change.

It worked for Joe Maldonado, I hope it works for me. He scrapped the instrument panel out of his 727 and created his own using the real panel as templates for the one he built.

He had to recreate all of the switches, knobs, buttons, etc, on the MIP as well as the gauge bezels. I'm not sure how much of the hardware on his panel works. I'm going to try and have as much as I can working on mine.

I'm going to have to modify my panels by cutting the support sides away to allow the monitors to fit. I may also have to eliminate certain switches or relocate them. There shouldn't be a problem with this. I've seen tens of 727 instrument panels and no two are alike.

That's a real bonus with an older aircraft.