Construction
Note: Since I am currently building my simulator as I design this web
site, I will only post directions to this page after concepts are THOROUGHLY tested.
Pre-construction considerations
It is very important that I stress the following points before you even consider purchasing anything for this simulator. If even one of the following aspects is out of your reach, CAREFULLY asses the reality of whether your sim is within reach.
1. Cost: Building a virtual flight deck can get VERY expensive. Plan to spend a minimum of around $5,000 (£1,875) to build a cost effective simulator. If you plan to use EPIC (Extended Programmable Input Controller) cards and add-ons, expect to tag on at least another $1,000 (£625). If you have no tools and no nobody with them, you will have to buy them. You will at least need to purchase a power drill, a jigsaw, and a circular saw and of course blades and bits for each. Remember though that this cost will come in fractions as you build your sim piece by piece.
2. Space: Depending on which aircraft you are attempting to replicate, you may need as much as 9 square feet of space just for the flight deck itself. You will also need space for tools (unless you plan to use CNC for cutting panels and bases), and materials.
3. Time: Plan to spend a LOT!!! of time doing research on the aircraft you are building. It took me 8 months of INTENSE research to gather enough information about the 777 just to begin construction, and from what I hear, that's a pretty short research duration... that's why I've tried to make as much information available to readers as possible. Peter Cos of the A320 Project now provides aircraft kits, which save a TREMENDOUS amount of time. This is a site that all sim builders need to check out!
4. Emotion: Seriously, are you mentally ready for a challenge this
big. It is not for the simple of heart and I've never met a flight sim builder who wasn't
extremely enthusiastic about the task at hand. A project like this takes years to
complete, but is defintely WELL worth it, and looks FANTASTIC on a resume!! I definitely
don't say this to discourage anybody, but it is a true fact that you have to be
"ready" for this project or it'll just frustrate you.
Gathering Information
Any sim builder who has begun construction will no doubt tell you that possibly the most important phase of flight sim construction is research. Before you begin purchasing materials, you will need to find at least this information:
- What aircraft will you be constructing? (Note: Before you build a huge airplane, consider this... Many people opt to build smaller airplanes so you actually get a chance to fly :) The 777 is beautiful, but doesn't require much hands-on flying outside of arrival and departure).
- Will your sim be single or dual place (i.e. will you be building the co-pilot's area as well?)
- What are the overall dimensions of the cockpit of the aircraft you plan to construct?
- Are enough dimensions available for the aircraft, so that it can be built?
- Where you will purchase your buttons and other parts?
- Will your sim be transportable or permanent
- Who else in the world is building the aircraft you plan to build. It helps a lot to have an expert in your corner to answer questions.
If you say no to more than one or two of the above questions, then I would highly advise that you continue researching. Some sections will get frustrating (such as finding dimensions and switches), but you may regret building them sim without the information, only to find out later that your paneling is inadequately spaced for your switches, or something along those lines.
Construction Outline
This outline shows very briefly, the steps you will need to take to build your simulator. With the exception of step one, this outline can be executed in virtually any order. Most sim builders like to begin construction with the MCP, but there is no "best" place to begin. The Detailed Construction area, located below this section, is a detailed version of this chart. It is highly recommended that you read carefully through the detailed construction section and use the outline only as a reference.
I. Pre-Assembly
1. Complete the steps in the above section
II. Set up your network
1. Gather all computers to be used for
your simulator
2. Purchase all hubs, network cards, and
network cables needed
3. Install network cards and plug each computer
into the hub/s
a. Check network
neighborhood to varify the connection of each computer
4. Install the IPX/SPX protocol
5. Setup FS98/2000, PFD, wideserver, etc, as
necessary on each computer
a. Varify the
operation and integration of all software
III. Center Pedestal Face
1. Review the dimensions for the
center pedestal frame
2. Determine which switches will be used (if
different from those used on this project)
a. Order/Purchase the necessary amount of switches
3. Purchase materials listed on the center pedestal pages.
4. Mark and cut the frame (1/2" wood).
a. Mark and cut the frame iteself from
the original piece of wood
b. Cut the openings in the frame
5. Mark and cut each child panel
6. Mark and cut the holes for each switch on
each child panel
a.
If the switch has a square base, draw the square to the actual size before cutting
b. If the switch has a round base, a dot will
suffice for marking
7. Mount all items
a. Mount the child panels on the frame
b. Mount the switches on the child
panels.
IV. Center Pedestal Base
1. Review the area of the base
2. Purchase enough wood to cut the entire base
of the center pedestal (3/4" wood)
3. Determine the value of all angles to be cut
and contemplate a strategy to cut them
4. Mark and cut each side of the base
5. Test mount the center pedestal face to the
base before permanently connecting the base
6. Connect all pieces of the base using wood
glue. DON'T attatch the face to the base yet.
7. Allow glue to dry for about 24 hours
V. Throttle Quadrant Base
Detailed Construction
Now that you have all your basic information in place, it's time to begin construction. In my opinion, the easiest part of the sim to start with is the center pedestal. It stands alone and requires no braces, vertical fairings, etc. to create. It is best to start with the panel face since it can be easily draw to scale on paper then transferred over to your construction materials for the cut. You may want to briefly overview the Pre-Assembly section for tips on effectively setting up your templates.
Pre Assembly
Pre assembly is without a doubdt one of the absolute most important parts of designing a flight simulator. This is the time where you get to make all of your mistakes and visual changes. This type of Pre-Assembly is really for those persons not using the plans on my web site, since it pre-assembly shows how to prevent dimensioning errors. I've done the error testing so you may want to brisk through the section if you're building a 777. Otherwise, you'll want to read this section.
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1. Phase 1 Construction consists of drawing out and dimensioning the entire structure, to scale, on paper or posterboard. This will allow you to visually see how each part will fit together, and it will allow you to gauge the actual size of the structure. Trust me when I say that you can find a lot of problems with "planned procedures" during this step.
2. Phase 2 is where you create the template for the panel frame. This step only applies to button or instrument panel frames (the structure that all button panels sit on top of). During this step, you determine how large to make each of the center cuts and you draw a "frame plan" on a sheet of posterboard. As you can see in the above illustration, I measured and cut the posterboard to the exact dimensions of the final frame. This step is extremely important because a mismeasurement or miscut of even 1/16 of an inch can cause your screws to miss. After you are satisfied with the accuracy of your phase 2 drawing, you may proceed to phase 3.
3. Phase 3 (Final Construction). This is where you
actually cut your structure out of whatever material you are planning to use for the
actual production model. Basically, Phase 2 and Phase 3 should look exactly the same
unless you had errors in phase 2. If the structure did not require you to go got through
Phase 2 construction, you may proceed to start cutting the structure to the dimensions you
laid out in Phase 1 construction (step 2).
Setting up your network
Although slightly discouraging, you need at least three or four good computers in order to build a realistic flight simulator. If you don't already have multiple computers you will have to go out an spend hundreds on these machines. My experimentation has shown that a 233MHz computer with 32 megs of RAM and a Voodoo 3 2000 is adequate for all tasks. With this configuration, I get an average of 45 fps in FS98 and a benchmark value of nearly 250 in PFD. If you can get at least two complete computers, you can proceed safey with construction, just make provision for any other planned computers.
The first thing you need to do before trying to get your computer networked, is to gather all of your materials. You will need to obtain the following in order to network your machines:
1 Network Card for each computer that will be on the network - All network cards should be the same if possible so that you don't have to worry about any conflicts. They claim that multiple network cards can interact over the same network, but I tried mixing about 3 different types and non of them mixed. You may want to by 10/100 Mbps cards in case you want to upgrade your network at a later date. Just make sure you dont buy 10 Mbps cards and a 100Base HUB. 10/100 Mbps network cards only cost a few dollars more to ensure compatibility with both types of hubs.
At least 1 HUB - A 10Base-T HUB works perfectly over a non-internet network and whenever huge files are not being constantly transmitted. The files that Microsoft Flight Simulator will be transmitting are a maximum of a few kilobytes in size. If you plan to add external views to your simulator, it would be best to opt for a 100Mps hub instead. I've heard of persons with regrets on using 10Base-T networks to run outside views.
1 Network Cable per computer - A network cable is needed to connect the computer to the HUB so you will need one cable per computer. Remember that there are at least 3 types of RJ-45 cables. BE CERTAIN to purchase the ones that say networking cable on the package. Other types may not work properly.
The setup...
In order to use external gauges, you will need to have networking capabilitied on each computer, as well as certain communications protocols that are used by the software.
Before you begin...
My tests have shown that you must have a network HUB for your computers to network with each other. I have yet to find two computers that will "talk" to each other without a HUB. Also, make sure that you are using the RJ-45s called "Networking Cable". There are different types of RJ-45 cables, and I am told that they do not all work for computer networking.
1. If Netwok Neighborhood is on your desktop, setting up the network should be extremely easy. Simply install the network cards and plug them into the hub using the Networking Cable. When you restart your computers, you should be able to see the computers in your network by going to "Network Neighborhood". If they don't show up, but network neighborhood is on your desktop, try taking the following steps:
- Go into the Control Panel, and open up the Network properties.. Click on add then double click "Protocol". Click Microsoft, then select TCP/IP from the list. Click ok then allow Windows to install the software and restart the computer.
- Right-Click on Network Neighborhood, and change your primary network logon to, "Client for Microsoft Networks"
2. You will need to install the IPX/SPX protocol to allow programs like WideFS to send information over the netork You can install this component by doing the following:
Go into the Control Panel, and open up the Network properties.. Click on add then double click "Protocol". Click Microsoft, then select IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol from the list. Click ok then allow Windows to install the software and restart the computer.
That's it! Now you should be able to install and run WideFS and start up your remote FSUIPC based applications.
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This is part of my network. It currently consists of 3 desktops and 2 laptops. With
the network properly setup, it is possible to move any of the computers to any position in
the aircraft whenever necessary. This allows different sims to be used.
Building the Center Pedestal
Collecting Materials for the center pedestal frame
Once you have determined what material you will be using to build the
face of your center pedestal (1/2" Ply Wood for this project), you will need to
purchase enough of it to build this section. A 2' x 2' sheet should suffice for the frame
alone. For the child panels, you will need a large sheet of 1/4" wood. Again, a 2' x
2' sheet should be more than adequate. You will also need screws to attatch the child
panels. Although wood screws are prefferable if available, I used 1/8" Machine Screws
to increase my error margin. I would also recommend the use of flat head screws since they
are much less likely to become stripped.
Building the center pedestal frame
A frame is simply a pane with a series of openings to allow panels to sit on top, and wires/switches to drop through the bottom. The first and possibly most important physical aspect of constructing panes/panels, is the markings. With good tool useage, you can basically gauge the precision of your panel by the precision of your markings. Frames, have two basic purposes. 1. They are used to allow child panels to be mounted without being embedded into the cockpit itself. 2. They support the weight of objects on the surface.
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You will need to draw each opening on the panel using a pencil/chalk,
before cutting. The size of frame openings are determined by subtracting 1/4" from
each side of the panel. This means that if the panel is 3" x 2", the frame will
be 2 1/2" x 1 1/2". It is HIGHLY adviseable that you use a T-Square for drawing
lines since the error margin for mounting screws is around 1/32". This means that
screws may slip into panel openings if markings are off even a little.
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Once you make and confirm all marks, use a drill with a 3/8" bit to drill openings into the center of each frame are to be "opened." The hole you drill should be large enough to insert the bit of your jigsaw through to the other side. Once you drill the holes, use your jigsaw to cut out the frame openings. The markings you make should be used as maximums, and therefore, should never be crossed. Stay inside of your cut since you can let your panel out if necessary. Conversely, if you cut the opening too wide, you may have problems with mounting, but this can be remedied with good markings.
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Your finished frame should look like the adjacent photo. The panels you build next will sit and mount directly on top of this structure.
Building the Center Pedestal Base
The first consideration to make when constructing bases, is strength. You
must ask yourselfr, "Can this material handle 3 to 4 times the stress that will be
applied to it on a normal basis?" 3/4 inch Ply wood is more than sufficient for
virtually the entire aircraft including the monitor bases. The biggest concern for me was
cutting the angles. Most circular saws are incapable of making cuts too much higher than
about 50º so you must make two cuts for pieces with wide angles.(if you already know
about angle addition, you may skip the next paragraph.)
Let's take a 70º angle for instance. If you want to make a 70º angle
with a saw that only pivots through 54º, you have to apply a very simple equation to both
sheets of wood. This equation is A + B = C. C is the angle you want to create, in this
case 70º, while A and B are two random values which add up to C. Cut the end of one wood
block using the angle A, and the other using the angle B and when placed together, you
will have an angle with the value C.
Constructing the Child panels for the Center Pedestal
Now for the fun yet time consuming part. Remember that the center
pedestal has more switches on it than any other panel in the aircraft, so get ready to do
a lot of cutting. To add to the shear number of buttons, many of the buttons used in this
project have square bases so you have to cut many button mounting holes like panel frame
openings. In order to build these panels, simply mimic the information on each sub-page in
the dimensions area. To build each panel just remember... "Mark it, cut it, mount
it!"
Markings are an EXTREMEMLY important part of building each panel. I
noticed a substantial improvement on quality after I began marking my panels prior to
cutting them. When you drill holes for each button, be careful not to let the drill rip
the surface of your panel. I'm not sure what the secret is to prevent ripping, but the two
best secrets seem to be... 1. Keep the object you're drilling very secure so that there is
no flapping. 2. Keep the speed of your drill fairly high. It is a good idea to number each
child panel to identify both location and mounting orientation.
After you get all of your child panels mounted, feel free to check out
the backlighting page for specs on how to illuminate your
panel.