F-14 Cockpit and instrument dimensions

That's a beautiful thing, if you tear it down much at all would you do an engineering student a solid and take lots of pictures? I'm really interested to see the details of how they're constructed.

I knew I was bidding against you.

 

 

I'm going to be bugging the hell out of you for dimensions.

Please don't do that any more, you're going to bankrupt a disabled vet :(

Did you get the gauges? I didn't go all in because they were broken, but I should have got them anyway.

Any questions you have I will do the best to answer for you Sir, anytime. Just shoot me a pm and I'll give my email if you like.

That's a beautiful thing, if you tear it down much at all would you do an engineering student a solid and take lots of pictures? I'm really interested to see the details of how they're constructed.

I sure will, though I am hoping not to have to take too much apart. This is not something I am going to jump into though, will be a project for next year. For now I think I am just going to build a stand for it and dream about flying :)

I may have a problem when it comes to those Grumman birds... I am running out of space :(

Mostly the East Coast with a TDY spare :)

West coast hangout

Place to play online to be replaced with a sim pit some day

Salute,

Punk

Do you have accurate grips, or would the Mason drawings be useful?

Do you have accurate grips, or would the Mason drawings be useful?

That would be helpful when it comes time to have some made.

PM me with an email I can send the sheet to.

Whow, those are some beautifully done models

Whow, those are some beautifully done models

Die-cast planes from Franklin Mint mostly if I remember right.

Salute,

Punk

Die-cast planes from Franklin Mint mostly if I remember right.

 

Salute,

Punk

13 Tomcats there... impressive.

I also have the one in your "East Coast hangout", the VF-154 Black Knights in the same scale.

Although the box of other 1:48 scale aircraft I have state: "Franklin Mint / Collection Armour", the F-14 box only states "Collection Armour".

Very fine models, only the F-14 main landing gears start showing their age with little cracks, as they are made of plastic and the aircraft is somewhat heavy as it's of metal.

(Pay attention to yours.)

Costed the equivalent to 128 dollars (here in Portugal), more than 10 years ago.

By curiosity, was yours so expensive ?

13 Tomcats there... impressive.

 

Costed the equivalent to 128 dollars (here in Portugal), more than 10 years ago.

By curiosity, was yours so expensive ?

Hi Top Jock,

I don't recall exactly, I have gotten a few absolutely great deals and a few way too expensive ones. But I'd say they averaged a bit more than what you paid, which I think sounds like a pretty good price especially since you are in Europe with the extra costs and all. I see many going for around $200 or so minus postage which can vary greatly. Nice buy TJ. :thumbup:

Salute,

Punk

PS... They are big, if I did it again, I think I would go for the 1/72 ones, less space and more paint schemes offered and some have movable wings and such I believe.

Hi Top Jock,

I don't recall exactly, I have gotten a few absolutely great deals and a few way too expensive ones. But I'd say they averaged a bit more than what you paid, which I think sounds like a pretty good price especially since you are in Europe with the extra costs and all. I see many going for around $200 or so minus postage which can vary greatly. Nice buy TJ. :thumbup:

 

Salute,

Punk

 

PS... They are big, if I did it again, I think I would go for the 1/72 ones, less space and more paint schemes offered and some have movable wings and such I believe.

I see.

Today I believe they might be more expensive here, and the 1/48 Die-cast jets are not so easily available in shops anymore as they tend to be expensive.

I understand your point on the 1/72 ones, but hey, the 1/48 do have their presence!

Regards!

Hi guys, does anyone have a nice solid source for the side consoles angle of bank in the Tomcats? My memory keeps telling me 12 degrees, but I can't find the source material where I had originally found the info. Since I have already begun packing for an upcoming relocation to Texas a couple months from now everything is a mess here more than usual as one might imagine. Thanks gents.

<Salute>

Punk

Now have access to a laser cutter. Plan on starting on some panels. Any recommendations on the most important ones for basic flight and weapons? Any design drawings available?

Will also get access to a small CNC mill, drill press, and 3D printer in the coming months. What kinds of parts should I be looking at making?

Now have access to a laser cutter. Plan on starting on some panels. Any recommendations on the most important ones for basic flight and weapons? Any design drawings available?

 

Will also get access to a small CNC mill, drill press, and 3D printer in the coming months. What kinds of parts should I be looking at making?

I am jealous now. I would do the Right side vertical Display Control and left side console DFCS, Fuel Mgmt and Engine Control Panels first and if you want the ACM panel from the top of the instrument panel if you feel up to working with the lights and pushbutton switches as well as the Left vertical Fuel and Landing gear lever and the top right side vertical Tail hook panel if you feel bold. Then I would go with the left side Fuel Mgmt and right side Master Generator, AC, External Environment Control, Master light Control, Master Test, and Hyd Transfer Pump panels later on. The really tough one might be the annunciator panel on the right side console.

Other than NATOP drawings and photos I do not have any files of these items. I do have some measurements of a few cockpit items like eng temp, fuel and mach gauges that I can give you. Remember, the key to sizing them is that the side console panels should all be a standard 5 3/4 inches in width I believe. That is for the aluminum base plate, the cover plates are a little smaller in places and can be eyeballed for the most part. I have some pics of a real tail hook panel with a ruler overlaid using metric measurements that can be converted or used as is. Best of luck.

<Salute>

Punk

I am jealous now. I would do the Right side vertical Display Control and left side console DFCS, Fuel Mgmt and Engine Control Panels first and if you want the ACM panel from the top of the instrument panel if you feel up to working with the lights and pushbutton switches as well as the Right vertical Fuel and Landing gear lever and the top right side vertical Tail hook panel if you feel bold. Then I would go with the left side Fuel Mgmt and right side Master Generator, AC, External Environment Control, Master light Control, Master Test, and Hyd Transfer Pump panels later on. The really tough one might be the annunciator panel on the right side console.

 

Other than NATOP drawings and photos I do not have any files of these items. I do have some measurements of a few cockpit items like eng temp, fuel and mach gauges that I can give you. Remember, the key to sizing them is that the side console panels should all be a standard 5 3/4 inches in width I believe. That is for the aluminum base plate, the cover plates are a little smaller in places and can be eyeballed for the most part. I have some pics of a real tail hook panel with a ruler overlaid using metric measurements that can be converted or used as is. Best of luck.

 

<Salute>

Punk

Any pics or drawings are greatly appreciated. Email is: theotherdino@gmail.com

I'll see if I can't get cutting on them next week some time. The amount of acrylic stock available is rather small, and no flat black that I can find. So I might do some cuts on red or blue scrap to get the program correct. Hopefully I can cut one of the panels and the engraving and then I'll have the file saved to recut on a flat black piece.

There is a fiber laser as well for cutting aluminum, but my plan was to just to have aluminum sheet base plate with holes drilled, matched up to the laser cut/etched acrylic top plate with all the labels.

http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-detail-cp-a-pilot.htm

As far as layout, this is the only thing I've dug up so far, but from what you listed, I think maybe what is denoted as the left and right instrument panels on that site would be good to start on.

If things look promising, I'll throw up a couple pics of the pieces as they come out. The other hard part will be not having any kind of frame to mount them to for a long while. This is long term build in which I will not be able to wire up or test any of it for at least a year.

I think finding actual instruments and wiring them up with emulators/servos may be a bit beyond my capacity, but there are a few instruments I'd really like to have.

Working HSI and ADI.

I will probably frankenstein a bit of the layout by putting in two screens to use as MFDs for when I fly the A-10, and hopefully be able to put F-14 instrument views on them in close to the right places when flying the Tomcat. I will need to do some serious thinking about what to move and where to make it work. I think putting the MFD screens in place of the left/right knee panels, and then exporting those instrument views onto the screens will work relatively well, but I need to see the dimensions of everything first.

Also, the laser cutter I'm using runs right off of CorelDraw image files, so any manuals that have simple B/W instrument pictures are probably directly importable and I can either cut the whole thing with raster or try to convert the cuts to vector format.

I will try and get those to you tomorrow. I will look up a source that carries black acrylic stock that is white inside which might make it easy so little painting need be involved. I am not sure what it runs, might be a little more expensive than clear or white (if you are going to add any under lighting). You can find Dzus rails on eBay for around $75 for a 5 ft piece I think (last time I looked) or there is a place in NY I got some smaller pieces from but it came out to be more expensive. Another alternative is to find individual Dzus fasteners and screws, I have one pack somewhere buried in the boxes still unpacked from my move a couple months ago, I will see if I can find them for a pic or I might have got them off of eBay too, so might be a copy of the transaction somewhere. You can also find fake Dzus headed regular screws on sites like opencockpits I think.

<Salute>

Punk

I still have a few DZUS kits from my old track bike. Will probably source the fasteners individually. Didn't think about that sandwiched acrylic, great idea. What thickness do you think? 1/8"?

Another option is use white acrylic and a vinyl cutter to make a black vinyl cover with the labels and holes cut out. I kind of like the idea of full acrylic, though for more permanence.

Another option is use white acrylic and a vinyl cutter to make a black vinyl cover with the labels and holes cut out. I kind of like the idea of full acrylic, though for more permanence.

Sent you an email yesterday, hope you got it. Let me know if you need it resent.

<Salute>

Punk

Sent you an email yesterday, hope you got it. Let me know if you need it resent.

 

<Salute>

Punk

Got 'em. Thank you!

I will try setting up a cut this week. Some of the jpegs I can take out the switches and do a direct import for cutting (laser cutter runs off coreldraw or inkscape files).

Got 'em. Thank you!

I will try setting up a cut this week. Some of the jpegs I can take out the switches and do a direct import for cutting (laser cutter runs off coreldraw or inkscape files).

I hope all the best. Key to sizing is the width as the side panels should all be 5.75 inches. Look forward to seeing what you come up with. I seem to remember a 12 degree bank on the side panels as well, though I can no longer find my source material. If anyone has different substantiated data I would love to hear it and get pointed in the right direction.

<Salute>

Punk

Flight Panel in progress. Will do a couple trials on how to get the letters done the way I want them. Also need to decide on switches and buttons. Anyone have good sources for "the right ones?" I also don't know about throw length, but I figure I'll just get ones similar to what's on the TM Warthog and call it a day.

Crappy cell-phone pic (looks pretty good in person):

Did not finish labels (couldn't read a few, and wanted to go home on the earlier side - will resize holes and fix up labels later this week)

Paint it black then etch it. for switches check Aircraft Spruce. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/

Paint it black then etch it. for switches check Aircraft Spruce. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/

Thanks, that's exactly what I will do. I ordered a bunch of cheapo (probably unsealed) switches, and once those come in, I'll source some white acrylic, paint it up, and have a finished panel to show. Need to remember to put painter's tape on the top so acrylic vapor doesn't deposit all over the face (smokey streaks on the clear are from that). Should look pretty nice once finished.

I redid the flight panel today and updated with corrected labels and markings. May get another picture up soon.

Thanks, that's exactly what I will do. I ordered a bunch of cheapo (probably unsealed) switches, and once those come in, I'll source some white acrylic, paint it up, and have a finished panel to show. Need to remember to put painter's tape on the top so acrylic vapor doesn't deposit all over the face (smokey streaks on the clear are from that). Should look pretty nice once finished.

 

I redid the flight panel today and updated with corrected labels and markings. May get another picture up soon.

Sealed switches would only be needed for replicating the real ones or if your sim will be exposed to the weather or little/big kids with cups/bottles of juice/beer. Regular switches should work fine.