Starting my home cockpit step by step

Hey all,

ok, first of all: I am so untalented in doing stuff with wood and electronics that probably noone would even dare to start thinking to build his own cockpit elements with that incredible kind of skill and knowladge. I will try any way and let you be part of it. Please be patient as I just started getting all ethe stuff together and read lots of posts here in the forum on how to start and how to come up with.

I got infected with the huey virus and I love it. But I also love the f-15, the A-10C, the SU-27...well all of em so I could not decide which cockpit to build. I decided to build a kind of custom middle console with all the main switches, buttons and knobs in it. First I started with my blueprint on paper and transformed it in a freeware 3D CAD.

I ordered that USB thingy on leobodnar where I can plug in up to 32 switches. Than the wood and tools and last but not least color cans in black and white.

So here is part one:

to be continued...

cheers,

Demon

Best way to learn this sort of thing is by doing!

Have fun!

thanks :)

ok new update, side plates are done:

Remark: a stitchsaw is not the best thing to use. Its all wacky and not straight :(

Pictures in the next post.

Cheers,

Demon

Building a home cockpit can be a challenging thing.

I decided to build one as well. I started several months ago and there is still no end visible. The limiting factor on my side is time (even more than money).

What you think of mine?

http://forums.eagle.ru/album.php?albumid=843

What you think of mine?

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/album.php?albumid=843

That is, without a doubt, the neatest, cleanest in-progress build I have ever seen. :thumbup:

I didn't expect such a very positive Feedback. Thank you very much.

Learning by doing is not a bad Way. I also startet with that kind of universal Cockpit - now it grows.

It looks not so great as retsilf's, but it works ;)

Go on!

Heres mine:

http://forums.eagle.ru/album.php?albumid=845

Building a home cockpit can be a challenging thing.

 

I decided to build one as well. I started several months ago and there is still no end visible. The limiting factor on my side is time (even more than money).

 

What you think of mine?

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/album.php?albumid=843

:worthy::surrender::surprise: That is just soooooo great...hmmm I somehow see my proud of my box going away lol...good work Retsilf!!!

Pictures of mine comming soon

Cheers, Demon

Learning by doing is not a bad Way. I also startet with that kind of universal Cockpit - now it grows.

It looks not so great as retsilf's, but it works ;)

Go on!

 

Heres mine:

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/album.php?albumid=845

c'mon guys, gimme a break...thats what I am dreaming of and I know I will never ever reach that because I do not have enuff room :cry::cry::pain:

That is my biggest Problem too ... 2qm ... Next to the Couch - thats not much space, but enough for a Car-seat and a couple of panels ;)

Go on!!

Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, dann sag einfach bescheid! Ich helfe gern!

Ach ja, das is meins:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=96361

Gruß Falki

Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, dann sag einfach bescheid! Ich helfe gern!

 

Ach ja, das is meins:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=96361

 

Gruß Falki

Vielen Dank für dein Hilfeangebot :) Vielleicht komme ich drauf zurück...

Ok, next step was the assignment of the front tiles. I just took a normal quadpole(see picture below) and fixed it all around the side panel.

I did that on both sides and screwed one of the top panels on the quad pole. Like so:

Now that those two side panels stick together, I took 4 stabilisation poles which connect the two outer panels like so:

to be honest, if you think that whole thing is crooked, than you are totaly right...somehow I meassured all wrong. But at the end it comes out nicely.

ok next step was just to screw all the other tiles to that crooky thing and now it looks like that:

Next step are the switches...

and here is my Display:

To be continued...

Cheers,

Demon

A Beamer is nice! And the box too :)

Mach weiter so! Ich bin gespannt was raus kommt.

Wie möchtest du die Schalter montieren? Direkt ins Holz oder auf blenden?

A Beamer is nice! And the box too :)

Mach weiter so! Ich bin gespannt was raus kommt.

Wie möchtest du die Schalter montieren? Direkt ins Holz oder auf blenden?

Hmmm, I was thinking that I drill holes on each part and position the switches the way i want. Than i could work with transparent plixiglas cover tiles which have the white letters and discriptions of the buttons. Those could be exchanged and replaced to support other aircrafts.But to be honest, i haven't thought enuff about it. If you know a trick how to get a real looking cover just go ahead and tell me :thumbup:

So long, stay tuned

Cheers,

Demon

Well done so far!

As I experienced, the details are very time consuming and often I had to do things twice. That's the normal learning curve.

As I experienced, the details are very time consuming and often I had to do things twice. That's the normal learning curve.

You learn faster than I. ;)

Looks good so far.

As far as acrylic overlays go a simple and effective way is to just print up the panel on extra thick matte paper and glue them on. Spray paint the edges of the acrylic first and it looks good

Looks good on the projection, what lens throw is that projector?

Looks good on the projection, what lens throw is that projector?

I have an Acer H7531D DLP Projector. Don't know the specs tho :cry:

cheers,

Demon

I have an Acer H7531D DLP Projector. Don't know the specs tho :cry:

 

cheers,

 

Demon

Projector calculator Pro is pretty awesome for that stuff. :)

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Acer-H7531D-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Looking good..

2nd Part

Dear all,

today I have gotten all the utilities for my cockpit console.

This pic shows all relevant parts I needed.

But before I ordered all the switches, I made a list with what I want to implement, so I knew what to order:

Next drive was to tools and wire market as I had forgotten to order them together with the switches. Unfortunately, I couldnt find the needed wires. So I have to wait until Monday, to get them.

Ok, the layout stays. Now lets drill the wholes...

then I fixed the switches...one by one...

after each switch I fixed, it started looking better and better...I will paint the brown wooden colored box black. I just wanted to plug the switches first to see, how it comes out.

So far so good. Now I just need to connect them to the USBboard and see if it works the way I want it...

To be continued...

Comments&Critics welcome...

Cheers,

Demon

Just a thought, you might want to spray the panel before you start wiring, unless you are going to keep it wood coloures and just use the plexi overlays, but if you paint it black, its more forgiving of ill fitting panels?

I like it though!