Cessna 172 Simulator

2010-01-12T22:08:00.004Z

This is the blog of my old simulator. I recently I started a new project. The blog for this can be found here:

http://www.cessnaglasscockpit.blogspot.com/

Thanks

Rhydian

2008-01-19T13:15:00.001Z

I got a new camera for Christmas so here are some more high quality pictures to look at.

2008-01-19T12:58:00.000Z

This is what my simulator currently looks like (19/01/08). I am very pleased with the outcome so far. It has been placed on a modified overhead projector table. The steel tubes that usually hold the projector were cut off with an angle grinder,the whole table was then stripped down, painted with matt black and put back together again. As you can see, the table has wheels so it's easy to move around. It really benefits from having them because the sim has gotten very heavy. There are some changes to be made with the case design which haven't been finished. I need to cut the case down to be the same size as the table. As you can see from the picture it is hanging over the table at the moment. If I leave it like this it will not fit into the study. This is how tight I am for space in my new house. There are still things missing, such as the avionics (which will go on the right side, I intend to buy the GoFlight Rack but i'm not sure whether to make my own panels and electronics or buy their modules) some instruments, such as engine, navigation and clock have to be placed. The throttle and mixture controls need to be designed and coinstructed and so does the yoke! (Unfortunately I can't use Simkit's version, it's too expensive and far too big to fit in the case. So I'm going for a custom design. Yikes! The screens need to mounted on LCD mounts as well. So, there is an awful long way to go. However, I anticipate, that the sim will be actually UP and RUNNING for the first time next week! I'll post some more pictures soon.

2007-09-29T10:23:00.000Z

After 3 years I have finally ordered the CCU2 from Simkits (The circuit board that controls the instruments). It took me long enough. I think at one point I just said to myself "Ahhh...bugger it..where's my credit card"!!! So I am now sitting patiently waiting for it to be delivered. Here is a small (mobile phone) rather bad quality photo of my current setup. The photograph really doesn't do it justice. I have just found a projector table for the whole sim to bolt onto, so there is an awful lot of work to do. It just about fits into my new house...I think. I'm hiring a rather nifty camera (D70) from the photography department at the university to take some higher quality photos to share with anyone who is interested.

R

2007-04-13T19:20:00.000Z

Myself and Sam today completed the inner casing out of MDF. How we got this done today, I do not know. After belting the crap out of each other with some plastic pipe (I'm in my late twenties for crying out loud!) I was amazed at how we completed it on time. I'm very pleased at how its turned out. I have added some toggle switches that i bought from Maplin (1 toggle switch = £2.26...that doesn't seem very cheap to me), and I think this has really brought the panel to life. I had a slight panic attack last night because I thought I had bought the wrong circuit board. For some reason I had it in my head that a "Digital-32 input controller" could not take a toggle switch. Uhhh. .. After a sleepless night worrying about it...seriously, I'm sure there is plenty more things to worry about, a quick email from Peter at Simkits put my mind at rest. So basically I need some more switches, some PCB holders to put the controller in place and then some wiring and firing to light this baby up. Yeehah.

2007-04-12T16:34:00.000Z

Some progress has been made building the case for the panel. With the help of my mate Sam, a very talented theatre technician, great fella, even better to have around when your drunk and can't find your own house, this is the second attempt at using MDF for the casing. Sam practically built this for me and it's great to have someone with more experience in carpentry working with me on this project. Our first attempt had slight design flaw and it may have worked if we hadn't cut the wood so thin. It unfortunately split apart and I had to go back to the drawing board. But this was the result and I think it works quite well and it's very sturdy. Three more pieces which we are cutting tomorrow and the circuit board can be put in place ready for everything to be wired up. This project is moving at quite a quick pace now and I can't wait to start using it.

2007-04-07T16:18:00.000Z

I have finally managed to paint and engrave my panel and I am very happy with the result. The engraving shop said that they were not entirely sure that vinyl lettering would be suitable for the type of pain on the panel. They were worried that when peeling away the surplus vinyl the paint could come away from the panel. It was actually flaking away in my hands at one point. The paintshop had sprayed the aluminium the wrong colour. It was in very light grey. So it had to be repainted black and they ended up doing a quick job. Subsuquently it wasnt baked in an oven but it still looks very good. It was decided that laser engraving was a better option but the shop was not sure how deep it would cut. But to my surprise the engraving took away the first layer of paint leaving the previous grey underneath and it really looks superb.

I have bought some MDF to make the case for this panel to be attached to which I will start on Monday. But it is really starting to shape up.

2006-10-29T17:10:00.000Z

Current Projects.

NMK SE

All the panel's round holes have been filed down to take a standard toggle switch. The rectangular holes have been filed down to take dual rocker switch units that I bought from RS (Radio Spares). They fit really well (they aren't pushed in properly in the photo) it all feels really solid. A few things are left do:

1. Paint the panel.
2. Stencil it - from a specialist firm that specialises in vinyl lettering.
3. Design and make the housing for the unit, out of wood or metal, I'm not sure yet.
4. Fit and wire up the circuit board with all the switches.
5. Finally, test it to make sure it works correctly in FSX.

CESSNA SIMULATOR - 'PRIMARY 6' PROJECT

Due to certain circumstances like getting married and buying a house (Damn it...I have to do grown up things now!!!), I am continuing with what I have built so far. So, this means that my primary 6 project will now be in full swing and be completed by Christmas (because I am getting the CCU board as a Christmas present). An enclosure will be made to contain the panel, the CCU to operate the instruments and a standard PSU to power everything. The turn co-ordinator and warning panel will also be fitted so that the 'primary 6' will be a fully working unit that I can use with FSX. The other great thing is that it will be very portable.

Now all I have to do is finish these projects off before I start getting ideas for anymore!

2006-09-11T11:43:00.000Z

In Progress...

Just a quick photo of the panel cut out of aluminium. I have to file down the holes to fit the toggle switches and cut some holes in each corner to hold the panel to the casing. Also, Simkits have just shipped my 32-Digital Input USB controller so I will hopefully test the switches and see how it goes.

2006-09-10T09:04:00.000Z

A little side project.

I recently started a project which has been keeping me busy for a few weeks. It was born out of the frustration of having to use the keyboard when flying aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
I designed it in photoshop (picture to left) and the project is moving at a fairly quick pace. This is a simple little panel that has toggle and rocker switches that controls the systems usually found on an a typical single engined aircraft such as lights, magnetos, starter, alternator etc.... The panel is made out of aluminium which I cut myself. It uses a circuit board from Simkits in the Netherlands that allows for 32 input switches to be used and connects via USB. It then shows up in Win XP as a HID device so there is no software needed. The board is currently on its way to me, and it will arrive (hopefully) by next week. I can then start testing the device with a single pole, single throw ON-OFF toggle switch to make sure that everything is working and then order the switches to fit the panel. I have also bought some white caps for the ends of the toggles from Flightdeck Solutions in Ontario, Canada. They will give the panel a touch of class but they are certainly not very cheap. Once I have bought the rocker switches and filed down the holes correctly, I will get it powder coated and stencilled. Work will then be underway for the casing, but i havn't designed that yet.

2006-09-10T08:52:00.000Z

A new job

Hello everybody. I finally have a new job. I am now a senior technicician working at the University of Wales, Newport which is also the International Film School of Wales. It's slightly strange that I graduated at the Uni in 2000 and that I am now going back there to work. I am really excited about starting something new and I am even more pleased that it is a permanent position. No more freelancing for me, thank God. They have some really impressive equipment at the facility (gear I never had to play with when I was there) and they are starting to implement HighDef as well, which can only be a good thing. I have 4 more days left at Torchwood (Doctor Who spinoff) and the BBC are making me go out with a bang, since I am doing night shoots till 3am. Oh great. However, I will leave all that behind me when I start my new job on Monday the 18th of September. Hooray!!!

2006-05-19T14:18:00.000Z

Prices of a real Cessna 172.

http://skyhawk.cessna.com/pricelist.chtml

Wow..check out the prices of these babies. Not exactly the cheapest transportation and you can't park it in your garage either. $172,500 converts to roughly £92,060. And thats the basic, bog standard model. In car terms that's the one that no one really wants but most of the time ends up buying anyway.

2006-05-19T13:46:00.000Z

Beta test these progams.

Finally Microsoft are starting to release some newer editions of their software that we have all been using for years. And actually they are doing a bloody good job of it as well. Here are the latest releases from the Redmond camp:

Windows Media Player 11
Quite a big change from MP 10. This now has an improved design and some new features. It takes a while to learn how to navigate through it so it isn't as easy to use as iTunes. However it does give the Apple program a run for its money, and to be totally honest WMP was always well ahead of iTunes in some respects... especially with the inclusion of video, pictures and recorded tv. Plus it doesn't lock you into having to use the AAC format!

Give it a try here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx

Internet Explorer 7
Finally after about 5 years (and more probably) and god knows how many security updates later we say goodbye to IE6. out with the old and in with the new. Here comes IE7 and what a complete change. There are many basic similarities to the king of browsers, Firefox. However, there are some new features and whole host of new security additions that practically make this a compulsary download! The Print Preview feature is nice, as well as the Quick Tabs button thats pretty cool too.

Give it a try here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx

Windows Messenger Live
This is the latest installment of messenger which is actually quite nice and lot prettier.

Give it a try here: http://ideas.live.com/

All these progams from Microsoft are still in BETA which means you are the guinea pig! Now, I would say download them at your own risk but to be honest all three are just about ready for public release. I will also add these programs will find their way into Windows Vista so it's the latest technology that you can try out right now.

Happy Downloading!

2006-05-19T12:40:00.000Z

Back to the drawing board!

I recently made the decision to start designing a new chassis and enclosure for my simulator. The current build is a simple, clean design but i'm not altogether very pleased with it. It is a basic open cockpit structure that I put together after the complexities of building a full scale closed cockpit replica of the Cessna was causing my head to explode! However I have decided to have another stab at it and see where it takes me. Sleepless nights are coming! I'm sure of it.

When I first started this project I discovered a little program called Sketchup. A computer magazine called CustomPC was raving about it and I decided to give it a try. When the time limit was at an end, I was genuinely gutted. It is a very easy to use CAD program that produces quick results. Google, being the fantastic people that they are have now bought the Sketchup company and made it completely free. It is a "basic" version of the program, but, I mean "basic" in very loose terms. Because it is very useable and shares much of the abilities of the "Professional" program. This wonderful software, which used to cost hundreads of pounds, is now free to use. If you haven't given it a try, I whole heartedly recommend it. The link is below:

http://sketchup.google.com/

As the picture shows I am planning my project in SketchUp to give me a better idea of what the complete simulator will look like. Using the exact dimensions, I can see how to construct the complete enclosure without ever having to waste materials. It should give me a way to test the design and also give the ability to show others as well. The low file size can be distributed by email and as long as other people have the same program, I can get some feedback. I am already thinking of building the enclosure out of MDF. I need a light material because the instruments and aluminium panels themselves when brought together are quite heavy. The actual floor chassis will probably need to have some holes drilled into them to keep weight to a minimum. This is how real airframes are built. I need to stike a balance since I can't have the simultor top heavy or too flimsy. The last thing I want is to be sitting in it and all of a sudden it colapse!!! That would be very embarassing and it would give me a complex!!! Bye for now.

2006-04-16T13:52:00.000Z

For those who live in the UK, check out the full scale photo of cast and crew of doctor who in this weeks Radio Times magazine. I am at the back to the right hand side of the Tardis. The one with the glasses. If you go on the website i am number 139. Just about got my mug in shot.

Happy Easter everybody!!!!

2006-04-10T17:29:00.000Z

Here we go again.

Well I have taken a phenominal time to post. As you can tell from the date of my last one, November 2005!!! Oh dear.

So let me tell you what is going on. I have just finished Doctor Who 2. Don't miss it next week - April 15th is the first episode. I have been told it is very good. And episode 2 is apparently amazing. I was too tired to go to the screening, I think alot of people were. But for those crew who did go, they said it was well worth it! Hopefully I will have a credit this time round! Catch I have been barking on about this for a while...as alot of my family, friends and poor girlfriend know all too well...I've decided to leave the film industry behind me. No doubt the beeb will ask me to do series 3 (no reason for them not too) but I have made the decision this time round to concentrate all my efforts on doing what I enjoy the most and search for a job in the I.T industry. I feel kind of excited but also a little worried. Who wouldn't feel worried about changing careers and because i'm freelance, i'm currently unemployed as well. No job = no money, so its kind of a race now to get a job before i run out of funds!!! I have a few leads for work experience and I'm hard at work on my Microsoft Certifiication, so hopefully things will start to look up.

Right then...about my project. It really hasn't gone anywhere in the last few months, and probably won't go very far at the moment giving my lack of funds. But I am changing my approach on it. The project is going to split. I am going to use the primary 6 instruments as a complete simulator. I have ploughed in a good amount of money into my project, and i can't even use it!!! So, the idea is to buy the CCU2 board and do some testing with the instruments that I already have. I will develop the full scale simulator along side. This means developing some kind of case for the primary 6 panel to fit into. Possibly out of MDF? A pelican case maybe? It would be nice for it to be mobile. I need to fit in a power supply and the circuit board and hey presto, something i can finally use. I have seen these micro ATX PSU's and they may be powerful and small enough to fit into a custom built case. Hopefully, before FSX is released, I will get this finished. That is a good few months away, so I have plenty of time.

2005-11-06T16:45:00.000Z

My gosh!

It has been a very long time since i posted anything. To be honest it has been a very long time since i have done anything...except work that is. My contract with the BBC/Doctor Who 2 is coming to an end next week...which is very sad. I have been pretty busy and have had absolutely no time to do anything with my simulator. However while i take some time out (I may be back in January fingers crossed, and in the meantime I'm going to carry on doing an I.T support course) I am going to begin work on the footwell very soon. The photos I have posted are the current progress I have made with the sim (you can see the date clearly). More is on the way.

2005-08-20T18:19:00.000Z

Taking Shape

Well I promised everybody some pictures of the framework for my sim and here they are!!! We recently cut out the base out of chipboard and shaped it so the footwell has a curve on both sides. Which makes it seem a bit mor like you are sitting in a cessna rather than the walls being completely straight. Looks really good but it has given us a bit more working out to do, dimensions wise. Oh well. We had to place the backplate (the aluminium cutout you see in the pictures) on two side pieces of wood to see meaure some dimensions. More work will be done at some point. Unfortunately I'm working some very silly hours on the new series of Doctor Who at the moment so my time at the moment is pretty limited. Hopefully I will have some free time soon to start work on the complete construction. Bye for now.

2005-08-07T11:43:00.000Z

Thank you to everyone who leaves me comments. It's very much appreciated. Keep them coming! A big part of why I got into flight simulation and the hobby of pit building is because of the fantatsic community spirit, worldwide!
Constuction of the simulator cockpit structure began last Tuesday. Me and my good old Dad (a retired TV engineer who builds house extensions as a hobby! No joke!) bought a load of wood from a D.I.Y store and started building it from the ground up, from our very shoddy drawings! However it looks great so far and we are starting to see the whole picture now. I will post pictures here as soon as possible.
I've also started designing an avionics stack based around Garmin's GNS530. Thanks too Tuomas and Mike (fellow Cessna 172 builders) for this one. I had an idea about building something similar to Simkit's radio stack ages ago (the one they sell is a work of art but too expensive for me) but then dropped it after running into too many difficulties. I came accross RealityXP's 530/430XP software and thought of just stripping an LCD out of its casing attaching it to the avionics bay and using a mouse and keyboard for the input. However, Tuomas and Mike showed me pictures of what they had built and my imagination just run riot. They have both done sterling work and I would like to follow suit. I have some dimensions of the real stack from Garmin and have found the perfect 5" LCD monitor from Sharp to use. Hopefully it will all come together. I'll start som preliminary drawings using Adobe Illustrator and see how it goes.

2005-08-05T05:46:00.000Z

What The Hell Am I Doing

I have to admit that I first had this idea under the influence of alcohol!!! It all started in August 2004. While my girlfriend was doing her elective (She's a Doctor) in Toronto, Canada, I was feeling rather lonely and also missing her very much, I decided to have a few glasses of wine..well actually a bottle of wine, to drown myself in my sorrows. So, while sitting in front of the computer and looking very intreaged at the instruments on offer at www.simkits.com, while sipping my Merlot, I decided to click on the "Buy Now" button. How I even managed to fill in my card details in that state is still a total mystery. MY GOSH WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!! I cried!
My instrument came after 3 days and I was mightily impressed with Simkits's product and their service. But what turned out to be one drunken night of stupidity, became one hell of a great idea... And I wanted more! Until my girlfriend came home that is. She was surprisingly calm about it all. "You're making a what?!!!???" "How much?" "Well it's going nowhere near the house!!!" is some of the questions I had to answer. But she eventually came round...Umm... kind of. In fairness, Bethan has been absolutely marvellous with my insane hobby and she even picked some instruments for my birthday!
So here I am. Actually what I should be saying is here WE are. Because my father has been with me on this every step of the way. Quite honestly we have been building this together and he has been the complete driving force in the construction of this project. Without him the project would be grounded (pun intended). So here it is. A daily (weekly, monthly, yearly if at all) account of the construction of my Cessna 172 Simulator. And as I have to explain to everyone who asks me about it...YES. I am MAD.