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Fabrication started (Read 1455 times)

Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 10:06am

JSpahn Offline
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Hey guys tell me what you think

Basically I started getting this cockpit moving towards a final design. What I came up with was generic. I'm gonna mount 4 12.1" lcd's in a row so I can configure the cockpit to whatever aircraft I decide to fly.

Above the displays will go a glareshield which will eventually house an MCP along with other controls. To the bottom right will go the pedestal & I will have controls to the right and left of the yoke.

Once I have the displays mounted, wired up and running I was going to create a huge bezel to clean them up nice.

Instead of drawing up plans I decided to do the design on the fly, no mistakes so far Lips Sealed

Lips Sealed

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Reply #1 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 11:46am

Mobius Offline
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Looks good. Are the four going to be touch-screens?

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Reply #2 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 12:05pm

JSpahn Offline
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I no plans for touchscreens in the 4 displays But I was planning on using Touchbuddy on a 10.4" touchpad PC I have laying around. That will go either on the pedestal or overhead.

I wouldnt have much use for touchscreens in those 4 since it will be a combination of FSXpand and Free FD. But wiring up 4 touchscreens wouldnt be difficult at all Wink

Wink

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Reply #3 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 4:45pm

machineman9 Offline
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Very nice looking so far.

If I may ask, how much are you expecting it to come to?

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Reply #4 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:03pm

JSpahn Offline
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Well I had a bunch of freebe's sent my way and I really havent really made up a total in my mind. Most of the major purchases have been made and we are looking at 2,000 - 3,000 USD once all is said and done, if it is really ever done.

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Reply #5 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:03pm

beaky Offline
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Looks good so far... but what else is back there supporting the panel LCDs? I think it's gonna need more than that visible piece, laid flat, to support the weight of all four displays....?
I may be wrong; can't tell what that "stick" is. 5/4" ?

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Reply #6 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:04pm

beaky Offline
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JSpahn wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:03pm:

Well I had a bunch of freebe's sent my way

Let me know if you ever have too many lying around... ! Grin

Grin

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Reply #7 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:10pm

JSpahn Offline
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Funny the masonite is holding up well even with the display controllers mounted to the back. Your right about the support, there will be some plywood braces behind the masonite to hold it in place but thats all and it should hold OK.

In that shot I just placed the displays up there to give an impression of what I had going on.

SO far I have the controllers/inverters mounted and the display assembly in place, next those plywood supports will make use and I hope to power up before the super bowl GO EAGLES!

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Reply #8 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:18pm

machineman9 Offline
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$3000=£1500+annoyances=£2000.

Thats quite a good build Wink

Wink

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Reply #9 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:46pm

ermias Offline
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Masternerd,
That looks great and light weight. Now that the show has started there is no turn back

. It is going to look so so real with flat LCD panels.
I am using three CRT monitors for the flight insturment MIP panel whcih makes it very heavy, but a lot cheaper.
I have four old/dead laptops with 12.1" displays which I am thinking to rip out the displays to replace my bulky monitors. Qjuestion is how?! I don't have the depth of knowledge to use/convert them to be used with vga cables. Any hint?
Thanks a lot, ermias

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Reply #10 - Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 6:13pm

JSpahn Offline
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Hey Ermias,

Look into refurbing those old laptops and making a quick hitch on ebay. Those LCD panels are small 12.1" monitors that were used for point of sale or as a server display.

I basically took the monitors apart and re-used the contollers/lcd panels & inverters. Average price for a panel 50-70 bucks with shipping. Compare that to new open frame or complete lcd monitor kits 250-300 bucks US

Converting old laptop panels can be tricky, finding the right vga controller and wire harness is next to impossible without some sort of connection. But try looking at the part # to the panel itself and see if you can get a controller. You may find that your panels are easy to setup.

Of course this method does bring on a bunch of headaches since I don't have much fabrication experience.

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Reply #11 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 7:13am

JSpahn Offline
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Here is a shot of the display controllers on the opposite side of the display panel. A complete LCD panel is made up of the controller card(large square) an inverter(small rectangle--for backlight) the control board(small PCB with switches) & the power supply (not in picture).

I mounted these guys with stand-offs and was able to power everything up before the bowl Wink

Wink

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Reply #12 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 7:51am

beaky Offline
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JSpahn wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2008 at 5:10pm:

Funny the masonite is holding up well even with the display controllers mounted to the back. Your right about the support, there will be some plywood braces behind the masonite to hold it in place but thats all and it should hold OK.

In that shot I just placed the displays up there to give an impression of what I had going on.

It's not the Masonite panel I'm thinking about, it's the brace below it... the thing that supports the weight of the Masonite and the four screens? Grin

Grin

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Reply #13 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 7:56am

JSpahn Offline
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Oh that is a 2 1/4" piece of pine, there is plenty of support there Grin

Grin

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Reply #14 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 1:37pm

beaky Offline
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JSpahn wrote on Feb 4^th, 2008 at 7:56am:

Oh that is a 2 1/4" piece of pine, there is plenty of support there Grin

Grin

That's what I figured.
BUT... humor an old carpenter here... aren't you concerned that the only support for that stick is at the ends, where it's (glued'n'screwed?) to the sheet stock? No worry that those points could fail...?

Unless there's something else I can't see, I'd advise you to at least put a coupla small cleats under the ends, to distribute that load a little better.

I know it's not all that heavy, but believe me, these projects tend to put on weight... Grin

Grin

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Reply #15 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 5:19pm

JSpahn Offline
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There are two supports on either side of the yoke but you make a good point. Its supporting fine now but once I add more things could get hairy Wink

Wink

Don't let the name fool you I'm not really a master of anything Grin

Grin

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Reply #16 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 6:14pm

bossman Offline
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as a carpenter I have to agree with rottydaddy, there is a big span thats only supported each end....U may find with 4 displays it will bow down in the middle, and nobody likes a bent cockpit!!! But looking good, keep up the good work Wink

Wink

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Reply #17 - Feb 4^th, 2008 at 10:27pm

beaky Offline
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JSpahn wrote on Feb 4^th, 2008 at 5:19pm:

There are two supports on either side of the yoke

Yes... but they rest on another piece laid flat, that is only supported at both ends...I've done a lot of good and very bad carpentry, and I see those screws at the end "blowing out" someday when somebody leans on the panel or whatever.

If I may suggest: add some thing smaller, maybe even 1x2, to each of those "shelves" at a right angle so that you now have an L or T-section... much stiffer, but not much heavier.

Then glue and screw some 1x3 or something flat on the inside of the box between the ends of the shelves and under the lower one, extending vertically- down to the base would be best, because that will transfer some of the weight of your panels to the floor without stressing the joints at the ends of the shelves... but with that overhang, that wouldn't work.
I dunno; I'd mainly beef up those ends somehow, even with little cleats or small metal corner braces.

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Reply #18 - Feb 5^th, 2008 at 6:22am

JSpahn Offline
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Thanks rotty,

Everything is dry fit right now and once I pick up some decent furniture clamps Ill hook it up Wink

Wink

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