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Yankee737
07-04-2007, 03:52 PM
Hey everyone, new member here. I'm sure I'm no different from the rest of you...way back in the early days of FS, I always felt there was just something missing, something more that belonged in the world of simulation.

FS98 and a cheapo yoke brought me a step closer. Then I graduated to 2K2Pro and just never gave an actual cockpit sim a second thought.

As my simulation experience evolved, I explored the various sub-hobbies: design, repainting, VA's, you name it. When I stumbled upon my first introduction to a cockpit...whoa. Sign me up!

Since then I've alwayos thought, "Yeah that would be neat, but I'll probably never do it." That is, of course, until last year when the purchase of a new house with a LOT of space made the possibility a lot more real.

So I've spent the past three months or so really reading up on things, figuring out what it is I want to create, etc. And here I am!

I plan to build an "as real as possible" 737 cockpit. Why the 737? Well, in addition to just loving the plane, I figure it's the most common commercial airliner in the sky! Not only will research data be relatively abundant, but it is the least likely to become antiquated in the years to come.

I'm in the very early "mock-up" stages. Last night I cut some rough MIP and console panels out of some scrap wood I had lying around, just to "size out" the space I'll be occupying. (How exciting! lol)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to interacting with you all, and can't wait to get started!

Westozy
07-04-2007, 06:31 PM
Hi and welcome to MyCockpit.org, I was in the same situation 3 years ago and now I'm nearly finished. 737 is a good choice for ease of getting off the shelf parts etc, go for it, you will get there!

Gwyn

Matt Olieman
07-04-2007, 09:27 PM
Welcome aboard..... you're like the rest of us...

We love sim-ming to the extreme!!!!

Michael Carter
07-04-2007, 09:50 PM
Welcome to the forum Yankee.

Don't discount mock-ups. They can be very useful for planning purposes.

I remember when my instrument panel was nothing more than a piece of laminated plastic on 1/8" plywood with drawings for the instruments.

Bob Reed
07-04-2007, 10:10 PM
Hey Yankee737 and welcome. I planned to build a 737 in the beginning. Then I looked at the RJ.. Nice, small I had a room issue then... So I was going to build that. Then I decided I could do with a half cockpit so I switched to the 777. Now all this time I still loved the 737 but everyone was building one of those. I went to visit a certain friend who had a A340 sim and he took me to a guys house who had a 737 in a real nose.... Well that did it. As soon as I got home I was back at the 737. There is so much to love about that AC and so many places you can fly it. Pictures even of the mock up!!! We love pictures!

JBaymore
07-04-2007, 10:39 PM
Welcome to the insanity, Yankee.

At one point my temporary MIP and glareshield held scale xerox copies of the panels as prototypes for figuring out what went where. The planning is at least half the fun. ;)

Step by step...... it slowly comes together.

Keep us all posted on your doings.

best,

.....................john

Trevor Hale
07-05-2007, 08:06 AM
Hey everyone, new member here. I'm sure I'm no different from the rest of you...way back in the early days of FS, I always felt there was just something missing, something more that belonged in the world of simulation.

FS98 and a cheapo yoke brought me a step closer. Then I graduated to 2K2Pro and just never gave an actual cockpit sim a second thought.

As my simulation experience evolved, I explored the various sub-hobbies: design, repainting, VA's, you name it. When I stumbled upon my first introduction to a cockpit...whoa. Sign me up!

Since then I've alwayos thought, "Yeah that would be neat, but I'll probably never do it." That is, of course, until last year when the purchase of a new house with a LOT of space made the possibility a lot more real.

So I've spent the past three months or so really reading up on things, figuring out what it is I want to create, etc. And here I am!

I plan to build an "as real as possible" 737 cockpit. Why the 737? Well, in addition to just loving the plane, I figure it's the most common commercial airliner in the sky! Not only will research data be relatively abundant, but it is the least likely to become antiquated in the years to come.

I'm in the very early "mock-up" stages. Last night I cut some rough MIP and console panels out of some scrap wood I had lying around, just to "size out" the space I'll be occupying. (How exciting! lol)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to interacting with you all, and can't wait to get started!

How exciting. It's like watching the birth of a new baby. It is so exciting watching other get excited as they plan the stages of their first flight simulator. I know how excited you are, I was there 3 years ago myself, and today when people look at me strange for having this airplane in my basement, I don't even batt an eye, its like "no big deal now" However every time I get into it to fly, I still get butterflies. I wish you great progress, but please remember when you get frustrated or stumped on something, please remember all those photo's and sites you visited because just browsing through galleries looking at other peoples projects give you that encouragement you need to continue.

Best of luck, and we are all here to help.

Trev

jmig
07-06-2007, 10:13 PM
Please allow me to welcome you as well. I am the token fighter cockpit builder. You guys can have your straight and level, autopilot everything planes.

Real men (and women ) fly fighters.

:wink:

Bob Reed
07-06-2007, 11:33 PM
Actually we have Wallo too! He has a nice fighter with a real bang seat!

AndyT
07-07-2007, 04:56 AM
Dont forget us GA flyers!
My first MIP was a peice of cardboard with hand drawn instruments on it.:D

Yankee737
07-07-2007, 05:34 AM
Aah, this conversation sounds so oddly familiar. It's virtually identical to the one I had in my head! "GA! No, Boeing! Do a Hornet! Helicopters rule!" is pretty much how that went down.

My problem is that ideally, I want something as accurate and realistic as possible. (It's the only way I'll ever "fly a real 737".) So that ruled out a generic sim that could replicate any aircraft at a moment's notice. It was a tough decision, but I had to pick one.

Who knows, when the lottery comes knocking on my door, perhaps I'll build a "sim room" and have nothing but pits in all genres inside!

jmig
07-07-2007, 09:08 AM
Aah, this conversation sounds so oddly familiar...

Who knows, when the lottery comes knocking on my door, perhaps I'll build a "sim room" and have nothing but pits in all genres inside!

Heck, just buy the real airplanes. :D

One of the great things about pit building is the Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge trucks discussions. In the end, we all get what we want and we help each other in the process.

Bob Reed
07-07-2007, 10:19 AM
Dont forget us GA flyers!
My first MIP was a peice of cardboard with hand drawn instruments on it.:D

Hey Andy.. I think all of us had that piece of cardboard at one time saying, oh ya.. That would be awesome!! :p:cool: