Quick question for 727 drivers

[Michael Carter]

I meant to incude this in the previous post, but it's so much later I thought I'd just post again.

If you really want to fly a 727, then go for it. It's a lot of work, and you won't be buying a thing off-the-shelf that looks anywhere near new, but it's all real and can be interfaced. The logic is a problem, but there's not much on this aircraft that was originally computer driven anyway except the flight data computer and instruments. You get that in the DF727 flight model. Everything else was electical switch and timer logic.

Outputs are a problem and you won't get everything to work, but you'll get the relevent stuff working. At least the stuff that the FSsim includes. Most of the action is on the engineer's panel and you won't be looking at that much anyway except for startup and shutdown, and an occasional look during the flight.

You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. With a lot of help of course, but your wallet will be a lot fatter than a 737 driver's too, to spend money on things like ventilation, communications, lighting, fuzzy dice etc.

Price a few aftermarket 737 panels and then look on e-Bay and see what you get for less money for real equipment with everything included as pulled from the aircraft.

[orwell84]

Thank you for your help and measurements. There are a number of reasons I am considering the 727. I really like the open plan and like the idea of being able to see the whole cockpit from the outside. The engineers station is more about having another place for a person to enjoy the sim. I don't care if it has much functionality. Of course, I could build a 737 with a 727 layout, which is my orignal interest in the 727.

My skills and emphashis are more focused to building a highly detailed cockpit, but start with very bare bones avionics and functionality. At first, a keyboard hack is fine for me. I plan to make my own panels. If you are familiar with Juan Cordon's work, this is the route I plan to go. Making itty bitty panels with a dremel and scroll saw are actually fun for me. This is adequate realism for me and it frees me from buying expensive panels and complex avionics. Maybe I would begin with homemade panels and gradually replaced them with real ones. Scrapes and patina from being real old? Perfect.

I know there are a lot of CAD drawings for the panels of the 737. Do these exist for the 727 as well? Any other good 727 resources?

Thanks again

[Michael Carter]

This is about the only reference site for the 727. http://www.boeing-727.com/

It's mostly systems information, but if you don't have any manuals, it's about all there is.

[orwell84]

Many thanks,

I have run across a number of your posts and now better understand some of the appeal of the 727 building....like being able to get original panels relatively cheaply. Also, it seems that many of these cockpits were one offs built to individual requirements which allows some freedom of design. Also I've heard mentioned that a 727 requires a lot more pilot attention since many things were not automated like on the 737.

BTW, I ran across these sites which describe a sort of hybrid someone built. The story of this sim is quite interesting.

http://www.727cockpit.com/index.html
http://wigrey.blogspot.com/

And hey, thanks again. I have enjoyed discussing this. For now I am just going to mull my options over while building the shell. Then I will have decisions to make.

[Michael Carter]

That is one of the nice things about the 727. You can't build a wrong cockpit.

Each customer had their own options.

Sort of like ordering a new car 30 years ago.