I'm a newbe (P-51) cockpit?

[Dragon Flight]

Hi to everyone. Never been on a forum befor. I'v desided to build a authentic P-51 cockpit. Spent many hours trying to fined someone on the net that has built one, but no luck. Having it correct in every detail is important to me. Iam aircraft savey and know how to build with just about any material. I'm having a hard time finding the right measurments I need but I think I can figure out them from three views. Not a lot of room around the windshield for more than one monitor so I realize I'll have to keep it simple. Thinking of maybe having a pc built just to run the sim softwear than view it through a 26" lcd mounted just ahead of the windscreen. I would like to have a real looking joy stick and rudder peddals. Well I can take criticism so how far off am I? Is there softwear just for the Mustang? Better ones than others? Is anybody else doing something similar? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. C-ya Sid

[BHawthorne]

I would suggest picking up:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Blueprints-P-51-...3286.m20.l1116

That way you have a full set of the manufacturer's technical drawings for the aircraft and can use for reference for the build.

The P-51 is a great plane. I'm surprised more people don't build this aircraft considering that the technical drawings for it have been for sale on ebay for years now.

I have the copy from Flug-Archiv which is essentially the same item but in TIFF format.

[o76o]

Shockwave's Mustang P-51 is a beauty. I use it on FSX.

Good luck! I want to make an old warbird pit of my own someday.

[Crescent]

Dragon Flight. Welcome. Good to see another ww2er out there. I'm building the Avro Lancaster (the front end anyway hehe). So far I have the main throttle done and I'm working on the yoke/pedistal atm.

First step would be to get your hands on the technical drawings. These won't give you the dimensions of the items your building such as throttle etc, but it will give you the exact shape you need. I very luckily befriended someone at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum who has one of the only two flying Lancs in the world and she provides me with measurements on anything I need.

So, I would suggest maybe emailing some museums who have the 51 for some measurements on critical pieces. Send me a message if you need more info on anything (like how to get your throttles and yoke working on the sim). I'll check around for some P-51 drawings as well.

http://s718.photobucket.com/albums/ww185/Kroisant_2009/

[Dragon Flight]

0760 thanks for the tip. I had a look at it looks great to me. My cockpit is starting to take shape is FXS the flight sim then the Mustang added on?

[o76o]

If I understand your question correctly,

Yes FSX is the main program. FSX short for Flight Simulator X and then you add or load Shockwave's Mustang software in afterwards.

Then you can select the plane from within FSX.

[BHawthorne]

First step would be to get your hands on the technical drawings. These won't give you the dimensions of the items your building such as throttle etc, but it will give you the exact shape you need. I very luckily befriended someone at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum who has one of the only two flying Lancs in the world and she provides me with measurements on anything I need.

So, I would suggest maybe emailing some museums who have the 51 for some measurements on critical pieces. Send me a message if you need more info on anything (like how to get your throttles and yoke working on the sim). I'll check around for some P-51 drawings as well.

The link above I gave will give him every single part in the aircraft including throttles, etc... I'm confused why you say they won't give dimentions on those parts when I know they do? You're confusing 3-view and station drawings with a full set of technical drawings. 2 totally different things.

[Crescent]

Just been my experience I guess with my own tech drawings. Sure for the frame and stuff you get the measurements, but not for throttles and yoke etc. I'm sure there are ones out there, I just havn't found any for the Lanc.

[BHawthorne]

That particular P-51 set is the USAF technical drawings on microfilm that they used for field repairs. It's about 16,000 parts drawings. If anything it's almost too much information instead of not enough. You could build the real thing if you had the time, money and patience with those drawings.

[chrisvb]

I have an all aluminum P-51 cockpit from firewall to end of the canopy section I bulilt in the 90's. The seat is from a UH1. I have TM controls and a flat screen instrument panel. I used a Fresnel lens in the early 90’s over the CRT and I am now using a LCD projector in the rear projection mode on a screen at the end of my firewall. Space has become an issue so I ‘m looking into the 4’X2” TOOB display as an option for the outside image. I got all of the measurments from a friend with a P-51 he took to airshow. All the data plates were repos and I had them digitized for others to use. I just need to find the files. I'll upload some photos for you and measurements.