CRJ progress

[AviatorPRO]

Andy, your CRJ is looking great. What are you using to make your brackets, panels, and other flat pieces? Or are you designing/ordering all of them with that FrontPanel app you linked a while back?

I wouldn't bother much with any sort of "dataref editor" or other user-written tools intended to "supplement" the SDK. It stands quite well on its own, and is not difficult to learn, just a little different from more conventional coding projects. The Python interface to the SDK is even simpler (and more fun to program, IMO): http://www.xpluginsdk.org/python_interface.htm

Edit: I should clarify that the Python interface is nearly an identical "copy" of the SDK in Python, with functions and data types represented in the closest Python equivalents, to the point that you can almost exclusively use the original SDK docs once you get the hang of the Python SDK's idiosyncrasies. The relative ease and simplicity of Python is what makes it simpler and so much fun. And the fact that Sandy did such an amazing job with it.

Matt

Hi matt

All of the panels are from Hispapanels in Spain. They come as only panels. No instructions etc. You design the mechanics/ electronics as you see fit. Each panel consists of 3 x 3mm plates which are held together by M2 bolts therefore are extremely rigid when affixed to the 6mm and 12mm mdf supports of the mip. All other flat panels are mdf. The curved glareshield was built using mdf and filled with expanding foam, trimmed to profile. I use p38 car filler for minor imperfections because it is epoxy based, dries within minutes and can be sanded perfectly with little effort. Hispapanels are held by GLB screws or equivalent bolts. The front bottom right of the mip which supports the gear panel and cdu is 5mm acrylic, though invisible in any photos so far.

The CRJ using standard data refs for the main flying surfaces, but custom data refs are provided for home cockpit builders to enable full functionality. I've never heard of the python stuff. Im intriqued and I'll check it out. But I will use teensy boards for interface purposes.

The iPads all run Airtrack app. this is perfect because although not 100% realistic, it gives an excellent simulation of a glass cockpit. It only cost £17.00.


The AirTrack features include:

A Primary Flight Display (PFD) with:
Speed
Altitude
Vertical Speed
Barometric pressure
Outside Temperature
Compass
Attitude Indicator with roll and pitch
Auto-Pilot status and settings
Instant GS, IAS, MACH, and VS when available
Flaps deployment and landing gear state
Movement sensing remote control of the aircraft
Support for iphone/ipod 4 built-in gyros to control the rudder / yaw
A Multi Function Navigation Display (MFD/ND) with:
APP, VOR, MAP and PLN modes
Centered and expanded views
Display of APT, WPT, VOR, NDB, CWP and LOC
Wind speed and direction indicators
True Air Speed and Ground Speed
Next waypoint reporting
Flight plan display
Course control from NAV1, NAV2 or FMC
ILS / VOR approach course helpers
Runway and localizer orientation drawing
VOR/ADF selector
VOR/NDB guidance bugs according to NAV/ADF
Next waypoint mode selector (NAV1/2, FMC)
Tracking in MAP mode
Display of the world border and coast lines as a background map
Rate of Turn display with the snake and 30, 60 and 90 secs predictions
A Mode Control Panel (MCP) that interacts with the simulator's auto-pilot with :
HDG, IAS/MACH, OBS1, OBS2, ALT, VS and BARO dialers
AT/ARM, SPD HOLD, HDG HOLD, N/1, C/O, LNAV, LOC, APP, LCH, ALT, VS, VNAV and AP CMD hold switches
A Flight Management Computer (FMC) with:
Multi-Mode, Multi-Leg flight planner
Reported distances per waypoint
Time remaining / elapsed per leg
Position Reports for Oceanic
Flight Statistics with progress and ETA
Runways and localizers
Basic SID and STAR decoding for airports
Enroute airways decoding
Cloud based syncing of flight plans across devices
Plus:
Full radio stack with NAV1/2, COM1/2, ADF1/2
Transponder dial and auto-transponder mode
Customizable waypoints
My waypoints and Nearby waypoints
Real-Time weather information for airports
Detailed airport information including runways
VOR ad NDB class, range, frequencies
A database of over 100,000 localities worlwide
Built-in database of FIX, VORs and NDBs
Cloud based syncing of waypoints across devices
Support for NAVIGRAPH FMS AIRAC cycles
Tracking of VATSIM/IVAO surrounding traffic
Display of online VATSIM/IVAO controllers
Electronic Flight Bag style interface for iPad
Enhanced graphics with high-res Retina Display
Approach charts viewer (*** EXPERIMENTAL ***)
Support for the external AHRS from Levil Aviation
And much more ...
These are just a few of the things that you can do with AirTrack; and if they aren't enough, be assured that this is just the beginning. We have a lot more in stock to introduce in future versions.

This can be displayed over several iPads, and allows me to concentrate on building the comms and nav panels without interfering with my flying. This was a major concern to me. I love to fly and then build. Also with the remote cdu, I have an instant cockpit, ready to expand as I see fit but perfectly functional in the short term.

For fun, I can display air nav pro map data, and x plane efis app.

Cheers

Andy

Check it out:
http://www.ipobjects.com/products/airtrack

http://hispapanels.com/tienda22/

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/



Not happy with finish. Here we go again...

[AviatorPRO]

I don't want to annoy anyone with my posts, so unless anyone is too bothered I will update at

xplanecrj.wordpress.com

I will still provide updates here if there is interest.

Andy

[vidarf]

If somebody are bothered, it's just because they're jealous!


Keep'em coming! I read all your updates, but I don't reply with just ooh's and aah's. I could, but I find those posts a bit annoying.

Great work! And it is good to see that I'm not the only one obsessing over minute details...

[vidarf]

BTW: I see we're going with the Caterpillar look here...

[AviatorPRO]

BTW: I see we're going with the Caterpillar look here...

Yes. I always liked it. Black CAT vinyls await. Never mind Traffic Grey. I finally settled on a finish I am happy with; it is called road works yellow. Looks like a target tug from the 50's RAF.

Well its grey again now. And what a difference a flat lacquer makes. I was ordering my paints from Germany, when I discovered a paint mixing company 1/2 mile from my house who did everything I wanted at a much cheaper cost. And the aerosols have better nozzles with a more even flow. Anyway, progress has been slow but I'm finally happy with the finish. Quality aerosols are great. Happiness is an aerosol from Yorkshire.

Anyway. Switches and buttons and knobs and teensy boards this month. Lots of finding stuff. Been busy on the blog for a few days. Had 1340 hits the other day and the guys at XP10blog have been kind enough to put my link on their site. (They are good) Amazing really.

So here are a few images of whats been going on...




















Thats it. Not too much really. Slow steps.

[vidarf]

How's the build doing? Or has the summer / honey do list taken their toll?

[lipq2009]

very very good project.
CRJ is one of my preferred aircrafts.
Somebody know where to find out a good flight tutorial for it?
I'm currently flying the wilco crj 900.
tnks a lot
ciao
Andrew

[gokhotit]

I have found that the WILCO CRJ is not even close to accurate. But to each there own.

[lipq2009]

Thanks for the reply. So I will keep flying with the Wilco FS9 versione or default crj900.
Regasrds

[Razorback]

I don't want to annoy anyone with my posts, so unless anyone is too bothered I will update at

xplanecrj.wordpress.com

I will still provide updates here if there is interest.

Andy

Razorback
I have viewed you posts several times and am very impressed with your progress on the CRJ. I am most interested in building a CRJ-700 simulator. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, would you be willing to sale a copy of the plans for the cockpit (interior/exterior)?