B737-300 simulator with FS9?

[davjones]

I introduced myself and my 737 cockpit project several months ago. This is a real cockpit; the front 10 feet or so of N379UA, a B737-322 that was retired in 2009.

Since that time the priority has been to get suitable housing built for the project. After a lot of indecision on my part and various delays, it appears that a dedicated 20' x 25' steel building is only about a week away. As it sits now, the cockpit is not very accessible, and the only work I've done is of a miscellaneous nature -- seat tracks and things like that. But now with the building so close to reality, I've been able to turn my attention to the things that come next.

It has been my intention from the beginning to keep the airplane as a -300, using the Wilco/Feelthere 737 PIC as my base model and FS9 as the base simulation. Oh, I know 737 PIC isn't the greatest, but 99% of the functionality I need is modeled, and besides, I don't know of any other options for a -300. Quite a few Open Cockpits IO Cards and accessories came with the cockpit, and I'd like to stick with OC -- and SIOC -- to the extent that I'm able.

Like so many other great plans this one has a flaw; and I think I've turned up a big one. Using FS9, the logical software interface seems to be FSUIPC. OK so far? Maybe not -- I read a post the other day saying that the FSUIPC offsets for 737 PIC have apparently never been documented. So there are hundreds of variables in there that I'll need access to, but no way of knowing where they are.

Is this the deal-breaker it appears to be? Are there any other options for doing a -300? Has anybody ever done a full 737-300 simulator? Is it even possible, especially in FS9? Plan "B" might be to go FSX using the FSX version of the 737 PIC and interface with Sim Connect, or (Plan "C") stick with FS9 and make it a -200, meaning I could just skip all the intracacies and complication -- not to mention expense -- of the EFIS, FMS, glass tubes, MCPs and CDUs and so forth. I'd rather have them though, if at all possible.

Secondarily, there may be previous threads that discuss these points, but I can't figure out how to make the forums search function work when using just numbers and a "-". Seems to work just fine when you use words. I saw "B737-400" and "737 classic" listed as popular searches at the bottom of the forums advanced search page but didn't get me to anything I could sink my teeth into. Am I missing something?

Naturally, any discussion, advice, suggestions or pointers would be very much appreciated. I've already seen enough in these forums to know that this is a great group and there's whole world of knowledge here. And I have so much to learn...

...Dave

Dave Jones
Fort McCoy, Florida USA

[Matt Olieman]

Dave, you've got a wonderful challenge and I'm sure it's been done before.

I look forward to seeing your project....

Matt Olieman

[dodiano]

I am not very much aware on how the 737-400 overhead differs from the NG but could it be possible you could use PIC 737 for Gauges and PFD, ND's and maybe some overhead software for Overhead that has accessible offsets? Like SIMAVIONICS or Porject Magenta?

[davjones]

Matt: As always, thank you for your encouragement and support.

Dodiano -- As far as I know, the only difference in the -300 and NG overheads is that they replaced some of the steam gauges with digital displays -- electrical and maybe the CSD drive temps. No big deal I don't think for cockpit builders. If you can drive one then you should be able to do the other.

One of the neat things about the PIC 737 is that it does give you a beautiful PFD and ND when you expand them. They are really pretty. So, yes, I want to use them and if I can find a way to drive the other gauges with PIC, great. Just that I'm too new and green to know how to get all the bits I need to do that, especially with no FSUIPC offsets. Am I correct in believing that some basic values like airspeed and altitude and VS are "generic", meaning common to all? That would be a big help.

I thought Project Magenta and others like Prosim 737 were purely for NGs, and wanted to avoid the expense anyway if I could. PM and PS737 are possibilities though, if they are the tools I need to do this. I'm not familiar with SIMAVIONICS but will check them out! The key point is that, in the end, the MCP, ND, EFIS panel and the CDUs all have to work together -- not a small undertaking, I know.

As I said, I have so much to learn.... At this point, the more I read the more it makes me realize how much I don't know!

Any comments on the search problem I mentioned last night? There may be a world of info already here that would answer a lot of my questions.

Thanks again for these two posts. More are very welcome, including links to previous threads.

...Dave

Dave Jones
Fort McCoy, Florida