Glareshield Archive!

Thanks David. The glaresheild was built with blue foam insulation glued onto hardboard and then shaped with a file and sandpaper. The covering is fake leather. If you go that route make sure you buy vinyl that stretches both ways. I made that mistake and bought a material that only stretched in one direction and couldn't get it to fit wrinkle free. I posted a few pictures in the forums when I was building the glarsheild, when I get back to a computer I'll look for it and post a link, I'm on my Blackberry at the moment.

I forgot the thread I posted the pictures in was in the cockpit update section so it's been deleted. So I've attached the photos to this post.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/...7d4b4f470a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/...51cb27eb8f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/...a88dce8bfd.jpg

Hello, just wanted to join and present my first attemt at a simpit. In lack of a pilotjob I desided to build a simple IFR trainingdevice for selfpractise.
I intend to network 3 computers so I can have a instructorstation on one and the two others for instruments and a large view forward.
Tha platform will be FS2004 because I find it to deliver satisfying graphics with mid range computers. The instruments are presented on two 22" LCD screens and there will be a cover with round holes for the instruments.

The controls are somewhat modified Saitek off the shelf gear.
The simpit is built of MDF. The nice seats are from a BMW 535, very confortable.

Best regards

Johannes

Malmoe sweden

Hi, I have just remembered a post about year ago from a member called shawn who built a stunning glareshield for his GA cockpit, so I thought I would bring back this posting and share it with you, especially with the likes of Ronson2k3 who may find this interesting!

I don`t if Shawn is still around, but I`m very interested about the make of the seats , they look great.
And would look nice in my fuselage too,
greetz

Yep your right I do find this interesting.. :)

I still think I'll be going the other way with the cutting.

I estimate that from the front (in front of the MIP) to the back (firewall) it's 14".
Firewall to MIP face 9"
Width beyond MIP face 5"

The inside width is 44.6" So about 4' wide overall maybe a little larger. Despite the height of the MIP the glareshield is only about 1/3 that height.

At 2" thick 14-3/4" (6 inner pieces of hardboard + 7 pieces of foam)
-- If I'm really good with the wire cutter I could cut one round down 1-1/4" making it 14"
(Cuts 7+7 = 14)

They come in 1/2" thick increments.

1.5" thick foam x 9 = 13.5" + 1" hardboard = 14.5" which I could remove 1/2" from to make it an even 14"
(Cuts 10+8 = 18)

Top one wins.. Less cutting and only about $6 more in materials. More likely I can get all the cuts in on the foam too as there are 2 less ribs (pieces of bread).

I'll be modeling this in blender to get all the cuts right. As it's a complex shape especially at the front. With the slope to the MIP and the flares on other side as well as the pots for the shield lighting..

I could do this for you as well Alex and Wriley if you like. As we are making the glareshield the same way perhaps. You'll need to tell me what you want if anything in your glareshield (lights or special design and or size requirements).

Check the Glareshield lighting thread for more thoughts on the lighting concept I have in mind.

As for my glareshield.

I have the shape of the glareshield traced onto paper, I stuck the paper glareshield shape to the styrofoam and sprayed around it so just the shape is showing....simply cut out....and done!

Sanding is the fun part, creating the shape of the glareshield, slowly by slowly it takes shape.....

I am not rally into all these precise measurements, curves and angles for the glareshield as it complicates everything too much, so I just start with the basic shape and sand down until its perfect!

I do admire your hard work Ron, its top stuff!

Edit: I am using 2" Styro

I'm not terribly into doing the exact match either. As I'm working from photos mostly and my best guess on measurements.

I'm really digging into the moto tool and all it can do. As I've just sold all my bench tools. It's my primary cutting machine now. For all the delicate stuff.

I was looking at the Styrofoam too. That would work great if I was covering with vinyl but as I'm painting I need to have a pretty smooth surface and so that's why the more dense stuff. I may look at it closer though when I go to get the stuff. If the ends look pretty dense then I may go with that instead. It seems to come in the exact dimension of the glareshield 2x4' and it's about 1/5 the cost of the other stuff. So I could get more and be generous with my cutting.

Have you worked with it before? Is sanding a problem? I'm thinking it could disintegrate into little balls of foam when sanded?

For me the measurements are a good guess as I'm working with my up sized drawing of a photocopy of the service manual. The drawing itself was pretty poor but the best I could find. I've then been re-drawing it in vector and matching the lines cleaning it up. It's about 1/4 full size. As I don't have 2 gig memory in my machine I can't go full size in PSP. It poops out on me. Blender would work great but then it can't print.. So for me to print it I would need a machine that has more memory to let me convert the TGA blender output to a jpg perhaps so that it can be printed.

So I'm working from a standard gauge size for all my MIP measurements. Checking the photos to confirm often. Having to work from an older drawing to a newer version complicates things.

Making the glare shield is much like the wing of an RC airplane. In fact I had even thought of using the shrink wrap material they use for wings. It's heated with an iron to shrink it.

http://www.coverite.com/covering/covq0225.html

I'm going to cut a bit generously and then sand down using a palm sander. Then seal with gesso and smooth with an as yet undetermined filler sand again then apply the faux finish.

the actual glare shield is the inexpensive part. All the paint and filler that's where the money is hehe.

When I say styrofoam are you assuming that I am talking about polystyrene?

Polystyrene is the white stuff that snaps that is made usually of tiny little balls.

Styrofoam is the Blue/Pink stuff that is tough, more dence and sands downeasily.

I am using the blue stuff = styrofoam!

Cheers,

Alex

Nope actually that's backwards..

Polystyrene is the blue/pink stuff
Styrofoam is the drink cup/food container white stuff.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...1&Nty=1&s=true

One of the big differences being one is the (white stuff) vacuum formed and the other is extruded.

I also found this when I typed in Styrofoam.
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...partial&s=true

It's an acid and solvent free adhesive so it shouldn't react to the polystyrene. I'll take a closer look when I go out there later today or tomorrow and let you know. Could be a good alternative to no more nails.

OK.....then I am using polystyrene....

Hope that helps lol

White paper cup stuff in UK:

We call it polystyrene:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=p...stryene&_rdc=1


The Blue / Pink stuff in UK:

Styrofoam:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Blue-Styrofoam...6.c0.m14#ht_50

You say tomatoe, I say tomato.
You say potatoe, I say potato.
Tomatoe, tomato.
Potatoe, potato.

LOL - sorry couldn't help myself. Actually, this polystyrene, styrofoam, confusion is different than pronouncing vegetables. Yet, it doesn't compare to the rubber and getting knocked-up confusions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alex Jay

White paper cup stuff in UK:

We call it polystyrene:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=p...stryene&_rdc=1


The Blue / Pink stuff in UK:

Styrofoam:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Blue-Styrofoam...6.c0.m14#ht_50

---

That's pretty weird but hey not a problem so long as we're talking about the same thing.. 'A Rose by any other name' LOL.. Even if it's reversed across the pond.. Could be a trademark thing too. Depending on who is making the stuff..

Anyway .. It was raining all day today so I didn't go to far from home.. I Did that last weekend and got a pretty good cold (still have a bit of it lingering). So I didn't want to push my luck again. Tomorrow though should be a good day.