Insane builders

[NicD]

Yeah Maurice... I hate building too, although I have got some enjoyment from it, every now-and-then. There is just soooooooo much of it!!!

Pulled the MIP apart yesterday to finally tackle all the switch, led and backlight wiring on it... and I got to thinking... all the people who will use this and NEVER see/know what goes into making it work... makes me envious in a lunatic sort of way. And if I look at it too much I start wondering ... sheesh .. how DOES all this stuff work anyway !

So to all you new guys... if you have done your planning and have an estimate of the time and money you'll spend..... triple it... multiple by your age.... divide by number of crew seats ... add the value of your mortgage ... and subtract the distance to your local hardware store. Should be fairly accurate then.

So when are you coming over Maurice ?... I've got 4 boeing rudder pedals just waiting for you.... ... and I can't bear to look at them.

[Westozy]

Maurice, I totally agree with your theories! From an engineering point of view I see no value in replicating the last dzus fastener or using laser technology to match paint samples. We are all building huge joysticks to operate a simple flight simulator program which has hardly enough interface capabilities. I work on the "85%" is good enough theory and have always focussed on practicallity of each part I make. For instance I have buttons on my MIP that bring up FS windows, 12v lighting, etc. Things that the real plane doesn't have. I built my frame/seating/MIP position to be ergonomically comfortable and frequently fall asleep in it so I will call that design a win. My NG is built how Boeing should have done it! (My own arrogant joke, I call it the NG+!). In reality 99% of people are not obsessed with aviation like us and when I get 'normal' people visiting my sim, they are all blown away, they would not know what a real NG cockpit looks like. I have 3 airline captains who visit and 2 are NG jocks, they love it and have never complained. One of them did advise me that my rudder trim knob was faulty, but then again knobs attached to 1/4" bolts don't generally do much anyway. I was stoked that he tried to operate it after a simulated engine fail!

I really do admire the dedication of those builders who have to have everything perfect because they are right up against it will have the most problems along their path. Dedication to a task like that and is a huge commitment and at the end of the day, who pats them on the back? Not the missus I bet! I'll just get back to the TQ production line and plans for my second simulator, maybe an 85% accurate A320, don't tell the missus. There's money to be made in this game and growing kids to feed, she really likes that part of my FS obsession...my $58 worth!!!

Gwyn

PS My Nangchang combat fighter ride story should be in November's CP mag...

[Tomlin]

Gwyn,

Your reply was refreshing. I spent some time in my friend's shop tongiht and Im now beat. I thougt I was going to get away with using 1.5" L brackets for my MIP stand. HAHAAHAHAHA! What a joke. Im going back to Lowes tommorow for some BIG daddy brackets now. MDF is a bit of a challenge for 1.5" L brackets.

Since I brag so much how changing from the NG to the Lear has been such a good change due to less obsession, I think I needed the few frustrations I faced in building tonight so that I could be reminded of your 85% theory.

Tommorow, I will be more relaxed about it all!

[AndyT]

mauriceb,

You said, "I wish I could pay someone to build it for me"

I'M HIRED! When should I expect airfare to arrive? I hope you have room for my wife also cuz I never travel without her....

[mauriceb]

So when are you coming over Maurice ?... I've got 4 boeing rudder pedals just waiting for you.... ... and I can't bear to look at them.

Thanks for the offer Nic, but I'm pretty sure I'd rather get 4 root canals (without anesthetic) rather than tackle 4 more rudder pedals. Funny thing is that the linkages were only one part of the grief. Making foot rests and hiding the middle part gave me unbounded joy as well . Almost done now at last but still have to add the electronics for it. I'm almost looking forward to that

Maurice

[NicD]

lol... ah well just some pics will do then !

[mauriceb]

mauriceb,

You said, "I wish I could pay someone to build it for me"

I'M HIRED! When should I expect airfare to arrive? I hope you have room for my wife also cuz I never travel without her....

Hmmm!!!! Tempting indeed, especially if your wife is very attractive. Ooops, sorry honey..I never really meant that. Close call here. (I hate it when she reads over my shoulder)

The only trouble with your offer is that I may have missed the 'afford' part in my sentence which should have read I wish I could afford to pay someone...

But more importantly, you have just made my point. Why would you leave Hawaii to come to Canada when winter is approaching? I re-iterate my statement... flight deck building turns normally sane people into raging lunatics

Maurice

[JBaymore]

I re-iterate my statement... flight deck building turns normally sane people into raging lunatics

Hey! I resemble that remark!

[mauriceb]

Hey! I resemble that remark!

I don't care, because I am Napoleon & I have better things to worry about, & countries to invade, & pedals to finish

Nappy

[JBaymore]

This whole concept is one big part of why I went "generic" with my cockpit design.



Most people would be "fooled" into thinking that image above is an aircraft cockpit. It "steals" liberally from individual design elements of many different real aircraft. Those details are replicated farely accurately in many cases... in others thay are extrapolated into something that approximates the "feel" of the unit. My goal was to capture the "essence" of the real cockpit environment and translate that into a custom cockpit that is MY aircraft with things I want in a cockpit in the locatons that I want them in.

best,

................john