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Spitfire Mk IX Cockpit Build


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Brian, I had a look at SPAD a couple of weeks ago, but went the Lua route. Got a reply back from Rob at RealAir, who confirmed that I need to 'fly' one of the a/c that has a radio. RealAir presents s

The three screens are now up and seem to be working, although Nvidia did one of their software updates and I had to completely re-define the screen set up.  FSx still doesn't like the triple screen, a

So sorry,   want me to change it back.

Thanks Brett. My brother is a grammar and spelling Nazi (G'day Robbo) and takes real issue with any Oz slang or 'Murican spelling. Lives in good ol' mud island (UK) and speaks the Queens English, albeit with a Rhodesian accent.

Needles if you want, I'll leave a couple of spelling mistakes in the next posts for you to moderate.

Right! Enough of this...back to the workshop. I want to re-look/design the rudder potentiometer linkage. It was the last one done, and I must have been getting tired. I looked at it again this morning and shuddered.

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My pleasure, would not want Robbo upset. :) btw, I love the use of the old motorbike part for the brake, I'm a big fan of recycling old items. :thum:

 

@Brian- Would you be so kind as to fix the above post? My name is spelt with two "T's", thanks. ;)

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I couldn't wait to put some paint on to see what the effect would be.  The easiest to correct if I mucked it up is the top part of the control column.

 

This is the finished result:-

 

2014-12-13104037_zpsfb86eb9e.jpg

 

2014-12-13104050_zpsc4d2db73.jpg

 

and this is a photo of the real thing:

 

2014-12-13104349_zps293f4a66.jpg

 

What do you guys think? 

 

For various reasons I elected not to include the gun button. (I don't have a war to fight).

 

I also changed the location of the rotor to forward of the column, as we don't have hydraulic cables for the brakes and I wanted the linkage for the potentiometer to be away from the pilot.

 

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Wow Stephan, it's looking great!

 

Keep it up and you'll soon be out there swatting the beastly Hun.

 

I am envious of your work, and the fact that you can do it.  If I tried to pull a stunt like that my lovely wife would be making kebabs out of some particularly sensitive parts of my body.

 

However I do take inspiration from your work. I once "flew" an English Electric Lightning simulator which consisted of FSX rigged up to an overhead projector with a real Lightning cockpit to fly from.

 

I have often thought it would good to do a similar thing to you, but I would probably do it for a Sea Harrier or perhaps a Hawker Hunter, both cockpits I have sat in. A pipe dream at the moment but when I retire... maybe I will risk those kebab skewers.

 

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Thanks guys for your feed back.

 

@Hifly - We were looking at buying a kit a/c, but it worked out about 5 times more expensive. At least with a sim cockpit I can do what I like and not have a Light Aircraft Mechanical Engineer (LAME - I kid you not, that is what they are called here in Oz) tell me that I did not comply with Reg x Para y, Section 9.....blah blah.

 

@John.  You get used to the skewers after time!

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  • 2 weeks later...

A very merry Christmas to all of you on Mutley's Hangar, may all your gauges be in the green!

 

Speaking of gauges...a major milestone has been achieved!  I fired up the computer in the chassis for the first time after spending hours (and a failed first attempt) getting the instrument panel mask looking the way I wanted it to. Using SimPanels Panel Builder, and their Spitfire module, this is what the pilot will see.

Unfortunately because I am limited to a 22" flat panel screen, the panel is actually slightly smaller than real (for the purists divide all real dimensions by 1.25). I fairly sure that with time and much counseling (involving copious qualities of Johnny Walker Double Black my son's in-laws so thoughtfully provided under the Christmas tree) I will be able to move on from it.

 

2014-12-27125635_zps5e0ee425.jpg

As you can see the SimPanels dash is not a complete suite. For various reasons some instruments will not be reproduced to give readings. No matter! I have decided that for reality sake (and because I am a complete mug, and love making life harder than it should be) they should be on the panel. So out with the book again, and spent a couple of hours rendering the Oxygen supply and the wheel brake dial faces in CorelDRAW (along with a couple of fascia placards).

2014-12-27134036_zps2ba54a91.jpg

The two at the bottom have been cut out and put in a 50mm and a 40mm PVC pipe cap from the local plumbing supply shop, to show the effect. The pipe caps will be cut down to make 9mm high PVC rings that will be painted black and glued to the painted 3mm ply base of the instrument. Before I put the dial face in, I'll laminate them with thick stock to give the impression of glass.

I also used CorelDRAW X6 to make up cockpit placards and various control labels. Compare my landing gear control to the photo a couple of post back of the real thing. Now that I learnt to produce text in an arc, I'll more that likely re do the UP and the DOWN signs, they are supposed to be slightly arced to match the radius of the control.

2014-12-27132002_zps7745d8a2.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Good evening all,

I have been a slack, lazy bum over the last couple of weeks. I found that I had made a complete mess of the port upper cockpit wall, above the fuselage datum line and decided to rip it out and do it again. I was mildly surprised just how easily it all came off!

I got a case of CBF ("Couldn't Be F*#@ed") for a couple of days then had a stern talk to myself, pulled myself towards myself and got back into it.

The basic trouble was the cockpit door that I made way back in the beginning. It was the right size but the wrong curve, and that threw me out. It has now been consigned to the firewood pile (it's getting taller by the day!) and a new one is in progress as we speak.

This is where we stand at the moment. I think it's starting to look a bit like a Spit...

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The "perspex" (read 3mm acrylic handy sheet from the hardware store - who can afford perspex?) at the back there has still got the protective sheeting on, one day, I hope it'll all come off nice and clean, and the window will be all shiny and bright.

She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed came to the rescue here, as I had no idea how I was going to bend it and handle the torque, that stuff is tough! SWMBO has a huge oven, so we experimented with various temperatures and times, and found for the 400x600 sheet we needed 130 Deg C for about 7 minutes. We laid the plastic over a plywood former and let it just fall into the shape when it got to it's own temperature to bend. I may do another one (as she said, the whole thing is one huge experiment) to get it spot on, as you can see there are a couple of small waves on the lower edge.

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The real aircraft has a fuel primer that squirts raw fuel into the cylinders for start up (if you get it wrong, it produces the most spectacular stack fire!). In a simulator, you always get start, but I needed a way of controlling the volume for the 5:1 surround speaker set. Instead of a push/pull, I made the primer handle a turn knob and a 12mm aluminum shaft with a Velcro connector to the volume knob on the speaker. Problem solved!

2015-01-19182524-1_zps309e24f2.jpg

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Someone posted this on Facebook recently. I would love to know who did it, I think it is absolutely beautiful.

2015-01-13081108_zps3be75e8f.jpg

I love the way the skin is not perfect, but you can see the stress "tin canning" in some places. I think this is a touched up photo, still glorious.

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A couple of shots to show the trim controls for the port lower cockpit wall,

2015-01-19190503_zpsefc926e4.jpg

and the back shows the potentiometers. You can see the light green/blue the inside of the cockpit will be painted.

2015-01-19190520_zpsf570e361.jpg

A fairly crappy shot of the dummy instrument on the dash (memo to self - might take that photo again). I will always have oxygen and brake pressure!

2015-01-19190538_zpsa7e377ab.jpg

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.

She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed came to the rescue here, as I had no idea how I was going to bend it and handle the torque, that stuff is tough! SWMBO has a huge oven, so we experimented with various temperatures and times, and found for the 400x600 sheet we needed 130 Deg C for about 7 minutes. We laid the plastic over a plywood former and let it just fall into the shape when it got to it's own temperature to bend. I may do another one (as she said, the whole thing is one huge experiment) to get it spot on, as you can see there are a couple of small waves on the lower edge.

 

My wife wouldn't let me near her oven with any of my projects unless they involve onions and a white wine sauce.  A very understanding woman you have there!

 

I look forward to seeing more photos as the build progresses, it looks absolutely fantastic! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Quick update time.

Been painting, and tweeking the FSUICP4 settings and things are all starting to work. Only the one "horizon screen" in use at the moment, but there will be three in time.

2015-02-05%2017.57.48_zps9084myru.jpg

2015-02-05%2017.58.02_zpsxxg2pwz3.jpg

Still not covered the lower fuse yet, as I still need access to the wires and runs. On a couple of days though, that will be done, and I have to paint it inside. Contortion artist, sort back and barked shins and elbows. It really was a very small aeroplane!

I am having an issue with getting the "radio" to work, and I have a feeling that is because RealAir didn't "fit" a radio to their Spit IX Software. I have written to them, and await with crossed fingers. RealAir have really done a fantastic job of the software and the noise of the Merlin through the 5:1 surround sound is absolutely spectacular!

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