The A2A Simulations Community

Hi Snuffy,

The next one will be a bit more realistic, but it will still be a long way from a real B-17 cockpit.

Bill

I have been working on the window frames. It may seem like an odd place to start, but the window frames are crucial to the dimensions of the whole cockpit. They dictate the width of the cockpit, and the length of the flight deck area. There is no room for error, as the monitors have to fit exactly inside the frames, and the frames have to span each other at exactly 45 degree angles. It is much easier to alter the bottom structure if necessary as it is not as crucial.

Google sketchup is a great program, but every time I made modifications to my design, some of the dimensions would get out of whack. It was also hard to get components and groups to line up properly without sinking into each other. This also caused measurements to be inaccurate. I'm sure if I spent more time with the program I would be able to sort it out, but I have enough of what I need to start building.

So I decided to start the build using the sketchup design as more of a guide and doing physical measurements at each step. Then I would compare the two.

I started out by cutting the pieces to size and cutting the ends at 22.5 angles. I drilled 1/4 inch recesses with a spade bit on the bottom piece to accommodate the monitor base stub so the monitor would sit at a 90 degree angle. I wasn't concerned with the neatness as these holes would not be seen




Screwing the pieces together.








Laying out and drilling screw holes for the front bezel cover and retention strips






Front and rear monitor retention strips in place. The rear strips are two inches wide and run the length of the frame. When in place there is a space left for the the monitor to sit.






The false window is bolted to the window frame unit. It is made the same way as each window frame but has squared ends instead of 22.5 degree angles.





The window frames connected together.




They are fastened together with 2 45 degree construction brackets on each side, and a mending plate on the top. This is mainly for alignment purposes, and not for strength. The frames will be bolted to the top and bottom 2x4 framing. This will provide the strength. You can see the monitor stub from the stand I mentioned earlier.




Window frames with a monitor in place





Closer view of the monitor in the frame.



Bill

Made some progress on the shell.

Here is the lower back section. The opening is where the HDTV for the panel will go. The wood in the back is for the upper back section.

I used L brackets to hold the inner supports in place instead of screws from the bottom so that if the TV dies, I can alter the space for a different sized TV if necessary without having to dismantle the whole cockpit. I also did the same for the inner supports on the sections for easy alteration.






The lower left side section with the electrical panel in place.
Keep in mind that there will be a 12 inch raised deck in the flight deck area so that is why the panel looks so high up at the moment.





Here are the left side and back sections attached.



Bill

Got some more work done. It is really starting to come together. I had a minor disaster though, in that I dropped my 42" HDTV when I was moving it around.

It didn't work at all after that. I thought of trying to get it repaired, but I didn't want to risk having it die on me at a later date after it was installed in the cockpit so I went and bought a 40".

I had to do some modding to the back upper section, and make a new stand for the TV. I actually like the size of the 40" better. It is more in proportion with the cockpit.



Upper and lower back section bolted together.




Upper Left section





Upper Right section





Upper and lower sections




With TV installed




Working with 2x4 lumber can be a real pain as it tends to twist and cup as it dries out. I had to put some temporary braces at the back to square things up until I get the back section, window frames and roof together.

Temporary Braces




Bill

Bolted the windows to the shell structure.





Bill

Got some more work done.


Front panel closed in, and glare shield in place.




Top of the glare shield before the aluminum cover in place. The channel runs across the entire width of the cockpit. I will be using this to run various wires across the cockpit to the power supply and the computers.









The glare shield top covered.





Entire glare shield clad in aluminum, and co-pilot panel bolted in place.




I placed the Prop Feathering Panel in the glare shield. I used the "Sally B" as a model.
To make a large rectangular monitor appear to be somewhat circular, I had to make the glare shield top cover the supports under the monitors, and extend up into the window view slightly. Doing this ends up making the glare shield much thicker than in the real B-17. I needed some way to make the glare shield not look as large. I thought about it for awhile and surfed the net looking at pictures, and after looking at the "Sally B" with the prop feathering in the glare shield, I thought this would be a good way to distract the eye, and make it look better. I will also be putting a panel light/switch in the glare shield, so that will also tone down the size.





Side view. This will be covered with quilted fabric, and should give the illusion of a curvature of the hull.








Full front View




Started on the deckhead beams.






Bill

Great stuff Bill.

She looks like she will go together nicely and the "previous" experience is invaluable when embarking on a rebuild..all those things you thought.."I could do that better if I did it again"!

Anyway, keep up the good work and progress reports.

Darryl

_________________

...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...

Thanks Darryl!

Yes, things are going pretty smooth this time around. (Knock on wood!) You are so right about the previous experience being invaluable! Having a good plan has made a difference as well. I spent about 4 months planning the NG cockpit, so when I started the build, I knew exactly what I had to do, and for the most part how I was going to do it.

Bill

Bill,
keep the pictures coming !
we 're all eager to see your NG cockpit finished.
Francois

Francois,

More pics on the way soon!

Bill

Finished the deckhead framework.

Everything is bolted together and brackets used to allow for easy dis-assembly if required.

The first three beams will be covered with quilted fabric.

Two, 200 mm 148 CFM fans will be placed in the upper framework to blow out the hot air.

A 15" monitor will be placed in the front centre which I use for FSWidgits Google moving map. I love to see the names and the topography of the areas I fly over.

I will be stretching some raw canvass that I have left over from my oil painting days over the two front left and right upper skylight "windows". Then I will apply Gesso to them. This coats the canvass, and allows it to be painted on. Then comes the iffy part. I am going to paint an ambiguous cloud pattern in grey tones on them.

In theory this should give me a peripheral view that looks somewhat normal. By doing the clouds in grey tones, they should look natural in day or night flying. Oil paint will take on different looks in different cockpit lighting situations. They should look ok in most weather. It will be like a flying through a cloud effect. That is the theory. What it really will turn out like remains to be seen!

It's too bad I wasn't using projectors. It would have been pretty cool to see real sim sky through the upper windows.


Bill

Nice Bill!

I think the grey clouds will look great. I have blue curtains around the Spit that are not really "sky" coloured but which trick the peripheral vision marvellously!

Darryl

_________________

...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...

Thanks Darryl!

Good idea about the curtains!

Bill

Stretched the canvass over the frame of the skylight windows.

Outer view





Inside view before applying Gesso






Deckhead fans mounted and Gesso applied to the canvass






Full View





Next step is to paint a cloud pattern in oil paint on the canvass. I haven't painted in a very long time, so it should be quite interesting to see how it turns out!

Bill

Nice stuff Bill!!

_________________

...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...