Greetings, Norway signing in

[Andiab]

Hello every one,

Thank you so much for all you guys to and the efforts in here!! I am working as a Avionics design Engineer on heavy helicopter working with integration and modification of equipment such as FLIR camera, Radios, MFD`s or whatever the customers requires for operation the aircraft in all different mission purposes. I have wide experience in aviation standards and hopefully i might be able to perhaps contribute with some of it in here 

I am in the planning phase of building my first pit and so far i am only gathering parts before the show can start I am really looking forward to become a part of you guys! and perhaps start my own build thread 

[salaxi54]

Welcome aboard! Looking forward to see your progress starting up. 

[tiger-31]

Welcome to VP, and let the fun begin!

[Cupra]

Welcome on board

[Armitage]

Welcome to the nut house! 

[Snoopy]

A warm welcome to the cold north. Hope you enjoy it here. And of course we hope to learn a lot from somebody with you experience in avation electronics.

[Kukki]

Welcome my nordic viking friend, super to have another Norwiegen man inhere.

Looking forward to see what you will be cooking, in the meantime you just surf around inhere and get some inspirations.

Kukki

[Rufus]

Greetings, brother Engineer - welcome aboard... !

[Lento]

Welcome Sir!

[Wolverine]

Welcome!

[Andiab]

Thanks all for the warm welcome looking forward to this madness!

[Blaze]

I absolutely love Norway!  I was fortunate enough to spend 2 weeks there in the early 90's and hopefully I will get back over there someday.  I toured several military facilities including an airbase where I got to fly the F16 simulator!  Good stuff...

A warm welcome aboard from Texas!   

Blaze

[Andiab]

Instead of making a new thread I find this to be a good opportunity to use this thread for my kickoff. My initial plan was to make a block 50 and interface it to DCS. I recently got my hands on a real CP, Instrument panels and glareshield from a scrapper MLU.

I have a hard time to decide if i should convert it to a block 50 (minor changes mostly to the MISC section) or keep it as an original MLU. I kind of like the more rarity of a MLU build. But it will not match DCS   

Perhaps I could ask of this favor to help me decide. Converting it is no problem but i feel a pain just with the thought of altering an original part. However i am not hard to turn 

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[Rufus]

My vote is to go with the MLU - that black cockpit really looks cool, IMO...

...and if you should happen across another homeless set of aft glare shields, keep me in mind... .

[tiger-31]

Nice catch!

I would probably use it as it is without messing with it. (although I'm not a fan of the black cockpits  )

Do you feel the differences (misc panel) in DCS are such that it would make using it as it is too difficult?

Many of us build with whatever parts we could get and ended up with some kind of hybrid cockpit. I don't think it is a big issue. 

[Foghorn]

Apologies for the late Welcome, but...

WELCOME!

[Andiab]

Thanx for all the feed back. Looks like MLU is the way to go!.

The main difference on the MISC panel is the ADV push button on block 50 and the drag chute on the MLU. The pictures shows.

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The hole position for the switches is very different.

[jjbravo]

I believe the Block 50 panel is also wider than the other blocks, so keep that in mind.

[Andiab]

Thanks for advice all. I guess MLU will be the way to go as it ads a little rarety to the most common and popular block 50 as i planned in the beginning. Most likely it will be a mix in the panels from different blocks

Perhaps i could tell some details and roadmap for my project.

My initial plan was to make a wooden cockpit based on the Block 50 variant  as it was the model used in DCS wich is my current software and have more experience with.

The big change
The plan got turned 180 degree after starting to aquire some real stuff. I managed to get an already built Alu pit that i picked up not long ago.

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Inventory
I have managed to get my self the CP, instrument panel and glareshield from an real MLU as shown earlier in the post. It came with the full set of switches also including the magnet switches for the Misc panel.

I do have some few real panels like the avionics power and the oxygen regualtor with a complete set of hoses to the CRU and the bailout oxygen system.

Onward
My main focus for me now is to make a platform with wheels so i can manage to move while working.

I hope to soon fit the instrument panels and the R/H aux console. My current wishlist now is to get everything need to complete the instrument panel. I basicly need the most of panels but focus area will be the front.

Electronics
I have today a complete set of PSCockpit system but i need to figure out if i want to keep this system after aquiring real panels. I have looked at Martin(Pegasus) coming system as it looks easier to integrate the real panels.

Hopefully i will be able to get started soon and make my own build thread

[jjbravo]

Love it!
That's how I started, I was just going to build the CP, but then bought a pit frame and started collecting real parts.
Let me know if I can be of any help, I've been through the same you are going through 2 years ago.

[Andiab]

Thanks. I heard some runors that you had the same kind of pit?

[jjbravo]

Very similar yes, not completely the same, but probably built with the same plans.
I took the back part off mine. It was just too long.

[Andiab]

Nice. Yes i felt the same so i may also end up shortening mine.

[tiger-31]

Nice stuff. Don't shorten it. You might regret if you ever manage to get a canopy.

[Andiab]

Notet. I do have a replica canopy
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I have not decided to use it or not. Also the challenge with shortening it is to refit the glassfiber sides.

[tiger-31]

Even with a replica canopy it is nice the pit is a bit larger, so you can make a proper opening canopy frame.

My pit is also slightly larger than the ones that are build with Killin's plans.

Also it looks like you took a flying start with your pit (pun intended). 

[Marvin]

I've always been on the NO for canopies.  They are just not required and they MIGHT interfere with any projection if you choose to go that route.  I'm all for the canopy frame though and I will be doing one of those at one point, but certainly not the glass.

[tiger-31]

I've always been on the NO for canopies.  They are just not required and they MIGHT interfere with any projection if you choose to go that route.  I'm all for the canopy frame though and I will be doing one of those at one point, but certainly not the glass.

I'm building a canopy frame myself. I have a real one (cut up one), but I'm making a lightweight version. So not actually using the canopy glass either. But either way, if you want to put an a canopy frame (replica) a longer pit is useful.

[Andiab]

Yes agreed. Its what i’ve been afraid of and at the momement no decided to use it when flying. The cool thing would have been to add it as a display solution only for only adding coolness ( if that even a word ) to it. But that might end up beeing annoying to remove it again when using it.

[tiger-31]

Assuming that you would not use the glass and only a lightweight replica canopy frame, then still the longer pit is useful. This because you need to join the left and right rear ends of the frame and need a pivoting axis/mechanism.

[jjbravo]

String cut his canopy short, he uses the glass and he has no issues with the pivot. So I think you can go either way. I had to remove the back of mine because of constraints in the basement. I am looking to do the frame, but not the glass because of height issues.

[tiger-31]

String cut his canopy short, he uses the glass and he has no issues with the pivot. So I think you can go either way. I had to remove the back of mine because of constraints in the basement. I am looking to do the frame, but not the glass because of height issues.

He moved the pivot point forward I noticed. Also he did add a small extension to the back of the sim. But it does look great. I wonder if and what he uses for projection. Also would short throw projectors be an option?

[jjbravo]

This is a short version of a canopy. The extension is just a rack to hold the computer, nothing to do with the Canopy I think. At the time I was there, he was using a TV, but I think he changed it. Don't think he's going projector though. Short throw would work, but it all depends on your room. This is also a real frame and glass, so it's pretty heavy. If I could get a frame, I would do the same, but without the glass.

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[Cupra]

That looks really amazing  

I would be glad if I just would have the frame... or plans for it.

WIth the glass I do not feel very safe..  Because of its wheigt you can not just open it by hand. But what happens if you have any electic failure in the pit... some electic fire (with it extreme toxic gases) comes up and you mechanism for opening has gone... what kind of of emergency jettison is possible? I will not be the one guy who died in his pit becasue he was not able to get out of the gases within the needed seconds...