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Yes - I bought the Buttkicker device and it really... kicks butt! Engines, gears, take-offs and landings are not the same anymore. Now I feel the taxiway concrete and the take-off run, and landings have that "hit the tarmac" feeling up the spine. I really recommend it without any reserve.. |
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This is what I have today. All MFDs are operational. I added a new GF 166 radio and replaced the GF-P8 with a GF-RP48 module which is a temporary solution until I upgrade to BetaInnovations' Plasma or GammaRay 256 V2. |
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The cockpit at night. As you see, it is perfectly possible to see and operate all the controls even in this extreme situation. Cockpit light is provided by three high-intensity white LEDs. |
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Just ordered a small 10x10" CNC setup from CNCDuDeZ (see link in the Links section). This is my first step towards the "Learjet 45 Mark II" project. |
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The small weights table present on the lower panel is also "simulated" - small details that enhance the experience. |
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The Main panel is connected to the central pedestal via standard DB25 connectors. It passes i/o lines and LED power from the central pedestal which houses the i/o card + power supply, to the electronics and switches on the main panel. |
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The full pedestal and the new Electrical and Lights panels. |
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And this is the Light Panel. Here too I removed some of the switches and buttons I could not simulate. Still it is very similar in looks and functionality to the real Learjet panel. |
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This is the fully operational Electrical Panel. It is very similar to the Lear 45 panel. I removed the buttons that could not be simulated by FS2004 or that I could not emulate through smart wiring. |
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Also off eBay, a pair of "Remove Before Flight" streamers to add a bit of more realism to the setup. |
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Just got the full and official Lear 45 Training and Operation manuals off eBay. This will enable me to build a better future cockpit. |
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Progress on the upper panel. Frame and glare shield are finished. Now the MCP is where it should be. I am planning to add a Pilot Display Control panel on the left side of the MCP at a later stage. That panel will control some of the PFC and EICAS/EFIS functions. The panels under the inop MFDs are paper mockups filling in the space that will be taken by the future electrical and lights/gear lever panels. |
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The throttle panel is completed. I also connected the Control and NAV panel to the Gamma Ray 256 module and programmed the various functions. Now the central pedestal is ready and fully functional. |
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Just created a prototype of the main panel. The second monitor is not connected yet, but I already measured and cut all the holes to size. Next step would be to actually build the main panel from more "durable" materials. The front will definitely be aluminum or some kind of acrylic glass/plastic. The sides will be made of wood. |
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Main view with the experimantal Fresnel lens, the main gauges and the second, not yet connected gauges monitor. I'm waiting for a new PCI dual-head card to arrive.
Main view: TFT 17" at 1280x1024 resolution.
Gauges#1 view: TFT 15" at 1024x768 resolution
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The Betainnovations Gamma Ray 256 digital input card. Very reliable and sturdy. 256 digital inputs, easily configurable through a point-and-click windows interface. Works in full USB keyboard emulation and can read input from associated grey-code rotary decoding modules. |
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I have connected the Engine Panel to the Gamma Ray 256 input board and tested it. It works flawlessly. All the buttons and switches actually do something. For example, if there is an engine fire, pressing the "Fire" switch of the relevant engine, it will cut its fuel and shut it off. No, it will not release any fire agent, but I guess no other simulator does that either. Next I will connect the command and navigation panel. |
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Center pedestal painted and partially assembled. |
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First assembly of the center pedestal and what will become the main panel. The main panel "table" will be on wheels, and will cover the center pedestal when rotated/folded for storage. |
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Center pedestal base. Made of multi-layered wood for better mechanical resistance. The hole in the middle is for the various wires and cables coming from the center pedestal unit. |
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The panels are partially asembled. Wiring comes next. |
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The center pedestal unit frame painted and ready to receive the panels and the throttle assembly. The frame is made of manually-cut aluminum. It has been "converted" for regular acrylic paint. |
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Testing the MCP Goflight module. |
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Testing the Goflight multi-function radio module before final assembly on the center pedestal frame. |
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