There's alot more work going on under the floor - installing control stops, microswitches, motors, wiring, springs, pots... it goes on and on!

We've bitten the bullet and disassembled the sim internals, ready for taking into the shell. To facilitate this we did a test fit of the main instrument panel and glareshield, and a test of the column positions etc. After a day of tweaking, adjusting etc. it was all good.

Both pics below show Capt. Brown testing seat position and column ergonomics. He's happy!

The trim mechanism is installed - that's the blue rack you can see under the columns (pics below). This slides on rails and provides fore/aft movement of the control loading. So - slide it forward and the control forces felt on the column ease in the forward (elevator down) direction. Slide it back and the forces ease when pulling the yoke back (elevator up). The trim rocker-switch on the aircraft yoke will drive an electric motor that will move the rack backwards and forwards, providing realistic electric trim for the pilots.

We tried loading it with springs first but this wasn't really satisfactory, so we replaced the springs with dampers and this works much better.. The design of this mechanism is available in the controls design section..

The dark grey bar swings fore/aft with the column joiner tube (joined above it) and is joined to the trim rack (blue steel) by the dampers. The rack slides independantly on the rails. The threaded rod running into the front of the rack screws back-and-forth into a nut which causes the rack to move backwards and forwards on the rails. Easy huh? :)

A 12v battery drill is going to commit the ultimate act of bravery this week and give up its life to become the trim-rack drive motor :)

We've spent the last week working on the controls and trying various configurations. Challenge is to get the control feel 'right' - not too stiff, not too easy. One column proved particularly difficult with stiff and uneven yoke movement (side-to-side). In the end we had to totally take it apart to find it had a faulty bearing at the base. Lost alot of time on this but we just had to get it right.

We also replaced the joiner tube with aluminium to facilitate welding of the joints. This is to ensure we got a solid feel with no play at all in any direction. Aluminium welding ain't cheap though!

The pic above shows my better side, and Neil deep in a "design moment". The kids in the background are still debating whether Dad is crazy or not! :)

THE BIG MOVE !!

Yes - today we bit the bullet and moved the sim into its temporary home. It wasn't as hard as we thought. Karen (the Mrs) suggested we use special wheeled-jiggery-things that you move heavy fridges etc. with. Four of these worked a treat ... it all just rolled into place!

Firstly - we put the front section in the garage...

Secondly - cutting off the garage doors...

Then put the back section in place (where the doors used to be)...

This is the view from the outside looking in ...

Next task is to put all the internals into the shell. Time for a beer I think!

Painting of the back section is now finished! This is painted in lovely Boeing blue. Black fuse panels are still to be mounted, they are just eye-candy, so not a priority for a while. Jump seat cushions will be there in about 2 weeks.

Undercoat on...

Top coat on...

Now the exciting bit ... installing the columns into the flightdeck shell. Much checking of measurements etc!

This pic shows the column joiner tube (horizontal) in its sleeve slung under the steel floor frame. The collar and tube are joined by two opposing bolts but there is still some "play" in it so we're going to weld the join as well.

Both columns in and upright.

View from my side ... <cough> I mean ...the captain's side ;)

Much work being done over Easter. We spent a day on the control columns and linkages. This was mental gymnastics - keeping everything square, taut, aligned etc. all at once!

Firstly cutting out the column gaps in the floor. Things you do when you can't find that blasted protractor :)

Then getting the columns aligned and fixed on the joiner tube.

And then installing the column extensions with the aileron cogs. Aileron movement (side to side on the yoke) is kept in sync on both yokes via a chain and cog mechanism.

Work continues (slowly!) on the linings and fittings in the back section.

This is the instructor station area. Some tidying up still to be done, then bog, sand and paint Boeing blue.

Below is the jump seat and storage compartment taking shape.

Also got to work on the internal doors. On the left is the cockpit door, on the right is the door to the IT compartment (goes on the right as you enter the cockpit). BTW do you like my aluminium plate work? hehe - it's 3mm MDF painted with shiny chrome spray paint.

Before and after! This is the garage space where the sim will live for the next few months. The top pic is it's current state (almost finished), and the bottom pic is the state it was in back in October 06 :)

The sim will move out of here to its "secret home" mid year (more on that later). But it will be a good space to finish it all and get the sound and visuals to work the way we intend. The space will become a studio/office after the sim is moved out.