737 Project | Design details

Overview

Main panel

TQ & avionics

Overhead panels

Controls

Enclosure

Software

PC hardware

I/O hardware

Visuals

Audio

Lights

737NG Flightdeck Simulator Design: overview

This table provides a brief overview of the design. Click on the links above to get more detail.

Please note this is a work in progress and is in draft at present. It represents my best effort at planning with information currently available. No doubt, some things will need to be changed during the building process. If you have any suggestions for improvement please feel free to contact me.

	Simulated Aircraft	Boeing 737NG (800 series)
	Simulation software	Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (FS9)
	Simulator flight model	PMDG 737
	Avionics + display simulation	Project Magenta
	Systems simulation	Project Magenta
	AFDS hardware	CPFlight and Engravity
	Panel plates + hardware	Symulatory and Hispa Panels
	Electronics + I/O	OpenCockpits
	Flight controls	Reconditioned Boeing parts
	External visuals	Triple projectors with wraparound screen
	Cockpit frame, shell + trims	Home-made
	Motion system	None planned - out of scope at this stage

See the links page to get to the suppliers listed above.

Design goals

As far as I can tell it is impossible to achieve 100% realism compared to a real-life aircraft, and it's not possible to achieve the full realism offered by a real-life training simulator (unless you spend an awful lot of money!). However - that doesn't stop us trying. My goal is to achieve as much realism in look-and-feel, systems, visuals and general immersion as I can, but this is all balanced by what is technically possible and financially achievable.

Compromises will be made. For example - I could pay hundreds of Euro to purchase a fully authentic steering-tiller for the 737. I could spend much less than that on adapting some other hardware or building my own. My thinking is: if the difference between the two parts could only be picked by a seasoned 737 skipper with a magnifying glass, then why bother with the outrageously expensive part? The overriding factor here is the total experience of simulation, not producing a perfect replica.

The other constraint I have though is time. Most of the construction phase will (hopefully!) happen in the next six months. I've got a significant amount of time to dedicate to this, but in a compressed period. Therefore I've chosen to purchase some parts and systems in completed form to save time. For example - I could build individual radio units for maybe 1/2 the price I will pay, but it will blow out my timeline. The extra 100 Euro for each unit is worth the trade-off in time saved.

Such are the dilemmas of our hobby! All part of the fun though.

Design presentation

I presented this at the VATSIM Oceania Convention in October 2007. Building a fixed-base simulator [PPS 7MB]