spending a few days in Colorado Springs

[fsaviator]

Got the opportunity to fly home to Colorado Springs for a few days.  I'm looking forward to checking out a collimated display based on Gene and Wayne's design. 

Any other builders in the Springs or Denver area?

[Jon Boe]

I'm in Centennial...

Jon

[fsaviator]

Hi Jon!  We met at the FDS open house.

I'd love the chance to see your 747.  I have an appointment just off E Dry Creek Road in Centennial on Wednesday afternoon.  Any chance you have some free time and would give a tour of your setup?

Warren

[Jon Boe]

Wednesday will work.  I pinged you an email.

Jon

[jackpilot]

Lucky you Warren!
I'd love to see the visuals (among other goodies!)
Jack

[fsaviator]

Don't I know how lucky I am!

Today I spent the day checking out the progress "castle" has made on his dual seat 737 collimated display.  All I can say is... Wow.  Pics and video don't do it justice.

Jon Boe has graciously invited me up to check out his build on Wednesday!  Can't wait to see it.

Sometimes you have to love a job that let's you travel like this (although it does keep me from my sim).

[fsaviator]

So, back in Germany now.  I've got a few minutes to post

While in Colorado I was able to visit John and his collimated display build for a dual seat 737.  John has been building a full-size, four projector collimated display with a vacuum formed mylar mirror...  all I can say is pics and video don't do it justice.  This thing is fourteen plus feet across and after mounting the hanging projector screen, it is almost eleven feet tall.  Impressive and truly a study in patience.  If anyone has looked into the cost of 1 mil mylar, you'd know why.

The way it works is he has build a concave circular screen that wraps around the sim above the windows.  The screen faces forward so the four projectors mounted above and in front of the sim then project onto the screen.  The convex mylar mirror runs around the front of the sim, and allows you to see the reflected image off the screen.  Vacuum forming the mirror ensures a perfect reflective surface.

John lives moved to Colorado Springs a few months before I left there and started work on his sim and screen then.  I was happy to get back home and get a chance to visit.  he is running Flightgear and writes all his own interface and warping software.  Very impressive.


I also had the chance to visit Jon Boe up in Denver and his 747 the evening before I left.  My dad accompanied me and John (from above) met us there. All I can say is "wow".  he has done a fantastic job on his sim.  I hadn't been in a -47 cockpit since I was a kid so that was an experience.  You'd think it was bigger than a 737 but in reality it is only six inches wider, and much lower.

Jon runs FSX and has a cylindrical screen with three projectors, like mine.  His radius is a bit larger though.  he uses Immersiview for warping.  While we were there, he was running the sim on PM, but normally uses a different software.  I'll leave covering that to him.  He uses seven systems to power his beast if I remember right.  His visuals were great, and he's obviously spent a bit more time adjusting the warping as the only time I noticed a seam was during a turn, barely.  I forgot to ask if he butts or blends.

All in all, a great trip, sim-wise (and personal/business-wise).  Jon Boe has lived less than an hour from me for a long time and I didn't even know it until just before I left.  Once I get back to Colorado a get my system back together I'll have to repay the visit.  John and I keep in touch and I follow his build.  I hope to replicate it once I  get back there.

Next is the UK!!!  Still putting that trip together for April.  I hope to visit a few more sim-friends there!

Warren

[Jon Boe]

It was nice to meet the three of you as well.

As Warren mentioned I have been beta testing some new software that is still under non-disclosure so reverted to Project Magenta GC software for the visit.  While making the conversion my FS Global Real Weather stopped working (could no longer connect to FSX) and in attempting to get that working messed up the toe brakes so when Warren and John tried to taxi we had slight differential braking engaged and had to use throttle to taxi (not good in a lightly loaded B747 to say the least).  Also, when we got airborne we ended up with some nice cumulous clouds passing by on the left hand side of the sim but clear sky front and right

As sim builders we have all experienced this but still...

Cheers,

Jon

[jackpilot]

Funny how things are going silksmooth when you are alone and  odd bugs happen as soon as you have visitors.
I think computers are stress sensitive... 

(Keep us posted Jon as soon as the soft is released.)
Jack

[fsaviator]

I happen to be in Colorado Springs for a few days and so I swung by to see "Castle" and the progress on the collimated display.  All I can say is... Wow.  Bottom line, I didn't take pictures as they do not do it justice (really I was too stunned to remember).

I've seen pretty much every type of display possible in our little sim world and I will say that without a doubt, short of buying a Level D sim, you will not beat this collimated display.  This is the setup that Wayne and Gene came up with and have documented here (with some slight modifications):  http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php?topic=1703.0

I'm still speechless.  I felt as I could reach through the windows and touch the clouds.  I was able to take off, fly a circuit and land on the runway, visual, without crabbing, with the same view from both seats.

Just had to share.