Hi All

[iceman3994]

Good morning,

I am an avid flight sim guy mostly FS9 and FSX so far. Have been in the CH146 simulator in Gagetown and also the CF188 simulator in Cold Lake. I am interested in building a cockpit for the first time either based on the C123 or the C130 aircraft as that is what I like to fly most of the time. Really not sure what I should do in terms of getting there so I am sure that I will be looking around and getting all the information that I can.

My name is Tony from Edmonton Alberta Canada. I am 36 and I have a flight sim addiction.

[jackpilot]

Unfortunately ther is no known cure for that .
So young, and already addicted....mmm! 

C-130 is a real challenge.
Great!
Welcome aboard Tony

[iceman3994]

Thanks Jack,

Having surfed through here most of the last 2 days I have not even begun to even realize how intense this is. I am going to really have to think about what I want to do and how to attack it.

[Jetcos]

Hi Tony,


Your biggest obstacle will be finding the aircraft you like and being able to have an Avionics Suite to run your displays. This is where the B737,B747,B777 and A320 win. There is also Lear Avionics. You might be able to do your C-130 if you make a full Glass Cockpit version like the "J" model and using B737 avioinics. But then the next bigger obstacle comes into play. Panels and hardware. Not many out there. Homemade?

Tough decision and much research to wade thru. This is why you will see so many B737's in here. Lots of suppliers for the B737.

All part of the fun is the research then the building. Remember the most important part of sim building is build and fly and build some more and keep flying. Adding to what you have created and keep flying. That keeps you going.

Good luck with your decision...lots of help from all over the world in here, for sure.

[iceman3994]

Thanks Steve,

I think for the most part it is going to be all homemade in terms of the frame of the cockpit in aluminum and such. Being an aircraft mechanic on the Bell 412 and the CT133 here in Canada I have a lot of the knowledge needed in terms of the aircraft structure and have a lot of metal working and welding background. For me it is mostly the computer and electronic side that may be tedious.

I think the course I am going to go on in terms of playability is make a hybrid type of cockpit as I mostly fly the C130 and C123 and also the Caribou and Buffalo. I think having functionality of a glass cockpit is probably the way to go on that front with a few of the steam cockpit gauges to make it more realistic. I don't fly many of the heavies in terms of jet liners but I think your right and may use some of the hardware out there for the 737 and build from there.