727 Rebuild: Day 12

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I positioned the major components to see what this would look like in relation to the size of the room. Plenty of room. Behind the components against the wall is a 3x5 table that will be a temporary workbench for everything from component and circuit soldering to woodworking and construction.

This was basically a set-up and inspection day. See what survived the trip during the move, what needs work, and what needs just a bit of cleaning. All of it needs rewiring so that will be a major task and I'll be ringing up Leo for another card or two down the road.

The chair needs major joint work for the aluminum/plastic laminate I created for the sides of the chair. It's all cosmetic, but looks like crap right now. The forward radio stand will probably be rebuilt, but I'm undecided about it this early in the game. It really should be rebuilt as it's about 1/2" too wide and the center bay has a lot of wiggle room after the radar is slid into the center bay.

That's all for now.











And in its heyday:

[Boeing Skunk Works]

New Porter-Cable 1/2 18v drill and 6.5" circular saw arrived yesterday and batteries are charged.

$230 worth of lumber and screws ordered and to be delivered at 1000 tomorrow morning.

Well, here goes #2. Ivar, I hope it looks half as good as yours when I'm finished.

[Aerosim Solutions]

G'day Mike good to see you again! Rebuild is the task I started two years ago and I'm still no closer to having a fly, hope you are not out of action that long!!

Cheers Gwyn

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Hi Gwyn! Hope you are well.

I hope this build goes faster than the first...

[jskibo]

Good luck mike.   Lots of photos!

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Thanks John.

Here's the base deck. The dimensions are 6'-6" front width, 8' rear width, and 7' long.

It's rolling on five 3" cast iron swiveling casters. Built from 2"x8" and decked with 1/2" CDX.

The deck isn't fastened down yet. I want to add supports perpendicular to the 2x8 joists. My centers are
a little wide for 1/2 with a 40 Lbs psf live load. Most of the supports will be near the rear where you will
step up into the shell, and under the captain and FO seats.

The rest of the spacing is fine for the loaded area.

Man, does my back hurt.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

New MIP stand is nearly complete. The rest I'll have to wing it as I go along. I'm going to remove the bezel on the 19" WS monitor I'm using for the main instrument display to see if I can get a little more ADI under the Collins Pro Line bezel on the MIP. It will also allow the monitor to be practically flush with the back of the instrument panel.

You can see in the photos a lot of bracing underneath the MIP base. It actually slides over the top edges of the forward radio bay using two 1x3's and then a 2" deck screw is driven through in three spots on each side to secure the MIP base to the forward radio bay.

The outer legs are screwed to the 1x3 framework on the ends of the MIP base. THe end legs will be secured to the base deck tomorrow.

I'm going to fire up my new Lenovo Thinkpad sitting next to me. It came while I was uploading these photos and I haven't even turned it on the first time yet.

[Maurice]

It's rolling on five 3" cast iron swiveling casters. Built from 2"x8" and decked with 1/2" CDX.

Michael,

Based on my experience and especially considering the fact the platform is on top of what looks like very thick carpeting, the 3" casters are not nearly big enough. You will have a hell of a time moving the platform when you need to as it will end up being very heavy once everything is mounted on top.

I am also using 3" casters but on a concrete floor and it is hell moving it. It will be considerably harder to move on top of thick carpeting so you may want to replace them with larger casters if you intend to move the platform after all the hardware is in.

My 2 cents 

Maurice

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Thanks for the heads up, but it's too late now. I'm not picking this thing up again. I really don't believe I could now that the decking is attached.

I had planned on getting some handles and fastening two on each corner and one in the center of each side.

I guess I'd better get a couple of Come-Along's too. 

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Still can't get used to seeing this full panel 727. Can't wait until it's flying again.

Thanks for whomever it was that sold this pnuematic brake handle to me for $30! Can't find them for under $60 now.



Spliced in top rail for the FO side of the panel.



This is 1/4" Plexiglas left over from cutting the number 2 & 3 windows in the last 727.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I noticed something very strange today while trying to mount the fire rack. The damned MIP wasn't square. I don't have any idea how this happened. I checked every measurement twice (I'm fanatical about detail and accuracy), and it went together without a hitch.

After viewing yesterdays photos and thinking I just had the camera tilted a little bit, I started wondering if I didn't screw this up somewhere. I worked two hours this morning trying to find the error to correct it and cound not figure out where I screwed this up.

I made the corrections and the front, sides, top and bottom are now all plumb and square. The back lower edge on the FO side is out of kilter but it doesn't affect the rest of the main instrument panel or mounting the fire rack.

And that's what I started out doing today; mounting the fire rack. I didn't know it was going to be an all day adventure in straight and level to drive ten mounting screws to secure the rack to the instrument panel and the MIP base. On the plus side, all of the locating holes lined up with the instrument panel holes and top rail. I had to slightly modify the diagonal support arms for the fire rack, but that was no big deal. The lower mounting tabs just needed to be re-bent to reflect the shorter depth of this new MIP stand.

Now I have to make two new upper filler panels and a new glareshield. It's looking a little naked on the passenger side.

I have to say as much as I enjoyed the first build, I'd really rather just be done with this so I can start flying it. All this is for me is a means to an end.

Keep me motivated guys.

[ivar hestnes]

Michael 

Really good to see you are in business, and expanding to a FO side also. Watching this with great interest as I know you are a man of details. Looking forward to see this progress 

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Hi Ivar! Nice to see you again.

I'm undecided if I'm going to build it for looks on the outside. I might eventually get around to it, but like FDS, right now the outside is not as important as getting the insides up and flying.

Thanks for your reply!

[PROJECT 727]

Michael!!! Good to know your back and well!!! Just a few 727 sims added to our family since you were on break. We are still a very unique (not antique) group. Hope to see you and your new Boeing 727 "FLYING THE LINE" again soon!!!

Joe Maldonado
PROJECT 727
www.project727.com 
http://www.youtube.com/user/project727flightsim/videos?view=0&flow=grid
http://www.facebook.com/josephm.maldonado
http://www.facebook.com/josephm.maldonado#!/Project727

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Good to hear from you Joe!

I'm estimating it will be flyable in another month or so. I have to get structure built to support the overhead before I can even think about starting to rewire everything.

It'll be back better than before.

[Trevor Hale]

Frig Me... Look what the cat dragged back in.  Awesome to hear from you again bud.  Great to see your expanding the pit.  Cant wait to see more pics.  I look forward to your flight logs also.
Trev

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Hi Trevor! Nice to here from you again too.

[bratwurstdimsum]

Sorry mate I haven't much more in the way of motivation other than my 727 plane on my desk at the Cathay Pacific Offices in Hong Kong.

What a fantastic job - I miss my big house in Australia where I could just build an extension to house a project like yours!  Just wondering though, what happened to your previous project?

Jeff

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I bought a house in another town and couldn't move it whole. I had to literally tear it apart and haul it out a piece at I time to the rubbish pile. I still have all of the smaller parts in the garage and all of the major pieces you see in the photos. Except the overhead. That is sitting on a table opposite the forward view of the MIP you see in the photos.

I didn't even save the Plexiglas I cut for the windows because they were out of spec to begin with.

Nice models. Is Cathay still flying the -200?

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Just came from Leo's site and ordered another BU0836X and some encoders. I had another brand of card running the throttle and all of the functions on the throttle, but it is getting long in the tooth, so I'm upgrading it to one of Leo's cards. Screwing around with tiny DB25 pins on a nearly microscopic connector is not something I have the eyesight or the patients for anymore.

The other card from Leo is running the overhead and was running a couple of functions on the instrument panel that will now be transfered to the new card running the throttle and the rest of the control stand.

I have a $35 offer out for a new 1000' spool of 22 ga. wire on e-Bay. I haven't heard from the guy yet, but he sold three other spools for $35. He has a BIN price of $45 and shipping of $20.

Hard to believe I used nearly a whole 1000' spool of wire on the last build. I probably have less than 100' on the old spool.

This is going to make re-wiring the overhead and MIP and very neat and orderly job.

Yesterday I mounted the lower panel below the main MIP on the captain's side. I'll work on the FO side tomorrow. I'm still scrounging around for two more FO MIP panels, but all I've found is one so far. I haven't committed to the Plexiglas panel just yet for now, filling up the FO hole in the MIP.

As soon as I hear from Joe, hopefully before tomorrow, I'm going to cut a new glareshield from the 1/8" Luan I had delivered the other day. Then cut two new filler panels for under the glareshield, and then I can finally start the airframe construction.
I'm pretty excited to finally be having a complete cockpit. The neighbors are going scheiße!

[XOrionFE]

Hello Michael,

Looking good!

Can you describe what you will be using for the sim as far as a flight model?  Systems interfacing? Etc.

Do you use Capt Sim 737 or something else?  FSX or FS9?  What is going to run your engine gauges and what do you interface your overhead and such to? FSUIPC offsets of some type?   How does one interface and represent the 727 to your level. 

Just curious.

Scott

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I'll be using the same Boeing 727-200 Dreamfleet model that I used on the last build.

Unfortunately Goldman couldn't help me with integrating the engine stack from that flight model because of the way that it was coded, so I used (I can't believe I forgot his name) an engine guage from a flight model I flew for several years that used to be the standard of 727 flight modeling.

A-HA! Probst! That's his name! He used the digital/analog EPR & engine guages in his flight model and I was particularly happy about that. It's much easier looking at the EPR readout on an LED display than trying to judge if you are exact on your EPR for takeoff on a dial-type guage. For some critical TO operations you really need an exact EPR and close enough won't make it in the 727.

Out of Innsbruck at a field elevation of 1900MSL and a density of 2300MSL on some days, everything really has to be pretty precise. It's not like flying a 172RG out of there.

FSUIPC is used exclusively in this 727. Using a non-supported aircraft for logic leaves no alternative. That's not a negative though. Since Pete included his mouse function or whatever it is he calles it, it allows for unlimited  FS command support, whereas before, if the aircraft developer didn't include an accessable command in the basic coding of the aircraft you were essentially screwed.

Pete changed all of that. This man should have a statue carved and erected in his honor at some significant FS site. I don't know where that would be, but it should happen.

If it weren't for Pete, my Sperry SP-50 autopilot would not work, nor would several other 727 type specific pieces of equipment.

No one else will support equipment this old. Everyone has to fly the latest and greatest when they don't even know how to taxi a Cessna. It is refreshing to know that Pete Townsend will still support.

Pete has forever changed how flight simulator command and control can be managed.

[XOrionFE]

I've always seen that as a great advantage of the 727....since there is not a complex FMC with Vnav and GPS, etc you really have to know how to fly and fly well as well as understand the limitations for various conditions.   What is also nice is that if you have the basic gauges and have all the functionality you need using FSUIPC you can keep things pretty simple.

btw- I have a whole small box of 100 ft spools of various color 22 guage stranded that I am not going to use.   I bought it on accident prior to realizing I need 24 guage for the FDS connectors (22 guage insulation was just a tad to thick for the connectors).  If you want it I will send it down to you absolutely free on one small condition ...some day when I am traveling down south you allow me to come see your beast in action.  I would love to do a flight with you as copilot just reading checklists and learning a thing or two about the 727.   Of course you are welcome anytime here as well if ever up in northern Illinois.  Just PM me your address and I will send.

Scott

[Boeing Skunk Works]

That sounds like a deal to me. If you want at least the shipping for it please let me know. This hobby ain't cheap and giving away stuff don't make it any cheaper.

PM on the way for my address.

Thanks!

Most of the limitations aboard the aircraft are sitting in the left or right seat. If you can see it, you can fly it. Sometimes even if you can't see it you can fly it. Minimums for CatIII are the only limitations in this aircraft. Sometimes, you will get an uppity controller on VATSIM or IVAO that doesn't seem to be able to route a non-RNAV or GPS direct flight and they can't fathom anyone actually having to do manual navigation and flying the aircraft.

Too young I guess.

You are more than welcome to fly the left seat. I can instruct fairly well in this aircraft and it's very easy to fly after a couple of hours. Approaches are a lot of fun. You'll be flying them like an old pro in no time. Just keep the power up all the way to the ground.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Hey, I received the wire and accesories today. I sure do appreciate it and thank you. When I finish my project I'll pass it along to the next guy that will need some.

Today a glare shield was born. What a PITA trying to lay this out from photos. And of course, nothing with a plan view. I believe it will work. Presently it's attached at seven points to the fire rack and the ends of the MIP stand while the wood glue dries on the cuts and bends I made to conform to the fire rack top rail.

I'll sand this in place, and then probably glue it again to make up for shrink, and then sand again before I remove it for paint and the left and right bumper pads, flouerescent lighting, and incandescent lighting. I need to make a right hand pad. And another ENGINE FIRE indicator.

I sure hope I cut the forward edge on this at the correct angle. I used 22.5° on each side. I couldn't say if that's right or not but it looks OK to me. That will be the window angle as well.