Starting new project?

[Ridgenj]

Your 40K will go a long way if you buy smart
By smart I mean not trying to put together components from various sources which were not meant to work together, and this includes the software.

I can only second this one, I started 7 years ago with DIY and buying components from all over. Migrated into to vendors  approach plus several I/O card vendors, moved to P&P because of the frustration of not being able to fly for years but still struggling with compatibility.

No w that I have a cemetery of unused equipment and the ability to compare finish and quality, man (gal), I decided to call it a day and to buy everything from one single vendor. Since I paid for most the equipment in euros at 1.36 per dollar, to sell  now is like giving it away if I consider the costs of shipping and duties. (yes, we also pay import duties in the US)
My guess is, would i have been smart back in 2008, today I would be sitting
in a flyable cockpit instead of trying to procure J-rails for my IPECO seats that come from the other en of the world.

Be smart, decide what you need early enough because with time you will want to have the best. Just to cite Peter Cos from FDS, be also realistic in want you really need and what is really needed to fly. In other words, to have urgently a fully functional wiper>>>>>
As my wife says, your garage haven't flown anywhere yet.

My reflections and 

Cheers
Luis

[xplanematt]

I agree with JackPilot also on the budget, $40k will do a lot for a home sim. I've got my Sabreliner cockpit itself almost complete with 100% real parts (down to nuts/bolts and Dzus fasteners), have a 16ft trailer for it, and have a good start on the software interfacing, and I'm probably only a little over $10k so far. If you're not doing an actual real aircraft cockpit, and if you're OK with using some repro parts, you can probably build the entire rig for less than that (excluding cost of computers, possibly).

Matt

[Flying_Fox]

I agree too. It is possible to build the full 737 cockpit roughly close to $30K even with  motorized TQ, IPECO seats with J-rails, FDS shell and liners, etc., if  you find the right balance between things you buy and things you can build yourself.
My sim probably could be a sample of that approach.
I just updated my sim overview in my blog and it also has my expenses estimate. 

http://elephantair737.blogspot.ca/p/project-overview.html



Nick

[Marco ERJ]

I am new to posting in this forum, but I've been following the site for quite a while. I agree with many of the opinions on this topic, but perhaps the most important to me is as Jack mentioned - build what you like.
This is a time consuming hobby and, if you don't have a lot of free time, it means whatever you embark on will take time to complete - if it is ever completed at all. So building something you like will keep you going for that long time.
The other thing is that your own expectations will change over time (that's the "if it is ever completed at all" part!). As you build, you learn; as time goes by, new products come along that top what you once thought to be perfect; opportunities come along that you did not expect; you'll get a lot of help from people you've never met.
The very nature of the endeavor yields itself to so many possible directions. Take my project for an example. I started on my ERJ145 about 14 years ago, with panels supplied by Peter Cos before he founded FDS. There was no commercial software for the avionics. Even multi-monitor support was iffy. Since then I have gone through another line of FDS panels (back when they were actually making ERJ sets for the MIP, glareshield and Overhead, but not the center console). I was building my own center console and throttles, but then I lucked out and found a set of real ERJ thrust levers. Fast-forward to today, my ERJ has changed to be 98% real parts, including a real Embraer cockpit section.
So if I had just one suggestion, it would be build what you like. As long as you have enough commercial parts to kick-start the project and help you gain some initial momentum (like I had the panels from PCos), the rest will evolve - and if you really like what you're building, you'll venture into building your own solutions where there's none available to buy for your needs or within your budget.
Just my experience, and I am sure most of it is not unique - many builders out there have gone through similar evolutionary processes. I hope you decide to move forward and, whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!
Cheers,

Marco

[andthiel]

Kim

There's one more issue: if you want come close to 'As real as possible' you will start to look for real aircraft parts sooner or later.

You should keep in mind that the 737 is probably the mostly built aircraft that will allow you a) to get the parts you want to get and b) at a moderate price.

Moreover, start early planning the visuals! Having 2 garages does not (automatically) mean to have enough height to build a screen large enough to avoid 'blind areas'.


Cheers,

Andreas