Blueskydriver's New Hanger

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

Karen and I have been really silent on CB since this past Spring, and likely some folks might've thought we left the hobby altogether. However, here we are just like before, coming back from one hobby and going to the other. We start doing the our RC Airplane hobby in April and go until late August or early September, and then we come back too our simulators.

Anyway, while starting this post/topic I got to thinking about the many postings concerning the location or placement of a builders' sim(s). Discussions about heating & cooling, electrical requirements, room size requirements, and so on are buried in all types of other subjects/posts, and finding them is random or done through the search engine, if you know what you're looking for. Rather then huntng for something that you might not know too ask, can we have a new Main Page topic that might be labeled "Simulator Placement Locations"?

Then, we can all place are conversations regarding such needs under that title. And, since it is one of the most important aspects of building a simulator...location, location, location...we can all help each other make better decisions prior too starting a project. In regards to that, I will add this as my first post under that title:

Simulator Building Should Be Your First Thought...

I will say that because my simulator building is now coming nearly 10 years after I got into this hobby! Yep, as of today, we will finally have a contractor build a 40'x66' shed with in floor heating/cooling. The ground work has started and it should be completed by October 1st. After that it'll be the big project of the winter...moving the simulator from the garage to the new shed. Hopefully, I can document it all and post those aspects of the simulator building that will help others make better decisions as too where their sim will be located.

Here is pic of a shed similar too what we're getting; same colors, but minus some of the big doors, the windows and the steeple on top:

Best Regards,

John

[iwik]

Nice John,
Just wish I had the space. Look forward to your postings.
Les

[bernard S]

my two cents bigger doors the wider the better   have the t shirt to prove small ( standard is not good ) 16ft and wider is :-)

[Bob Reed]

Hey John. Good to know you are still alive and kicking! Look forward to following this and maybe a few phone conversations??? hint hint lol......

[fsaviator]

The more I think about it the more I like John's idea.  As I contemplate tearing my sim down again to move back to the US in less than a year, I realize it will be the third hangar for this sim, and the fifth hangar in general over my building career.

It sure would be nice to have a one stop shop for measurements, screen ideas, materials, etc

[blueskydriver]

Hey Bob and Trevor, so what do you think about this idea?

John

[blueskydriver]

Check it out everyone, "Simulator Hangars" is your new forum area for all things too do with the location of your sim. Be it a specialized building, garage, shed, basement or spare bedroom please post here any questions or comments that you have.

The focus is to discuss the needs and requirements of locating your simulator; for example, electrical, heat and/or cooling, building sizes, building codes based on your area/city/state/country, and etc. You could include transportating of your simulator since it is a part of locating it; assuming, it's a real cockpit. Meaning, you should discuss how you got it there and/or moved into the placement location.

Please thank Trevor for setting this up, he is really supportive of our community...

Best Regards,

John

[fsaviator]

That's great John!

As I tear my sim down for packing, I'll take some "reverse-engineered"photos off the "hangar" to post

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

Here are some pictures of the new hangar in progress. I thought we would have a webcam up, but the area between the hanger and garage is only 5 feet and I didn't want it knocked down by the building crew. So, Karen and I opted just too take pictures every other day. These are from this past weekend; they're attached.

You'll notice that there are no windows and only 2 walk-in doors. The one along the side is directly across from the garage access door. We're planning too have a brezzeway between the two doors, so that way I don't have to go outside in the snow during the winter months.

John

[727737Nut]

I want to be your neighbor!

[quid246]

Is that a real shell hiding under the tarping?

[Bob Reed]

Is that a real shell hiding under the tarping?

If I am not mistaken, that is a Boeing waiting for the parking space..........

[blueskydriver]

Yep, she's waiting in the wings...

John

[blueskydriver]

Just took a few more pics about 5 mintues ago of the current phase the hangar is in. The builders left right before then...they put the roof on in one day! If not for the weather they could've put this whole shed up in a week.

Next phase is more sand for the floor too even it out, and then foam board with a lot of water tubing on top of it for the in-floor heating. After that, it'll be 4 inches of cement covering it all, and then the garage door will be added about 3-4 days afterwards; we have allow for drying times. We should be able too move in come December, it's just a matter of making sure the cement is cured enough for the weight of some items.

John

[quid246]

Yep, she's waiting in the wings...

No pun intended I am sure... okay, taking notes here.  Going to need a home for my shell in the next month or so (if the weather co-operates)... thinking of doing a 20' x 20' with enough height so that I can put it up on it's back to do the mechanical work.

[blueskydriver]

Here I am again with updates about the hangar build, and let me tell you it has been one heck of ride. Of all things we have done so far I can say the most important is make sure everything you do with a contractor is in writing and in the contract. Make sure you write every detail too who does what, when, where, why and how. This was a problem for us at the end of it all, but we got past it too say the least...

Currently, Karen and I are doing the 2"x4" interior framing for the insulation materials and wall panels. It's going very slow because we cannot turn the heat on yet; otherwise, we'll get moisture on the inside of the metal that will condense, and then actually rain back down on us. Temps in the 20-30 degree range is not bad, but after a few hours you start feeling it.

Is it worth it all? YES! However, if you really want too get the building the way you want it too be, you have to do some of your own work. Sure, you could pay someone to do it exactly your way, but the fun is knowing you did a good amount of it on your own. Like building a simulator, you can buy a turn key sim and know very little about it or go the DIY route, so you learn everything along the way. Of course there is nothing wrong with a turn key sim at all, I am just saying try too learn all that you can before jumping in both feet first...like we kind of did with the hangar (in a way).

I keep saying I will post more pics, but I just keep forgetting too transfer them from my phone or camera, and then post them. I will try later tonight.

John

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

Here are some pics from a week ago or so. I finally got some time to spend in the house on my computer and that is mainly due to temps being -5F to -15F inside of an unheated building. You can see Karen is looking all bundled up, as she is wearing 4 layers of clothes.

Currently, we just finished putting up 140 each 8ft (or thereabout) 2'x4's, with joist hangers, so that is 280 hangers with 6 nails each (not seen in the photos below). We got smart after the first 30 boards and hangers. We purchased an air compressor type, palm nailer (hammer). Talk about a nice tool for only $42; it is very easy to use and is meant for putting up joist hangers.

We also started installing some R30 paper backed ceiling insulation...we only have to put up 320 4ft batts...lol! Then, we'll have the interior ceiling panels too go up. After that, we can start on the walls, and who knows, we might be done by August at the rate we're going.

Albeit, I am not complaining at all, I am actually very happy too be doing this new hanger. Once it is all done it will be a really special place for me...uh, and Karen says she will have the house back or take the hanger for her Girl Cave...lol.

Best Regards,

John

[Joe Lavery]

Geez that's one big hanger there John, are you building a whole 737 to go in there....

I'm only jealous, 

Joe.

[Bob Reed]

Looks great John! I bet Karen was real thrilled about you taking that pic? 

[blueskydriver]

Joe- Hey, I do dream of that someday! I am still envious of Joe from Project727, here:

http://project727.xsn.net

He had a good part of a fuselage with his setup; it would be nice to add that portion to mine. However, I got 3 Boeing cockpit sections and Karen's F16 too go in there, so not sure I would have the room. And, our Fire Truck Simulator is still a toss up yet. I fired it up a little while ago to insure everything is working, as I plan to show it to the Tomah, WI Fire Chief tomorrow. He has shown interest in purchasing it from me; if he doesn't but it, it'll go in the hangar for sure... So, I am already feeling like I need an even bigger building...the agony of being a sim builder...uh, sim OCD'er!

Bob- Oh, that was like pic number 5 of trying to get her to smile! Her face was frozen from the cold and she had been out there for a while already. Still, she is a good trooper...she was the one who measured for and put up all the joist hangers. The funny part is she loves musicals and operas, so if I leave her alone listening too that type of music, she'll get anything done...lucky me 

Hopefully, we'll get some heat soon, as we got the HVAC guy coming tomorrow. There are so many small details too think about when building a shed of this sort. If it were tractors or cows, we'd be done already, but with simulators there are so many things like humidity, power requirements, heating vs cooling, air ventilation, lighting, amount of weight too be placed on the floor, location on the property and so on.

Heck, we never thought about snow coming off the roof, and last week nearly 6 inches of snow on the roof came off. On the east side it wasn't an issue, but on the west side next too the house, it came off and turned into a 4 ft deep by 3ft wide by 63ft long pile. Plus, we have "now learned" the shed is too close to the house, that the snow will hit the garage like thunder, as well as it broke an exterior light fixture on the garage.

Sadly, we...uh, Karen...will need too put up 120 snow jacks (60 per side). So, that is pre-drilling holes for 3 each 1" #10 screws per snow jack. That saying of "small things up"...is so true! Hopefully, the snow will come off gradually with these things; although, we have been thinking about some sort of slide, like a water park slide, too have built in between the garage and shed. This way the snow would fall off, land on the slide, and then slide towards the front of the shed into a pile that can be easily moved with our plow. Plus, a slide of sorts would double as a rain guard all the rest of the year, the hard part is makng it look cosmetically correct in between the two buildings.

More too come...

John

[shaneb]

Looks great! I would love to have a building that size . . then I could add a couple more builds and have room for projectors.  My wife would probably lose me in the winter . . once heat was in the building I would hibernate with the sims!

[blueskydriver]

Hey Shane,

You should start looking at going for it now! If you plan too either build or have someone build it for you, the best time to buy materials and have things schedule in is over the next two months. Most builders will not tell you that asking for a shed in June and expecting it by August is undoable.

The problem is they're usually just finishing up the spring builds and starting the fall builds; they plan or say 3 months total time from start too finish, but expect more like 5-6 months. Even if you paid more to get it done sooner, it might still be 3 months. The main reason is weather and if it cooperates or not, as well as how many other builds they got going on.

Of course if you do it yourself, do expect the same amount of time or more if you work a day job. Then make sure you plan for rental equipment or getting help from friends or family, which will slow you down. Still, too me it is all worth it, the hard part is realizng that building a shed is like building the simulator...it doesn't happen over night 

John

[RayS]

Hmm.. Are you sure that's big enough?

[blueskydriver]

Hi Ray,

Well, truth to be told, I wanted a 50'x80', but the area next too the house wasn't long enough. And, if I went out in front of the property I would've had to journey from there to the house. At first I thought no problem out front, but getting lots of snow in the winters, I didn't want to be plowing just to get out there. Plus, my power wheelchair doesn't like subzero temps, it will just stop and lockup sometimes, leaving me sitting there like an ice sculpture...lol.

Still, the 40'x63' is fine, I will happily suffer with it... Although, my advice too anyone is get it bigger then what you will ever need! Having more than enough room is always better over not enough.

John

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick thought, when you go with the DIY approach on your shed, you find yourself up alone at 3AM and with only 8 degrees of warmth, trying too do more stuff. Oh yeah, freezing your butt off is the...uh, fun part...wait, uh frozen part...lol. Good thing I can check Cockpit Builders every so often to distract the thought of being cold.

John