Matt's 757 Project [Updated 1/6/14]

[matta757]

Following Phil's lead, I decided to create a topic to post about my progress. Some significant progress has been made since my last project update, including the glare wing structure on the captain side (started working on the FO side yesterday), the F.O. instrument display and more work on the TQ. Enjoy.

[Drewsta]

Thats a beautiful thing Matt, coming along nicely. Love the overhead ..well done.

Drew

[phil744]

Following Phils lead? i dont think so otherwise your sim would be a pile of dead parts with no sign of progress, however your sim is showing signs of progress, i think your well ahead of me for sure.

Sweet work nice to see another one flying the 767 flag

[andarlite]

Nice work Matt ..... looking good. That yoke sure looks nice.

Hey Phil, I wouldn't mind having your pile of dead parts. 



Henry

[XOrionFE]

Looks great Matt!

Scott

[shaneb]

Nice job Matt . .   coming right along!     

[MLeavy737]

Hey Matt! Looks great! Keep it going

MikeL

[Mink]

Impressive!  Great work!

Kresimir

[matta757]

Hey guys,

While doing a flight last night from SEA-SLC, I decided to take advantage of my camera's video capabilities and get some moving pictures of my sim in action. Granted, it doesn't have the stunning visuals like some of you have, but I'd still like to share nonetheless. Still note that much of the flight deck is unfinished... it's a never ending project!

Sorry for the bad lighting, I will work on that for my next video!

So, there is the Takeoff sequence. Then I give a quick visual tour of the flight deck in the second video. Finally there is the landing. Hopefully the fact that the stupid glideslope warning went off in the early portion of the landing doesn't reflect too poorly on my airmanship Maybe the camera made me a bit nervous 

Enjoy.

DSC_8977.AVI

DSC_8980.AVI

DSC_8983.AVI

[dharrison]

Matt,
Setup looks great there! Really good stuff.

Don

[hexpope]

I'm loving your cockpit Matt, there's one thing that's turning me off tho, and thats that ATC thingy. It sounds like some arcade game or something for Afterburner. Why not try out VATSIM, or IVAO for that ? it would totally complete your sim flying, but either way, I love the overhead, and the throttle and various other things. What avionics package are you using ?

[matta757]

I'm loving your cockpit Matt, there's one thing that's turning me off tho, and thats that ATC thingy. It sounds like some arcade game or something for Afterburner. Why not try out VATSIM, or IVAO for that ? it would totally complete your sim flying, but either way, I love the overhead, and the throttle and various other things. What avionics package are you using ?

Haha... it's Radar Contact. I have given some consideration to VATSIM, but last time I tried to figure it out I failed. Still want to do it though. Which is easier/better VATSIM or IVAO?

Thanks for the compliments. I am using the PSS 757, so it does not have the flexibility of packages like Level-D 767, but it's the best and most realistic 757 package available at the moment. Unfortunately, it does not have an SDK, so outputs like the MCP and annunciators cannot really be properly replicated. Still, I am happy with what I have been able to do.

[Drewsta]

Hi Matt, love the videos and your throttle quadrant looks great! I fly online with Vatsim alot and its alot of fun and very realistic plus quite easy to setup. If you need help just sing out and I'm happy to help out ok

Cheers
Drew

[XOrionFE]

Looks great Matt!  Nice to see another bird beside the 737.   Looks like a great setup.   Now you just need a TH2go and two more monitors!

Btw- I just recently got off RC and onto Vatsim with Don and actually was sweating and getting tongue tied again in the FO seat.  I felt like I was back in instrument training again....not much more real than that....you have to get on it .   It is wonderful and completes the immersion.

Scott

[hexpope]

Hi Matt, VATSIM all the way. I tried out IVAO and didn't really like it plus their website is a mess to navigate. VATSIM has lots of controllers and some cool flyin's during the week. Gettings started is not at all hard. It's getting over the first hurdle which is the nerves of messing up, but controllers are very understanding for people starting off. If you already know your IFR with your pit, then it's the lingo is all you need to learn and updated AIRAC for your FMC for SIDS and STARS. Print out the words you need to speak for reference if you get stuck, and maybe do the same route a few times in smaller airports and then try your luck at the more populated airports. Fly with a friend online and also sit at a gate a listen for a while.

Hope you see you in the skies. I usually fly in Europe.

[matta757]

Hey guys,

So as long as we're talking about VATSIM, I have a few questions. Ok so say I want to do a flight from point A to point B. Will there always be controllers in that area to cover my flight? Or do some routes/airports get more coverage than others? Because the controllers are sim enthusiasts too, right? So do you ever run into issues where there is no controller in the area you are flying?

I probably sound like a complete idiot when it comes to this, but that's something I had always wondered about and even when I tried to setup VATSIM before I was still feeling confused about just how exactly there was going to be controllers to cover my flight.

[dharrison]

Matt,

I think one of the great things about vatsim is that it forces you out of your comfort airports. You fly where the coverage is. THat could mean Europe one day and Asia the next. That said, to your point there is not always coverage but you do then have to rely on uncontrolled procedures. Where vatsim really shines is during events like Cross-The-Pond. Go on Youtube and search it. It's pretty amazing when they simulate cossing the atlantic with HF radios. Check the vatsim events page and it will tell you when events are running.

You will have times with no coverage but when you have coverage in the evenings and on weekends it's a real trip.

Don

[matta757]

Ok, I just did some revisiting to VATSIM and remember where I had issues before... I couldn't figure out how to use the software to connect to VATSIM. I think I tried Squakbox and found it very confusing. What software are you guys using? I'm probably just having a harder time than I should with Squakbox, but all I remember is being very frustrated before....

[hexpope]

If you want to see what exactly is happening regarding pilots and controllers download VatSpy. It doesn't need any login details or anything. Have a browse around it, it will be a tool that you will be needing anyways.

http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/#download

[hexpope]

I have some free time now, do you have skype ? I'll PM you my handle.

[matta757]

Alright guys, stay tuned for better videos... I tweaked my camera settings to get better lighting and I'm shooting some better angles... should be posted by this evening.

Hexpope- I appreciate your willingness to help me out with VATSIM!

[hexpope]

I just replied to your PM.

[MLeavy737]

Looks great Matt! keep up the nice work!

Mike L

[blueskydriver]

Matt,

Funny thing is, just spent the last 6 hours setting up Squawk Box 4 (SB4) and also using VatSim with VatSpy. Although, any nubs of hair I have left are gone!

Okay, with SB4 are you going to do this with it being on the same computer as FSX or have SB4 on a client machine (using FSUIPC/WideFS)? If on FSX only, you select that in the install, and then when you're ready to use the SB4, you goto Add-ons (FSX menu line) and select Squawk Box. That will bring up SB Window and there you interact with VatSim (joining, settings, flight plans and etc).

If you're going to SB4 on the client, you have to install it on FSX as FSX only on this machine (select this during the install). Then, you have to install it on the client and chosing client selection only (during the install). So, you then start FSX and have your aircraft at a gate (you could start else where, but you might cause a crash and PO the ATC), then you start SB4.

This is where VatSpy comes in, you use it to determine where a controller is working (on the job, so to speak) and then decide to join near him, so he can be your ATC. you will see in VatSpy all the info. It is setup like Tabs across the top of the screen, KISS principle.

Anyway, now that you know the who, what, when, where, you just need to know how. Start here with the SB3 manual (it is pretty much the same for SB4)

http://squawkbox.ca/doc/index.php

VatSpy is here:

http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/


Most of your interaction will be via the SB4 Window (either on the FSX machine or the client, and that just depends on which way you installed it earlier). You then use the SB4 window to connect to VatSim Server(s) via drop down lines (you will see all of this in the SB4 window).

At first, it all seems really confusing, but after reading for about 3 hours and getting beyond the learning curve, it is all easy and makes sense as to how it is done (you will not need to read for this long, if you take our advice).

Just remember that the way you install the SB4 is the key. If FSX only, all interfacing will be on the FSX machine, if on the client, then all SB4 interfacing will be on that machine. So, that means you'll need a way to see that client machine's screen while in the cockpit.

Finally, if on the client, the voice will be through that computers sound card. If FSX only, then it'll be through the FSX machine's sound card. The question is though, which way is best to reduce the load on the FSX machine? Assuming you do not want resources to be wasted, the client would be the best approach, but is that the truth? If it's on the client, the FSX machine has to work the NIC back over too that client. Thus, does that not use system resources as well? We're going to try both here and see which is best...

Hey Maurice, if you're reading this, right now is the time to join the VatSim setup train for ATC. It's not hard and after coming from FSX Gamespy, where the ATC can be childish at times (except for a handful of sessions), we're looking forward to notching it up a bit for professionalism.

BSD

[matta757]

Hi guys,

Been a while since I have actively posted, but I have been around still. Been busy working on my project since August, when I acquired a REAL 757 TQ. I had always been told by certain members (who you can probably figure out) that getting a real TQ was the only way to go, so when I came across a deal that I could only hope for in my dreams, I pounced as fast as I could.

It arrived in August in basically wretched condition, at least cosmetically, so I spent the last 3 months cleaning, stripping, disassembling, painting, rebuilding and swearing through clenched teeth but it is finally flyable. Still have some work to do on it, but at the very least I am back in the air.

Also took the opportunity to tear down the old framework which had some incorrect dimensions and rebuild it with the proper dimensions and feel really good about the progress. Still needs some cosmetic work, like paint, and some hardware upgrades (planning on getting an FDS CDU/FMC and I/O boards, just need to save up some money first).

So here's a link to my Flickr account, which has pictures of the entire process from start to finish, well, current status at least. Hope you enjoy seeing the inner bits of the TQ. It has been a BLAST working on this and see how Boeing built this thing. It's simply incredible engineering.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matta757/


Matt