I have a pretty nice Sim setup but would like to construct a shell, Any Ideas on where I should start?
One way to start somewhere is to build a "test" shell from cardboard sheets, Coroplast, or any material eas to bend, shape, cut and glue or staple.
That will give you a hint of the shapes, volumes, dimensions, and supporting structure.
After that your mind will spool up and find what to do.
Do not loose too much time on the outside shape and concentrate on what you see from the pilot seat.
Once you settle on a shape:
For the structure metal tubing (preferably aluminum) is a good choice .
ABS plumbing is easier to work with but tends to make a shaky structure until properly "skinned". It does not allow for curves though.
Rib construction as used in real airplanes, is another nice way to proceed.
For skin, thin plywood is fine. Skin is what makes the structure rigid,
A Fighter jet shell is probably more difficult to build than a fat airliner environment.
Just thoughts, never did one. But I would plan it that way.
Jack
Thank you for your reply Jack, As the sim sits in the main room of the house, (I would like to thank the wife again for that) as it stands now it's not very nice to look at. I will try the cardboard prototype and see where that leads me.
I agree with the list that Jack suggested to start with. I'll be using aluminum to cover my fighter, when my husband, BlueSkyDriver, takes a road trip to pick it up in a couple of weeks.
If you plan to move the cockpit later, to a different room, keep in mind that you want to do a skin that comes apart easily and can be reattached again. It would be a shame to do a lot of work and then have to wreck it all later. Just a thought.