latest news

01.11.2011

**** Please Note ****

This website is no longer managed as I move over to my new site designed in WordPress. Please feel free to navigate this site while its still active however you will find all the new information related to my B777 build over at the new site plus lots of relevant information retained from this site. Just click on the image link on the Home page.

Also feel free to leave a comment or two on the new site as all pages have the facility.

 

If you are having trouble downloading any files from this site try using Firefox of Chrome instead of IE.

Tutorials

 

Building the Opencockpits COMM

COMM tutorial

Building the Opencockpits NAV

NAV tutorial

Building the Opencockpits ADF

ADF tutorial

Building the Opencockpits XPDR

XPDR tutorial

Radio Pedestal Circuit Diagram

Full Circuit Diagram

Backlighting the Opencockpits MCP

Backlighting the MCP

Simple and Cheap Home-Made Panels

Simple Home-Made Panels

 

December 2008 Builder of the Month

b777 glareshield

As with all aspects of the 777, the glareshield combines functionality with simplicity and style. Now if you want to replicate exactly without fuss then you could go to Flight Deck Solutions and purchase their excellent glareshield package and voila! its done. However I'm always up for a challange so decided to give it go in the shed. I was very encouranged by Math Maessen who made his own out of MDF. I also had some great measurements from Austrian's Hans G. Shuetz & Klaus Troemer at Project 777. Go to their download section where you'll find a swathe of pdf's with all the 777 dimensions you'll need, including the glareshield.

Now my glareshield is non-standard due to the fact that I'm using a B737 MCP & EFIS from Opencockpits. For this reason the housing for the MCP, 2xEFIS units & the 777 EICAS DSP controller is 60mm wider than the standard 777. I therefore reduced the glarewing dimensions by 30mm each in order to fit it in.

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First I printed the outline dimensions from the Austrian websit above. In my case I reduced the dimensions by 30mm. Then I cut out a template from 6mm MDF which I used for the 4 subsequent pieces. I used double sided tape to stick the template onto the rough cutout on 16mm MDF. I then routed around the template using a suitable router bit on my home-made router table.

 

2 pieces need to be cutout for each wing as can be seen in this picture. Once the two lower pieces are cutout (Left & Right) then trim the template for the upper part which has the cutout for the Mike switch and map light etc.
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Here you can see both left and right wings completed with upper and lower layers.

 

To connect the two layers I simply screwed them together from behind. That way I can remove them for maintenace purposes.
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Here is the final installment of Left & Right wings ready for installation into the complete glareshield.

 

9mm MDF was used for the glareshield base which was cut and fitted onto the monitor supports as can be seen here poking thru. The crafted wings were attached as shown.
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These wings hang very sturdee and will be even more so once the glare structure is completed.

 

A closer look at the wing mounting. Just 19mm x 40mm pine.
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Although the wings hang well over the outer edge the 9mm MDF base is supported well enough to stop any droop.

 

The glareshield needs to sit very flat so the EFIS and MCP fit without gaps top or bottom.
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