Gauges

I've been reading a lot about Project Magenta gauges, so I downloaded their GA IFR demo. There's no doubt about it, they are gorgeous.

Knowing they were pricey I contacted them for a price list, and sure enough you're looking at around £120 for one set of gauges. I'll try to post the price list for those who are interested.

I also looked at RealityXP gauges. These are very nice as well, and at about £25 far more reasonably priced. My only concern was the lack of engine gauges.

I plan to build 2 custom panels, one for single engine piston and one for multi-engine (and eventually jets as well), plus glass cockpit versions.

Ideally these panels would include all the engine gauges, Ts & Ps etc. It may be that RealityXP does include these (Project Magenta do), but I couldn't easily see from the demo and their site, so I'll put it on hold until I have time to contact them.

In the end I plumped for FS Panel Studio. I checked out the demo and then just bought it. At £16 it seemed a bargain, and everything I read agrees it's a must have tool.

Using a real world GPS with FSX

I have my Garmin GPSMAP 295 working with FSX :) I can't believe how easy it was.

Now I need to figure out how to fix the GPS to the MIP. It came with a bracket to fix it to the yoke, which I what I used when real world flying, but even if the Saitek yoke would take the weight (which I doubt) it's not ideal as it gets in the way. I found an panel dock by AirGizmos but it's pretty pricy at $100 plus shipping and again not ideal as the screen is flush to the panel which would make it tricky to see and use.

The 295 came with another fixing intended for use in a car. This is just a sticky base, and I may be able to just stick it to the top of the glareshield (when I have a glareshield).

Alternatively I may be able to fix the yoke bracket to something behind the MIP and cut a hole for it to protrude through.

For now though, I'm just chuffed it's working. And for nothing!

I'll try to summarise how I did it.

Starting to come together

I made some good progress after work this evening. I cut out the hole in the MIP for the instrument monitor and replaced the MIP. I fixed the monitor in place using a couple of old shelf brackets I had lying around, which seems to work really well.

I also screwed the throttle quadrants in position.

So now it's starting to look more like a cockpit.

I'll take a picture.

I only had time for a quick test, but my mind is now turning to gauge add-ons, as the default FSX ones look pretty crap when undocked on the separate monitor.

I'll add a tutorial on how to undock and move panels, and save flights.

Radio stacks and GPS

Not much progress this evening. I reconnected the computer and checked the instrument monitor was still working after all the moving around it's had. Then I marked out the hole for it in the MIP. It was too late to cut it by the time I was done, so that's a job for tomorrow.

I also looked at radio stacks and ways to connect my real world Garmin GPSMAP 295 to FSX.

There are a number of radio stacks out there ranging in price from a few hundred pounds to thousands. I can't justify a massive expenditure on this, so I have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities.

1. Saitek
2. VRInsight
3. GoFlight

In terms of interfacing the GPS it seems that this is pretty straightforward to do using FSUIPC. I need to rig everything up and see how it works.

Progress on the MIP

The brace to support the instrument monitor is now in place and I cut the MIP (Main Instrument Panel) to size.

I drilled a hole in it to take the yoke shaft and fitted the MIP in place.

I'll add a picture or two.

Yoke enclosure built

Back to work today after a month off, so construction will now be limited to evenings and weekends.

Tonight I fixed the uprights in place that will support the instrument panel. I also built the enclosure for the yoke and fixed a support across the top to take the primary instrument monitor.

Basic framework

Yesterday I decided I was suffering from analysis paralysis and needed to get started. For me the best way to learn is to get stuck in, so early this morning I headed off to the local B&Q and bought a 6'x4' (1220mm x 800mm) sheet of 18mm MDF.

When I got home I started work, and by the end of the afternoon the basic framework was complete.

I have a picture somewhere...