b737ng cockpit

I’ve been busy, a while ago, trying to make an impression of my new version #2 cockpit.
I’ve searched for a proper 3D cad program to draw the cockpit. And I stumbled over Google Sketchup. It runs only on Mac and Windows. And I’m a Linux lover, but it runs quite well on a VMware Windows XP machine also. So that’s where I did most of the drawing work. And also on my Mac downstairs in the living room. (That runs a bit faster than a VMware machine). (more…)

Since this cockpit is a cockpit with only one captain’s chair in the center of a semi circle of outside view monitors, we need some extra hardware for the outside views. I ‘m planning to use three windows to view outside. (maybe 5 ultimately) 1 straight ahead and 1 for 40 degrees to the left and 1 for 40 degrees to the right (and optionally 2 times 80 degrees left and right) . I haven’t found a way (yet) to let x-plane make two different views on two different video outputs in the same PC…  maybe by running two instances of x-plane on the same pc. But that will take an awful lot of RAM and CPU power. (more…)

x-plane in action

X Plane 9 is the world’s most comprehensive and powerful flight simulator for personal computers. X Plane 9 offers the most realistic flight model available for home use.

So that’s why I use X Plane 9 in my Boeing 737 cockpit version 2. (more…)

the SemiCircle

When I started building cockpit #1, a B737NG single seater cockpit about 4 years ago (the year 2006).  Not very realistic of course, a single seater, but I lacked the space to build a full two seater cockpit.

Also the half circle of 7 pieces of 17″ CRT monitors did not allow a second center (seat), since a semi circle only has one center, where the observer (pilot)  should be. (more…)