Howto:C172P Cockpit Project

This Howto will develop into a detailed project plan for building a C172P Instrument Panel. While not a step by step guide, it will include details on the prototyping, design and building of a panel.

I am planning to build a complete simulated C172P Instrument Panel with working instruments, gauges, controls and radios, built from scratch, starting in 2017.

I hope to contact others interested in participating directly in the project in any capacity. I'm specifically looking for anyone who is building new simulator or panel, or who is improving an existing simulator during 2017. Other participants in the project might be working on other aircraft, but the underlying technology, techniques and electronics will be similar. There is no requirement that participants take the same approach to the project. For example, while I hope to design and build all the major parts, others might choose to buy part or all the project as ready made, commercial products. Participants will benefit by sharing expertise, learning experiences, coaching, and discussions about the issues faced by novices and experts in various aspects of the project regardless of their approach.

Tom Galvin gave a presentation on cockpit building at Flight Sim Con 2016 at Bradley Field near Hartford Ct. USA. In his presentation, he pointed out that there is no mouse in the cockpit. As a user of a flight simulator, visual and tactile realism is a major factor in the quality of the experience. Having a realistic control panel in front of you or even a whole cockpit surrounding you will bring the experience up a to a whole new level over operating simulated instruments on a display screen with a mouse and keyboard.

Here's where my personal efforts stand:

• I have acquired a raspberry pi, a breadboard and several SPI and I2c chips and a bunch of resistors and capacitors.
• I've constructed an initial prototype of a switch bank using the MCP23S17 chip.
• I'm planning a prototype of the circuit needed to drive 7 and 14 segment displays for various parts of the radio stack.
• I'm considering the use of magnetic rather than rotary encoders in some parts of the application.
• I've started work on building an air coil that can be used in many of the instruments with rotary dials
• I've ordered a few panel meters to take apart to see if the movements can be used for gauges used to monitor fuel, oil and electric voltage and current.
• I've gained access to a lathe, a 3d Printer and 3d router at the Framingham Ma Makerspace. Work is progressing on building a bench power supply from a spare PC power supply.

• I've identified and counted the following types of elements needed in the simulator and have a plan for their implementation in hardware
  • spst on-off, spdt on-off-on switches, rotary switches
  • incremental or magnetic encoders or potentiometers for adjustments to instruments, instrument lighting, volume and frequency on radios, throttle, mixture and carb heat
  • special construction to handle pull switches and dual concentric controls on radios.
  • single rotating needles, dual rotating needles, outer rim pointers for heading bugs and altimiters
  • rotating compass rings and attitude indications in the turn and bank indicator and attitude indicator.
  • the need for a cross
  • the ball