A quick flight!

After quite a bit of work, all the elements are together to make the Simulator flyable in a finished state!  This includes finishing the stretching of the screen, hooking up the sound, and most importantly, putting up the block out curtain.  This blocks out all the light making the projector image visible.  It also help keep the cool air in and the hot air out (or the other way round depending on the season).

I finally had the opportunity to sit down and have a fly for an hour or two, and it is a whole lot of fun!  The instruments and screen look great!  The screen is big enough to give a real feeling of immersion, and the controls feel good (though I have set up the air-brake backwards and need to swap it!)

There are still a number of things to do, but this is probably the final milestone before completion!

End of a long week!

I have been working on the Simulator for all of the past week so have been able to get a lot done.  All the main cladding has now been finished on the ceiling and walls.  The screen has been cut and hemmed ready for mounting with some more insulation behind it.  The LED lighting is up and looking good, and the sound is working.

I also took delivery of the extra ramp.  This extends the length and halves the gradient on the existing ramp, meaning that a wheelchair user can get into and out of the trailer unassisted.  I have demonstrated this below.  I'm sure an actual wheelchair user will do it with rather more skill, but it does prove the point!

The time is getting close when I will be ready to trial the Sim by letting people have a go!  Stay tuned!

Roof panels and hoist rail

The roof panels are all up and so the hoist rail can go in permanently (big thanks to my brother for the help).  I'm very happy with the result.  From now on it will be a lot easier putting in panels since they are on the wall.

I have also had a chance to test the LED lighting which looks great!

Lifting Hoist and Cladding

It has been a while since my last post.  Progress continues with all going well.  With most of the flying aspects of the trailer being close to finished, current work involves cladding and hoist work.

The hoist mounts are now fixed into the roof structure and the hoist rail was able to be put up to test the positioning and function.  The hoist sits out in the open to lift users, and can move to directly over the top of the seat and then off into the corner when not in use.

Once the hoist rail was tested, it had to come out again to allow the cladding to go up.  Not the easiest job, but very necessary to keep the heat from radiating through the roof on those hot days.  Plus it looks great once up, and will cut down on the ambient light in the trailer.  The same will be going onto the walls and will give a much cleaner look, hiding all the cabling and structure.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished look!

In Other News - First SoarAbility flight

I was excited to hear that over the weekend, SoarAbility had its first flight with a disabled passenger. By all accounts it went smoothly, and will hopefully be the first of many!

First Flight!

I got to fly the simulator for the first time today, and it was a lot of fun!

There is still lots to do, but this is another milestone achieved. The screen area covers one entire wall as planned, and the instruments tie in and work beautifully. Currently it is just projecting onto the wall, hence the lines from the trailer structure. Since I am now using the proper PC rather than an old laptop, the refresh rates on both the screen and the instruments is ultra smooth.

There are some bits and pieces to sort out with respect to cabling, but that's about it. Next job: ceiling mounted hoist!

Seating finished

The seating is now finished in the Sim. Not the most exciting post for someone wanting to read about flying, but it does mean I'm getting closer! It has underseat storage, is comfortable and looks good! Nuff said!