The Shetland Flyer
C172 Panel Project Update

C172 Panel Project Pictures

Here's the latest pictures of my 172 panel project built using the amazing SimKits gauge kits. The panel is nearly fully IFR, although the DME and wet compass still have to be displayed on-screen. Nearly every system is controlled via a switch or button on the panel or yoke, and in normal flight from startup to shutdown no keyboard or mouse actions are required. Apart from the DME and wet compass, I still need a fuel selector, trim and flap indicators.

The sim uses the excellent RealAir Simulations C172 aircraft. Control is provided by CH Products USB three-lever yoke and USB Pro pedals. Avionics and switches from the GoFlight range, including the new GF-166 Versatile Radio Panel. Visuals are provided via WidevieW with a 3GHz P4 server feeding four Athlon 2100XP clients, all displaying via GeForce 4 Ti4800's driving 19" screens.

A Soundblaster Live! Platinum card feeds 5.1 surround speakers, with a 14" sub-woofer mounted in the seat base providing very realistic vibration. The speaker is fed by a low band filter so only very low vibrations are felt.

For the complete story, see the project page here.

	The avionics stack (left) uses two GF-P8 push button units, a GF-166 radio and a GF-45 multi-function device. The radio displays Com 1, Com 2, Nav 1 and Nav 2 using the upper push buttons to select. The GF-45 is used as transponder, ADF and Autopilot, with GF-45 and AP functions controlled via the lower push buttons. The iPAQ (bottom right) runs Memory Map Navigator displaying a GPS moving map using CAA 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 charts. The GPS output from FS is linked via Pete Dowson's GPSOut module.