On The Glideslope

I’ve been trying to post more and more information that can help folks build their own Basement Simulator, and have finally decided to take the plunge and write a guide on the topic. I do NOT want to offer something that goes into significant detail about the software, hardware, and PC side of things, as Sim Samurai’s Ultimate Guide To Advanced Flight Simulation achieves that with far greater detail than I’ll ever have to offer. (And if you’re planning to build a home sim and haven’t purchased the UGTAFS, I can say it was one of the first things I did when I got started, and it’s worth the price.) Rather, I want to offer something that describes in reasonable detail the design I’ve used, choices I’ve made, and lessons I’ve learned in building the Basement Sim — including plans, tools, and parts — so that others who wish to build a similar GA cockpit can more easily do so. My vision is something that will be enough of a detailed resource that someone could use it to build and start flying in a sim like mine.

I began producing the guide yesterday, and have 18 pages written so far, including side, front, top and back plan elevations. I hope to complete it sometime next week. Because of the time and energy invested, I do plan to offer the guide for sale, and expect to do so for somewhere around $30 with a full money-back guarantee if people who buy the guide aren’t satisfied with it. I figure the experience I’ve put into it is probably worth that, but we’ll see.

For those who are curious, here’s the current table of contents, and I presume each of these sections will make it into the final draft:

• INTRODUCTION
• OVERALL DESIGN
• TOOLS & PARTS
  • Tools
  • Parts
• COMPUTING EQUIPMENT
• TVS & PROJECTORS
  • On Resolution
  • The Projector
  • Projector Or TV Front View?
  • The TVs
• INSTRUMENTS, CONTROLS, AND AVIONICS
  • Instruments
  • The Wonderful FIP Gauges By Tom Tsui
  • GPS
  • Controls
  • The Importance Of USB Hubs And Proper Power
  • Final Thoughts On Avionics And Controls
• BUILDING THE FRAME
  • Basic Frame Plans
  • Side Elevation
  • Top Elevation
  • Front Elevation
  • Back Elevation
  • The Panel
• SIDE PANELING
• UPHOLSTERY & CARPET
• THE GLARE SHIELD
• TRIM
  • Placards & Stickers
  • Real-World Parts
• LIGHTING
• INTERCOM & HEADSETS
• SEATS
• OTHER TOPICS
  • FSX, P3D, or X-Plane?
  • Rumblers
  • GoPro and Video

So stay tuned! I hope it will be a valuable resource for others looking to pursue the hobby as I have.