Flight Sim Instrument Panel

It all starts with a plan.   If you are so inclined -- just do some Internet searching on what you would like to accomplish -- include Facebook as there are groups there modeling many types of aircraft and helicopter instrument panels as well as entire cockpits.   Build out a plan.   In my case, I decided to make something that resembles the Piper Cherokee (PA-28 140) I learned to fly back in the '70s.    To the left are about a dozen 8.5 x 11 inkjet pages joined together to represent a 1:1 model of the instrument panel.  In my case, about 90% scale.

I then picked up a 27" monitor and bought an Air Manager license from Sim Innovations.   This product allows you to use prebuilt or custom instrument panels with various flight simulator software packages -- I'm using X-Plane.   So I cut some holes out of the plan and started to line things up -- trying to mimic the actual panel as close as possible.   Due to the limitations of the monitor, some things (like my switch panel for lights and magnetos and the starter switch, etc. have to be moved to another location due to the depth of those components (IOW the monitor is in the way).   If I could turn back the clock I would redesign to get multiple monitors behind the front front panel splitting the nav/com stack, primary instruments and supplemental gauges to get the yoke up closer to the intended position.   Plus a touchpad for Nav/Com would work slick.

Next I built out the three panel structure using some scrap wood, MDF and Masonite I had laying around the wood shop.  The plywood (bottom panel pictured to the left) will be cut to hold the monitor.   The 1/2 inch (13mm) particle board (middle panel) will be used in the back as a support piece and access to electronics and such once the build is complete.   The top 1/4" (6.3mm) Masonite panel with the cutouts will be placed directly over the plywood bit with the monitor creating the look and feel of the real instrument panel.   

This is the lower plywood panel mentioned above cut out for the 27" monitor.   I choose 27" as it covered all the steam gauges as well as the Nav/Com stack.   If I had to do it over, I'd like to figure out a way to use a separate touch screen for the Nav/Com radios which would allow for a bit more realism.  I put a small block of wood in each corner and a could of vertical pieces with some foam tape to keep the monitor snug as a bug in a rug.   All the screws were counter sunk so they won't interfere with the Masonite top panel.  

Here is the main structure assembly -- sans Masonite panel.  The square hole to the right allows for a real Piper engine vacuum gauge -- I needed something from the real thing!   You can also see round holes in the particle board panel that is the back of the unit.  This is to allow for cooling for the monitor and electronics.

To the left are front and back pictures of the 3D printed bezels with the rotary encoders.   You can see how they really make the panel look sharp and realistic.  

Here I have temporarily installed all the panels and some of the wiring to the Arduino.   You can see the bezels are fit into all the cutouts.  The front panel was first sealed with shellac and then painted with matte hammered black/grey rattle can paint.   It gave it a slight textured look.   If you look closely you can see the Arduino mounted on the back panel.  It is mounted on an access panel you can open from the back to make any changes or repairs.    There will be a powered USB hub added in the future -- likely next to the microcontroller.   I'm using an inexpensive power strip to keep the exterior cords coming from the unit to a minimum (1).    I 3D printed the knobs on the gauges and painted them white and/or orange per the real thing.  I believe I used various length 3mm black screws for most things I found on Amazon, as my small town of 5,000 doesn't have these unique parts available locally.  

Here my son is testing our Sim panel ver 1.   There is a computer to the left, out of shot, that is running Microsoft FS2020.   The computer on the right is running the Air Manager application.   In addition to the other physical changes for version 2 (switch panel, breaker panel, ignition switch, stall warning light, annunciator lights, and the real Piper yoke) I will be moving the Air Manager duties over to a Raspberry PI microcomputer.    It is really just a small computer with more capabilities (and different purpose) than the Arduino.   The Pi will run the gauges on the sim panel only -- nothing as far as scenery or any other monitor.   For the placards (textual notes about the aircraft such as stall speed, fuel info, landing procedures, etc.)  I created some text I found online or made myself in Photoshop and printed on white adhesive inkjet paper.  It works really well.  It takes a few tries to get the fonts and sizing the way you want it.   But worth it in the end as it adds a bit of realism.