The white helped (in theory) to reflect light inside for improved back-lighting. Lastly, I painted the outside frame with Iron Grey latex paint and the interior with white latex paint. I was able to determine the proper mounting position, mounting hole locations, and general fit. I then checked fit by loosely placing the box in its final mounting location. Box frame completed with piano hinge swing-down top in the open position Completed and painted FWD overhead frame This allowed me to easily unlatch and swing down when needed. I used piano hinges at the rear of the box to allow the top panel to swing down, then added latches at the front to keep the box locked shut. Unfortunately this reduced internal space in the center a bit but it wasn’t a major problem. While the shell’s cross brace didn’t seem necessary I chose to leave it for strength. I added a raised “hump” in the middle of the box to accommodate the cross-brace in the FDS cockpit shell. The frame was made with 1/4″ x ~3″ wood strips. I estimated the box height from the available space in my FlightDeck Solutions shell. Next, I started the lower portion of the frame box. It would also allow for thinner frame walls reducing clearance issues. If done again, I would use aluminum for a much better strength to weight ratio. These ended up slightly sagging due to the heavy weight of all the components. Rough dimensions sketch based on the CockpitSimParts panels Beginning construction of the swing-down panel frame Laying out the CockpitSimParts panels to determine frame dimensions NOTE: I later determined the main ribs from front to back should have been thicker. I test-fitted the panels until everything lined up right and adjusted as necessary for clearance. I laid out a wood frame using 3/8″x3/4″ wood strips that would be reasonably strong, but not interfere with mounting the panels. ![]() Swing-Down Frameįirst I framed out the swing-down top using the drawing I had made earlier as a guide. This gave me the outer frame dimensions and the location of all the screw holes the panels would mount to. I then traced around the perimeter with a pencil. ![]() To determine the dimensions of the frame I laid out the panels on cardboard and arranged them appropriately. This proved to be a difficult problem to solve but not impossible. This differs from panels like FlightDeck Solutions IBL or real where the bulbs are built into the panels. You need to shine light on the backs of the panels to light the front markings. ![]() The other issue I found out later is that these panels are back-lit. If there’s an option to order metal back plates, I highly recommend it. This is a problem when you’re using real aircraft locking toggles that require some effort to unlock the switches. The plastic can easily crack or flex under repeated use. This proves to be somewhat of an issue when mounting switches. These panels also have an acrylic plastic back panel plate versus metal. If you’re mixing and matching different panels from different places, that could make things look a little odd. The downside is they are thinner than real panels at 5mm versus 6mm. Overall, I was happy with them and as you can see, they look very good. However, they are good quality and quite accurate for the price. It took a little while to get them as they’re manufactured to order. I also wanted an accurate looking and operating overhead.Īfter some research, I sourced reasonably priced panels and hardware from CockpitSimPartsin the UK. I settled on building an enclosed box that would allow me to easily manage the overhead as a single, self-contained unit. This would help me do maintenance without removing the entire overhead. I decided I wanted a swing down panel like the real aircraft. But how big should it be? What should it be made of? What switches did I need? How should I wire it? How do I light it? I had lots of questions and no instruction manual to follow. It really adds to the sense of immersion and it’s just such a cool factor that takes your simulator to the next level. I was excited to start building an overhead for my flight simulator.
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