Building a Boeing 737 Cockpit 

Your are very welcome. And yes, you will learn all those skills - and more. I wish you all the best with the project. 👍

Hey dude! I would recommend you save up for flight training if you are thinking to fly. And save up for a smaller aircraft sim. Which is way cheaper. And will translate directly into your flight training aswell. Safe skies!

Thank you. You are very kind. 😀

This old dog thanks you for your kind words 😊

Thank you. I also had the assistance from a 737 pal of mine who flies for Ryanair. I had him sit in the captain's side (where he always sits) and with his eyes closed, I had him reach out to all the switches and other controls that he would reach for in the normal run of things, and everything was where his hand went. That was my biggest challenge: getting the angles and positions correct. He had some valid criticism regarding the tension on the yoke - mine is a little soft (but you should try the yoke on the C-47 I used to fly if you want to build up your upper body muscles) and of course, he did note that my seating was not up to Ryanair's (or Boeing's) standards :). Otherwise he was able to make a successful and comfortable flight (with me in the FO seat) and was quite impressed. That was all I needed to feel that my work with all those tiny wires (and magnifying glass) was vindicated. He assisted me with dimensions and proportions so I could make sure it was a true 1:1 construction at every stage. If you are ever in South Yorkshire, please let me know and you can try it out for yourself.

Father Dane Haven’t traveled much since retiring, but should the opportunity present to visit, I will. Thank you for your gracious invitation. How long did it take you to complete (this far), start to finish? May I ask what the cost is on this project?

@@iwmtrainingroom7516 It all began 16 years ago with a single computer and a joystick using FSX. I am an old pilot now (I used to be a young bold pilot) but I still like the touch of the controls so piece by piece and part by part I bought and assembled and expanded as I went. The major purchase of the MIP from Opencockpits in Spain was the start of the final version I have now - that was in 2018. It took many months to put that together, and I had to check the circuitry and connectivity as I went along - and it was a few more months after that and after assembling timber and vinyl flooring to form the tight and almost "claustrophobic" effect of the cockpit that it appeared as it does today. As to cost. Well, if there was a fire I suppose I would be needing around £25,000 to rebuild it the next day. But that cost has been spread out over 16 years to get it to this today, as you can appreciate. But I do enjoy it - even the low frame rate doesn't take away from the joy of flying once again.

Father Dane - Old Pilots all share at least one thing in common, we survived. I knew many who did not for one reason or another. I’m sure your Sim provides many hours of enjoyment for you. Thank you for the added detail, and for doing such an amazing job filming your project. 😊

@@iwmtrainingroom7516 Thank you

I like having a bit of fun

I just was going to say this

Thank you

Will do - thank you

Thank you. And from the UK I hope you are staying well. Happy Sim flying to you

It took a long time but it's worth it

@@FatherDane how much was it

@@aidyford7946 I would guess that the cost to replace it now would be somewhere around £30,000. It's hard to say as I purchased the parts bit by bit over 16 years, but this is a rough estimate. Does this help? 😊

@@DamienRyanUK yes thank you

Thank you for the comments. Building yours in an outdoor building is certainly a better option than taking over a small bedroom. As an aside, I always desired a motion rig but I didn't have the space but if you plan a building, then may I suggest you look at putting in some hydraulics to give you motion? They don't have to be long but enough to give you the "feel". Also, if you have the space, may I also suggest that you ensure you have width to put in a 180 or 270 degree screen as that is so much better than what I have. I keep promising myself that if I got a windfall of cash dropping into my lap, then that is what I would do for my own simulator. Happy landings

​@@FatherDane Hello there and thank you so much for your kind reply. I also was envisaging the possibility for some hydraulics, hight requirements and finance permitting, being a retired mechanical engineer that would make the project much more appealing and exiting. My only concern is haw to interface that to P3D using one of the existing interfacing additional softwares. I have successfully added my personal micro controllers such as my own gear down with lights and my conversion from throttle potentiometers to encoders for much more sensitive and precise engine thrust control. Pots are very susceptible to temperature and humidity variations as opposed to encoders which are essentially endless rotary switches with fixed values for a given position. I am open to suggestions on the hydraulic interfacing note. Kind Regards

The people at www.opencockpits.com/ have done it so I suggest speaking to them for more info. Contact support@opencockpits.com and see what he can tell you. I haven't got that far yet so I don't have specific details but this is a way to start. Good luck

​@@FatherDane ! . . Excellent . . I shall follow your advise and thank you for pointing this out to me. Unfortunately, my building work has been interrupted by this absurd virus as I can not get machinery or materials. However, I shall invest this time to investigate further the possibility of a full-motion sim and will let you know the outcomes. Kind Regards, Mauro Andreini

@@9111logic :)

Thank you for your kind words😊

Yes I am - it's good to have a hobby in one's old age

Thank you

Thank you

It was a doozy - and I needed a magnifying glass for a lot of it because the wire was so small and the sockets were even smaller. I had a wiring schema but following all those lines with these old and tired eyes was a challenge. It took me several weeks to complete the wiring part and then there was the testing part where I had to track down any connections that were loose or crossed. That is worked after all that was a miracle 😉

@@FatherDane Fantastic job, i am so envious it must give hours of joy, especially in recent months

@@gabrieldillon11 Yes it does - I can "go" anywhere in the world I want and that is a great bit of natural home therapy 😊

Thank you for the comments. Much appreciated. And yes, various people have sat in the right seat over the last year. Whenever I have a visitor who want to fly, they are always encouraged. The last visitor I had before the quarantine was imposed was the local bishop! Who would have guessed he would like flying a 737?

Haha! Love it! I fly RC scale airplanes, I understand the passion for "engineering the experience", researching, learning, building, then sharing the joy! Many good flights to all!

@@francisconti9085 :)

Thank you

Thank you for your documentairy, you explain it very well and relaxed, it is a long sit and you had the patient to build this amazing complex room.

You are more than welcome. Happy landings

You are very welcome 😊

Thanks for the compliment

Thank you

Jan Raid r u sure I think 10 digits

Actually it pulls less than 1 kwh when everything is one and running

XXxxPhil_is_the_onexxXX 522 I’m prettifying sure it’s 10,000 figures. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a small bit

@@FatherDane Still much cheaper then the real thing ;-)

you need a powewr IPU in the back of your livingroom

And you too!

Thank you. It is a lot of fun. All the best for the new year

You will not be disappointed. 👍

Thank you

go for it 😂

Thank you, that is very kind of you to say so. 😊

@@FatherDane I sadly saw you sent the sim to Italy, all though fantastic for their parish!! Have you stopped flying altogether or have you still got a sneeky set up?

@@Anythingfortherockstar No, it's all gone now. It was a good run, though 😊

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you for those very kind words 😊

Thank you - I have made some improvements on it since this video: I replaced the projector with three large television screens which makes the illusion so much better. 😉

It took me 16 years, so unless you are rich, you will need patience

@@FatherDane It took you WHAT?!?

@@jumbledsiren8190 Yes sir. I started buying parts years ago: a yoke; some pedals, then an EFIS and an MCP. Bit by bit accumulating what I needed until I could afford the MIP and put it all together. But let me tell you this in no uncertain terms: it was all worth it! So, go for it!

@@FatherDane how much did it cost?

@@classonbread5757 Money was my problem too. So, I purchased parts as I could afford them over a 16 year period. I don't know what it is worth today but some have estimated it to be around £25,000 if I had to replace it all in one afternoon :)

connor gibson I also see that I guess he get confused . I think he had 3 GTX 1060

Yes, three 1080 monitors but the graphic cards are nVidia GTX1060 cards which is just the model designation

That is how I built mine over a 16 year period. But the result is worth it. Happy landings! 😊

Thank you

It all depends on how far you want to go with your simulator. I have been building mine for over 15 years and I suppose it is worth somewhere around £25,000 now if I were to start again. Does this help?

@@FatherDane It helps persuade me its far too expensive for me. And over time I would think VR is going to make cockpits like this largely redundant. I appreciate that VR lacks sufficient resolution at present but in terms of what you see visually, it isn't that many years away and will be far cheaper, about 1/10th of the price I would think and more immersive. I admire what you have done though, it looks very impressive.

@@cbcdesign001 Yes VR will be an economic alternative for many people. However, there is still a sizable number of people who can't use VT for various reasons, and I am one of them. Another drawback to VR us the lack of tactile ability - the lack of proper touch sensation. I had a set of touch screens I used for an earlier model but there is nothing like the feel of a switch or the twist of a knob.

@@FatherDane Yes, until VR is further developed to add touch (gloves?). In particular, the stereo vision VR offers is a major advantage. Adding motion is another difficulty with full cockpit builds. Also, VR offers the flexibility of flying a Cessna for a bit and then a 747. Your build is amazing and commands respect, enjoy!

@@izsakitt3711 Thank you 😊

Dont worry too much. His parishioners will pay that for him with no problem

@@1110Zappa How do you know that he's not paying with his own payment? Not every priests are bad.

I have been building mine for over 15 years - a bit at a time. And I paid for it out of my own pension.

@@FatherDane 15 years??? You are a very patient man…

@@idekav. It was worth it. And besides, I could only afford the parts a piece at a time 😂

Then you should go for it. You will not regret it.

Thank you for your very kind words 😊

@Triple Seven In english they say "I just can't anymore lmfao" meaning, that they are laughing hard af. So... Hopefully you've learnt something new today.

I did

Paid for out of my own state pension over 15 years

Thank you

It took a long time, but thank you for your kind words 😊

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you or is that dank je?

@@FatherDane yes, that is a correct Dutch answer! I love your total commitment and perseverance. 👍👍👍👍

I'm glad I've been able to help. Good luck with your project - it really is something that is rewarding. 😊

Thank you kindly! And all the best for 2021

Thank you for your very kind words. 😊

Thank you. 😀

I like to have fun - even pensioners can do that :)

es un placer servirle

You are most welcome. Enjoy your cockpit

Not good at all with electronics - I just read the instructions before diving in. But it works and you can see the result. :) Thanks for the comment.

Thank you

You are more than welcome. 😊

Thank you 😊

Thank you

Thank you 😊

Thank you

Thank you for your very kind words 😊

Thank you 😊

Thank you 😊

Thank you

😊

Thank you 😊

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you. You are very kind 😊

You are most welcome 😊

Thank you

¡Hola! Muchas gracias por el comentario. Me alegro de que les guste. Y saludos desde Inglaterra.

Thank you

Thank you

You are more than welcome. I wish you well in your project. 😊

A dream is how mine started - so live the dream! Happy landings 😊

@@FatherDane You have given a good idea of what can be done. Far more than the original dream. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

@@garyseaman6105 👍😊

Hello - I am glad you liked the video and found it useful. I actually did change the projector to large screens later on when I could afford them. I made a series of videos showing how I did that here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tf08mGaQIi8.html&pp=gAQBiAQB

Looking forward

I found that the project helped me enormously with the transition from active to semi-active retired and then to retired. When I noticed so many of my friends suffering from dementia it caused me to do something about it - and building a 737 in my spare bedroom was the answer. The experts say that if the mind can be constantly challenged it will prevent the onset of dementia. So, fiddling with small wires and tracking down connection errors certainly presented the challenge. As does the exercise of planning an ILS approach in the working cockpit. I still have my commercial pilot's licence (with IFR etc) and while I couldn't pass a flight physical to actually fly anymore I can at least keep my skills up-to-date. Enjoy the videos.

Thank you 😊

I like to have fun 😊

Thank you

Thank you

I like to have a bit of fun

Thank you

No problem. I should thank you for making this video for us.

Thank you 😊😊

Thank you

Thank you. I am still in quarantine and this does help to keep me occupied and challenged.

@@FatherDane Yes I am sure it is a great past time. I am away from my X-Plane and stuck until International flights start up, so missing it terribly....enjoy..!!

@@basilkilian5459 👍😊

Thank you

Thank you for watching

Thank you

Thank you

You're very welcome! 😊

You are very welcome, sir. 😊

You are very kind. 🎄

You are correct, of course. But it is a tricky thing to do. 😊

Yes it is - but it is also a lot of fun

Thank you 😊

It is a lot of fun! 😊

Thank you