This presentation not to be re-used, presented, or otherwise reproduced without explicit permission of James Price. All photographs copyright James Price. Wide angle shots courtesy of
Jane Tyska – Tri Valley Newspaper Group, California, USA
James’ Virtual Flight Deck!
James Price Air Traffic Controller – 28 Years
Private Pilot – 32 years Building Sims Since 1994
My Beginning… • How did I get started? • CompuServe FSFORUM
My First Version 1994 • Real B727 Throttle Pedestal • Real B727 Overhead Panel • Real Control Wheel From Piper • Real Gear Lever From Piper • R&R Electronics EPIC I/O Card
My First Version 1994
• FS 5 With Photorealistic Gauges • ThunderSeat
Forging Ahead! • Started building full size cockpit 1996-97 • Met Matt Ford and Matt Wietlispach • Went to auction in Victorville, CA • Acquired overhead panel modules • Acquired seats, gear lever, and FCM • Acquired yokes, control columns, and throttle pedestal
Parts Warehouses • Miami • Seattle • Mojave • Victorville
Flight Deck Version 2
• Base constructed of plywood • Control column assembly integrated into base
Flight Deck Version 2
Flight Deck Version 2
Flight Deck Version 2 • Reconditioned throttle pedestal
Flight Deck Version 2 • Notice the large projection TV • CDU cage mounted to throttle
pedestal determined location of major assemblies
Flight Deck Version 2 • Poster board template • Aluminum Instrument Panel
Flight Deck Version 2
SimFest 1999 • Matt Ford, Matt Wietlispach, Ted Deller • Overhead module rewiring • EPIC Programming
SimFest 1999 • The Four Stooges ;-)
SimFest 1999
• Amazing progress was made
Version 2 Finale • Many refinements • Project Magenta Released • Panel Mods • WidevieW Integration
Almost 14 years later here we are, Peter has built an amazing simulator business catapulting flight simulation into the next millenium, and I am just
old and play in my garage a lot!
Circa 1999 – Some Nice Guy Named Peter Cos Sends Me This
Graphic For My Web Page! ;-)
Time To Get Real! - Version 3 Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA
Version 3 Is Born! Purchased Actual B737 Cockpit Shell – April 2000
Delivery – June 2000 Arrives at Livermore Airport (KLVK)
Delivery – June 2000
Delivery – June 2000
Her new temporary home - KLVK
Delivery – June 2000
Restoration Begins
• Removed 300 pounds of wire • Removed 400 pounds of aluminum shell
Removing Everything
Trimming The Fuselage
Building Base Frame
Going Horizontal!
First Night Taxi
Cleaning, Painting, Restoring • Pressure Water Spraying • De-greasing • Masking and Painting
More Restoration
Restoration
Wiring Main busses Bus relays
Wiring – Forward Busses
Wiring – Power Bus 1 Located behind F/O circuit breakers
Control Linkage Integration • Fabricated Pulley Assembly • Connected to slide pot wired to EPIC • Yokes Linked by cable
Control Linkage Integration Left brake pot Pitch damper
Roll bungee Spoiler linear actuator
Control Linkage Integration
Tiller damper Rudder damper
Tiller pot assy Tiller pot mounted to damper
R&R Electronics EPIC Installation • Main expansion module & gauge module
behind captain circuit breaker panels • Connect to all instrument panels via
modular Cockpit Simulations International EMDA cards
• Power provided from main power bus
EMDA Card Integration EPIC Output Modules near rear overhead panel Anti Ice module
Window Heat module Fuel Pump module
Interior Trim Installation
Interior Trim Installation
SimFest 2003• Frantic EPIC coding to get her to fly! • Many key players visiting including: • Peter Dowson (FSUIPC) • Enrico Schiratti (Project Magenta) • Ralph Robinson (R&R Electronics EPIC) • Austin Meyer (X-Plane) • Doyle Nicolas (GoFlight) • Ted Deller (CSI) • Matt Ford
SimFest 2003Ted and Ralph programming Enrico and Austin collaborating
Pete and Enrico flying Ralph flying
Time For A New Software Solution • We reached and were rapidly exceeding dual EPIC’s capacity • Work began on “SimControl”, our 737 system logic solution • SimControl interfaces directly with EPIC and FSUIPC/XPUIPC, allows us total
control and unlimited capacity by programming it in Visual Basic • Over the next ten years SimControl evolves to include nearly every 737 avionics
system simulation • Virtual panel modules allow control via software OR hardware
“SimControl”
Instructor Station
Instructor Station • Current location of Instructor Station
software • All touchscreen interface • Also available on the iPad via VNC
SimFest 2005• New MCP and EFIS panels installed • First attempt at wrap around projection screen using three LCD
projectors • 737 NG NAV/COM radio heads assembled using custom GoFlight radio
module kits
SimFest 2005
SimFest 2005
SimFest 2005
SimFest 2005 Crew • From left to right: Doyle Nicolas, James Price, Dave Little, Bill Trinidad, Alan Dyer,
Matt Wietlispach, Ted Deller, Robert Prather
2009 – The Big Move • Bought home with room for the cockpit in the garage • Cut two feet off the bottom of cockpit to allow to fit in garage • Removed rear wall and cockpit door to allow for traditional simulator instructor area
2009 – The Big Move
2010 Flight Deck Solutions and Sim-Avionics
Enter My Flight Deck!
FDS PRO-MX CDU & Sim Avionics
FDS + SA = AWESOME! • Amazing FDS CDU PRO-MX hardware • Comprehensive 737/777 systems logic with Sim-Avionics software suite • Perfect integration between FDS CDU hardware and Sim-Avionics software • Compatibility with X-Plane 9 & 10 via XPUIPC by Torsten Spiering
Flight Deck Solutions + Sim-Avionics
X-Plane 10 Clouds
X-Plane 10
X-Plane 10
April 2012 - Current
Special Thanks To Peter And Steve Cos For The Opportunity To Be Here
James Price credo:
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win
by fearing to attempt." William Shakespeare
