News:
August 18th 2010: Just recently, I sold my first set of paper plans, L45-009 to Willie Wilson. It should be very interesting and exciting watching Willie build his L45 shell from the paper plans. Look for his updates in the hangar!
Because of the summer break and the kids being out of school, I took a little break from actual sim building. For the past eight weeks, I have been painting the house and making built in book shelves, etc. But as usual, I was thinking of the PROJECT 45 and what I could be doing to enhance the flight simulation experience. So I converted our aft living room into what I call the Hangar45 "Pilot's Lounge", (a.k.a. the den or the study). But that's not all, I now have a virtual reality hyper link from Hangar45 to Project45!
All kidding aside, it is very cool to walk into the Pilots lounge, up the stairs and to the simulation room. Upstairs, I also have what I call the Official Hanger45 head (restroom) and a small room that I call Ground Maintenance. The whole aft of the house is a Flight Sim Man Cave!
PROJECT 45
June 14th 2010: Recently, I finished my TQ Module including two other complete sets and five TQ Module kits for other Hangar45 members. I consider the throttle module one of the big three, (the other two would be the rudder pedals and the control columns / yokes.) I am happy to have this part of the build in the books!
Now that I have the TQ Module behind me, I am taking about six weeks to complete several smaller projects that I started but have not yet finished. Several of these items required that I completely remove all the interior parts from the shell due to fabrication. This is what I am calling the first Mod and Fabrication 1.1. As of right now, I have 28 items on a list and only 8 of them have been completed. Some of the items include: Installing the rudder pedal assembly, installing the DU's, finishing the standby indicators, MIP support brackets, installing the Pitch Trim Disconnect box, ETC.... I will update each appropriate page as I complete an item.
PROJECT 45
April 19th 2010: L45-008 has a new home in Westminster Colorado! Randy Buchanan is the proud owner of the latest shell to leave the Project45 workshop here in Jacksonville Florida. Look for pictures and updates on Randy's project at Hangar45
I have also been working hard on the Throttle Quadrant Module design. The design work is complete and to date, I have one complete set sent off to Eric Tomlin and a TQ Module kit sent off to Tom Goldberg. I have at least four more sets to build including my own. Keep in mind that the TQ module kit pictured below is designed for the real parts only. To see more information on the Throttle Quadrant, go to the Flight Controls page.
PROJECT 45
February 22nd 2010: I couldn't stand it any longer. It was time to fly this bad boy even if it meant bare bones with a stripped down version of FS2004, a CH yoke and a set of CH pedals! I also spent $50 and about 10 hours making up a set of temporary seats to hold me over until I have time for the real ones. Man, I feel like I am half way done, FINALLY!!!
February 15th 2010: These past three weeks have been very productive! I moved the shell from the work shop to the new house and painted it in the garage. Then with the help of my good friend "Venny", we carefully moved the two sections up the stairs into the new hangar bay!
January 15th 2010: This has been the first solid week that I have been back in full swing of SIM building. This week I complete Tom Goldberg's Backer Panel Set and the final steps in the Landing Gear knob design. I had to build a JIG that holds the knob in place where the CNC machine mills the inside notches. Here are a few pictures of the recent work:
PROJECT 45
December 7th 2009: It has been a few months since I have made an entry but for good reason. My wife and I have decided to move into a larger home! This gave me the perfect opportunity to look for a home that would accommodate my hangar bay. In this case, it is a spare room up stairs with a storage room off to the side and a head, (bathroom). As a matter of fact, we are moving in tomorrow!
During this time, I have been working on a set of backer panels for Tom Goldberg and designing the three standby gauges. I have decided to go the extra step in these parts by adding the adjustment knob on the Altitude gauge and the adjustment knob on the Artificial Horizon gauge. I should have the file finalized in about a week.
Because of the move and how fast some of the fellas are moving along with their personal projects, I have changed my goals for the first part of the new year.
1. Finish the standby gauges.
2. Finish the work on the landing Gear knobs. DONE (01-15-10)
3. Complete my shell finally! (Windscreens and paint) DONE (02-15-10)
4. Design and build custom seats that look and work like the real deal. DONE (02-22-10 Temporary Design)
5. Start work on the Throttle Quadrant design. DONE (06-13-10)
6. Start work on the yoke and column system.
7. Install the rudder Pedal Assembly.
8. Finish L45-008 and ship it off to it's new owner. DONE (04-19-10)
To be honest, I will be lucky to get all this done by this time next year! But we will see......
September 23rd 2009: I have been busy working on a few of the other guys projects. I have just completed a "Backer Panel Starter Kit" for Rick Trantham and I am just about finished with a huge project for Shane Barnes.
The JET45 AAS software has been released by Jason Hite at Flight Deck Soft. I have not had a chance to see it for myself first hand but all of the feed back is very positive. In support of the new software, I was one of the first to purchaesed a copy from FDS. It is now time to start shopping for my computers which I hope to have by the new year!
PROJECT 45
August 2nd 2009: I have just recently completed the Toggle Switch Matrix for all the toggle switches in the flight deck of the L45 simulator. I have it available in a PDF format on the Technical Information page for others if you would like to view it. I will also have additional toggle switch information on the Hardware & Switches page soon!
The Center Pedestal is really taking shape now that I have it painted inside and out. I have all of the backer panels on it and most of the switches temporarily mounted. What you see in the pictures below are ONLY the backer panels. The face or front panels with the engraving will come later only after all of the hardware has been worked out 100%. Making panels for any simulator project without first determining what hardware you are going to use will surely turn out to be a waste of time and plastic!
The Glare Shield / MIP and the structure behind it which I call the MIP Backer and the MIP Tower are also nearly complete. The goal here was to maintain the authentic looks of the Lear45 flight deck but at the same time, make it strong enough so that it will withstand just about anything! Pictured bottom left is the MIP Backer which holds the three LCD screens in place. Pictured bottom right is the Glare Shield attached to the MIP Tower. I will have several more pictures of these items on the Flight Controls page.
Last but not least, I have been working hard in my spare time to redraw the MIP, MIP Backer, MIP Tower, Glare Shield, Throttle Quadrant, Center Pedestal, Raised Floor System and an overview Master Profile view. All these drawings will be available in a PDF soon on this site and Hangar45
PROJECT 45
June 24th 2009: The 389 Replicas are here and available to the members of Hangar45! This set includes over 200 laser engraved and cut parts to complete every Chromolux 389 switch found in the L45 flightdeck. If interested in a set of your own, please contact me at ronjonrollo@yahoo.com. For more information on the 389 Replicas, please visit the Hardware & Switches page or the Classified page in Hangar45.
The MIP backer support structure is now nearly complete. I have designed it so that the LCD screens are perfectly sandwitched between the aluminum MIP and the MIP backer support. It is also modular so that it can be taken apart with ease! For more details, visit the Flight Controls page.
PROJECT 45
June 5th 2009: I just completed about 25 hours worth of work on the deck (floor) of the cockpit. Believe it our not, there are three removable module sections pictured below that can be taken out if need be for either maintenance or continued progress. The area under the seats and the "Butt Kicker" system floor plate is 1.5" thick. I also made "pockets" under this area to accommodate speakers under the seats in the future.
In other news, "all systems are GO" for the laser engraved 389 Replica Lens kits. I tested several different plastics and paints and we are now ready to move forward with the cutting and engraving. The 389 Replica kits for the AML-21 switch body will have over 200 parts in it. For now, I am making a total of 10 kits formyself and other members of Hangar45. The kits should be ready in about four weeks.
I have reached a point that I am setting a new goal to have the simulator moved into a clean, dust free and climate controlled area by January 2010. In other words, moving the shell from my fathers work shop to the dinning room of our home in six months! But before I can do this, I need to paint the shell, inside and out, complete the windscreens and install them, and finish fitting the MIP and glare shield into the shell.
PROJECT 45
April 29th 2009: On this date, I finished up the construction of kit L45-007 for Shane Barnes. The crate was picked up and shipped off to Mt. Sterling Kentucky! Shane is in for a good three months of sold work but it will surely pay off in the end. Keep an eye on his progress at Hangar45 !
The research and development of the 389 Replica Switches is coming along nicely. To date, the .68 inch squared frames for the AML51-A10W caps have been cut out with a laser engraver. I had enough of these caps cut out for six complete sets for the guys in Hangar45 who are interested in going with this switch solution.
April 10th 2009: I am about 1/3rd of the way through the process of building up kits L45-007 and L45-008. So far, I have both kits rough cut and the crates built up. Over the next few weeks, I will be working to get 007 finished up for Shane Barnes by April 30th 2009. (L45-008 will hopefully be completed shortly there after for the next guy who wants to step up and join the fun!
In other news, I have placed an order with my friend Vince Cimmino in Italy to get a set of the four Display Units and the two RMU's. His work, engineering and craftsmanship is second to none. Check out his incredible CNC work at http://www.learjet45.info
I have just finished three solid days of working with the CNC and cutting out plastic. The first day I was taken to school by the CNC machine, however, all the lessons the CNC taught me I picked up on quickly. The following two days went much better and I am looking forward to creating more "G" code from the panel files.
In my spare time, I have been working to develop the AML-21 caps with the help of a laser. So far, the results are very promising in creating an authentic look and feel! Check out a few pictures on the "Control Panel" page.
PROJECT 45
March 21st 2009: Today I was officially born into the World of CNC cutting. I cut the Lower Center Backer Panel out and although I had a few lessons to overcome, this part came out as close to perfect as I could hope for! I still have much to learn before I am comfortable and proficient with the CNC even with the basic 2D parts. Thankfully, about 70% of the flight deck is made up of 2D parts!
I have also started construction of L45-007 and L45-008. Pictured below are the two crates for these next two airframes. Hanagr45 Club Member Shane Barnes is setting himself up nicely to be in line for "007". (I only wish these crates were already filled with the parts!)
March 4th 2009: Tom Goldberg from Deer Park Washington is one of our latest club members of Hangar45 and brings incredible skills and talents that are going to be useful to our overall goals. Tom has a 4'X8' Water Jet CNC capable of cutting out aluminum and other materials as thick as we will ever need to complete certain aspects of our simulator projects. With the use of Eric Tomlin's CAD drawing, Tom was able to cut out the MIP, Glare shield and the two TQ access doors in just a few minutes! Today, I recieved these items shown here below in less than a week and that included the time it took to ship it from Washington State! Tom has also jumped into this exciting project with both feet and picked up airframe L45-006 for his personal use. You can visit his website and see some of his other creations at www.combatconsole.com or contact him at tbtransmission@gmail.com for more information.
February 21st 2009: Important news for you guys following my project! Flight Simmersion is changing it's name to PROJECT 45 ! You will be able to continue to follow my progress on the L45 build on this website after March 15th 2009. Be sure to bookmark this new site or visit Hangar45 if you have trouble finding it again. Thanks for the support and interest.
January 23rd 2009: I have been working on developing a control column system inside the flight deck. To date, I have most of the components in place and it works very well. It actually runs across the top of the sub floor but under the raised floor sections. I am using two screen door dampeners to help stabilize the columns. The neat thing about this design is that only one of the dampeners are working at a time while the other one is resting. Take a look at these pictures and see if you can identify how they operate.
In other news, I have decided to build my own set of panels with the use of the CNC machine that I picked up back in October 2008 and a laser engraver that I have access to right down the street. Obviously I have a lot to learn to reach the high level of quality that I was expecting to have in my flight deck. For those of you who have been following along, I am no longer working or associating myself with J.C. for various reasons. Although I forfeited one of my shells (L45-004) in order to excuse myself, the experience was not a total loss. Over the past year, I have gained a greater understanding of the hobby and the airframe I have chosen to model. I have come to really appreciate what it takes to get things done right and within a reasonable timeframe!
Currently, I am gearing up to start working with the CNC. At this point, I am not even crawling but with time and dedication, I should have something to be proud of shortly.
Kris Stow has postponed the delivery of L45-006 until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, L45-006 is available for immediate delivery to the next hangar 45 member who is ready.
January 1st 2009: The L45-SAM "Shell Assembaly Manual" is finally here! This is revision 5, the latest version of the "SAM" and the first being released to the general public. The 7.8MB Adobe PDF file can be down loaded free from the "Technical Info" page!
PROJECT 45
December 16th 2008: The shell (L45-002) is finally complete after nearly a year of hard work! I will be painting the shell a semigloss white with a blue stripe down both sides in the next few weeks. I will also be working to fit the windscreens into the shell, however, priority number one is now the L45-SAM.
In other news, Kris Stow's shell (L45-006) is complete and packed up in the crate however, it will be sitting in the Project45 workshop until his new home is completed. AND, Shane Barnes, our newest Hangar45 Club Member has reserved airframe (L45-007) and we will be working on his shell soon!
December 1st 2008: I have finally finished Phase 9, the fiberglass work. I spent more time during this phase than I care to admit, but it is worth it because......
J.C. has reportedly shipped out my highly anticipated panels on this date. I can not tell you how excited I am to receive these panels and start working on the inside after the new year! Below right is a picture of the just a few of the panels that I will be getting from J.C. in exchange for the shell I sent him back in June 2008!
November 25th 2008: Douglas Dick has joined Hangar45 and is our newest club member! When you get a chance, please welcome him to the "Hangar".
I have acquired an authentic set of Learjet45 throttle levers, a spoiler arm and a Flaps arm which are hard to come by as you can imagine. It may take me a few months or even longer before I start working with them but at least I have them packed up and in a box on the shelf ready to go!
J.C. has reported that he is so close to releasing the Learjet45 line of panels that we can all taste it! Hopefully within the next two weeks I can say that I have my set of panels in hand and that the Lear45 line is officially released and available to all the other Lear builders.
I will have some exciting pictures of my shell, L45-002, completed and sitting pretty on December 1st 2008. Look for the promotional photos at Hangar45. I promise these pictures will turn heads in the sim community, at least for a day or two!
Kris Stow's shell, L45-006 is complete and waiting to be shipped off to Seabrook Texas. But first he needs a house to ship it to. (He is having a new home built for his family.)
PROJECT 45
November 7th 2008: Hangar45 is now open to the public! This site is an International Learjet45 club with eleven Founding Charter members. The website was created to provide Learjet 45 builders a forum to share building techniques and ideas. It was also created to provide a club-atmosphere for those that have decided to build and simulate one of the most famous aircraft ever built... A Learjet!
Hangar 45 serves as a virtual hangar for Lear-specific information for home flight deck builders. You will find information that will help you build 1:1 scale components for your project, get advise on Air File tweaking, and a host of other information that will get your Lear project off the ground in good time. Visit www.hangar45.net to check out the "Members & Projects" page to learn more about the Lear builders in the International community.
October 24th 2008: My wife and I just got back from a much needed week long vacation in Gatlinburg Tennesee. One of the highlights (for me) was picking up a new CNC machine in Ashville on the way up. The CNC machine will enable me to create my own parts and duplicate them easily after I get the hang of it. The first thing I think I will tackle with the help of the CNC cutter/engraver is the seat bases and frames.
In other news, Kris Stow has ordered shell kit #L45-006. To date, I am about 25% complete with the cutting and routing of the parts in his kit. Visit his website, www.lear45project.org to see his Lear45 project.!
Hangar45.net is also coming along nicely although not yet open to the public. The front page is nearly complete and the content for the "Meet the Builders" page is also finished. Eric Tomlin is working hard to get the best out of the high tech template that we are using. Look for an announcement soon.
J.C. has been updating Eric Tomlin and I over the phone and via email on the panel progress! It is very exciting to see and hear the progress as he moves forward with the laser engraved panels. To date, he has finished with the prototype panels and has just recently started the first production run of the Lear45 line! There will only be a limited amount of panels released during this first run if you were thinking of picking up a set. Keep an eye out on mycockpit.org for the official news release on this subject!
October 5th 2008: I am happy to announce that in the up and coming weeks, Hangar45 will be launched showcasing the Worlds Learjet45 Flight Simulator builders and their projects! This site will be the "Hub" for all Lear enthusiast and a place to park their Cyber Jets. You will find forums with Lear specific information, Build Stories and technical data that the individual builders wish to share with the community. Hangar45 will have dozens of links to the builders, suppliers and related sites to help the new guy get started on their own project. As of this writing, we have no less than ten founding members from five different countries!
PROJECT 45
September 17th 2008: I need to mention that I have been doing all the recent heavy construction of the shell in my father's spacious A/C cooled work shop about three miles down the road. Thanks dad, (Ron Rollo Sr.) for letting me use the garage, tools and lending a helping hand from time to time. (Please pardon the dust!)
The BIG NEWS is that my wife Michelle has agreed to allow me to park the Learjet 45 shell in our dinning room after the new year when it is completed!!! (Email me for details on how to talk your own wife into moving the nose section of an aircraft into the dinning room without permanently sleeping on the couch.) ronjonrollo@yahoo.com
Here is a sneak peek of the shell about half way through Phase 9, Fiberglassing. (It appears as if there are two shells side by side.) In the second photo is my beautiful wife Michelle standing in the "Dinning Room".
September 5th 2008: I have made enough progress on the shell that I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and have projected a completion date of Jan 1st 2009! I have completed Phase 7, "Caulking", Phase 8, "Foaming" and have the shell ready for Phase 9, "Fiberglass". You can also see that I have the windscreen templates in place.
I am also working on a Shell Assembly Manual as I continue to make progress on the shell. Once the shell is completed, I will make it available to everyone as a free down load on my site. It will also be available on CD per request for a small fee to cover cost.
August 11th 2008: Phase 6, the aluminum sheeting between the frame sections is finished and the caulking on the exterior of the shell. Things are moving along nicely. I'll be working on caulking and painting the interior next.
J.C. has reportedly been working hard on the laser engraved control panels which are based on the information Eric Tomlin and myself furnished him. I was lucky enough to view a spy shot of one of the parts, Incredible work! In short, this is going to be one of the best looking "Home Built Simulators" around!
July 23rd 2008: Phase 5 which included painting all of the frame pieces and reassembly is now complete. From this point on, the shell will not be taken apart with the exception of splitting it down the middle to move through a doorway to it's future home once it is ready. The frame has also been bolted to the base with wheels for additional strength. The frame is surprisingly strong even without the aluminum, foam and fiberglass installed. It is really starting to look like something now. Go to mycockpit.org to see what other type of aircraft flightsim builders are working on!
July 15th 2008: Over the past month, I have been focused and working hard on L45-002. To date, I have completed Phase 1,2,3 and 4 of the 10 Phases in the assembly manual that I have created. My short term goal is to have Phase 5 completed by August. Long term, I am hoping to have the shell to L45-002 finished by Jan 2009. Meanwhile, Eric Tomlin has been very busy mapping out the panels. He is 99% complete with just a few minor issues still to work out. On another front and most importantly, J.C. is supposedly busy cutting plastic and aluminum for the control panels. Enjoy these two updated pictures. If you have questions or want more information on this project, please contact me via ronjonrollo@yahoo.com
June 5th 2008: L45-004 is out the door! I have been running at 110% for the past five months and it's time to reflect back on the major progress to date: I developed L45-001 (The Portside Jigs), L45-002 (My shell), L45-003 (Eric Tomlin's Shell), L45-004 (J.C.'s shell) and L45-005 (Rick Trantham's shell). I have also developed the "mock up" internal components and a Shell Assembly Manual with step by step construction techniques, (Version 2.0 now available.) What's even more exciting is that several FS enthusiasts in Europe have also taken notice of this new L45 cockpit shell! Here is a picture of L45-004 sitting to the left of L45-002. Pictured right is L45-004 crated up and ready to make the trip to Texas.
PROJECT 45
May 28th 2008: Over this past weekend my wife Michelle and I made the short trip up to Waycross Georgia to visit with Eric and his wife Heather. We assembled his shell, L45-003, checked out the mock up components and did some flying with his first version of the Learjet. A really nice visit! I also just finished routing out all the parts for L45-004 which will be sent to Texas in a few weeks.
May 20th 2008: The "mock up" internal components are complete! I built this full scale model to insure correct ergonomics, measurements and angles. I invested approximately 60 hours of time and $100 to this important process. Compare these two pictures:
May 9th 2008: Kit L45-005 is complete and crated, ready to be shipped off to it's new owner! In the next few days, I will be completing the L45 Shell Kit Assembly manual.
May 7th 2008: In my spare time, I have been working hard at building a "mock up" version of all the major components inside the L45 shell with half inch MDF, foam board and PVC pipe. This full scale model is to ensure that every measurement and angle is perfect and ergonomically correct. Countless hours have gone into this research and nothing will be fabricated with aluminum until we are sure everything is right!
April 19th 2008: Eric Tomlin made the short drive down from Waycross Georgia to pick up his shell, L45-003. Eric was stunned to say the least when he first saw my assembled shell! Visit his web site and follow the progress on his L45 project at flightlevel180. Also pictured are the complete set of jigs, L45-001. With these, I can create exact copies of my aircraft for other sim builders.
March 24th 2008: The website PROJECT 45, formally known as "Flight Simmersion" is up and running and on the World Wide Web!
............................Like most great ideas, they start off small and drawn out at the kitchen table!.............................
PROJECT 45