Control Panels:

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Backer Panel Starter Kit:  For those of you who feel like they have been waiting around forever for someone to develop control panels for your L45 simulator project, this might curb your cravings for a while!  I have developed what I call the "Backer Panel Starter Kit".  This set of backer panels is designed to get you up and running with some actual hardware in your flight deck!  The idea is to get you interfaced with up to 80% of your hardware so that you can move forward with other aspects of your project while at the same time waiting for the front panels to be developed.  

 All of these backer panels have been designed with the front panels (NOT YET AVAILABLE) in mind so that they will simply set on top of them with no modifications needed.  In some cases, like the CDU blanks, they will simply be removed and replaced with a working CDU replica when they are made available.  The backer panels have also been designed to use the 389 Replica kit, found on the Hardware & Switches page.

Each kit includes 29 pieces, 1/8th inch thick Acrylic Plastic cut with a precision CNC machine and includes all of the necessary hardware for attachment .  For more information and a complete parts list, click HERE.   Pictured left is the Backer Panel Starter Kit.  Pictured right are two Center Consoles with some of the components from the kits mounted in place. 

May 14th 2009:  I finally found the time to take the aluminum MIP and Glare Shield down to the local metal shop to have it bent in the break.  The Glare shield has a .25" radius in the 90 degree bend just under the instrument panel.  There is another 18 degree bend that falls about 7.5" back from there.

The MIP has three bends in it.  There is a 10 degree bend between the MIP and the top of the lower panels.  Then there is a 90 degree bend at the bottom of the lower panels.  Last but not least, I added a 30 degree bend to the rear of what I call the "Shin Plate".  This will guarantee that there are no sharp edges exposed and it will also help hold any wiring bundles in place.  Please keep in mind when looking at the piture to the right that the MIP and Glare Shield are just laying in the shell.  It is NOT in it's intended perfect place yet, but it is close!

April 10th 2009:  I have just finished three solid days of working with the CNC machine 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.

Here you can see all of the Lower Backer Panels, the Engine Backer Panel, the Master Warning Reset Backer Panels and the CDU Blank Panel.  You may also notice that I have done all these listed panels in duplicate which is for Eric Tomlin.  Also pictured is a spy shot of the AML-21 cap work I am working on.  Nothing is as easy as running down to the hardware store and picking up a switch or two.  We have to engineer them and then build them!  All part of the fun I suppose.

If your wondering if these plastic parts that I just cut out are a perfect fit with the aluminum MIP and Glare Shield that Tom Goldburg sent me, the answer is YES, perfectly!  Two machines 3,000 miles apart from each other and they work together flawlessly!

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March 4th 2009:  Today, I received the MIP, Glare Shield and the two TQ access doors from Tom Goldburg.  The MIP and the Glare shield are the base face plates which all of the main panels will to attach.  Pictured right is my father Ron Rollo Sr. opening the package which included the MIP.

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