MAIN INSTRUMENT PANEL (MIP)

FLIGHT DECK SOLUTIONS (FDS) MIP (courtesy FDS)

This is the main panel in the flight deck and is similar to the dashboard in a car or truck.  The MIP is the skeleton of the simulator and forms a framework on which various OEM panels and components are attached.

An OEM MIP, along with the glareshield and eyebrows,  is the first choice if implementing OEM panels and gauges.  However, Next Generation MIPS are difficult to find, and are not inexpensive.  A MIP from a classic airframe can be used, but the design and layout would require extensive retrofitting.  As such, a high quality  reproduction MIP, glareshield and eyebrows have been used.

After extensive research, a MIP manufactured by Flight Deck Solutions (FDS), was chosen. The other contender for the supply of the MIP was Fly Engravity in Europe. Both manufacturers replicate, to a degree, the main instrument panel of a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation.

The main reason for selecting Flight Deck Solutions as opposed to Fly Engravity were freight charges, exchange rate and product support. The freight, although expensive from Canada to Australia, is far less expensive than freight charges from Europe.  Further, FDS have a support structure in Australia.  As I have mentioned in the Project Overview section, support is a vital component that should not be dismissed.

Space Requirements

A flight simulator consumes a relatively large footprint and most of a large room is consumed by a double seat training device, external screens and computers. 

Initially, I was interested in what FDS call a single seat trainer, or half MIP; these trainers are very compact and are ideal when space is at a premium.  At the time of ordering the half MIP was not readily available, so I had to contend with a double seated trainer (captain and flight officer).  I was fortunate in that a large room became available to house the simulator, however, as large as it may be, it's not large enough to house a full sized nose cone, shell or overhead projectors.

All MIPS are not Identical

It's critical to understand when selecting a MIP, that not all MIPS are exactly 1:1 ratio with the their real counterparts.   This disparity can cause issues when installing OEM panels, gauges and other components.

Another issue is that some manufacturers take artistic license when making their MIP; A angle here or there may not be quite right, or a panel used may not be exactly accurate to the real item.  While artistic license may not be an issue if using everything from the same manufacturer, it will present a MAJOR problem if mixing items from several manufacturers.  For example, the bezels (frames) of the display units are different between FDS and Fly Engravity and are not interchangeable. 

It would appear obvious that a MIP should be made from metal and not plastic or acrylic.  Yet, although the structural elements of the FDS MIP are made from aluminum, the bezels used by FDS are made from acrylic, in contrast to the real aircraft and to bezels made by Fly Engravity, which are manufactured from aluminium.

It's unfortunate that all manufacturers don't produce an identical MIP, as this leads to a buyer having to compromise on certain items from one manufacturer to obtain the benefits from another.

FDS MIP - THE SKELETON FROM WHICH OEM PANELS AND COMPONENTS ARE ATTACHED (courtesy FDS)

Backlighting

In the real Boeing 737, backlighting for the MIP is by 5 volt incandescent bulbs.  These bulbs generate a warm coloured pale orange hue (this can be different for later model NGs which can use LEDS).

Flight Deck Solutions use Integrated Backlighting (IBL) for their MIP, which is a term coined by FDS to describe their propriety backlighting system.  The system used a string of 5 volt incandescent bulbs, strategically placed to illuminate the MIP.   Flight Deck Solution's claim that this system, as much as possible, replicates how the bulbs are fitted in the real aircraft.

Other manufacturers for the most part use LEDs to backlight the MIP.  LEDS generate a more colder white coloured hue.

If choosing a MIP that uses LEDS for backlighting, ensure that the brightness and throw of light is realistic and all the cut-out stenciled lettering is evenly illuminated.  In general, LEDS have been poor performers in comparison to the more evenly distributed light that comes from using bulbs.

One further point worth consideration is that bulbs draw more energy, burn warmer, and generate more heat than LEDS.

Photograph courtesy of Peter and Steve Cos,  Flight Deck Solutions (FDS).