A good friend called me last week.

An old friend called me a week ago asking if they could come by and visit. We would love that. Then he said: I can’t wait to show the kids the cockpit on steroids and I panicked! Because at that point this is what the cockpit look like.

Not only was the overhead out due my recent purchase in the Netherlands. I also bought OEM parts for the cockpit earlier last year that just have been laying around since then. Now it was time to get those mounted as well.

So I had about a week to build a frame for the overhead and while I was at it also get the eyebrow windows the ceiling and the side wall mounted in the cockpit, so it would look like a real cockpit when they visited us.

The last week I have used as much time as possible in the cockpit. Getting home from work – working in the cockpit – going to bed at midnight – getting up in the morning – going to work – getting home working in the cockpit – repeat – repeat – repeat. But at least I was making good progress!

Things never fit

This is my third build of the structure. I have always used drawings. But somehow the measurements I’ve uses never fitted. At least I was using OEM parts this time. So things ought to fit. Well… It did not fit! I could not make the windows fit the ceiling and eyebrow windows. I ended up moving the side walls 10 cm backwards. Then I will have to make a hole in the back wall to fit the last part of the windows. When looking at pictures from the real Boeing 737–500 it is visible that the third window actually is recessed in the wall.

It was a very busy and hectic week. The evening before they visited us this is what the cockpit looked like. The overhead was working and the simulator was ready to be played with.

Definitely time for a cold beer!