Rewiring the Main Instrument Panel is just taking forever!

The whole project started because I switched from OpenCockpits MAsterCards to a Fidgets LED64 card for my annunciators in the MIP. At that point it turned out that I had wired all my annunciators as two LEDs in serial connection so they could share the 3.5 v supplied by the MasterCard. Now that I switched to Fidgets the card only (And correctly) supplied 2.2 volts. Shared between the two LEDs in serial connection they did not get enough to light up. So all annunciators had to be rewired to a parallel connection. That has taken FOREVER!

While I was at it I also rewired all switches. The MIP was the first part of the cockpit that I made. About 9 years ago. A lot has been learned since then. Many errors made and many lessons learned. So the wiring of the MIP was a bit old school and could use an update as well. Furthermore my Pokeys cards are placed at another place in the MIP so some of the old wires were too short anyway.

So that is why both annunciators and switches has been rewired.

Apart from the rewiring I have also bought a new gear lever.

Further more I just ordered new faceplates yesterday. The old are made for the 30 degrees rotary switch. The real cockpit uses 45 degree turns. Originally (9 years ago) I bought the 30 deg panels because the 45 deg switches are way more expensive. Remember this is called (or at least used to be) “Building on a budget”. But I always liked the 45 deg panels. It looks like the real deal. So new DU-panels and auto brake panels are on their way in next week.

Finally in this never ending project I am considering remaking the entire MIP front. It is 9 years old. I has taken its beating over time. When I started I used 19″ monitors for the PFD and ND. The 19″ was easy to get your hands on and just a few centimerets to small. Has worked up until now. But the holes for the screens are just a centimeter too small. So perhaps now is the time to redo the whole thing including new and larger holes for the screens.