I started this hobby in 2013 with a few pieces of MDF and a yoke. Since then my build has been I different phases. Phase 1 was making things DIY on a budget to get things working. Slowly it moves in to Phase 2 which is about making it as realistic looking as possible making large structures and interfacing those panels you really never use. DIY electronics gives you all sorts of headaches. So at a point things move in to the “replacing” phase where you switch your current panels with new and better versions – Mostly things that are plug’n’play that does not require interfacing and scriptingx.

Cockpit hardware

MIP

OpenCockpits DIY panels.
Fly Engravity Gear lever
FlightIllusion Flaps gauge
2x OpenCockpits CDU v3

Interfaced with:
1x CPflight MIP Board
2x Pokeys 57E
2x Phidgets LED cards

Throttle/Pedestal

Throttle: FSC Non Motorized Pro-version

Fire controls: Unbuild (Got 3 OEM handles laying around)

Pedestal:
COM1, NAV1, NAV2, XPNDR: CPflight
ADF1, COM2: OpenCockpits USB
ASP1 + WX-panel: OEM (converted).
Rest ProSimParts DIY pedestal.

Interfaced with OpenCockpits ExpansionCard > MasterCard + Display Card.

Overhead

SimWorld DIY overhead.

Gauges from OpenCockpits: APU, Duct pressure, Cabin altitude, pressure valve.
Gauges homemade with steppers: Cabin VSI.
7-segments using SimBay PCBs
A few OEM switches here and there

Interfaced with:
4x Pokeys 57E
3x Phidgets LED cards
1x Pololu maestro (12 ch)
2x Arduino Mega (For 7-segment and gauges)

Further more

• OEM Eye brow windows and Ceiling panels.
• Agronn yoke on home made structure
• CH pedals + CH Yoke for F/O
• Tiller (CPT) from SimParts – F/O side DIY 3d-printed
• 3x David Clark Headsets. 2x handheld microphones + roof speakers.
• Full cockpit enclosure including cockpit door.

Visuals

My visuals used to be a 210 degree immersive display using 3 ultra short throw projectors. But at this point I testing TVs instead. I got my hands on 3 TVs either for free or at a very-very low price. So the sizes does not match – yes:

• 1x 65 ” oled curved, 1 x 60″ + 1 x 48″

Software

My software-setup for the simulator is a follows:

• MSFS 2020 Deluxe as simulator
• Prosim 737 avionics suite
• vPilot (For Vatsim)
• GSX
• SimToolKitPro (For Flightplanning)

Further mere I use a lot of software the the cockpit-part. The most important is:

• FSUIPC + WideFS
• MobiFlight (For Arduino-boards)
• SIOC (OpenCockpits software)

Computers

Currently I run a setup with 3 computers:

FlightSim PC

The task of the Main PC is to run the flight simulator (MSFS). Most other programs are on different computers. On this computer I use ProsimAudio2 to play the sounds from the APU and hydraulic pumps (Sounds that comes from the rear of the aircraft).

I5 12400K, GTX 3060ti, 16 GB

Server PC

Prosim recommends having their server-program on the same PC as the simulator. I however finds it easier to have on a separate PC. I makes it possible to play around with Prosim from outside the cockpit. Apart from a screen to the instructor station this computer also runs the two MFD/ND in the cockpit. This si a medium end PC. The server PC runs the following software:

• Prosim 737 Server
  Together with Prosim InstructorStation and Prosim Display (With a complete cockpit setup)
• Prosim Display (CPT) & Prosim Display (F/O)
  Runs chrono, PFD, ND on both sides.
• Prosim Audio 2 (Intercom on captains side and VHF audio for Vatsim)
• vPilot
• SimToolKitPro

Dell Precision Tower T5810, E1650.

Additional PC

The third PC mainly runs screens in the cockpit. I find it easier on two PCs than having 7 screens on one PC. Windows tends to mess up the positions. This is a low end pc. Software:

• Prosim Display (Upper EICAS) & Prosim Display (Lower Eicas)
• Prosim CDU (CPT Side) & Prosim CDU (F/O side)
• Prosim Audio 2 – intercom F/O Side

Dell Precision Tower T5810, E1620