Upgraded B200 MIP Annunciator Panel

We were recently working with a customer who was building a simulator within the existing shell of a decommissioned King Air, and the space that was available for the MIP Annunciator Panel was considerably more narrow than the version of these panels that we currently make.

Because of this, we've now designed an additional version that will fit into a smaller space, and, whilst we were at it, also took the time to upgrade the look of the annunciators themselves.

Each annunciator is still a separate item, allowing them to be altered individually at a later date if required, but the 'blanking' of the text when the indicator is not illuminated has been significantly improved.

 

 

 

 

Something else that's different to our existing panel is that this version is mounted from the rear of the MIP, as shown on a test piece of material in both the first photo and the photo below:

Cool-White illumination vs Warm-White

Because we typically produce items to order, it's not very often that we have two identical panels with different backlighting in our workshop. 

This top photo below shows two of our B200 Upper Overheads placed side by side, and provides a clear comparison between the effects of cool-white LEDs versus warm-white lighting.

TBM-900 Oxygen Switch Panel

Typically located on the cockpit's ceiling, the TBM-900 Oxygen Switch Panel has just been added to our product range ... 

Illuminated Cabin Signage

We've now added an Illuminated Cabin Sign to our range of products. These panels are fully backlit, and the lighting for each of the three sections can be controlled independently.

The colours can be customised to suit as well, but these photos show the standard layout.

Customised B200 Captain Left Panel

We recently customised a B200 Captain Left Panel for a customer, as the layout they required was different to the standard King Air sub-panels that we sell via our website. We'll be adding this new configuration to our product range shortly. 

This panel was backlit with warm-white LEDs to mimic the appearance of incandescent bulbs, and if you look closely in the second photograph, you can see what the backlighting looks beneath the fluorescent  lights in our workshop, and in the third photo, with no backlighting on at all.

TBM-900 Overhead Panel

A quick couple of photos that give some perspective as to the physical size of our fully-backlit TBM-900 Overhead Panel ...

 

LCD1000 updates

We've recently updated our LCD1000 units to have the five hot keys properly align with the EFD1000 gauge from Sim Innovations: https://buff.ly/4c4nKfK .

Whilst in the process of doing this, we also enhanced the imitation SD card slot, and made some slight adjustments to the engraving.

King Air SELCAL Panel

Located in the pedestal unit of the King Air B200 simulator we completed late last year, these photos show the SELCAL Panel. 

While this panel was designed as a dummy unit without the need for interfacing, we actually included a functional replica of a Korry-style switch. Pressing it activates a button fitted underneath, because we've learned that in simulators, a button that doesn't seem to work will only invite repeated attempts until it does. Therefore, incorporating a switch that operates—even if not essential—avoids this issue.

TBM-900 De-Icing System Panel

Photos don't always capture details such as the types of switches we use, so this video of our TBM-900 De-Icing Panel offers a more comprehensive view.

Please note that the panel is supplied without any wiring, so as to accommodate the variety of controllers our customers might use.  We do, however, supply a 20cm long connector wire for the 12V backlighting, although this is not shown in the video.

King Air Oxygen Valves

Here are a couple of photos showing the oxygen valves we recently built for a B200 simulator.

They replicate the actual aircraft's operation through a press-to-pull-out mechanism and are designed solely to provide tactile authenticity; they do not actually have functional roles within the simulator environment.

These oxygen valve panels are typically installed in the cabin's ceiling.

Beechcraft Duke design work

For a variety of reasons, not every project we start ends up being completed, which was the case for a Beechcraft Duke simulator that we started designing some panels for back in 2019. It was an interesting project, so here are some initial renderings of the (stalled) progress ...

We've never been asked about any Duke panels again, but if there's anyone out there intending to build or upgrade one, maybe we can help ... !

King Air Fire Buttons

Here's a quick video that shows the Fire Buttons being tested in the B200 simulator we finished several months ago. It's only a small component, but we're very pleased with the results, as it was a complex design in a tight space.

The simulator was being housed in another local company's warehouse by this stage, as it was too large for our own workshop, hence the ambient noise. If you listen closely though, you can hear the Fire Warning audio ...

Modular B200 Simulator Construction

On our recent build, we couldn't fit the entire B200 cockpit structure into our small workshop, so we assembled the main instrument panel separately, organised the wiring and interfacing, and verified proper operation before then fitting everything together for final testing and delivery. This arrangement also reduced the amount of time spent clambering between the seats and over the pedestal unit ... !

King Air Glareshield Annunciators: LCD Version

For the B200 simulator that we completed recently, we developed some new LCD Annunciator Panels to reflect those used in the real aircraft that we were basing our construction on. Here's a couple of photos of the Glareshield Annunciator Panel. 

Because of limitations related to the available sizes of TFT LCD screens, we essentially had to build this into the glareshield structure as we were putting it all together. As a result, unfortunately this item isn't currently in a state where we can offer it for general sale, although we may look into designing a more builder-friendly version in the future if there's enough interest.

King Air Cockpit Voice Recorder

Shown here already fitted into a pedestal console is the latest version of our B200 Cockpit Voice Recorder.

 Although not lit up in any of these photos, this panel includes an embedded 12V LED circuit board, which you can see in the photo that shows the panel from the rear.

The small gauge is a dummy unit only, and is not designed to be interfaced. Similarly, the microphone is not a real unit either.

B200 Fuel and Overhead Modules

Here are both the overhead module and the fuel module for the B200 simulator that we worked on last year.

Again, these versions are slightly different to those shown on our website, as they were both custom-built for training purposes and needed to reflect the specific layout of our customer's real aircraft.

The fuel gauges seen here are the GSA-061 models from Flight Illusion

B200 First Officer Left Panel

The majority of the panels we make use cool-white backlighting, although in this instance our customer required warm-white, which is closer to the look offered by traditional incandescent bulbs.

Because this panel is being used in a training environment, the necessary locking toggle switches were also fitted. These aren't standard on our panels, but we're always happy to discuss options such as this.

 

Basic MIP Layout for a Cessna Citation Simulator

To help anyone who might be building a Cessna Citation simulator, we now offer a very basic MIP design that can be downloaded for free from either our website (as part of our Citation panel documentation) or separately, from here: https://buff.ly/46NhLc1

This design is in DXF format, and contains the panel cutouts for all of the relevant Citation panels that we sell. The G1000 units, the audio panels, the GMC710, and the standby gauges, however, are merely placeholders designed to help you with layout planning. You can alter the DXF files to suit whichever products you intend to use.

B200 Pedestal Unit

 A few quick photos of our latest B200 Pedestal Unit ...

B200 Captain Right Panel

Another B200 panel that has a different configuration from the standard B200 panels that we sell. This panel was customised for the B200 simulator that we recently built for a local customer, and included all of the wiring!