Having altered the width of our latest B200 MIP Annunciator Panel (as mentioned in the previous post), it made sense to also offer a compatible version of the Pedestal Faceplate that typically sits directly below it.
This panel is typically supplied with a set of our dummy gauges, which can be easily dismantled if you wish to fit servos and make them operational. Alternatively, the hole cutouts for the gauges have been designed to suit the GSA-057 gauges from Flight Illusion.
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.
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.
Typically located on the cockpit's ceiling, the TBM-900 Oxygen Switch Panel has just been added to our product range ...
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.
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.
Located in the pedestal unit of the King Air B200 simulator we completed late last year, these photos show the SELCAL 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.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ... !
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
