Despite real world setbacks, the project continues!
I stared looking at plans online for an enclosed space that I could mount my custom panels into. Simsamurai has a great selection of general aviation setups, and with some modification I could make them work. But the biggest problem was space. I RENT a small house. I rent from my ex-wife. Although we get along well, the thought of a major installation in the space was really not going to cut it. The project has gone well beyond a simple desk modification. My vision was of a full enclosed space, completely devoted to the illusion of a spacecraft interior.
Ok, so now what?
Well, I *could* build a small out building. Thoughts of New England winters (and summers!) without climate control, makes that a NO. Kids rooms upstairs are also a no - I'd need to partition a room inside the room, and that's too much construction for a very niche project. I want the space, but not at the expense of someone else losing theirs.
I had the PVC sim setup in the bedroom closet for months, until the significant other moved in. Now, I really needed the huge closet space. Damn.
Now, I have an opportunity to pick up a tow-behind camper in good shape from a friend that simply wants it off his property. Large enough to house all of my ridiculous ideas for a full spacecraft environment, built in heat, power, lights... I could gut it and install my own wall panels, control boards, computers, lights - all of the crap I've been buying and storing in closets. And it's MOBILE! I could tow it to conventions, show it off, let other people enjoy it. A new dream takes form.
Wall panels can be created from foam insulation board coated with a thin layer of resin. The resin reinforces the foam and allows any type of paint (and layers of paint) to be applied without destroying the foam beneath. The foam can be cut and shaped easily, and fiberglass can be used to contour everything from dashes to bulkheads. The panels themselves are MDF fiberboard, easily drilled and cut. Backlit panels will be CNC'd from painted acrylic so the indicators and text will shine through. I will be posting concept sketches and the finished panels as they are developed.
More electronics components coming daily. Notebooks full of design ideas. Hours of poring through other sim projects, set design and prop manufacture. CNC, CAD, Arduino and Processing. Breadboarding prototype circuits and testing ideas. And I can't build anything until I have the space to build.
It's all in fun. Thanks for keeping up with the blog. More info as the project continues!
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