Mounting the sides and top

Now that the floor is level, it’s time to start building up the cockpit structure. The second forward level consists of three sections: left, right and center, with the vertical  divisions roughly in line with the inboard rudder pedal linkage on each side.

Left to right: Peter Wu, Elmer Choi and Andy Schwartz. Just after hoisting the top onto the sides.
Left to right: Peter Wu, Elmer Choi and Andy Schwartz. Just after hoisting the top onto the sides.

All three pieces are made of aluminum, but there are thick spars that Boeing designed to protect the pilots, and the sections are bulky and heavy. So I enlisted the help of Elmer and Andy, who came over to help me hoist these pieces into place. The sides were easy enough, but lifting the top onto the structure required some planning.

And to think it only took two years from when it was disassembled to get to this point. Once the floor was back on the ground, we were able to move quickly to set up the rest of the structure. Cables on the ceiling are for projectors for the visual system. Amplified USB cable intended for the overhead is seen in the lower center part of the photo. Red and black cable at the aft end of the captain's side is for overhead AC power.
And to think it only took two years from when it was disassembled to get to this point. Once the floor was back on the ground, we were able to move quickly to set up the rest of the structure. Cables on the ceiling are for projectors for the visual system. Amplified USB cable intended for the overhead is seen in the lower center part of the photo. Red and black cable at the aft end of the captain’s side is for overhead AC power.

For some reason I must have been in a hurry on the day that I cut these some three years ago, because I completely neglected to make any indexing brackets. Not really a problem because the windows are structural, and I have an almost complete set of Boeing windows. By mounting these windows and using an awl to line up the bolt holes, I aligned not only the left/right/center sections but also the top to the sides.

 

At this point in the build I am rediscovering many items that have been in storage for a few years. I had an unwelcome surprise when I pulled out my windows to find what had been advertised as a full set actually consisted of two FO side P1 windows, a matched set of P2 slider windows, and only one of the P3 windows that I needed. Luckily there was a captain side P1 window for sale on eBay at a reasonable price, but the only source of an FO side P3 window is for new old stock at a somewhat less reasonable price. Through one of these window deals I wound up with an extra pair of P2 slider windows, so hopefully these will fetch a good price online and allow me to purchase what I need. For now, I plan to use the captain side P3 as a template to make a plywood insert for the P3 window opening on the FO side. Even the full-motion level-D sims black out these rear windows, so I don’t feel like I’m detracting from the experience by doing this.