Info needed on panels

[Thick8]

It would seem that some of the confusion is that many of the builders here are using metric measurements yet the A-10C is based on SAE.

A DZUS rail is a panel securing strip (angle) with fastener points spaced at .375" apart. so if the panel is SAE then one could assume that the switch/button size and spacing is also SAE. Based on those assumptions then a CDU would look like this. Right?

[Direwolf5]

Thick8 that is very close :thumbup: here is a picture of a real CDU unfortunately it is at an angle and is missing the screen cover but you can see the spacing of the buttons and the panel thickness.

 

 

In the layout you found you can see the cover.

 

I measured the CDU and I get 20 DZUS high = 7.5 inches.

Now if can only get someone to manufacture a 10 x 24 LCD of the correct size we would be set.

 

Direwolf5

Edited February 18, 2014 by Direwolf5

[southernrebel]

so far i have seen one panel that you have done. is there more? i would really like to see any you have done. know that you have lots of advice to help you along so i will keep my trap shut. still interested in getting some from you.

[southernrebel]

thick8 cdu

 

thought this might help.

CDU.rar

[Direwolf5]

Well I spent the last few days in SolidWorks and here is the result.

 

CDU

 

 

Light Plate

 

 

Keys

 

Display and Cover

 

 

I will upload Detailed Drawings in a few days.

 

Direwolf5

[Thick8]

Very nice Wolf. I assume you're going to router the face place from a solid piece of plastic from the backside. Are you going to use tactile switches on a breadboard under the buttons?

 

I called Rowmark and they are going to send me a sample of the black on translucent white acrylic. I'm going to cut it and backlight it to see what it looks like. If it looks good i'm going to do a complete set of panels.

John

Edited February 22, 2014 by Thick8

[Mr_Burns]

Is anyone using Aspire to make the toolpaths - I am struggling how to programme it to Profile all the way through the 3mm Acrylic and pocket the recess for the button.

 

The only way I can do it is to cut the whole pocket and then profile the button hole.

 

Also, could anyone advise, say for this CDU or a UFC - if the front panel is 3mm Acrylic and I pocket 1mm for the button flange - how should I cut the buttons (what material?) I can only get 3mm from Bunnings (our B&Q or home warehouse) for 6mm I have to order on line and its like $160 just to cut a few buttons!

 

I was thinking of doing caps and then a flange and half button and glue them together.

[Hansolo]

thought this might help.

Just note that these drawing are nowhere near Mil spec :music_whistling:

 

Mr. Burns, with regard to Apire this is basically how I do it. First make the pockets and then profile for the cut through of the plate. If you want I can try and add some tool paths to the above mentioned CDU drawings.

 

For the buttons I am using a 6mm plate, but since this is not an option for you you may have to glue the two pieces together. Luckily I can get 6mm acrylic from Germany cheaper than the piece you have been qouted :cry:

 

Cheers

Hans

[Thick8]

I was checking out the strip lights that are at Amazon. I've decided to use clear acrylic for both the middle and bottom plates and light it from the bottom with them. That is of course if the top plate looks as good as I hope. I've also found green lighted button tactile switches that have a clear removable caps for the CDU.

[southernrebel]

HMA besides DM who has milspec. panels. I for one would like the true size so to fit the pit i wish to build. i have seen lots but none but DM seem to claim. any help would be nice

[Hansolo]

Hmm Dropship Pilot has one: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1608222&postcount=16

 

I am not sure if the measurements are spot on, but Duckling also posted this a while back: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1535938&postcount=4

 

Ps. Deadman is working on a book with measurements over the cockpit: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1912421&postcount=520

 

Cheers

Hans

[Thick8]

I re-drew mine. I'm using a standard .1" breadboard and have made the hole size to fit the LED buttons and LCD I plan on using. Is it mil spec? nope. Is it bad ass? That remains to be seen...

John

[Direwolf5]

:thumbup: Thick8, it looks fine, remember there are minor variations in panel layouts due to manufacturer preferences.

 

MIL-Spec only tells you the maximum and minimum sizes for the panels along with button and marking sizes the rest is up to the manufacturer I have seen cockpit photos from real A-10Cs with at least five different CDU layouts.

 

So, as long as your Base Plate is 5.75" wide and your Face Plate is 1/16"smaller on each side, and the distance between the centers of the top and bottom DZUS locations are 1.125" smaller than the panel height and the others are on a .375 spacing, then your panel is MIL-Spec compliant.

 

Direwolf5

 

P.S Here is a link to my entire MIL-Spec collection in my dropbox these should help you out.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u4bvg63f3rtuxr7/Mil%20Specs.rar

Edited February 24, 2014 by Direwolf5

[Deadman]

Panel lay outs are covered under DOD drawings not Mil Specs. 5 different CDUs layouts in the A-10C . I have done my fair share of research and have not seen that. Would you provide reference or pictures please.

[Direwolf5]

Deadman when I lost my 1TB hard drive last Aug I lost all of my research cockpit pictures. However, the differences were in the border that surrounds the alphabet and number portions of the faceplate.

 

On the first it did not extend to the Y and Z keys like in the first version of DCS A-10C, the second had it extended to enclose Y and Z keys, the third added a separate border around the PG-UP PG-DN and + - rockers. the fourth added one around the DIM-BRT rocker and finally the last was in an article on the AF times page about an airman that won an award for saving the Air Force money by figuring out how to rebuild the CDU keyboard instead of tossing it, the one they showed was thinner and used copper dome switches like you might find in a cell phone. He found a supplier for the copper pieces and they would just cut out the bad one with a razor knife and attach a new one using clear tape.

 

Direwolf5

 

P.S where do you find the drawings? all I could find were old Mil-Specs, now that they switched to SAE Standards you have to buy a membership to look at them.

[Deadman]

I spend money on this I have purchased old drawing from the A-10A days and most of my panels came with them. Probably the cheapest way for you to get panel drawings is to purchase the pit building book I am working on.

With out your source material on the CDU well not much we can do I would have to see it to believe 5 different CDU layouts . You statement on the panel design being up to the manufacture is not exactly accurate.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Deadman

[southernrebel]

Hay guys, this should not be a contest on who has the best pit or the most accurate panels. Right now DM is the soruce. Can't get much better than a trainer A-10 pit from the AF. panels change, new equip comes out. who cares if its oranges with seeds of naval oranges, they are still oranges. ie panels. i for one am glad that people like DM have helped all of use. this is suppose to be fun so please don't forget that. enough soap box.

[Mr_Burns]

I was under the impression there was only one drawing for a part (Panel Face Plate) that was up revisioned.

 

Once a drawing was revised, older versions could remain in place if there were no safety issues but there is always a log that the CDU (in this case) needs a new plate. The idea is there is only one final standard.

 

I was never on the in service logistics so I suppose there is a possibility that early spares of the CDU had a different design and the criticality and cost of upgrading a whole working CDU just to add a line on the faceplate meant they never did it.

 

However, there is only one final version and there is no way, as a procurement person, I would ever accept a suppliers interpretation of a drawing, it just doesnt happen.

 

Also, as a supplier, you make each one perfectly the same, same level of luminosity, same shoulders and location so a pilot can tell where his/her fingers are by touch.

 

Do you know about HMI - they spend thousands on the font, layout, height of buttons to make it intuitive - never would they say to a manufacturer, as long as it fits the screw holes you can put lines wherever you want.

 

There is nothing in a contract to supply mil spec parts where it would ever be left up to the manufacturer - as drawn, ambiguity and interpretation is not good for anyone in that business.

[Thick8]

The sample arrived.

I cut the blue one to make sure the laser settings were right. You can see on the right side that the letters are kinda weak so I upped the power and they turned out perfect. then I cut the new material. It has a smooth satin finish instead of the textured finish of the blue plate; plus the density seemed a little different. While the lettering came out great, the vector cutting was flaming up. I made a couple of adjustments but wasn't happy with it. so I started making holes in the remainder of the sample and got it perfect. smooth cuts with no heat tracking at all. Held it up to the light and the letters glowed a pure white. then I held a piece of green glass behind it and it glowed a beautiful green. YEA!!

So I ordered the minimum of 2 24"x48" sheets. That will be enough to do 3 sets. Should be here in about a week. Now to get started on cutting out the middle and bottom plates while I wait.

BTW: After drawing out two of the panels I decided to go ahead and use Reactorone's panels. As I'm going to build all of the panels first and then start adding the switches and such later, I will just lay everything out and then drill the holes in the rails. No need for DZUS rails, just some aluminum angle.

I'll update when I get the panels cut.

John

[Thick8]

Here's a better picture of the lighting. I used Paint.net to make a small green square on a black background. So this shows the difference between lighted and not.

[southernrebel]

let me know when yours are done. i would like a set also. it's just great looking

[Thick8]

found out that the PO for the plastic didn't get sent until last monday. So it will probably be another week before it shows up. The switches came last week so I cut a bottom and middle plate. the bottom is .220" and the middle one is .080". I've got the LED strip and 2 dimmers coming from Amazon later this week. I had forgotten that I had made the outline of the top panel a little smaller so it would fit on the sample plastic. here's a few pics of my test panel assembled .

I should have the middle and bottom panels cut out by friday and the top panels done as soon as the plastic arrives.

[Thick8]

Well here they are. All three layers cut out and 75 switches installed. i still need to make a VHF and a UHF radio. I'm using my old Ipad2 with Icontrol installed as my CDU so I don't have to do that just yet.. The rest of the switches should be here by the weekend so I can get them installed. I will probably cut out dimebugs side consoles next week over spring break and start assembly. BTW, the green leds work great. Haven't decided if I'm going to glue them to each individual panel or just run them the length of the console. I'll decide that later.

[Stevos758]

Nice work!

[MacFevre]

You work quick! Nice job.