Crazy Busy, but too cold to build . . .

We're finally seeing some warmer weather and with that I hope to regain some momentum on the pit build.  I have been insanely busy at work so hours had to be trimmed from the build schedule.  That won't end any time soon, but with the weather warming up the garage temp is coming up as well and that will open up some later evening hours to get more hands on work done on the fuselage.  I really can't wait to get to a point where the Sim room is built and I can move everything in there.  That's likely not coming until later this year though, but hopefully ahead of next winters cold weather.

Not much to show from the past month in the way of pic's.  I'll try to come back and add the few that I have when time permits.  I got a bit more done on the lower instrument panel wire harness, and hit a real technical snag on the software.  As you may know from the software page on my web site I am using Phidgets boards for some of the I/O.  In particular LED indicators and servo motors.  I had about 60% or 70% of my scripting done in a great app called Fs2Phidget Version 5 that was written by another Sim pit builder.  Unfortunately (for some very good reasons that I can't fault him for) the developer has made a decision to moth ball version 5 and focus his efforts on further development of the prior version.  The big innovation in version 5, besides a total re-write of the core app, was a fantastic graphical user interface.  This allowed me to draw schematic equivalents of the I/O logic and insert programming elements and variables as if they were components.  As an Electrical Engineer this really worked for me.  Unfortunately version 4  which he will be moving forward with again is table based and non-graphical.  It's scripting files are not at all compatible with the scripting I've developed in version 5.

My version 5 work came crashing to an end when I added the servo controller board.  It required a driver library update and when I loaded that FS2Phidgets V5 ceased to speak to the hardware.  So I'm back to the drawing board and using version 4.  It's showing no problems speaking to the Phidgets boards and to FSX.  It's scripting concept is very different but I'm adapting and learning as I go.

More to come soon...