Cockpit instrument lighting.
02 Feb 2022
Lock-down in Canberra 2021 saw me getting very busy in the forge, madly trying to survive with a bit of extra cash to make it through the tough times, as well as home schooling my kids. Since then, I just haven’t been able to get back into the swing of things, much less work on the Viper.
Finally, last week I got off my arse and installed a retro-fit radio into the cockpit. The instrument is broken and all the internals are burnt out, but my friend Matt is an aviator and volunteered his kindness to slip in an Arduino-controlled LCD screen with a chosen frequency displayed. (Can you guess what the numbers come from?)
A couple of nights ago I got another mate of mine, James, (of Iron Man electronics fame) to come and tinker some more with the electrics, making it safer and neater than my red wire-black wire skills.
Each night, it is my intention to wire a 12v micro LED into each instrument, to light the faces.
I have followed your fantastic build for many years, and finally got off my ass to do some fabricating. I have a small garage, so it had to be something I could move around and transport in my truck bed. I decided to build a cockpit simulator, like those I trained in in the Air force back in the late 70’s. As a pilot, there was a lot of frustration in what the TV show put onscreen that was not logical in the MK2. I have taken a bit of license in my build. My documented diary is on facebook under Steve Liptak, and is called the Viper ‘pit Project. When facebook lets me, the name will be under “Viper ‘pit Project” instead of my name. Your work has inspired many people. Thanks!
Cheers Steve. I think I’ve spoken to you before somewhere, have I?
I worked on military aircraft for nearly two decades.
The fact that many of the instruments on the show, are mounted incorrectly, does not bother me one bit. It’s a sci-fi throw-together, so it matters not one bit.
Good luck with your build. I’m glad to have inspired. Baz.