Airliner X Series
“So put me on a Skyway …and show me a sign.
And take it…to the limit…one more time.”
Welcome to the pinnacle of affordable DIY flight simulation for airliner cockpits. The sturdy and robust …Airliner X.
We’ve taken everything learned from our previous similar designs in the XS / AX series and have redesigned it one final time to reveal everything we’ve ever hoped for with an affordable large scale flight simulator cockpit. If you are ready to experience flight simulation on a grand scale, the new AX fully delivers.
With the entire concept range of the original XS / AX line we always wanted to offer an airline sized cockpit which not only gives the proper realistic feel and proportions, but also one that is very affordable to build, i.e; less than $500 in basic materials. We also wanted to offer something that can be built DIY by anyone using basic hand tools such as a circular saw and drill. Lastly, we wanted to use materials efficiently for reduced costs of building but also provide for very solid, stable construction. With the Airliner X we fully completed all these goals..and more!
The core dimensions for the new Airliner X is extremely accurate to that of the famed Boeing 737. This includes the instrument panel size, window stanchion size and angle, front window cutout sizes, as well the overhead canopy size and angle which now includes room to fit both the main overhead from the 737 as well as the secondary rear overhead panel too. Therefore the new AX Series surpasses our previous offerings which only housed the main panel. The main instrument panel width is also slightly over-sized to accommodate real tactile panels from a number of manufacturers and not just the Boeing 737 in particular, or you can of course use any number of various 2D virtual panels as shown too. Regardless, whether its Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Tupelov or Sukhoi you can get any airliner calling for taxi. That’s right, the new Airliner X can do it all!
The final footprint of the new Airliner X Series has been slightly widened 2” and lengthened 6” to accommodate either option of using up to six 27″ or 32″ LCDs for exterior visuals, or, as with all previous XS/AX designs, a projection system can be used instead, or any hybrid cross of the two can be used. The Airliner X can still fit in any 8ft x 8ft room with enough room to spare for your wall baseboards. The height is just under 7 feet (at rear of canopy) which will allow for optional floor platforms to be built for installing items like floor mounted pedestal yokes if desired. Therefore total height (with any 12” platform and 3” wheels) still allows the Airliner X to be less than 8ft tall. No other full scale 737 simulator offers this type of space consideration. – We do.- Lastly, any projection system which uses two or more projectors will typically require a room of 12′ft x 12′ft at minimum but if using just a single screen, you can still use two (or four) LCDs inside the interior side wall spaces to obtain 180 degrees of visual acuity. Therefore the hybrid design of the Airliner X truly offers the greatest amount of visual flexibility with space constraints in mind.
Yes, ..we thought of it all.
As shown, the AX can accommodate up to six 27” or six 32” LCDs all of which must be VESA mounted and or linked without stands, or smaller LCDs can be used with stands such as 6x 22″ or 6x 24″, etc. Again, the front two or four LCDs can be removed and replaced with a projection screen system out in front of the cockpit and this screen can be set as close as 24” from the front edge of the cockpit. This hybrid style was originally showcased with the XS-1 Sora design some 10 years ago in 2006 where a single projection screen out front was supplemented with 20” side monitors in the cockpit walls. As LCD prices dropped we expanded the design.
The biggest consideration in the original design process was that we knew most people don’t have room for three projectors and a large curved screen due to the large amount of space required, but knew that most people could likely use one screen out front supplemented with LCDs placed on each side of the cockpit or people may just want to use several more LCDs instead of projection altogether. Therefore we wanted to offer a design with the flexibility of either option. We also knew the ultimate goal for most people would be full immersion as well the obvious desire to have a very realistic cockpit feel. And so we began this journey 10 years ago and have continuously refined it and redefined it over time, especially as LCD prices became more affordable. The final Airliner X series is now the ultimate hybrid simulator design. It offers flexibility in both worlds of visualization as well provides you with an extremely realistic cockpit experience be that via any real 1:1 scale instrument panel or with use of 1:1 scale 2D virtual panel sets, many of which we will soon be offering for Prepar3D V3 and beyond.
When you buy a DIY plan set for the Airliner X both design options for the improved “AX-27 Astroliner” or new “AX-32 Starlite” are included in the drawings set and builder manual. Another new feature not previously detailed is the option to lower the two side monitors apart from the front four if desired. This gives a lower view if desired out the side windows and this can also better serve to “level the horizon” when a hybrid set up is used with projection. In redesigning the AX we also changed up part of the internal wall structure to allow all six monitors to be placed very tightly together and they can now be slid forward or back cohesively to custom tailor the views and positioning to your liking. We are sure this is something everyone will love.
It’s taken a lot of patience and effort to rework all of the cut pattern layouts to still be able to allow you to craft either sim from just 4 sheets of plywood, but yes, we’ve done the near impossible and once built it is definitely rock solid. And as with all of our cockpit designs they will last for limitless generations!
For all DIY builders the final AX-27 Astroliner or AX-32 Starlite option will be up to you to decide (but we always say go big) And for RTA – Ready To Assemble kit buyers, you will simply need to choose between the two options before final purchase. The footprint for both the AX-27 or AX-32 is the exact same, only an internal deck height change of 2″ reflects their difference. If you plan to ever use projection then we do recommend the AX-32 Starlite option.
The new Airliner X is ready to fly. We’ve taken it to the limit.
Now it’s your turn!
For further inquiry please email us at simsamurai@gmail.com
AIRLINER X — FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
- Completely
modular design breaks down into 5 sections for easy relocation in your home, school, or office.
- Ergonomic design based on dimensions of real commercial jet aircraft cockpits. (Instrument panel width up to 64 inches)
- Ability to easily remove instrument panel section (which may include dual yokes and rudders) from the sidewalls and canopy for greatest ease of general maintenance.
- Side recesses, coves, and shelving for equipment storage and for display of things such as iPad Electronic Flight Bag.
- Sub panel (under main) spec’d at 4.5″ to install SimSamurai horizontal yokes if ever desired or can fit Saitek yokes.
- Has
ability for up to 12 displays (4-6 for flight instruments and up to six 27″ or 32″ LCDs for exterior panoramic views or you can use smaller LCDs if desired).
- Front Main View is
designed for use with two or four LCDs or 1 to 3 overhead projectors. (screens, equip, etc are discussed in builder manual as well in SimSamurai UGTAFS.
- Instrument Panel can use 3 LCDs — 22″ or 24″ for main panel, 1 for lower FMC / GPS (17″ to 20″) & 1 for canopy overhead panel up to 40″. A 6th 24″ LCD could be used on the Throttle Box for virtual avionics as shown in photos.
- Note: If using 6 displays for visuals and 6 for instruments, a minimum of two networked PC’s will be required!
- Designed
to be placed close to projection wall for space constraints. Screen can be placed within 24″ of front edge.
- Form follows function design which maximizes materials use.
- Built using four sheets of high grade cabinet quality plywood.
- Exterior skin can be of ABS plastic, fiberboard, or aluminum.
- Can
be built using standard home construction tools.
- Can
house many other retail instrument panels.
- Designed for two pilots to train together.
- Perfect for right seat officer training.
- Fully
enclosed detachable canopy.
- Has
storage ability and shelves.
- Immersive
sim environment.
- Basic Dimensions of 8 ft wide x 5 ft deep x 6′-6″ high
BASE COSTS
AX DIY Plans Set $34.00 USD
AX Bare Bones
Kit $2,460.00 USD
AX Completed RTA Kit $3,680.00 USD
