L-1011 Trainer Installation: Initial Light Plate Power-Up

L-1011 Light Plate Power-Up

I finally got my hands on a nice and compact 5VDC 120A power supply for the instrument panel light plates. Almost every panel in the Lockheed L-1011 cockpit has a backlit light plate that illuminates the legend on the plate. The power for the Light plates is 5VDC. Due to the fact that there are so many of them and that they use incandescent bulbs we needed a supply that can output a lot of Amps for the 5V required. Today we tested the power supply with 4 panels on the overhead panel: We powers up the Captains Windshield Wiper panel, the Exterior Lights panel on the eyebrow and the Interior Light panel also located on the eyebrow. Some of the light plates need some of the bulbs replaced, but, that's to be expected when dealing with 40 year old flight hardware.

The plan is to have all over the overhead and center console light plates powered up over the coming weekend.

L-1011 Trainer Installation: Overhead and FE Station Indicator Lights Build-Out

L-1011 Trainer Installation - Indicator Buildout

L-1011 Trainer Installation - Indicator Buildout

Continued with the indicator build out today. The Indicator light as well as the Indicator Test circuits are now connected to the FCES panel as well as portions of the Hydraulic and Engine Bleed Control panel The two images above illustrate which panels got connected during the most recent installation effort.

L-1011 Trainer Installation - Indicator Buildout

Below is a detail of the FCES and the PFCS panels. The FCES panel indicates status of the various Flight Control computer systems. Each switchlight has either an "OFF" or "FAIL" legend.

L-1011 Trainer Installation - Indicator Buildout

L-1011 Trainer Installation - Indicator Buildout (FCES and PFCS)

L-1011 Trainer Installation: Overhead Indicator Lights

L-1011 Trainer: Indicator Illumination - Overhead

Continued with the buildout of the overhead illumination today. Getting the PFCS Panel to work was a little bit of a head scratch. As part of the installation of the sim we are re-tooling all indicators from incandescent to LED lighting. LED's are, well just like the name indicates, diodes ... hence, they are directional. We initially replace all incandescent with standard midget-flanged LEDs ... however, it turns out that this is a problem. And here is why:

Since the L-1011 used 28V DC incandescent lighting it didn't matter if the "common" between the light bulbs inside a switchlight was connected to the 24VDC source or the DC Return ... the bulb would simply glow either way. But, with the LED this makes a big difference ... reverse the flow direction on the LED and it will not work at all .... because it's a diode.

Here is an example from the L-1011 WDM:

Here the common goes to the DC Return:

Here the common goes to 24V DC:

So here, Lockheed tripped me a little ... because I had not anticipated the switchlight light bulb polarity to be inverted between different panels or even within the same panel. Having learned this, we are going to have to get some LEDs with reversed polarity. That's not a problem, just something I had not anticipated. So, in the image above and below you can clearly see the difference in the LED lighting which is a clean white on the switch legend and the incandescent which has a much more yellow/red tone. 

L-1011 Trainer - Overheard Indicator Illumination (June 8th 2013)

L-1011 - CPT Installation at the Museum - Installation Part 3

L-1011 CPT Overhead Panel Installation

Today we took on the installation of the pilot's overhead panel and the installation of the CB2 overhead circuit breaker board. The overhead panel is a massive piece of hardware and it took 4 of us to lift it and mount it in place. The panel interconnects with all other pieces of the simulator and gives it a large degree of stability. In the image above and below you can see Jim Blasco working on the interconnecting bolts between the overhead panel and the CB2 breaker panel.

L-1011 CPT Overhead Panel Installation

Each sub-panel of the CB1, CB2 and CB3 breaker panel is hinged and opens up. In the image above you can see Jim's head obstructed by the lowered left hand panel of the CB2 breaker panel. The image below shows the mounted overhead panel with all of the instrumentation removed. The panel is split into three major groups: a) the two eyebrow panels with the light controls, b) the pilot's overhead panel with four sections of instruments (or columns) and c) the CB1 breaker panel (which is after on the overhead)

L-1011 CPT Overhead Panel Installation

The image below shows the aft section of the overhead panel which is occupied by the CB1 breaker panel.

L-1011 CPT Overhead Panel Installation

The following two images illustrate how the overhead panel connects to the CB2 panel which then connects to the flight engineer's station. All three panel elements together make up the main structural overhead pieces of the L1011 cockpit procedure trainer. The images also show a lot of the real flight hardware already mounted into the overhead panel and the second officer console.

L1011 CPT Overhead Panel Installation - Pilot's Overhead and CB1

L1011 Overhead Panel and CB2 Panel Installation CB1, CB2 and SO Station Interconnect

Now that all the structural pieces of the sim are in place we can start placing the instrumentation in the correct places. The images above and below show the start of the instrumentation outfit of the L-1011 Cockpit Procedure Trainer. Unlike the original trainer, we are using actual flight hardware from several L-1011s to allow us to illuminate the instruments and to interface them with the flight simulation software as the real instrument. Below you see the Litton LTN-72 CDUs mounted on the forward center pedestal.

L-1011 Instrumentation Outfit - Litton LTN-72 

L1011 CPT Instrumentation Outfit

L1011 CPT Instrumentation Outfit

L-1011 General Aircraft Characteristics: Overhead Panel (25-22)

The Pilot's Overhead Panel has a simple philosophy in that when all switches are in their normal position, the switches are dark. This enables quick recognition of abnormal conditions. Exceptions to this are systems that change value or status such as compass, anti-skid, or mechanical rudder limiter.

Cockpit Design Study: Overhead Panel

The overhead panel of the Lockheed L-1011 consists basically of two large elements. The actual overhead panel and 3 breaker panels that extend aft from the overhead panel. In the picture above, you can see both of them, and a part of the escape hatch.

Overhead Panel

CB1, CB2 and CB2 Breaker Panels


Overhead Panel Angle



Height of overhead panel aft end measured above flight deck floor: 65 inches


Height of the lower end of the EXTERIOR LIGHTS panel as measured above the flight deck floor: 49 inches



Forward overhead panel console extension angle.

Original Flight Hardware: Emergency Evacuation Singal Panel

The Lockheed L-1011 has several evacuation panels throughout the cabin. There is actually one at every station throughout the cabin. The one location in the flight station is part of the overhead panel. The switch elements can be described as follows:

• HORN CUTOUT ... this is a momentary push-button switch provided to silence the evacuation signal intermittent horn on its respective panel.
• EVACUATION LIGHT ... Flashes 90 times per minute when evacuation command switch is pushed IN.
• SPEAKER HORN ... Sounds intermittently 90 times per minute when the command switch is IN on any of the 10 evacuation signal panels. Horn is silenced with horn cutout switch.
• EVACUATION COMMAND SWITCH ... This is a guarded switch-light provided to activate the evacuation signal.

Panel Location

Original Flight Hardware: Anti-Skid Panel

The ANTISKID panel is located on the overhead panel of the Lockheed L-1011. A complete dual braking system is provided, including the single shuttle valve that ports either normal system B or alternate system C fluid to the break assemblies. A hydraulic fuse in both systems prevents complete fluid loss due to any leak in the break system.

Anti-skid is energized with gear lever down and parking brake off. The anti-skid system can only be tested with the gear lever down and using normal system B. During a test, the return line shutoff valves are closed and the system maintains any existing brake pressure.

The components on the panel are as follows:

• ANTI-SKID LIGHTS (LEFT1/2 and RIGHT 3/4) ... all lights are illuminated during system test. Individual lights indicate system has operated to release brakes on a skidding locking wheel.
• NORMAL and ALTERNATE TEST SWITCHES ... with anti-skid switch IN, when pressed, illuminates all release lights to indicate respective anti-skid system is operative.
• ANTI-SKID SWITCH ... IN - ON is illuminated and anti-skid system operative with gear lever in down position. OFF is illuminated when parking brake is set and for other malfunctions. OUT - OFF is illuminated and there is no anti-skid protection available.
• No lights illuminated indicates gear

Panel Location

Original Flight Hardware: Wiper (Left Side)

The Lockheed L-1011 has windshield wiper controls for both the captains forward facing window and for the first officer. Some L-1011 configuration have both wiper controls side by side right above the F/O. But, the more traditional layout is for the control to be on the each side of the overhead panel. The WIPER panel on the capt. side of the overhead panel has more control elements as compared to the one on the F/O side.



Here is the explanation of the Windshield Washer System:

The windshield washer system sprays washer fluid on the windshield wipers to clean the windshield. A single switch on the Captain's windshield wiper panel controls spraying of washer fluid on both left and right windshield panels.

A combination reservoir/pump is located in the forward electronic service center. A bayonet type cap is used to refill the system. Fluid is routed from the reservoir pump to four spray nozzles, two nozzles for the left windshield and two for the right windshield. Two control valves, one located in the left side console and one located in the right side console, provide selective fluid flow to the windshields.



Panel Location

Original Flight Hardware: Overhead and Panel Lights

The lights control panel for the overhead lights and the main panel lights is located in the overhead panel of the Lockheed L-1011. The panel has a dimmer for the panel lights, and the overhead lights in the cockpit. There is also an on/off switch for the overhead lights.



The center section of the panel has a test switch and a brightness switch for the warning, caution and advisory lights on the main instrument panel and the overhead panel.



Panel Location

Original Flight Hardware: Center Console Flood

The panel shown in today's posting is relatively simple. It is located in the overhead panel of the Lockheed L-1011 and provides flood lighting for the center console. The panel houses a light bulb that can be controlled in brightness.



Panel Location