It now works as a static simulator!  I'll take some more photos tonight, so you can actually see the screen, but I've mounted my computer joystick inside and gone for a fly!  Unfortunately, the deadline for the A-level is this Wednesday (!), so the hydraulics won't be done by then, but hopefully I can get them fitted by the end of term.

I got in and it didn't break!  I've made a couple of locking bars out of 12mm steel rod that are doing a cracking job of preventing it from collapsing.  These fit into two brackets that I've tacked to the plates on each frame.  This does, however, mean that all there is between me and a trip to the hospital is a couple of tack welds!  But that's fine, as I have complete faith in my welding skills (cough).  I spent the lesson today doing a series of photos of the cockpit at the maximum angle in each direction, and measuring the distances between the ram mounting plates.  This will (hopefully!) allow me work out what the max extension of the rams needs to be, so I can think about actually getting some.  Either way, I'm pretty excited to have been in it without it falling apart!

Finally, I've managed to put it all together!  Bolting the cockpit onto the frame was a bit of a challenge (read painful!), but attaching it to the base was surprisingly simple.  Seeing as the hydraulics are conspicuous by their absence, I'm going to build a simple locking frame that will ensure it doesn't move when I get in.  Next on the agenda is testing, which is going to involve looking at angles and forces.  I can hardly wait...  :P

The beast has been assembled!  Minus the actual cockpit, but that's just a minor detail.  I finished drilling the base, then reassemble the UJ.  I then realised that I'd assembled it without the 4 bolts in place, swore profusely, then took it apart and re-did it.  Once that was complete, I had the exciting task of assembling the damn thing without breaking, dropping, scratching or otherwise damaging any of the sections I've spent the last 4 months creating.

Unfortunately the last set of photos are still on the school system, so I can't access them.  I'm sure there's a way, I just can't remember!  Either way, the base frame is now fully drilled and waiting to be countersunk, and the mini-frame that the UJ attaches to has been welded together.  I'm now taking the opportunity to catch up on some paperwork (production diary, gantt chart, etc...) over half term!

Marking out, centre punching and drilling the holes in the cross bars.  These are going to be bolted onto the frame, and the UJ is going to be mounted on top of them.

After a brief wait for some more 50x25 box section (due to the fact that I cut up the wrong bit...) the base is nearing completion!  The two rectangles have been tacked together, and the two long bits (technical term!) will be bolted on.  This mean that I'll be able to disassemble it and hopefully managed to get it through the door.  The UJ then bolts onto the plate, and it should start to look somewhere near its final form.