[simpits-tech] I'm so happy!

[Sukit, Sittisudjatum]

What a trip you had Sean? !!!! 
I guess that you held your breath for 100 times during the trip :)  Thank
you for those guys who gave you a chance to be in and out.

Here in my country... I have a very funny joke to tell.  I stopped by the
Air Force Museum few weeks ago (after more than 10 times there) for killing
the Sunday afternoon.  I finally stopped at the Jet hangar and tried to get
more closer to the F-86F Super Sabre's cockpit.  Within a sec, the guard
came to me and asked what I was doing.  I simply answered 'just wanna see
inside, can I?'  ... He starred at me and ... from his voice, I can feel how
the old damn stories of these Jurassic aged RTAF guys always do to the
visitor like me!.  He said 'This is a TOP secret of RTAF', period !!!!! ROFL

The situation will be turned upside down if I was born in a family that my
father is a RTAF high ranking commander.  I could even climb into the viper
cockpit and take a full measurement for a day!!!

I'm so unhappy!

Sukit Sittisudjatum
Bangkok, Thailand

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Sean Galbraith [SMTP:sean.g@paradise.net.nz]
> Sent:	Saturday, March 02, 2002 5:52 PM
> To:	Simpits List
> Subject:	[simpits-tech] I'm so happy!
> 
> I had the most amazing afternoon yesterday!
> 
> I got an invite to take some photos and dimensions of the last remaining 
> RNZAF A-4's.  Saddled up with cameras, digital and SLR, tape measure, 
> notebook and a heap of questions....
> 
> I got the whole buck-fifty tour, all over the jet inside and out, snapped
> a 
> few photos then an avionics tech wandered over.  I showed him some pics of
> 
> my 'pit and he got all interested and offered the grand tour of the 
> avionics suite in the aircraft.  I now know what 90% of the knobs and 
> buttons do, and even got a run-down on the radar (non-emitting test mode 
> only) and HUD.  This guy was a true enthusiast, and when I said that I 
> planned on building a HUD for my pit he said "good luck" :)  Then I got a 
> really detailed run down on the optics of the HUD (and the HUD recording 
> system) which I will have to go over (yes I tooks notes) before I actually
> 
> understand what he said!!!
> 
> In the end I only took about 20 digi pix, and a handful of print shots, 
> mainly because the box full of stuff they kept giving me just got too damn
> 
> heavy!
> I remember reading an article that Justin wrote, in it he said something 
> about if you ever intend using real parts in your cockpit make sure you
> get 
> the dimensions right.  I thought "I'll NEVER be able to get real parts, so
> 
> that don't apply to me", I did make the dimensions of my pit right, which 
> is now paying off... The box I was referring to ended up being filled with
> 
> all kinds of useful (to me) junk (to them) like Gear handle, ground power 
> select switch, instrument glasses, static vent covers, pitot tube covers, 
> wing tip NAV lights, and formation lights (don't know what I'll use them 
> for but...)
> 
> The Air Force team are building a TA-4 out of junk, the nose is from a BDR
> 
> trainer, originally a US Navy TA-4J, the rear fuse is from an A-4K, as is 
> one wing (don't even remember where the other one came from!) etc etc, 
> anyway they are building up the cockpits as they were when the jets
> arrived 
> in 1972, and they are doing a lot of things just like we all are!  They 
> don't have all the avionics boxes, since most where replaced in the '90s 
> when the aircraft were updated and so have to build replicas....  Very
> cool 
> stuff too, I hope to get back over there to take some more photos of the 
> restoration, there may be some very useful stuff for us in what they are
> doing!
> 
> After the tour of the hangar I was chatting to my guide who works in 
> Aircrew Life Support Equipment (ALSE), very interesting guy he was too, 
> showed me the in's and out's of the Escapac ejection seat and all the 
> associated harnesses and clothing.  I mentioned to him that I was having 
> all kinds of trouble finding the Koch fittings for my seat, (not the 
> easiest thing to find on the market here in NZ!) he said that the fittings
> 
> were always being checked, and even the smallest defect would see them 
> tagged U/S and thrown out!  He rummaged around his desk and found me a 
> pair! (I have looked all over them and cant for the life of me find 
> anything wrong with them!)  I was gobsmaked!  This sort of thing NEVER 
> happens to me, I could not stop thanking the guy....  Finally after
> looking 
> over the other seats and safety gear (He also had a Martin Baker seat out 
> of a Macchi in the bay) we were about to head out when I happened to
> glance 
> into the trash can (is that a common habit among simpit builders?  Hell 
> yes!) and what did I see? a dark visor for the latest Alpha flight helmets
> 
> (UK manufactured lightweight fast jet helmets) I asked if he was *really* 
> throwing that out, and he said "do you want it?", no sooner  was I diving 
> into the trash can..... I now have in my hot sweaty hands, 2 sets of clear
> 
> and dark visors, apparently scratched....
> 
> What a trip, and the best part is I got an invite to go back again!
> 
> Sean <I'm_so_damn_happy_I_could_fly!> G.
> 
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