Anybody fly or have access to a Bell407GX or a G1000/G1000H?

jrsteensen · May 8, 2014

Hey all! I was just curious if anybody here has access to a Garmin G1000/G1000H or (better) a Bell 407GX? Starting my design of a 1:1 dual-seat Bell 407GX flight simulator for my living room, and just had some dimensional questions. Hell, if you are local, I'd love to come out and measure and model it myself. (I'm in SE AZ, USA.)

I've spent the past couple of days working on a model of the G1000 from the fairly low res pictures in the 407GX brochures, and there are quite a few dimensions I can't figure out.

If you are semi-local, I can go as far as Phoenix as long as we can meet during the evening on a weekend - I drill for the Reserves in Scottsdale.)

For the day job, I have a heavy design/engineering background in the aerospace/defense industry, but on the UAV side of the house. This project is purely personal - I'd love to be able to fly, but with a wife and kids, simulator is as close as the pocketbook will allow.

Any help, even straight on high resolution photos of the cockpit (which google images seems to be short on, especially of the overhead panel,) would be seriously appreciated!

kkeller · May 10, 2014

Not exactly what your asking, but this has several dimensions of the airframe itself: http://www.bellhelicopter.com/MungoBlobs/380/248/407GX_SPCP_201402_EN_WEB.pdf

http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/11/9/ab516885-89b9-4b38-b916-f80f1142a139.Full.jpg

Don't have access to a 407 though, sorry.

You could try contacting Bell directly.

Flying Pig · May 10, 2014

My desk sits about 50 feet from a 407GX. Its the local EMS operators, not mine but we share the same hangar. Do you just need pictures of it?

rjl2001 · May 10, 2014

If it's any help, I was in a new 407GX a couple weeks ago and took a few photos with my cell phone. Not sure if this attaches them at full resolution or not though.

Also, I just remembered that the annual Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) Expo is being held in Phoenix this year in July. I'm almost willing to bet that there will be a 407GX at the expo, or maybe you could call someone at ALEA directly to inquire whether there will be one there. Just a thought.

Edited May 10, 2014 by rjl2001

heligirl03 · May 11, 2014

I fly a G1000H but in an A119, not a 407. Probably not a help if you're setting up a GX sim but let me know, happy to share.

jrsteensen · May 12, 2014

Thanks everyone for the responses!

Flying Pig: Some detailed pictures of the entire cockpit, as many squarely face on as possible would be GREATLY useful. Especially with a little ruler or something in it for scale.

RJL: Those do help and capture some angles that I haven't seen in other pictures. Thank you! I'd love to attend the ALEA conference, unfortunately I'll be at my yearly Annual Training for the Reserves during that month, then immediately off to another school. I am however, a local SAR volunteer and have gotten to rappel and short haul out of the AZ DPS Bell 407 a few times. I officially have more takeoffs than landings in helicopters. Funny that I waited until I got off active duty in the Army to start rappelling out of helos.

Heligirl: The A119 G1000H would definately help - my research looks like all dimensions are the same for all G1000H variants, and really if I can get the G1000 spot on, all the rest is almost fluff.

heligirl03 · May 13, 2014

Which dimensions are you looking for? I'll be sitting here staring at it until Friday then vacation for 3 weeks

jrsteensen · May 13, 2014

Heligirl: Thanks for the help! I posted two pictures.

The first is the flat dimensions, and I am looking for the highlighted dimensions, preferably to the third decimal place, in inches. (i.e. A: 10.664, B: 0.349, etc.) The existing dimensions are not accurate.

The second, I couldn't find a good way to add dimensions, but I'll walk through the dimensions:

A: How high does the button protrude from the face of the G1000H Bezel?

B: How high is the lower knob on the concentric encoders, from the flat of the bezel?

C: High high is the upper knob on the concentric encoders, from the flat of the bezel?

D: How high is the joystick from the flat of the bezel?

E: How high is the lower face of the bezel from the face of the display?

F: High high is the side face of the bezel from the face of the display?

G: How high are the volume knobs from the flat of the bezel?

H: How far does the exterior of the bezel protrude from the main instrument panel face?

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.

jrsteensen · May 13, 2014

And here are some Bell 407GX Specific Questions:

A-I should be self-explanatory.

J: How high is the seat pan and center collective housing console, from the "floor"/foot pan of the cockpit.

K: Left edge of the Main Instrument Panel (not including glareshield) to the left side of the center console?

A: Length of Collective Housing/Aft Center Console

B: Flat portion length of Center Console/Radio Stack.

C: Angle of the Radio Stack

D: Height of radio console from lower flat to upper flat.

E: Height of radio console at it's tallest point to "floor" of cockpit.

F: Length of angled portion of radio console, measured parallel to the floor plane.

G: Angle of the Main Instrument Panel

chadgeezee · January 10, 2020

I have been searing the web for weeks to find dimensions on the 407 fuselage, lower pedestal assembly, etc so that I could begin building a 1:1 scale simulator for personal use. It is proving quite difficult. These will certainly help! Any others you may have access to and would like to share I would appreciate it. I'll share anything I have as well! @chadgeezee