Martin P4M-1/-1Q Mercator

Curious - why is the pilot's eye point in the middle of the panel?

The Mercator was a two-pilot aircraft (hence the two yokes) and the pilots sat on the left and right (behind the two yokes.) A check pilot or a passenger might kneel between the seats, but nobody flew the plane from there - they couldn't reach the controls.

Why not have the eye point located so it looks like what the pilot would see when flying the plane? Isn't the whole idea of an FS model to simulate flying the plane???
 
Well, I suppose if you wanted every single instrument on the panel to be readable, and there were slight differences between the pilot's and CP's parts of the panel, this would be one way of ensuring you could read them all at the same time. If switches etc are also accessible via this route, it would reduce the number of pop-up panels as well, since you'd only need them for what's on the side of the cockpit - or behind/below the seats. The drawback is the necessary distance from the panel, if you're viewing both sides at once.


HJG has panels for their Boeing 707 series aircraft that have dealt with this problem in an excellent manner, they are extremely well-done panels, with separate P and CP panels, but with center overlap so there are no missing instruments or switches, or controls in that void space. The pop-ups are still there if needed.

BTW, are we going to have an FE's station for this aircraft as well? Something with, say, fuel management available?
 
Evolving and correcting mistakes...

Mick said:
Curious - why is the pilot's eye point in the middle of the panel?

The Mercator was a two-pilot aircraft (hence the two yokes) and the pilots sat on the left and right (behind the two yokes.) A check pilot or a passenger might kneel between the seats, but nobody flew the plane from there - they couldn't reach the controls.

Why not have the eye point located so it looks like what the pilot would see when flying the plane? Isn't the whole idea of an FS model to simulate flying the plane???
Click to expand...


Thanks everyone for the notes and suggestions... I mistakenly eliminated that center post (present on the original one I did -pure invention!!!... but correct in that respect)
At any rate, I am still evolving the texture... I thought about the eye viewpoint.. and tend to agree on just the pilot's eyepoint being a better choice... I am redoing it one more time...
and will see what else can be changed... (this will also allow more faithful surface detail)
will post the new proof texture in a couple of hours or so... and see what suggestions I get...
As to fuel management and other accessory textures... It will be up to David who is the real brains behind this project... would love to do them though...
 
Here is the latest

gaucho_59 said:
Thanks everyone for the notes and suggestions... I mistakenly eliminated that center post (present on the original one I did -pure invention!!!... but correct in that respect)
At any rate, I am still evolving the texture... I thought about the eye viewpoint.. and tend to agree on just the pilot's eyepoint being a better choice... I am redoing it one more time...
and will see what else can be changed... (this will also allow more faithful surface detail)
will post the new proof texture in a couple of hours or so... and see what suggestions I get...
As to fuel management and other accessory textures... It will be up to David who is the real brains behind this project... would love to do them though...
Click to expand...

Got to work on it and here it is... semifinal.... not the final thing yet... but I am working on pop-up throttles, etc console... and engine and switch boards

View attachment 70195



Also got a sun visor... need to figure out how to place it so it does not obscure things... View attachment 70199
 
Hi Gaucho

Your latest revision to your panel is looking really good, if I could make one comment it would be that the windscreen framing be made a little narrower. I think the Mercator was designed and built at a time when newer, stronger transparent materials were being developed which allowed framing to be lighter and less obtrusive. I'm looking forward to flying with your new panel.
 
now, now.... that is a pretty tall order....lol

harrybasset said:
Hi Gaucho

Your latest revision to your panel is looking really good, if I could make one comment it would be that the windscreen framing be made a little narrower. I think the Mercator was designed and built at a time when newer, stronger transparent materials were being developed which allowed framing to be lighter and less obtrusive. I'm looking forward to flying with your new panel.
Click to expand...

I am afraid that making the bracing more slender basically represents a TOTAL redo... in terms of time... and I just don't have enough of it...
I got to get with the Dk. Sea Blue outside textures... retexturing the wheel wells, and myriad other things as
well as the rest of the cockpit interior (side panels, pop up pedestal, etc.)
So we are going to have to do with what is done... kind of a final effort might be done when other more important things are finished
 
Thank you for explaining the situation to me, I am sure that the latest panel you showed us will add a lot to flying David's excellent Mercator.
 
Oh boy Oh boy Oh boy . . . . Really starting to take shape now!! Your combined efforts will make an already excellent aircraft even better! Looking forward very much to this!!:jump:
 
Full speed ahead...

gaucho_59 said:
Blackbird686 said:
Starting to shape up really nice, Gaucho! :salute:

BB686:USA-flag:[/QUOTE

Started preliminary work on items on oxygen sets for pilot and copilot

View attachment 70354
Click to expand...



We are going to have a VC! with moving throttles, etc.
here is the WIP of the textures... which will all be pop ups
I really got David churning! the more textures I do.. the more
he is interested in doing the tech stuff... :wiggle:
:salute::salute::salute::medals::icon29:

View attachment 70384
Click to expand...
 
Blackbird686 said:
You haven't missed anything, Harry... If you have David's "Merc", you have the real deal, and to the best of my knowing, the most recent P4M for FS9.

Cheers -- BB686:USA-flag:
Click to expand...

To be truthful, it's a jewel, but it's the only Mercator available.
 
peperez said:
To be truthful, it's a jewel, but it's the only Mercator available.
Click to expand...

Dave had 2 releases of the P4M, the first pretty much being a "work in progress". I should have said "his most recent version" in my original post.

The Mercator V2.0 is the latest.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
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