AVSIM Commercial Hardware Review GF-AC Cockpit Control System

And then there was more…

Cast your mind back a few months and you might remember that I wrote a review on the first in a line of products from Goflight. Back in November last year I was at the Flightsim show in Birmingham in the UK, and got my hands on the recently released GF-45 units (4 in total). That has transformed the enjoyment of flight simulation 10 fold. No more having to use the mouse to change Comm/Nav frequencies, no more having to repeatedly click the altimeter settings in the autopilot; it was all made so much easier by the turn of a dial. The units for those of you have experienced them have been a major contribution to the world of Flight simulation. The GF-45 units were one of the finalists in the Avsim “Bravo Zulu” awards for hardware add-ons. So what is the latest evolution of the Goflight team? Well let me introduce you to the 2 major additions to the “fleet.”

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So what have we got?

The two new major units are a bank of push buttons and a bank of toggle switches.

GF-T8

GF-P8

Although these are the main two units, there are couple more additions as well. A rack mount has been designed to house the units, and for existing GF-45 owners, there is a conversion kit that allows users to mount their units in the rack.

Test System Custom AMD T-Bird 1.33Ghz Windows Me 512 RAM GeForce GTS 2 32mb AGP 40X DVD CD ROM Creative Labs SB Live CH Pro Yoke Ch Pro Pedals CTX 17" Monitor 13x USB ports ! Flying Time: 30+ Hours in 3 weeks

History

From the outset, the Goflight team have been involved in many areas of simulation for a number of years. Having previously worked for Thrustmaster and been instrumental in a number of new technologies, they have now turned their attention to the needs of add-on units for Flightsims. The original concept for the GF-45 units came about in late 1999, and were being sold in mid 2000. With the success of the 45’s the need for more additions became apparent, and the initial outline for the GF-P8/T8 started to take shape. Realizing that some aircraft functions are typically implemented using a toggle or rocker switch, while others are "push-on, push-off" type, they decided to build two panels, one with pushbuttons and one with toggle switches. The GF-P8 and GF-T8 devices are the result.

One sentence Doyle included in one of his many emails to me was on the topic of the labels which I mention later on. He goes onto explain how he got the idea... "Unlike the GF-45, which can display a 'label' of its currently-assigned function on its alphanumeric display, we wanted to keep the P8 and T8 as simple and low-cost as possible, and there was no way we could put active displays on the panel for labeling each switch function. So one day I was sitting at home in the kitchen and noticed that my kids had been constructing funny sentences on the front of the refrigerator using little black-and-white 'word tiles'. Anyway, I started imagining them with words like LANDING LTS and APPR HOLD and FLAPS, etc... " And now we have MagLabels. I'm really pleased with how that concept became reality.

Building the unit

The building of the rack mount could not be easier! Hey... I managed it <g> It comes flat packed and consists of 4 parts. Instructions are included that are very comprehensive. All necessary screws are complete with the unit, along with a “hex key” to tighten everything up. Once at this stage it’s a matter of deciding how you want to place the units into the rack. The beauty of this system is that it is modular. Due to the design and construction of the individual units, you can appreciate they are not the cheapest of things to manufacturer. To this end you can build your rack over a period of time. You can buy additional blanking plates to cover any bare spaces you have on the rack.

Deciding on where to place the units!

The completed unit in two orientations

For those of you with the original GF-45 units… never fear… You have been taken into consideration! There is a conversion kit available that allows your box unit to be located in the rack. The procedure is straight forward enough to do the conversion. It’s a case of removing the unit from its original box, and replacing with a new fascia. When the original GF-45 units were built, they went through a number of design changes... Notably the dials on the front. The early design models used hex bolts or screws to keep the dials on the spindle, and in later stages a simple push-on dial. To this end if you own one of the latter you may have to use a small flat head screwdriver or a 1/16^th hex key to remove the dial to complete the conversion, of which neither are supplied. All the units run on a USB interface for connection to the PC. Each of the separate units are provided with a USB cable and cable ties to tidy everything up. If you are intending on doing a mass purchase of the units, or planning on adding to it in the near future, you must take into consideration the number of USB ports you currently have, and the amount you may require in the future.

Software and implementation

If you are a veteran of the GF-45 units, you will be aware of the software interface that was provided with the units, and how easy it was to manipulate how you designated the commands to the units. The new software interface is also to the same high standard. The initial setup is a standard installation .exe file, which will take you through step by step.

Placement

The first screen what will greet you is the “Placement” screen, allowing you to place the units in relation to your desktop.

As you can see I have the units placed as I have them on my work surface. It’s a drag and drop procedure and can be placed anywhere you desire. The units are numbered on both the software and the actual units. Putting the units in a logical sequence makes for an easier setup when you come to place the command you desire for each of the individual units.

Unit assignment

The next screen to greet you is the assignment of commands to the units.

Again the software excels in the ease of its use. The avionics functions are assigned to each of the units by again the drag and drop method. A brief explanation of the procedure is included beneath the various options available to you.

Switch assignment The final screen to complete the programming of the units (see image below) is via the “Switch Modules” button on the top left of the avionics assignment screen. The setup of the buttons and toggle switches is again a very simple practice. The module that is currently being programmed is selected in the “module” drop-down box, and depending on the number of units you have plugged in can be selected in the “unit” drop-down box to the right. When a unit is selected it lights up on the units to give a visual representation. As each of the switches is assigned a command it will also light up on the unit. At the time of release there are currently 261 commands available for the units. The drop-down box again lets you select the function you wish to assign.

Once you have completed the assignment of all your units, and the key presses are programmed into the unit, it would be a good idea to label the switches in accordance to what they do don’t you think? Never fear... This has been taken care of for you already (they think of everything at Goflight!) Included with the GF-P8 is a sheet of 100 commands mounted on a magnetic background. With the use of a household pair of scissors, you can cut out the tags and mount them in the small indentations that are embossed into the unit.

One of the key features that will appeal to those who are planning on building a GF setup is the ability to change the function that is currently displayed by the GF-45 unit. Before the introduction of the GF-AC it was only possible to view one of the functions available; i.e., Unit 1 might show Comm1 frequency and that was all that it could show whilst in flight. Now with the push of a button, you can scroll through the Comm, Nav, Autopilot avionics displays. For those of you on a tight budget, full functionality can be achieved with just 2 GF-45 units and a series of buttons and toggles.

Buckle up and lets go flying!

The setup I have at home

Having had 4 of the GF-45 units for the best part of a year—and having had my enjoyment of Flightsim 2000 increased significantly—I was eager to get into the sim and see how the new GF-AC units were going to perform. I was not to be disappointed. Having programmed one bank of the pushbuttons for the autopilot, the other for aircraft lights and pitot heat and the toggle switches for power and engine management, I fired up Fs2000 and made my way for an initial shake down flight out of KCGX to KORD in the Cessna 172. Looking at the rack the Master and Battery switches were already illuminated as the engine was already running. I shut the aircraft down completely and started going through the pre-flight procedures. Having the buttons that I had programmed marked up with the magnetic labels, it was easy to glance over and manipulate them as necessary. Pushing the mixture lever on my yoke in, I flicked the switch for engine start-up... Amazing! With the yoke and the programming of the GF units I didn't have to touch the keyboard once during the procedure!

GF extreme!

Having preset the autopilot for a straight out departure from KCGX, I manually handled the Cessna up to 1000ft AGL, and pressed the buttons to engage the heading and altitude hold, then hit the autopilot master switch. Brilliant... it took over and continued the climb on the desired heading to 2500ft. Checking the map, I approached the turn to fly inbound onto Rwy 27L to do an ILS approach. Using the GF-45 unit that I had programmed for the autopilot, I turned the heading indicator to 270 and the Cessna began a slow arc turn to intercept the glide path. Hitting the approach hold button the heading light flicked off and i was locked on the localizer. As the glideslope indicator dropped to the central position the altitude light flicked off and I was fully established on the ILS. Looking at the rack of buttons and switches it was easy to see at a glance what was active and what was not. After landing and taxiing to the terminal, I applied the brakes and proceeded to carry out the shutdown procedure. Again with use of the yoke and the GF units, I could complete the task with no input to the keyboard.

So, what were my first impressions? Fantastic! I thought the cows had come home when I acquired the original GF-45s, with the addition of the GF-T8 and GF-P8 the enjoyment factor is doubled again. Using various configurations I have tested it with various aircraft over period of the test, and it has performed flawlessly every time.

Looking into the future

So what can we expect in the future from Goflight? The most recent project they have to date is the early development of a unit for Landing gear and trim operation. This panel will have an elevator trim wheel that you can spin to dial in your pitch trim, a landing gear "lollipop" lever, and a flaps control. The panel will also have three dual-colour LEDs to indicate current gear position—OFF when gear up, red when in transition, and green when down and locked. It has the tentative initial name of GF-LGT (Landing gear & Trim). I am sure that what ever it is finally called, then it will be on par with the products that are already available. I for one will look forward to seeing these available in the near future, and hopefully testing and reviewing them. <g>

Conclusion

To date, I have spent well over 30 hours setting up, configuring and flying with the new GF-AC units. The setup of the units is extremely easy, and the software is so simple to use. The build of the units is robust and the functionality unsurpassed. Once you get into the sim and check everything is working correctly, the 'fly' meaning of flying is transformed to a whole new ball game. No more having to use the mouse to activate key presses, or activating the autopilot. In essence it's sheer pleasure to fly and the "as real as it gets" element comes all that much closer to home. Having spoken to the design team of the units, they assure that the units will be fully functional with FS2002 as and when it's released, and you can be assured that I will do a follow up on the functionality within the new sim. We have now seen what the Goflight team have brought us in the last 12 months... your guess is as good as mine as to what they will develop next. I for one will be anxiously waiting...

The price of the units is a factor that does not make this practical for everyone. All though the price is justified in the build and complexity of the system, it is for the more seasoned "simmer" amongst us, or those who are loaded!!

 

GF-AC Cockpit Control System Components
GF-AC Module Rack	$99.95
GF-45PM Display Panel Module	$99.95
GF-P8 8 Pushbutton/LED Module	$89.95
GF-T8 8 Toggle Switch/LED Module	$99.95
GF-AC Accessories
2" Module Bay Cover	$9.95
GF-AC Cable Organizer Kit	$14.95
GF-45PM Panel Mount Conversion Kit	$12.95

You can get all the latest information on the units and software at the Goflight website.

• Good robust construction and design
• The ability to convert existing units
• Easy to setup and very comprehensive and user friendly software interface
• Being able to switch the functionality of the unit in flight
• To be able to fly and not have to use combination of key presses

Printing

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GoFlight GF-AC

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