I'm interested in building a GA Twin engine cockpit. But it seems like most everyone who has built a cockpit, is building the 747 type.I would like to hear from anyone who has made the panel, etc. Pictures would be great too.Thanks,Gerry

Gerry,I think you're right. The vast majority of people who build sims, OR at least the vast majority of people who tell us about their sim building, are building heavy iron, (or military). There are a few like Pete (PeterK)and Roland (RolandvanRoy) who have opted for a smaller, GA approach. I can't think of anyone who has attempted a "photo realistic" GA twin, however. Perhaps you can be the first!RegardsMikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Some links to pictures of GA cockpits can be found in the below thread: http://ftp.avsim.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboa...rum=DCForumID21The below link shows many types of flightsim GA cockpits put together by a very proffesional japanese simmer.http://www1.kcn.ne.jp/~moto-tec/eindex.htmlFlightsim GA cockpits are very often of the generic kind, as most simmers tend to fly many different aircraft. Another thing is that heavy iron glass cockpits are easier to realize than the separate dials of the GA aircraft, but it can be done. Mike's site will give you some directions. Good luck!Roland

If you're looking for GA panels, Pete Cos will soon offer panels for GA aircraft. King Air will be first followed by Cessna. http://www.avsim.com/hangar/flight/a320project/main.htmlRichard

Thanks all. I'm not sure where I'm going with all this.I do know it's not happening very fast.You'll be the first to know if I getanything going along these lines.Thanks again,Gerry

PeterKI started my project as a cessna 402C but it started to look likea DC3...later on the copilot side became the fighter plane and race car...It still more or less a GA simulatorhttp://home.attbi.com/~cockpitsimulatorpete

Nice work Pete. I'm not sure where I'll be goingeither. I'd like to create a panel but the gaugesmake it a little harder, etc.Take care,Gerry

I was very glad to see your post - a.k.a. I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking along these lines.I am very space limited, and as such don't know if I'll ever get to do this in the house we have right now, but I want to build what I've been calling a Reconfigurable GA Mini-Cockpit. Right now I'm thinking it will be a one-seater (again, for space reasons), with LCD panels providing the primary flight displays (a la Meggitt, Bendix-King, etc.) and possibly also an FSFlightMax screen with accurate physical buttons/knob(s). If budget permits, I'd like to have some backup mechanical instruments, provided by TheRealCockpit folks. Not for any reason other than it'd be really neat to have some working mechanical gages! At any rate, I am thinking I'd use some TRC gages for some of the engine/electrical functions.The out-the-window display would be provided by a front-projection LCD projector, probably mounted to the top of the seat back (this is to avoid drilling holes and such into the ceiling). Figuring out how to isolate the projector platform from vibration would probably be interesting though.Avionics would either be the Precision Flight Controls stack (which I already have) or possibly stuff by GoFlight - they're bringing out a new floor-standing metal enclosure that would make a fine center console for a sim. I'm primarily interested in hi-performance singles, but I would hope to have a throttle quadrant that could be reconfigured to a twin - either by PFC or, if they ever actually bring it to market, the promised CH Products quadrant.My sim would be also "reconfigurable" to a helicopter setup, with a semi-accurate by-the-seat collective and possibly a floor mounted cyclic...Ah, it's fun to dream. Something tells me I need a bigger house (not to mention, budget) though.Dave BlevinsKRHV

Here's a bad pic of my hardware setup for a twin. The monitor you see over the quadrant is for the engine gauges, trim, flap indicators etc. The one above the yoke is for the primary instruments. there are 3 more montors for the out the window views. More overall pics after I get cleaned up and sorted.--jeff http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cbr1000fl/Picture_0049.JPG

Hi Gerry,together with Dave we are three to do a GA cokpit now. Maybe we can exchange ourselves a little along the way. I built stuff as a wooden modle first. I plan to do it as a whole fibre glass unit after everything works out right. I will post some shots tomorrow when I borrow a digital camera.Alex

Hi back Alex,Maybe we're getting somewhere. Of course I'm like Dave. I don't have very much room. And at this stage I only have my simple setup. So maybe as we move ahead, we can help each other with our own end results. And of course, try and keep the cost as minimal as possibe.I don't know about you but my knowledge of working with components is very, very limited. But I'm willing to learn. I look forward to more pictures.Take care,Gerry

Hi guys,I've been in a similar situation as you all. I want a low-budget but reasonably realistic GA cockpit for use at home that won't get me in trouble with the significant other. ;-) As such, I've been collecting various parts and reading lots of other projects (though not GA-related) and between this thread and Alex's one on GA glass cockpits, the time may have arrived to get started.Phase one for me will be the instruments and switches. I don't yet have a yoke and am so accustomed to flying with a stick that the yoke can wait. I have a couple of GF-45 units, a box full of miscellaneous parts, several gutted PCs, and a few monitors.So, when it comes to the switches and buttons, are you guys using an EPIC board, interfacing directly to the serial/parallel port(s), wiring into a PC keyboard, or some other nifty trick I haven't seen yet?For engine controls, it's a toss up right now between buying and stripping down three USB joysticks (to support single- or twin-engine throttle, mix, and speed) or buying three analog-to-USB joystick adapters to wire up the pots. In either case, I'll need to get a second USB hub.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator[table border=2 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1][tr][td][table border=0 cellpadding=8 cellspacing=0][tr][td bgcolor=#540000]http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/logo75t.gif[/td][td align="center" bgcolor=#FFFFF6]Bush Flying Unlimited"At home in the wild"Looking for adventure? Come join us! * [link:bfu.avsim.net|Web Site] * [link:www.cafepress.com/bfu,bfu2,bfu3,bfu4|BFU Store] * [link:bfu.avsim.net/join.htm]Join!][/td][/tr][/table][/td][/tr][/table

On the quad I posted ealier, I'm using 300mm slide 100K Ohm pots from Mouser electronics, and usb adapters from radio shack, with R/C aircraft threaded rods and clevis to move them. Total cost for parts, less then $100. The switches are driven from a Hagstrom KE72 Keyboard emulator. Its programming allows for both make (i.e. switch on) commands, and different break(switch off) commands. This is really useful in doing things like flap switches, where the first command has to lower the flaps, and the same switch needs a different command to raise the flaps. The breakers work, but if I did it again I'd make them non-functional, it's not that important. Again total cost of the KE-72 and switches, wiring and such, somewhre around $250. The breakers from ebay cost another $50 or so.The quad itself was another ebay find, only $125. That, I think was luck. The thing thats made the most difference to me, is using additional monitors/video cards to get the "instrument panel" down above my yoke, and off the outside view. You would be surprised how much more you keep your head "out the window" with just reference glances at the instruments. I've split the instrument panel between two 15" ($25 ea)monitors, one for the primary flight inst, and one for engine and accessory inst. Whats nice too is that you can get the instruments to be about 2.5" in diameter, similar to the real thing, and much easier to read.I'm using a Go-flight GF45 and a TF8 for control of radios and such. having multiple outside views are nice too, but not as big a difference as the split outside/instrument panel view. If I can help in any way, let me know. --jeff

Here is a shot. As I said this is only supposed to be a rough draft to make sure the measurements are o.k. and everything is working the way it is supposed to. I plan to replace the throttles with an expensive one frm flightlink and place a smaller 12" LCD directly over the yoke. When everything is working we will redo the whole thing frm fibreglass and cover the surfaces with leather, maybe a a nice plastic board to cover the desktop cockpit. Please do not tell me it is ugly. It was a lot of work :-).Alex

Looks nice, Alex. Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com