Have you guys seen this already? Looks like they'll fill in where The Real Cockpit dropped off.http://www.sim-instruments.com/index.htmNot a whole lot of info yet. Supposedly they'll take orders starting in March.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

That looks very interesting, Peter. I wonder what their pricing structure will turn out to be. Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Yeah, have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I found this:http://www.phidgets.com/For anyone who wants to hook up some servos: USB circuit, servo motors, software interfaces.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator

verrrry interesting. I'm still honked off at the TRC people for hyping their individual instruments for so long, and then yanking them out from under us at the last minute.I wish these folks the best... But for now Alls I Sees is vapor(hard)ware. I await more concrete info with impatience!Dave Blevins

>verrrry interesting. I'm still honked off at the TRC people >for hyping their individual instruments for so long, and >then yanking them out from under us at the last minute. >>I wish these folks the best... But for now Alls I Sees is >vapor(hard)ware. I await more concrete info with impatience! >>Dave Blevins Looks like they are backing off and doing individual instrument kits as well, if the interview on www.simpits.org is true. Maybe the big toys dont sell that well? :-)But still, I dunno. I enjoy the building too, so getting everything ready-made and just strapping them together and calling it "cockpit *building*" is a bit of strange :-)But of course getting an artificial horizon or such might save you a lot of time and effort and lets you concentrate on the less complex things since most of us have limited amounts of free time anyway.Tuomas

The topic of how "big toys" sell is an interesting one. I suspect that you are right Tuomas, that these particular big toys don't sell all that well. I think that the volume to hobbyists simply is not there to support the investment in tooling and processes to drop the price. After-market automobile tachometers are perhaps similar to what a simple sim gauge might be. Even the least expensive auto tach retails in the $30~40US range, and these are very basic units manufactured in volume. Drop the sales volume and boost the complexity to something like an attitude indicator, and it's easy to see how the price rapidly moves skyward. On top of that, a firm selling these instruments quite likely will have a large task providing technical support as hobbyists of all skill levels try to interface the product to their sims in new and unique ways.All this probably makes flight schools look like a more attractive market. Flight schools are going to buy big ticket, turnkey systems, and won't present the same customer support issues. Support issues don't go away, but they are probably a great deal more simple than dealing with hobbyists.The pictures on the Sim Instrument web site show they have put a lot of effort into their product line. The quality of the circuit boards, the implied effort in developing firmware, the use of multiple stepping motors and the mechanical assemblies they will be a part of all lead one to believe the products will not be cheap.I don't think that Sim Instruments is targeting hobbyists as a key market. Their product line includes large assemblies and full simulators that are out of reach of most individuals. More likely, individual instruments will be offered to hobbyists as a method to generate some cash flow early in the company's development.Nonetheless, I am looking forward to seeing their products.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

That interview with TRC is indeed interesting. The gauges with swappable faceplates includes support for the default FS2k2 light aircraft plus the Bell 206. Interesting turn of events. Apparently, with Sim Instruments, also located in the Netherlands, entering the same market, TRC doesn't want to give up any piece of the pie without a fight. Hehe, competition is a good thing.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator