Now that all aircraft in acof will have virtual cockpits.......,

[Guest Pabra]

I really would like to have a virtual helmet to boot! I have been sitting in front of a screen for ages now! The screens are improving, but still you get the tunnel vision effect! I'm ready to upgrade my system, but the idea to buy another monitor, let it be 40" flat with razorsharp image (seen it), it still is a very limited field of vision; absolutely no periferal eyesight whatsoever! It will still not be a overwhelming in-the-seat experience, and that is a pity now that eye-candy is becoming more and more a big part of the simming experience.Another issue is switching knobs and turning dials in a virtual enviroment; most of them aren't in view when on final and your eyes are fixed mostly straigt ahead, allowing only for quick glances at the appropiate instruments. Here is where a 180 degree field of vision would do the job. The technology is already available in the form of flexible material that can display virtually anything. I've seen groups of devoted simmers building true-to-life state-of-the-art cockpit mock-ups, with only forward vision! Or basements crammed with screens fitted together in a semi-circular fashion to obtain that periferal eyesight.My deepest admiration for these folks who are just trying to get that magic feeling of actually fooling the mind that flight has been archieved! my 2 eurocentsPaul