My cockpit build

[jtrim1 0]

I thought I'd share my current project with you guys to both share my excitement and to also perhaps get some input from others of you who have ventured down the same path. I've decided to fulfill my lifelong dream of building my own home cockpit. I'm not going off of any plans whatsoever, this has been the product of years of looking at other folk's simulation setups and months of talking over designs with a friend of mine who's lending me a hand in the construction of this. I like going the "no plan" route because it gives me the opportunity to customize the thing to exactly what I am desiring.

 

So, here' goes.

 

Our first decision was that this thing needed to be modular and relatively easy to disassemble in the event that I should move. I was finally building this thing, I sure as heck wasn't going to want to leave it behind if we ever had to move. So, we came up with a plan that would include essentially 7 components. The 4'x8' base (on castors to make it easy to move around the floor should I need to do that), the back section which is structural, but also doubles as a convenient shelf, the seat box to which the seats will be bolted, the "desk" who's only real job is to support the instrument panel, but also double as a surface for keyboard/mouse when I need to do real work, the instrument panel console, the display assembly (which will also double as the front wall of the simulator, and finally the ceiling to help enclose the whole thing. All of these things will be bolted together with a few bolts which should give it strength but also allow for simple dissasembly.

 

on of my concept drawings (I'm certainly no artist!):

 

 

The base:

 

 

 

The back framed in, and seat box built:

 

 

a temporary "desk" to figure out spacing and measurements:

 

 

desk is built, and front display wall is framed in:

 

 

 

and this is where I'm currently at. My friend is working on the instrument console panel using MDF to built up a glare shield and the curved panel where the instruments will go. This is going to be made in such a way that it is easily removed from the cockpit so the thing can be used for other gaming or work purposes.

 

I am planning on using a monitor behind the yoke, built into the instrument panel, to display the actual instruments. I've got a saitek radio panel and am considering other saitek panels, just haven't decided what I really need yet.

 

Thanks for having a look!

 

Jeremy

Edited February 1, 2014 by n4gix

[Humpty 752]

Oh man you lucky you. I just want to make one for 152 or 172 but nothing big just throttle / some comms and light switches and for that I am thinking of checking out the Adriuno cards.

 

http://b58.svglobe.com/   this 

[jtrim1 0]

Oh man you lucky you. I just want to make one for 152 or 172 but nothing big just throttle / some comms and light switches and for that I am thinking of checking out the Adriuno cards.

 

http://b58.svglobe.com/   this 

that panel looks awesome.  I don't think mine will look anywhere near that realistic.  but seeing things like that is what gives me ideas and I can try to mimic some of that there.  Thanks for sharing!

[Humpty 752]

You will be creative don't worry. It may take time but it will come through.

 

I shall be getting those cards after a week or so. Just want the right one. Main thing is interfacing it with the sim. 

 

Hey keep us posted , would love to see the progress and maybe other members could comment on certain things,

[Capt Richardo 12]

Here is one i built pic 1

[N1G 88]

Hey Jeremy,

 

Looking good. It is a lot of work. I have 3 radio, switch and AP Saitek panels and love the heck out of them. I am also building a face plate for them.

Keep the pics coming

 

Bob

[hs118 731]

Looking good!

[jtrim1 0]

thanks for the encouragement!  I will certainly post new pics when I've made more progress.   My biggest fear (as with most of my do-it-yourself projects) is that I will get to a certain point that it is fully functional, and then I'll get too caught up in playing with it to put the finishing touches on it.      As you might be able to see in the photo of the base with the wheels, I have a home made arcade cabinet that I was working on, and it got to that point where it was fully working, and I have yet to finish it up.  Still needs several parts painted, it needs plexiglass and bezel to cover the display and the marquee is just a clear sheet of plexiglass right now.   It's been in this condition for probably 2 years.  HAHA

 

Let's hope I can get enough momentum and motivation to take this project through to completion

[Humpty 752]

Here is one i built pic 1

 

where ? don't see it

[Capt Richardo 12]

Here are some build pics

some more

more

another one

another one

assembly

scratch built twin engine switch panel

basic 3 position flap switch, trim wheel, 10" touch screen for CDU/GPS, parking brake, 2 x fuel selector switches, twin quadrants and triming

buddy testing it out

sorry for the size of the files ... quick lunchtime post and no time to re-size

[ricka47 620]

Wow!

[N1G 88]

Keep your plan available to others.  You just might have something here! Very nice

 

Bob

[january 19]

Your carpentry skills are outstanding! Top marks for a project well done.

Only change I can suggest is to angle the outer monitors slightly toward you, so that the center point in each screen is same distance from your eyes. Are you using any bezel correction for the outers?

january

 

[rparson99 32]

Congrads! Thrilling to see..... Makes me want to pick up hammer as well. But that will only divert into hanging pictures for the boss! Lol

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[Capt Richardo 12]

Best bit of build was twin engine switch panel, fuel selectors (c172 & be58) and rudder trims.

 

Switches from ebay and maplin, face plate made in photo shop, printed on photo paper and then all mounted on a (stripped) plastic mouse mat. Set up through fsupic & linda using USB interface cards.

 

The touch screen works great for GPS or CDU.

 

Whole thing was designed using 3d Max and made around an old desk. All made from wood, mostley MDF.

 

Sprayed with house-hold mat paint mixed by local hardware store to "loosely" look like beoing.

 

Hardware

Saitek

2 x radio

1 x switch panel

1 x TPM

Yoke & quad

1 x extra quad

Trim wheel

Rudder pedels

 

VRI

MCP 2 (Beoing)

 

Other

2 x Leo Bodner USB interface cards

3 x USB hubs

Track IR5

TH2Go

3 x Dell 20" lcd's

1 x Dell Alienware PC (£2500 - never crashed, frozen or blue screened!!)

10" touch screen

 

There is a second navigation station with mapping/flight planning and sim operation software and hardware.

Im using it set up as a single desktop over 3 screens, i find you dont need to angle the outer displays

 

(i did on 2 i built 10 years ago but then i used 1 pc for each display and used wide-view, so there was a "focal point" for each screen so they had to be set accordinley)

 

I'll post on here tomorrow what i designed for my day job!!!

 

Bazel control? ... Yes i am (Matrox)