My cockpit build

[Jimmy RFR]

Very well done - nice workmanship!

 

Last summer & fall I started plans to put together a cockpit build as well, but after many, many, drawn up sketches I went a slightly different direction.  I considered the fact that I enjoy several different types of planes & helicopters, and so I decided to build a modular wooden framework that can quickly be re-adjusted to place my various hardware controls in locations that would be suitable for each of the different types.  Then I also utilized monitor arms so as to be able to push monitors into the configuration I want.  I'm still not quite done, I have yet to build an overhead bracket to place throttle controls and a switch panel for the Twin Otter, but so far in the past few months of use, it's worked really well.

 

That said, I'm quite taken by the job you've done; I may have to reassess and rebuild mine!

[jtrim1]

I've made a little more progress on my cockpit build in the last few days so I thought I'd post some update pictures.

 

  

I installed a countertop to the top of my desk.  It looks WAY better than the plywood top. Then I flipped the desk and painted everything black

 

 

I also painted the monitor wall section black

 

 

Just a pic of the seats, but you can see the countertop on the desk in this shot

 

 

 

Here is the desk and the monitor wall assembled and bolted in place. 

 

 

I just finished hanging the  monitor mounts and adjusting the monitors.  

 

Next big structural piece will be the ceiling to tie everything together, then it starts getting really fun.  I'd like to run some interior lighting and start getting the instrument panel fleshed out.  It's getting pretty close now.  

[Capt Richardo]

Couple more sim pics

[Humpty]

you guys with pits are lucky, a different feel to simming

[Capt Richardo]

This is what I design for my day job

[Humpty]

@Richard

 

 what the hell is that ?  Is that some real life view or what ? damn they do look like huge displays.

[Capt Richardo]

Its a full size ATC Tower simulator for training Air Traffic Controllers, about £200,000 worth.

[january]

This is what I design for my day job

Capt Richardo-

A perfect illustration of the value of wide perspective!!! Thanks for posting.

Sure puts the boot to a single 45º FS image.

And illustrates the reason why multiple monitors should be arranged in an arc.

But curved screens are likely the future for wide perspective. 

january

[Capt Richardo]

The images are 1 screen 1 progected image.

 

The vis sodtware is a prof sim vis software and each chanel has to be set up on its own. The reason there set at the persise angles is so the controller sits at the focal point so everything displays right.

 

This is what P3D is aimed at, pro level sim visuals. To get a 3d designer to create this airfield in the format required and with the required features would cost £30,000+ ... Using FSX/P3D tools & ur own custom 3d designed items you can create it in less time and much much cheaper.

 

Too many people see P3 as a flight sim, its not, its a simulator visual solution for you to 'bolt' your simulator engine too.

 

Hope you liked the pic

[rparson99]

Loved it...and a great example of the cost benefit to be leveraged when using FSX/P3d as such a base.  And though this shot is stunning, I think it could be even better with P3d\orbx\xxx... at a percentage of the cost!

[Capt Richardo]

This airfield isnt real, its been created to cover everything stipulated for the course content stipulated by the regulator. Its also bad pratice to train from scratch on real airspace or airports in case you train old/not in use pratices which is not good if a trainee ends up at the airfield for real, its ok for continuation training and training in emergency's. I have created airspace data for some of our customers for continuation training.

 

Orbx products are of no use in this enviroment, airfields for why i mentioned and as for land textures ... There is nothing outside the airfield boundry/view of sight ... Theres no need to and ... It saves on FPS ... Yes pro sims are affected by FPS ... But ... This one can have up to 500 moving/controlable objects (aircraft & vehicles) ... Try ur flight sim with 500 on-line users and see what ur FPS's are!

The distant terrain you can just make out is ... Single sided polygons with appropiate 'scenery' texture applied ... Trade secret LOL

[rparson99]

I see your point.  Good stuff!  

[Humpty]

great stuff captain, I am looking at the arduino mega card for comms and radio , and if possible than DME / ADF / VOR / NDB. 

[DocBird]

...

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

 

 

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

 

 

...

 

Thanks for having a look!

 

Jeremy

 

Great build, Jeremy!

 

How big are those screens you are using there and how wide do they spann in front of you?

 

What are your settings regarding the resloution and what are your typical fps?

[jtrim1]

Great build, Jeremy!

 

How big are those screens you are using there and how wide do they spann in front of you?

 

What are your settings regarding the resloution and what are your typical fps?

Thanks Flyin_Doc!  I am using 32" LED televisions.  They are all 1080p, which once I span them together with the Nvidia surround driver, I think my resolution turns out to be 5760x1080.   The actual width from left to right is about 6 and a half feet.  I will have to get into my settings again to see what all my display settings are, but I've got everything tweaked so that my frame rate is typically averaging around 25-30 or so.   

I'm running P3D V2 btw.  and in my scenery settings, I've got terrain all set to max, the autogen all set to max except for the trees which I have set to "normal" (as I heard that this can help with the OOM errors).  Lighting I have mostly maxed, but shadows I did dial back a bit because I saw some impact on frame rate with those. 

 

I'm running a Core-i7 (not sure which honestly) with a 660ti graphics card.  I've been very impressed by the cards ability to span the view over three screens AND run a 4th screen just for the instruments.  It's done very well!   If I were going to make any hardware changes, I think I would go for a newer video card.  I would hope that might squeeze a few more FPS out of the sim, but as it stands, it is very..... educational.... to fly.