Hi Folks,

That flat 55 first referenced by Rob is $500.00 at Micro Center - $100 less than Best Buy - I'm tempted...

http://www.microcenter.com/product/483499/55MU6290_55_Class_(546_Diag)_Ultra_HD_4K_Smart_LED_TV

Regards,
Scott

11 hours ago, Rob Ainscough said:

The curve is very minor, doesn't really make much of a difference.

Wow, that's an impressive bit of history of flight simulators.  What aspect did you work on?

I'm sure back in the 60's/70's that was bleeding edge technology.  Being a TRS-80 Color Computer owner (my first computer I used to teach myself programming) ... IBM PCs were way out of my price range while in high school and working part time jobs after school and summer.  Took me what seemed like an eternity delivering pizza's (thanks to tips) before I could come up with most of the money for my first computer (about $1000 circa 1980).  Of course I had to get a flight simulator ... found this gem on YouTube:

and version 2 ...

The memories.

Cheers, Rob.

 

Rob,

 

Started out by going to nearly a year of electronics/flight sim school. My tract was the navigation and tactics side where as the other was mainly the "Flights" side of the sim. In reality, you worked on what ever was broke.

 

There was a mix of "real" aircraft parts and simulated systems all tied to one main frame computer on the F-4E and two computers on the F-111D. Both had associated interfaces to and from the cockpits/instructor consoles. Radar scope for both were actual aircraft parts that were modified to work in the sim but sometimes actually flew in the real jet due to supply chain goofs. The ejection seats in the F-4 were real but did not have the rocket assembly. The throttles in the F-4 were real too but hooked to pots and servos to connect to the main computers.. Then there was the devices we used to talk to the computers which was in the form of a teletype machine, (use to be a teletype operator too) and IBM key-punch cards which we used to back up the sims program. Also used a Ampex tape deck for storage and finally multi level disc packs (13-16 inch I think) to hold the visual data in the Sell computer.

 

Support equipment include but not limited to hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, motion systems, air-conditioning systems and so on. They did not teach you these in school but still you worked on them as needed. Hopefully you could get support from flight-line and other engineering shops on base.

 

I also was the tech order librarian with over 700 manuals to keep current. I  wore the QA inspector hat and performed schedule/unschooled equipment and personal inspections on two sims and nearly 50 personnel.  Conducted monthly FCF (functional check flights) to insure the simulators performed their assigned training missions correctly. And finally, the most enjoyable part of the job was to operate the instructor console during training flights with and without the aircrew flight instructors. At times when only one out of the two crew needed to fly the box showed up, I would be pressed into service as either the pilot and or the weapon system operator/GIB (guy in back). Having learned to fly in military aero clubs and being a real flight instructor helped too. In fact this is how I was able to get nearly 1.5 hours of real F-4C time. Trying to make the box feel as real as the jet was always a challenge. This helped to justify my flight time.

 

We came close but still was hard to simulate g-forces and other inflight cues, at least back in those early days. The jet was in my opinion, much easier to fly than the sim. Maybe because of my real flight experience in general aviation.

 

Eventually, the Air Force allowed me to finally go finish my last year of collage as a full time student after taking 1 class at a time for nearly 13 years. This was due to the fact that flight sims were now going to be operated and maintained by civilian contractors which were suppose to save the tax payers money. Not really but then that is another story. Came back after school but too old for a commission as a officer. Went to work on a engineering team that over saw the sim contractors and all upgrade and modifications to the F-111D sims. Again that job slowly went away to become a civil service position. The Air Force once again sent me back to school for almost two years to learn how to make people glow in the dark. I retired managing a regional medical center's diagnostic radiology department. After that I  worked as a aircraft dispatcher for a government contract airline till medical problems forced me to retire again,

 

That is how I ended up flying FSX and now X-plane. I try not to ask too many dumb questions but technology goes so quickly these days that if you blink you might think you are on a different planet. Also that technology is not cheap so one needs to spend wisely as possible. Asking those who have first hand knowledge of a product via these forums is a good resource to use.

 

I think that is a bit more aspect than you asked for but that is where my interest in flight simulation came from.

 

Terry