Question Going to build full cockpit sim. Any suggestions, advices...?

[zhuleny 0]

Hello people.

After long time of "flying" on MS FS, recently I got b-day gift - flying experience in real cockpit simulator of big commercial airliner. You know, those semi-professional full scale realistic imitation of cockpit used for public and also training pilots...

I was so excited from this experience, that I could not sleep for few days and more and more realized, that I want something like that in my home. Now my "flying room" with ordinary joystick and monitor looks suddenly so dull...

So... Is there anybody who already have that, build it or purchase some parts of such thing?

Any suggestion what I should do, what should not, what I need to be aware of and so on...?

I can honestly say that I am skilled with tools like screwdriver, soldering iron and such DIY things... I understand electric scheme and signature of components well enough that I can build or complete electronics components or wiring by myself, so I do not need to purchase expensive already-made panels or hardware parts. If I get proper detailed guide of building this or that, I can do it.

Oh, maybe I should mention I have 3D printer, so there is another advantage to build many parts cheaply.

I also still not decided, whether to build Boeing or Airbus cockpit. Personally I don't mind, I am happy with both, but I have no idea of advantages and disadvantages of each that aircraft cockpits.

Well, price is not everything, but I am not millionaire, so cut expenses as low as possible is important part of what and how I will build.

I would go as close as possible to imitating real cockpit layout, but it don't need to be perfect.

Another question - possible to use laptops for avionics? I have two spare Dell Latitude E6400 laptops, so I hope I can use them for avionics. Both have VGA and Display port. How many computers I need? And how many displays for projecting scenery I can/need/should connect?

Thank you very much for any advice and direction.

Jan H.

[Captain Kevin 586]

The only way I can really see this being worth it is if you really only fly a particular plane all the time unless you don't care so much about realism. It would be very unusual to fly a 737 and an A340 with a 747 flight deck, for instance.

[skelsey 765]

Hello Jan,

I've been involved in a number of full-scale simulator projects and the general advice I can offer is that if you are going to do it 'properly' then you can expect to spend a LOT of money.

The fact that you are handy with electronics is good; you will definitely need that. All the sim projects I've been involved in have involved varying amounts of custom computer code as well to make various parts talk to each other etc.

Things to think about:

• Do you want to build a replica of a particular aircraft type or do you want a 'generic' flight deck that can be used for many different aircraft?
• What parts, measurements etc can you get hold of?
• What software are you planning to run the flight model/instruments from? How will you interface this with your hardware? Will it be separate software to the visuals (such as PSX for the sim, with P3D visuals) or something else? Does the software you plan to use simulate the aircraft systems in sufficient depth for your various hardware switches etc to be functional? What about outputs back to the hardware (e.g. steam gauges/MCP/latching & solenoid controlled switches such as parking brake/autobrakes etc).
• How will you drive the visuals? If you are going to use projectors, how will you mount them?
• Flight controls? Are you planning to link dual controls or will it be a single-seat cockpit? (The most recent sim project I've been involved with, the flight controls were actually the first thing that went in and the rest of the flight deck was effectively built around it; it required some quite significant work with a pneumatic drill on the reinforced concrete garage floor to dig out enough of a 'trench' for the control linkages etc to run through: without this there wouldn't have been enough height to mount the projectors above).

There are a number of cockpit builders' groups around the Internet: I would recommend having a look at what others have achieved, asking for advice and drawing on their experience.

[zhuleny 0]

Hello Skelsey.

Thank you for your answer. Well, I know it is not cheap run, but because I can made, build or complete many parts by myself, or purchase parts that need to be finished rather than purchase complete set, the price can be cut down significantly.

I fully understand, that final price will be counting in many thousands euros anyway. But I guess i can cut price to around one third or one quarter of overcounter price, if I will build and complete many parts by myself. I seen some pages where full B737 cocpit can be purchased for 35k euros (exclude projectors and computers), so I think I can cut this price down to around 10k or so...

- replica. either boeing or airbus airliner.

- I can use half of one spare room for that, so the cubicle of cockpit can have full size - 2x2 metres total.

- that I am not sure, what soft would be best, what combination and so on... of course I start with the most needed for flight control and on one side (captain) and then add more and more systems, displays, hw switches, gauges etc. So the systems should be adjustable, that I don't need pay for something I later cannot use. Prosim737/ProSimA320 maybe? Core flight controls and panels at first - MIP and MCP, throttleQ, yoke, FMC. Overhead, pedestal and 1st officer instruments and controls later.

- I guess that widescreen flat LCD's will be cheaper and easier to mount than projectors.

- first will be single seat, later I would like to add 2nd seat with all instruments and flight control. Of course not fully linked with full feedbacks and so on... Such build will be extremely expensive and not quite necessary for purpose I need. I have no available workshop tools like this, my workbench looks more like this.

Thanks for help. :)

 

[jlohrenz 133]

Cockpit Builders is something to check out.  Lots of conversations there.  I've just recently started my journey on my 737 cockpit.  It isn't a cheap hobby and it'll take a lot of your time.  See if you can find someone that has done the same near you so you can check it out before you decide to dedicate the time and money to it.

Edited March 7, 2018 by jlohrenz

[zhuleny 0]

thanks for direction, jlohrenz. Definitely will go there.

[zmak 331]

4 minutes ago, zhuleny said:

thanks for direction, jlohrenz. Definitely will go there.

Its a great website. I go there to dream

[ohsirus 241]

A guy once told me that the majority of sim builders spend so much time building and not flying that eventually they loose the passion of the project and it becomes abandoned. I was big into building a 737 mockup at one time (check my sig) and followed countless other builders and I think only one actually followed the dream to the end. Now I just prefer VR and hopefully the new 8K Piimax will take it to the next level. You cant match the sensation of sitting there.

[true pashtet 0]

On 3/7/2018 at 12:21 PM, zhuleny said:

thanks for direction, jlohrenz. Definitely will go there.

In Facebook there is a group where guys make interesting and inexpensive items in the cockpit 737, LP_AEROHOME.