Hi All,

I am after some advice if possible please?

I had been flight simming for many years but gave up probably 10 years ago (life got in the way!).  After the news about FS2020 I have realised how much I loved the hobby (lump in the throat when I saw the first trailer) and am keen to get back into it.  I have always wanted to build a cockpit of sorts and I think now, with this latest version, is the time!  The issue I have is not the design or manufacture of the cockpit or really even the electronic side but rather my generic cockpit requirement.  I intend to build a cockpit more geared toward a twin otter type aircraft but not be aircraft specific.  My question is, do I have to wait for FS2020 to be released before I can design and build my cockpit?  Are there common switches in every aircraft that I can include without fear of missing something?  The last thing I want to do is build a generic cockpit and miss some switches which will cause me some issues when operating.  Part of me thinks I should just have fake switches that do nothing and then the engine starter operates as an old Ctrl-E!  At least I won't miss anything!

I appreciate my question isn't overly clear but, if you understand what I am asking, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Dan 

Hi Dan 

Youtube   Almost Aviation complete Twin Otter cockpit build.

Brian

I'd go with installing a good generic set of switches and leaving the wiring out. Even if you never wired them up, there is nothing to stop you from 'operating' them in your cockpit procedures, since this is basically what a lot of procedural training cockpits do anyway. Later on it would simply be a case of running a couple of wires to something like a Leo Bodnar BU0836X USB interface and you'd be sorted if you wanted them operational. I would take a look at the Dash 8 and ATR 72's overhead panels and see what is on there. They are about as complicated as a turboprop twin ever gets, so if you had most of those switches on your panel, you'd be in good shape.

I'm in a similar situation building a home cockpit for fsx 2020. I have come to my own conclusions which are:

Pop-out 2d panels will most likely still be a thing - using additional screens to display MIP instruments, fmc etc can be part of my plan

Arduino, bodnar boards etc will work as they do with all other sims - I can create push buttons, switches etc as long as they can be programmed to key presses

3rd party software such as air manager and counterparts will likely have some functionality but it will be limited and buggy to begin with - I will not be relying on 3rd party software to generate outputs to my hardware in my design right now

 

What this means for me and possibly you is, we can create anything that generate an input (for the most part) as these can be programmed to key presses, use multiple screens to display gauges and design button box like panels (2d panels likely to return as they were in original fsx). But I will not be designing or building any hardware for the sim to output to like analogue gauges (for now). However I will be leaving space on my hardware to put these in later.

 

Hope I helped