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#3361415 - 08/07/11 11:52 PM Another Pit Makes Progress  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
DudleyAz Offline
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DudleyAz  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
Phoenix, AZ
I have finally reached a milestone with my pit... I can fly in it! I know, I don't believe it either! All of the primary construction is complete! Now that it is a thousand degrees outside here in Arizona, I have spent some time inside doing assembly and lots of soldering to get to this point. No more measuring, cutting, cursing, re-cutting, painting, and installing. I also have all of the switches wired up to the panel connectors. Now the next step is to make and install the wiring runs between the panels and the programming boards. Sigh, I'm getting tired of soldering everything. I ended up with 235 selectable switch positions split between toggles, buttons, dials and rotary switches. I also have a couple of small sub-assemblies left, like the ejection handles, but those should be fairly simple compared to everything else.

Here are some pics of the pit as it sits today.





This is a side view:





This is a better shot of the main instrument panel.





The center of it is a 23" touchscreen running Helios. All of the gauges on the touch screen work and reflect what is going on in the game (in this case DCS A-10C). I put a bezel over the top of the touchscreen to allow me to mount the TM MFDs over the top of the screen and to give it some depth. By using Helios, I can then present the game MFD images directly behind the functional TM MFDs. It's really cool to see it in action! All of the buttons and switches on the touch screen work with the game. The center part of the panel actually has several screens that I can flip through showing me other parts of the sim cockpit, like the main computer and defensive systems. I also have several of the checklists available through the center screen. They are interactive, so as I peform the action (say turn on the main battery), an indicator lights on the checklist showing me I have completed that step. It's really handy for long or complicated procedures.






This is the right console. It opens like a car door so that I don't have to step over the console, risking damage to the cockpit when I trip over it. Down the road there will be another touch screen in that blank spot in the middle of the console. This is where I will use Helios to put all of my radio stack and CDU/nav computer stuff. Right now, all of those live as a selectable panel in the center portion of the main touch screen.






This is the right front panel. There is some expansion space on the main panel shown here for any future sims I don't already have covered. Remember that this is a generic, multi-sim pit. It isn't modeled after any one particular aircraft or car. I have relocated the power and reset buttons from the PC that runs the pit, along with the power and HDD LEDs. There is also a blank face plate that covers space for a DVD drive... if I ever decide to relocate it out of the PC. Not sure I need to as most of the sims don't require the DVD to be in the tray to play them anymore. it may end up being an expansion panel. You can also see a set of 4 selector switches marked CAR, A/C, & SIDETOUCH. This is a switchable USB hub, that I use to switch between car and plane modes in the cockpit. This is so I don't have extra controllers enabled when I don't need them (say a steering wheel while flying).It will also enable the side touch screen once it is installed.





This is the left side panel. It also houses the throttle set. You'll notice a gap on the left side. That is to allow the center part of the panel (with the throttle assembly, jettison switches, and engine controls/emergency systems panel) to rotate to the left, exposing the well where the future helicopter collective will go... once I build it. That black post supports the keyboard. It pivots on the swing arm in the picture. The keyboard tray also rotates on the pole, making it flexible enough to rotate into a useable position when you need it, or to just be pushed out of the way when you don't. It's also very stable on that thick post. The panel in the lower left corner of this picture is the primary power bus panel... lot's of toggles huh? Speaking of toggles, all of the toggle switches in the pit are momentary or sprung load to return to center. This was a decision I made that allows for faster resetting of the cockpit between flights... or crashes... whatever.





This is the left front panel. Being that I was using momentary toggles, it made it a challenge to have three position toggles like they do in some of the aircraft I like to fly. So, I substituted rotary swtiches for some of them, or relocated those controls into the touch screen area. I made all of the knobs for the rotaries and dials by casting clear resin copies of some sample Boeing knobs I was able to get. This helped keep my cost down, and should facilitate backlit indicators on the knobs once I get around to backlighting the entire cockpit... one day. I also found a cheap way to make the switch guards like those on the gear lever panel. They are small U-bolts with T-nuts on them. Each one costs around .75 cents to make, as opposed to $6.00 for a real one! Yes, I am frugal. My wife says its being cheap... but I like to think of it as being cost effective. It leaves me more money for beer... mmmmm... beer!





This is another shot of the landing gear panel. It shows off my crappy home made gear lever I made out of some brass tubing and an old castor wheel. Next time I go to the Pima Air and Space museum I am going to see if they have a real gear lever for sale in their parts bin in the gift shop. You never know what you will find there!





This is a shot that was gives you a glimpse of where the collective will go once I make it. You can see the well for it below the throttle. I am going to combine an old Cougar throttle base and joystick into a single collective. We'll see how that goes.





This is just a picture of the seat. I even made the cushions myself! I felt a bit like an idiot wandering around the fabric store looking for the right material... but whatever, the result was worth it. It's pretty comfortable too, but I wish I had made the bottom cushion a little bit thicker... it gets a little tough on my behind after about 90 minutes. I'll probably remake that cushion down the road. Until then it gives me a good excuse to get up and stretch my legs once in awhile. Like maybe to go get another adult beverage!





This is the seat slide locking assembly I made. I had started out with a traditional race car seat assembly, but the release lever was down by your right foot and it made it a pain in the butt to get to. So I engineered this one and it works like a champ! I will might paint it like the side console release lever someday, but right now I like the polished metal look.





And now the moment you have been waiting for... CAR MODE! By removing the joystick which is held in place by two quick release latches, you can pull a pin and swing the center touch screen panel out of the way, revealing the steering wheel. It pulls out of the hidden cave in the center panel and locks into place. It has it's own keyboard as the main one is now obscured behind the touchscreen. I currently have an old Saitek P-8000 doing duty in car mode, but it will be replaced by a custom switch panel and touch screen down the road. I will probably pattern it after a BMW dashboard, being that they are the best cars in the world! (notice the car on the desktop!)





This is a close up shot of Car Mode. If you follow the cable from the foot pedals over to the left, you can make out a door which houses the un-used pedal set (car or aircraft). It takes about 30 seconds to switch out the pedals. I did have a rig designed to automate the pedal switching, but it just proved to complicated to be worth while. Sometimes simpler is better..er.





And there you have it. The Dudley Simpit as it sits today. I figure it will take me the rest of the summer to get all of the panels wired into the control unit. Until then, at least I can sit in the pit to fly, using the touch screen and wishing the rest of the switches worked. Stay tuned for the next update, probably around October or so.

Thanks,

Dud.


They say "If you didn't fail, how would you learn?"... I learn a LOT!
http://cnadeau.webs.com/index.htm
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3361419 - 08/08/11 12:04 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,353
HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
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HitchHikingFlatlander  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,353
California
Dudley the KING OF PITS! That's *&$&*#^@ BRILLIANT! Guys like you are why I started my proper
pit build in the first place! You're set up is so amazing I'm at a loss for words!


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
#3361452 - 08/08/11 12:54 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,562
Cold_Gambler Offline
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Cold_Gambler  Offline
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,562
Gorgeous! Don't know how you guys do it.

Neat tricks to keep costs down too. smile must be a treat to fly/drive.


looks very modernishy-phoney-windows eighty-tabletty like

Asus P8P67 Pro Rev. 3.0 // i5 2500k @4.3 GHz with Noctua NH-D14 // nvidia gtx 780 // 8 GB DDR3 1600 //Win7 home 64 bit //450 GB VelociRaptor //Recon3D Champion
#3361497 - 08/08/11 02:16 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 229
pitbldr Offline
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pitbldr  Offline
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That is very impressive!! Do you have a "build thread" anywhere showing your progress? It's obvious you've spent alot of time on this and given it much thought. I especially like the hidden wheel and keyboard... genius!!

What materials did you use?

Really nice job!!!!!

#3361510 - 08/08/11 02:36 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 54
Feed Offline
Junior Member
Feed  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 54
F-ing SWEET is all I've got to say.

#3361539 - 08/08/11 03:25 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
DudleyAz Offline
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DudleyAz  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
Phoenix, AZ
I appreciate all of the comments and kudos. Always nice when someone appreciates what you've done. But, I have to say that I have just put together many of the great ideas I have found here on SimHQ... "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". If it wasn't for Grizz and a few others out there, I'd still be looking at cardboard cutouts going ... "Now what?" banghead

Pitbuilder, here is a link to my web site that has some stuff on the building of it. It's great for those nights when you need something boring to put yourself to sleep. Of course it doesn't show the bloody fingers, stripped screws, mis-cut panels, buckets of sweat (no kidding... a lot of it was done in my garage during the summer in AZ), or hours upon hours of cursing and scratching my... uh... yeah. dizzy I prefer to act like it was easy and took no effort what so ever! HA!

The primary building materials are MDF (Medium Denisity Fiberboard) skins screwed to 1/8" aluminum framing. The switch panels are made of white 3/16" cast acrylic that I machine all the holes and cutouts in using a Carvewright CNC machine. After they are machined, I paint them with a couple of coats of black spray paint. I then use the CNC software file as a base to design all of the markings and such for the individual panels. I print this out and take the print out and the panel down to a local trophy shop where he scans the image, loads it into a laser engraver, aligns it to the panel, and engraves the lettering. The cool part is he only engraves it deep enough to remove the layers of paint. No plastic is removed! This way the surface of the panel is still smooth and just the white shows through. It also means that when I am done with installing the backlighting (no time soon!) the letters will light up, but not the rest of the panel. I did a test and it looked awesome! I wish I could afford to get one of those laser engravers, but they start around ten grand, so I will just stick with paying $6.00 a panel for the engraving. Thankfully, I only have a couple more to go for the car mode stuff. It just never seems to end. One day it may even all work right! driving

Dud


They say "If you didn't fail, how would you learn?"... I learn a LOT!
http://cnadeau.webs.com/index.htm
#3361562 - 08/08/11 04:17 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 49
walker450 Offline
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walker450  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 49
Very very nice!!! Thanks for the awesome description of everything!!!!!!!!!!

#3361573 - 08/08/11 04:47 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 557
GrizzlyT Offline
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GrizzlyT  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 557
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Clean...professional...elegant....creative! An outstanding pit, to be sure.
Almost "spouse friendly".......almost. smile



Originally Posted By: DudleyAz
...If it wasn't for Grizz and a few others out there, I'd still be looking at cardboard cutouts going ... "Now what?" banghead

Whether you current pit is done, or not, you'll always have two or three more banging around the gray matter.
You haven't truely gone over to the dark side until you've had a converation like this...

Wife: What are you doing staring at that big piece of cardboard?!?!... It's 3:40am!!!
You: It's the front dash, for a Starfury simulator I was thinking about.
Wife: What the hell's a Starfury?
You: It's a spaceship. You know, Babylon5.
Wife: A SPACE SIMULATOR!!! Where are going going to put a space simulator?!
You: Never mind baby. It's just cardboard. Go back to bed.

biggrin


Grizzly's Comanche Simulator
"Fear is the mind killer. - Frank Herbert"
#3361594 - 08/08/11 06:21 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
- Ice Offline
Veteran
- Ice  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
Philippines / North East UK
Very nice build sir! I see this project started 2008-ish! Wow!

I'm looking to build a pit myself and I think I've come to the conclusion that it is impossible to make one without some serious tools investment frown

Can you show us how you've wired all that toggles and switches and buttons? What interface/board did you use for this? Thanks!


- Ice
#3361640 - 08/08/11 10:13 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,160
Cali Offline
Military Advisor - USAF
Cali  Offline
Military Advisor - USAF
Member

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,160
Davis-Monthan AFB, Az
Wow, that is amazing. How long and how much did that cost?


i5-2500k @ 3.3, Asus P8Z77-V LE mobo Windows 7 64-bit, 8GB 1866mhz
EVGA GTX 670 FTW 2GB, 256GB SSD, 500GB WD, Warthog, uber modded Cougar, TM Cougar MFD's, TrackIR 5, G15 keyboard


#3361756 - 08/08/11 01:25 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,221
f15sim Offline
More projects than sense!
f15sim  Offline
More projects than sense!
Member

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,221
Graham, WA
Very well done!

g.


Proud owner of 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://geneb.simpits.org - the Me-109F/X Project
#3361810 - 08/08/11 02:30 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 22
JFA2 Offline
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JFA2  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 22
Looks really good! Have a great time flying.


JFA
#3361848 - 08/08/11 03:11 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
DudleyAz Offline
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DudleyAz  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
Phoenix, AZ
Griz, I swear that exact conversation took place in my house about three years ago, except it was an AH-64, not a Starfury! My wife thinks I have a screw loose, and so does most of the neighborhood. I did all the mock up and construction in my garage, most of the time with the door up. I had people stopping on the sidewalk looking in at me as I was mocking it up with cardboard, scrap wood, and duct tape. As soon as I would notice them and say hi, they would avert their gaze and walk away... don't want to talk to the wierd guy playing with cardboard boxes in his garage. exitstageleft The only lucky thing is that my wife is a private pilot, so she is supportive because she can use it with FSX to practice a bit with. At least that's what I keep telling her...

Ice, I plan on making a post of the whole wiring harness and programming board once I get it all completed. I thought I had snapped some pics already, but I can't seem to find them on my HD. I am using some salvaged 25 pair phone cables I scored at work for all of the wiring, and making some mid-line connectors so that I can take the panels out individually if I need to without having to cut or desolder anything. It's a pain, but it'll be worth it in a few years when I retire and we pack up everything to move to Oregon. I am using three Hagstrom Electronics KE-USB108 boards as the brains behind it all, along with a few of their other breakout boards. They will provide all of the input that I require. Until I stumbled across Helios, I was looking at Open Cockpits stuff, but now that I am using virtual gauges and indicators, I didn't need the two way functionality of the OC stuff. I am currently able to run everything off of a single PC and keep my frame rates up in the high 40s, but I'm afraid when I add the second touch screen, it will put me over the tipping point and I will have to offload the touch screens and Helios to another PC.

Cali, I started messing around with this back in 2008, but didn't start construction in earnest until about a 16 months ago. I couldn't tell you how many acutal man hours there are in it, because I lost track somewhere around 500 (a long time ago), but it's a bunch. I work slow though; generally only a couple hours a week as we have a lot going on in our lives, and I have a couple of other hobbies as well. As far as cost, well I could tell you, but then my wife would find out and that wouldn't be good for me at all... "yes dear...owww... no dear... not another penny dear... owww" grrr
But seriously, minus the PC, screens, and controllers, there is probably $1000 in materials in it. I don't want to add up the total cost with all of the electronics, but it's likely over $4,000... uggg.

Everyone else, thanks for the nice comments and support!

Dud


They say "If you didn't fail, how would you learn?"... I learn a LOT!
http://cnadeau.webs.com/index.htm
#3362155 - 08/08/11 08:49 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 471
MudPuppy Offline
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MudPuppy  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 471
Appalachian foothills in Virgi...
Wow, I mean.....just..wow! Thanks for posting the pics and the descriptions. I'll be checking further details on the link you provided early on in this thread.
notworthy

#3362610 - 08/09/11 08:45 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 557
GrizzlyT Offline
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GrizzlyT  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 557
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Originally Posted By: DudleyAz
...As soon as I would notice them and say hi, they would avert their gaze and walk away... don't want to talk to the wierd guy playing with cardboard boxes in his garage...


hahaha


Grizzly's Comanche Simulator
"Fear is the mind killer. - Frank Herbert"
#3363189 - 08/09/11 09:16 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 410
Dachs Offline
Member
Dachs  Offline
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 410
Denmark
Very nice mutipit, there's a lot of good ideas in there.
I'm still thinking about how to be able to easily convert from racing to flying in my pit, although sometimes when I'm racing, I'm actually able to do it in an instant, but thats not on purpose and generally end up not being all that pretty..
Anyway, it looks like you're pretty close to that goal. You dont have to disconnect/connect anything to make the transition, do you?


Fortes Fortuna Juvat
#3363453 - 08/10/11 05:58 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
DudleyAz Offline
Member
DudleyAz  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
Phoenix, AZ
Dachs, the only thing I have to acutally connect/disconnect is the center mounted stick, it just gets in the way when driving. I had done some design work on making it just pivot down and slide into the base of the seat, but the machineing required to make all that happen was beyond me, so I went for some quick disconnects on the sides of the stick base instead. The weight of the stick is carried by a simple bracket on the front of the seat base that the joystick pedestal slips in to. The stick plugs into a powered USB hub I have mounted to the seat and it works like a champ. Everything else stays plugged in.





When I make the transition (Transformation maybe?? If I could only get it to make those cools sounds like in the Transformers movies!)from plane to car mode, I flip the switches on the USB hub mounted on the right front panel, and that connects the wheel and car pedals and drops the joystick, throttle and rudder pedals; and vice versa.



Being that they are all USB, I can jump back and forth between the two all day long. After about 4 or 5 transitions in a row, I do find that the Warthog throttle occasionally gets a little cranky reconnecting, but a quick reboot solves that problem. I am sure that this is related to the fact the because of the ability to also transition from plane to helo mode, the throttle sits behind two USB hubs, not just one (that would be throttle > throttle/collective mode USB hub > aircraft/car mode USB hub > PC). So it is really pushing the limit for a device that Thrustmaster advises to plug directly into the PC, or at most one powered hub away. Besides, other than while testing, I don't see myself moving between aircraft and car modes more than once a session anyway, so it's not an issue.

If I can find it, I'll post my USB wiring diagram for you all to shake your head at... it's really... over complicated... but that's just me!

P.S. I really want to replace the crappy little panel shown above and to the right of the mode selector switches.. I just haven't gotten around to it... yet. The current panel looks a little sad to me. sicko

Dud


They say "If you didn't fail, how would you learn?"... I learn a LOT!
http://cnadeau.webs.com/index.htm
#3363503 - 08/10/11 08:48 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 202
Valisk_61 Offline
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Valisk_61  Offline
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Posts: 202
Widnes, UK
Brilliant Dudley! Really well thought out and executed. The way it converts into a driving 'pit is inspired!

...and I hear you about the cardboard mockup too. I've spent far too much time sat inside cardboard boxes with a roll of tape and a marker pen. My neighbours think I'm bonkers.


FS~Valisk 'Val'
www.skiesoffire.org

"I've never seen the Icarus story as a lesson about the limitations of humans. I see it as a lesson about the limitations of wax as an adhesive." - Randall Munroe
#3363666 - 08/10/11 02:20 PM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
DudleyAz Offline
Member
DudleyAz  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 172
Phoenix, AZ
Maybe it was the airplane noises and the goggles I was wearing? pilot


They say "If you didn't fail, how would you learn?"... I learn a LOT!
http://cnadeau.webs.com/index.htm
#3364353 - 08/11/11 11:59 AM Re: Another Pit Makes Progress [Re: DudleyAz]  
Joined: Jul 2011
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ericleroi Offline
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ericleroi  Offline
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Posts: 3
This is super nice and an inspration to many I'm sure. Great job and great pictures beercheers

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