I found a place where I can order some 50mm PVC pipe here in Denmark.
And I plan on using plywood boards to mount the things on to.

Would a frame of PVC pipes be strong enough to support:

24" monitor
32" monitor
Complete HOTAS with rudderpedals
Wheel with pedals
Keyboard and mouse
Computer
?

I'll track down the actual name for them when I stop by the hardware store this week.

Does anyone have an idea about how to "lock" the office chair to the simpit?
Velcro om arm-rest bars?
Some kind of latch-lock?

Hej Jan

Your pedal arrangement certainly looks promising! Nice idea.

As for the chair locks, what about something like the spring loaded garden tool holders you see in hardware stores? They would probably need to be beefed up some, in order to provide enough locking force though. Maybe you could bend some yourself, using 4-5mm round steel?
Anyway, I think you're original idea is hard to beat with regards to securing the chair properly, but the spring holders would be more "userfriendly" I guess.

Hey, just had another idea!
Go have a look at the closing/locking mechanism in a car door. It does almost exactly what you want, although it closes around a smaller diameter, but maybe that can be adjusted. And the parts can most likely be found pretty cheap in you're local junkyard.

Thanks for the great feedback. I will experiment with your ideas. The major concern right now is the materials to use for the build. I think that PVC pipe will look better and simpler for the overall build, with some plywood boards to mount the hardware onto. But would PVC pipes be sturdy enough?

Hi,

My suggestion (for what it's forth) is to slide 3/4 inch plastic conduit inside 1 inch conduit. The fit is just a slip fit. You'll be amazed at how sturdy it is. I used a short length for the handle of my collective and, even pulling up hard against the end stop, it doesn't bend or kink.

another advantage is that you can use the 1 inch fittings like bends, and it comes in black as standard.

Hope this helps,

Andy

Great idea Andy, thanks.
I'm afraid that by doing that, I would double the amount of pipe used for the build, but it might be the only solution if the "single layer" of pipe should prove not to be sturdy enough

By the way...
If I had the stick positioned in the middle, the stick/mouse board wouldn't have to be able to move.

So a question to you guys who use a centered stick: is this just as comfortable? Or maybe even more?
Or do you center the stick just to make it more "real" compared to the type of aircraft youre flying?

-I'm not that concerned about making my simpit "real", it's more important to me that it's comfortable to use, and that the different peripherals don't interfere with each other or block my view.

I centered my stick mainly because I switched to A10, but I must say I find it to be more comfortable than a sidestick. And yes, it does give more room for a mouse area, and it gives you the opportunity to squeeze in a stickshift too then, if you're into racing..
Btw, do you plan to play shooters and the like on your setup?
I find it to be a pain if I have to use the mouse for any extended period on my setup, and my mousepad looks to be in a similar low position. Cockpit-clicking and surfing is just fine.