My use of the ABC plans is because of their availability and ease of creation, Ice. They served as a jumping-off point for me, and as my previous two pits had very little woodworking in them, I figured this was a good place to start learning about the process. I've already altered the design a little with my additions of the monitor behind the console and the center stick mount, and I plan to keep modifying it.

A few months back I went to the local fabric store and tried out every type of foam padding they had. By "tried out" I mean I threw it on the floor and plopped my butt down on it. None of the different types or thicknesses seemed to be padded enough, and the only one that came close would have been much too thick for the seat if I doubled up on it. I have lost about 20 lbs. since then, so maybe they'd feel better now?

I went looking around the local big box and sporting goods stores today, in search of mats. All the yoga and exercise style mats are way too expensive for what they are, so I went looking for those blue foam camping bedroll mats like I used to use when I was a kid in the Boy Scouts. I found some new-fangled advanced mats that were much too expensive and didn't provide the kind of support that I expected, and that was it.

I think what I'm going to end up doing is creating cushions the way that I did for the armrest of my first pit. I have a few old couch cushions that can be sacrificed and cut up.

Another question I have is regarding panels. I have an IPac controller board, traditionally used by the MAME community to make custom arcade joysticks, and I'll be using it for one of my panels. I have a total of 32 inputs from it, and I'm not sure which controls I should focus on first. Any suggestions?

Just as I thought... and I'm not blaming you. However, you had a look at my cockpit, yes? Would you believe that I got maybe about 95% of the cutting done for me at the shop where I got the wood? They charged me £4 for all the cuts, sure, but all I was left to do was cut the support blocks (I do MDF-to-block-to-MDF connections, I don't screw MDF-to-MDF if I can help it) and a few angle cuts for the left and right aux panel and aux panel supports. You did more cutting with the ABC's slots than I did with my pit!

Regarding cushions, what I read was any old yoga mat, so maybe you can score one from a friend who is "upgrading" or maybe try eBay to get it cheaper? Like I said, a couple of layes (one guy said three), wrap them in cloth, and give it a try. The idea here is to find a material that does not "bottom out," but as you have discovered it is difficult to find one. You either end up with a thin layer of padding that eventually gives way or a thicker layer of padding that unfortunately pushes you too far up-and-forward. Hence my resort to a car seat. However, a car seat is wider than an ACES seat by at least a few inches, a bucket seat is even slightly wider, so you will have to make allowances for this if you decide to go this route.

As for panels, well, I've not delved into that myself as well, that is all black magic voodoo to me But I plan on building the F-16's left aux panel soon, as soon as funds free up. From what I've read though, different controllers interface with the PC differently, and sometimes interface with the sim itself differently as well --- I've had numerous warnings of making sure XXXX controller board works with YYYY simulation before buying it.

Hope that helps, and looking forward to see what you do with your pit build!

Depends on what you fly.

My first set of controls I build will be a trim and flap control set. But I fly IL-2 1946 (WWII Prop) and those are the controls I am missing the most right now.

Think about what you fly, and your HOTAS setup and consider what controls you go to the keyboard on the most for. Those controls that you don't currently have that you would use the most.