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#3272980 - 04/18/11 01:07 PM Glenn's generic pit: First attempt.  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Hi there,

I recently got started on my first Simpit. It's basically a generic pit that can be used in FSX, IL:2, Lock On and DCS A-10 (when I get it).
MK1, which is almost complete, is just the basic pit itself with the control columns and screens and so on. MK2 will then add workable switches and buttons using either Open Cockpits or Leo Bodnar boards and Helois software if necessary.
Here are some pics of my build so far.

Any input advice or constructive crits will be appreciated.









Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3273006 - 04/18/11 01:39 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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PropNut Offline
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Greenville, Michigan
Very cool Glenn, good start!

One comment though, do you think the seat is a bit too reclined? Is it adjustable?


F/A-18C Hornet cockpit build project:

http://hornetpits.org/index.php?topic=15.0
#3273013 - 04/18/11 01:49 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Thanks PropNut - the seat looks very reclined, but it is actually very comfortable in conjunction with the pedals.

I have just received my new Mecer 32" LCD and it looks like I may have to make a few modifications to accommodate it - it's huge! jawdrop

#3273064 - 04/18/11 02:38 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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531 Ghost Offline
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Elizabeth City NC
Lookin' good so far!


Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#3273073 - 04/18/11 02:43 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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maclean525 Offline
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Looks great! But how do you get into it?

#3273389 - 04/18/11 06:44 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
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LOL I like my seat back too, one of my biggest complaints with my playseat is that its too straight up and not adjustable. Maclean he may have to climb in, I have to do that in my pit no big deal really adds to immersion!


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
#3273390 - 04/18/11 06:45 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
lol - at the moment you gotta step over onto the seat. But I'm mulling with the idea of installing hinges and gas struts onto the main panel so that it lifts like the hood of a car - will just have to make sure the monitor and all else is secure.

#3273639 - 04/18/11 09:57 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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dorght Offline
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Wichita, KS USA
I'm interested in what you did to your rudder pedals. Circular saw and longer swivel arm?

#3273910 - 04/19/11 06:56 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: dorght]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Originally Posted By: dorght
I'm interested in what you did to your rudder pedals. Circular saw and longer swivel arm?


Thats pretty much it.

First I dismantled it and stared at all the parts for a few hours. My first attempt was to simply extend the arms with a wooden strip, but that didn't work as they have to have play to compensate for the up and down movement, so then I cut off the ends of the swivel arms (the part with the guide groove) and inserted the extension in between. It increased the width of the pedals by about 33% - so they're no longer "nut crackers".







Now I just have to figure out a nice way to enclose them.

#3274233 - 04/19/11 04:18 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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Brandano Offline
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Caput Mundi (well, it used to ...
Very nice work. On the pedals, you could build plywood sections to cover the gaps, and then cover the lot with some vynil floor material to make it uniform. Some of these are in fake carbon or fake aluminium patterns. Or you could go for real aluminium, but that is probably overkill.

#3278079 - 04/23/11 06:56 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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Cali Offline
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Davis-Monthan AFB, Az
That's a nice looking pit.


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


#3278110 - 04/23/11 08:03 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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Falstar Offline
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Edina, MN 55439
I wouldn't even worry about covering it. Looks good the way it is except for the wires, maybe put then inside some of that split wire loom.

#3278272 - 04/24/11 01:10 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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Ltfransky Offline
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Peterborough, ON, Canada
Originally Posted By: GlennW
Originally Posted By: dorght
I'm interested in what you did to your rudder pedals. Circular saw and longer swivel arm?


Thats pretty much it.



Ah, circular saws. Is there any problem they can't solve?


Please Heatware Me!

Ours is not to reason why. Ours is to do or die.
Tennyson

I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..
Gillespie Magee, RCAF
#3279282 - 04/25/11 05:28 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
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California
Nice work!


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
#3279742 - 04/26/11 07:10 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Thanks for all the comments guys.

I did some rebuilding yesterday and made it more enclosed, will post some updated pics tomorrow evening after finishing up the side consoles and hopefully painting.

#3284351 - 05/01/11 07:35 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
The basic pit (phase 1) is basically complete and ready for paint - hopefully tomorrow.

Phase 2 will then be switches and buttons :-)





#3285468 - 05/02/11 08:24 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
So I painted and re-assembled today - almost there!






Excuse the nasty iPhone pics...

#3285555 - 05/02/11 10:15 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
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Looking good!


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
#3285607 - 05/02/11 11:27 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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- Ice Offline
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Whoa! Looks like barely and space for your legs!


- Ice
#3285836 - 05/03/11 07:14 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Yip - it's pretty tight, but I built it around myself and I'm not a big dude - so it's perfect for me.

#3286205 - 05/03/11 05:40 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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f15sim Offline
More projects than sense!
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Graham, WA
Very nice Glenn!

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
#3286691 - 05/04/11 06:40 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Thanks Gene - your BF109 pit was a big inspiration to me. Originally I was going to jump right in and try and make something along similar lines, but I don't have the skills at this stage, so I thought I'd keep it simple initially. I have plenty of wood left over from this build so I plan to experiment with some bulkheads and start planning a proper enclosed pit that is more realistic like the 109.

#3287132 - 05/04/11 08:35 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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f15sim Offline
More projects than sense!
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Graham, WA
Don't underestimate the value of cardboard as a prototyping material. smile

Spending time to learn SketchUp (it's free) will be a big help for you as well.

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
#3290485 - 05/09/11 02:46 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Well here it is in my room (thanks to my very understanding girlfriend for allowing me to take up so much space)

Ignore the old CRT - still waiting for stock to arrive of the 27" LCD - all working and comfortable apart from a calibration issue I'm having with the Saitek throttle quadrant - if any ones got any advice on that one I'd love to hear it!

But I'm pretty happy with it - now to start planning the control panels!!


#3290628 - 05/09/11 05:58 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
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Nice! Looks good.


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
#3290727 - 05/09/11 07:34 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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NamelessPFG Offline
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Why should I ignore the old CRT? Looks like a pretty good monitor, especially if it's one of the 21" FD Trinitrons or Diamondtron NFs.

#3290805 - 05/09/11 09:25 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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Valisk_61 Offline
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Widnes, UK
Looks great! All done in super quick time too.


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
#3290820 - 05/09/11 09:41 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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choowy Offline
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Nice work, rare to see one put together that fast too. Smile2

#3291121 - 05/10/11 07:16 AM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: NamelessPFG]  
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GlennW Offline
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GlennW  Offline
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Jhb, South Africa
Originally Posted By: NamelessPFG
Why should I ignore the old CRT? Looks like a pretty good monitor, especially if it's one of the 21" FD Trinitrons or Diamondtron NFs.


lol - I must say it actually is a great picture. Its a Samsung 17" Viewsonic.

Thanks for the kind words gents.

#3291232 - 05/10/11 12:33 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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PropNut Offline
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Greenville, Michigan
Nice layout, very very nice. I too even like the CRT monitor....looks like it belongs there.


F/A-18C Hornet cockpit build project:

http://hornetpits.org/index.php?topic=15.0
#4533587 - 08/14/20 12:47 PM Re: Glenn's generic pit: First attempt. [Re: GlennW]  
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InspectorK Offline
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Hillsboro, Missouri, USA
Glenn, I really like how you expanded the CH Rudder Pedals. I need to expand mine also. Your pictures are great. Do you have any additional pictures and written details, dimensions, etc. to share?
Thank you for any additional help.

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