dual stick design, any tips ?

[Jonesy22]

hi i am planning a dual stick control for a simulator and i wanted to get other peoples thoughts and ideas on the design so it has less chance at failing.

the design will use a usb joystick for the position input to make it alittle easier.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e355/Frogger22/dualstickdesign.jpg

basicly wanted to know if anyone has tried this or if you think it might not work.

[warvet]

Jonsey,
Just use FSUIPC it works like a dream then just assign stick priority just like in the real A/C.

Tim

[Jonesy22]

ive seen in the aircraft both sticks move in sync like dual rudder pedals.

im going to be getting my cockpit measurements from a flight school at jandakot airport in western australia and figured id make the controls dual incase the pit comes up professional enough to sell :p

[fweinrebe]

Jones,

that looks like it can work. Great idea. Best is to build a cheap and quick prototype to test your idea. That will be the real proof. Even a scaled version if you like.

[Goldmember]

Is it for 737? The most brilliant design I've seen is from somebody here in the Netherlands, who made it from central heater pipe and bicycle chains. He showed me some pics of it when I accidentally met him. The two control columns are formed by a big U made out of 12mm heater pipe. When you push or pull the one side, the other side goes with it. The yokes have a sprocket wheel that is connected to another sprocket wheel under the floor with a bicycle chain. Another set of sprocket wheels and a chain under the floor connect the left and right yoke. So if you turn the one yoke to the left, the sprocket wheels all turn left - hence the other yoke.

Unfortunately I don't know him so I wouldn't know if he has something online.

[Jonesy22]

well i think i decided today it will be for a robin 2160 cockpit, i flew this aircraft today in a red bull air race like situation and it was amazing. but now i need to redesign the stick setup, i have a question about toe brakes, do the toe brakes work in sync like the pedals and the sticks . so if u push in the toe brake on the left side with it move in on the right side?

regards
Jones.

[Goldmember]

I've never seen it simulated anyway. To be honest, I don't know how it is IRL.

[TobiBS]

We have a real Grob G115 here as a simulator and there the rudder is connected, but not the toe brakes.

[Jonesy22]

ah cool thanks for the info , do u have any pictures of the simulator u can share ? would be interesting.

regards
Jones

[TobiBS]

ah cool thanks for the info , do u have any pictures of the simulator u can share ? would be interesting.

regards
Jones
I found only one, which has been taken when students where flying there (the simulator is located at the Institute I am working for at the University of Braunschweig, where I am studying and is used for research and education):
http://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~y0028089/G115/G115.jpg
The motor section, tail and wings are removed and a platform is mounted at the wings. The main panel has been removed and replaced with two 19" monitors, as you can see on the picture. Flight controls are taken from the real aircraft. The current design of the cockpit is the second or third version.
If you have any further questions, just let me know.

[tomenglish2000]

Thought I would just add that the Piper Warrior I am learning in doesn't have synchronised toe brakes. It may exist in the real world, but I am confident that the majority of GA aircraft don't have this. (Perhaps even most big iron too as I don't think that Boeing do it either).

Tom.

[Mike.Powell]

well i think i decided today it will be for a robin 2160 cockpit, i flew this aircraft today in a red bull air race like situation and it was amazing. but now i need to redesign the stick setup, i have a question about toe brakes, do the toe brakes work in sync like the pedals and the sticks . so if u push in the toe brake on the left side with it move in on the right side?

regards
Jones.

I can't give you an answer for the Robin, but I can for the Cessna 172. Perhaps that will provide something useful for your project.

The left and right position C-172 pedal motions are coupled through torque tubes. The torque tubes are mounted on the cabin floor. The left pilot's pedal connects to the same tube the right-seat left pedal connects to. A second torque tube runs parallel to the first and connects the two right pedals.

The right and left brakes have different hydraulic brake cylinders. The cylinders are mounted vertically just behind the pilot's pedals and are activated by pressure on the top of the associated pedal. This pressure also rotates the pedal. This rotation is transferred to the respective pedal of the right seat though torque tubes which are concentric with and inside the tubes that couple pedal motion for rudder movement.

I tried to find some pictures of this, but the site I believe had them, Cessnasim.com, appears to be gone.

[Westozy]

hi i am planning a dual stick control for a simulator and i wanted to get other peoples thoughts and ideas on the design so it has less chance at failing.

the design will use a usb joystick for the position input to make it alittle easier.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e355/Frogger22/dualstickdesign.jpg

basicly wanted to know if anyone has tried this or if you think it might not work.

Hi Jonesy,

I have made quite a few control set ups for different people, you should call in to see my sim and have a yak.. I'm in Thornlie. Send me a PM or email - gwyn(at)aapt.net.au

Gwyn

[P1IC]

Jonesy,

I don't think your mechanical coupling between the two yokes will work properly. Certainly if you move the left stick left or right, the right stick has no option but to follow. But the fore/aft movement is more problematic.

Here's the test: if you hold the top of the right yoke and try to move the left yoke left or right, it won't go. But I bet you CAN move it fore and aft! What will happen is that the tie bar will act as a radial arm and allow the left yoke to swing aft and a little right, while the right yoke stays stationary.

You need to find a way of stopping that tie bar from yawing - it must remain parallel to the transverse axis of the aircraft at all times.

[57sqnFS]

hi there we are making a similar sim to the Grob tutor, its really nowhere near finished but the one thing we do have is the dual tandem moving control sticks i will post some pics up tonight if i can. basically we used two cheap usb flight sticks and extended the handle and connected them to move together. the only probem we have is there isnt enough resistance on the elevators (back and foreword) we would like to put some springs to counter-act this somehow