harvyk
07-18-2010, 05:42 AM
Hi All,
Just joined as I am in the middle of planning out a 747 Simpit...
I've been flying MS simulators since 95, and decided to go up a notch to the PMDG versions last year (I now call default FSX planes "point and shoots" as you simply taxi to the runway, give it flap, give it power and it magically gets in the air, even though you've missed 50 steps of pre-flight checklists). I've now decided to go up another notch and actually build a simpit...
I guess my biggest strength here is I am a software engineer, which means coding solutions and interfaces does not phase me, infact I am halfway through designing an interface for the PMDG 747X software to work with various pieces of hardware.
I'm also not too bad with a soldering iron \ electrical things, and I'm ok with building things (I built the room I'm sitting in now over 2 years ago, and the roof hasn't yet falling in on me)
I've so far spent nearly 3 months working on the plans \ working on the software interface \ researching designs and available hardware \ prototyping ides for the electronics. I'm looking at starting the build proper mid next month.
25th April was the day I started drawing things up, which is why I had a little bit of a laugh seeing one post where the guy was going to knock up a sim over a weekend, and it was then suggested he makes some plans over the weekend instead.
In terms of space I have a 2.5m wide x 2m deep x 2m high area. Not enough for projectors, but TV's and monitors are cheap (enough) so I've worked out how to do things with 4 monitors (and looking at running WidevieW across them with 4 PC's to drive them)
In terms of computing power, I see the need for 8 computers
System 1 - Main system - Powers glass cockpit (4 monitors, the pilots \ co-pilots PFD and HSI's will share the one screen), runs the simulator itself, does not display any outside views, interface for any slider based input (eg yoke, throttle, rudder, air brake, flaps)
System 2 - Main button interface machine, interface for all other switchs and lights
System 3 - Pilots screen outside view (WidevieW), also accept flight plans etc to be passed onto the main system. This allows the Pilot's "window" to be used as a system configuration screen.
System 4 - Co-pilots screen outside view (WidevieW)
System 5 - Pilots Side window outside view (WidevieW)
System 6 - Co-Pilots window outside view (WidevieW)
System 7 - Pilots FMC
System 8 - CoPilots FMC
So why do I see myself finishing this? Well this isn't a passing hobby... I've loved flight sims for the last 15 odd years, and this is the natural progression.
Why a 747? Well that answer is simple. I've loved the 747 since my first trip on one as a kid nearly 20 years ago. Even now when I fly for real (which is very frequently) I'll always chose a B747 option if one exists, this includes when there is an A380 option. (Yes I have been on the A380, it's nice but missing something as far as I'm concerned).
I look forwards to learning from the guys who have actually built them...
Catch everyone later...
Harvyk
Just joined as I am in the middle of planning out a 747 Simpit...
I've been flying MS simulators since 95, and decided to go up a notch to the PMDG versions last year (I now call default FSX planes "point and shoots" as you simply taxi to the runway, give it flap, give it power and it magically gets in the air, even though you've missed 50 steps of pre-flight checklists). I've now decided to go up another notch and actually build a simpit...
I guess my biggest strength here is I am a software engineer, which means coding solutions and interfaces does not phase me, infact I am halfway through designing an interface for the PMDG 747X software to work with various pieces of hardware.
I'm also not too bad with a soldering iron \ electrical things, and I'm ok with building things (I built the room I'm sitting in now over 2 years ago, and the roof hasn't yet falling in on me)
I've so far spent nearly 3 months working on the plans \ working on the software interface \ researching designs and available hardware \ prototyping ides for the electronics. I'm looking at starting the build proper mid next month.
25th April was the day I started drawing things up, which is why I had a little bit of a laugh seeing one post where the guy was going to knock up a sim over a weekend, and it was then suggested he makes some plans over the weekend instead.
In terms of space I have a 2.5m wide x 2m deep x 2m high area. Not enough for projectors, but TV's and monitors are cheap (enough) so I've worked out how to do things with 4 monitors (and looking at running WidevieW across them with 4 PC's to drive them)
In terms of computing power, I see the need for 8 computers
System 1 - Main system - Powers glass cockpit (4 monitors, the pilots \ co-pilots PFD and HSI's will share the one screen), runs the simulator itself, does not display any outside views, interface for any slider based input (eg yoke, throttle, rudder, air brake, flaps)
System 2 - Main button interface machine, interface for all other switchs and lights
System 3 - Pilots screen outside view (WidevieW), also accept flight plans etc to be passed onto the main system. This allows the Pilot's "window" to be used as a system configuration screen.
System 4 - Co-pilots screen outside view (WidevieW)
System 5 - Pilots Side window outside view (WidevieW)
System 6 - Co-Pilots window outside view (WidevieW)
System 7 - Pilots FMC
System 8 - CoPilots FMC
So why do I see myself finishing this? Well this isn't a passing hobby... I've loved flight sims for the last 15 odd years, and this is the natural progression.
Why a 747? Well that answer is simple. I've loved the 747 since my first trip on one as a kid nearly 20 years ago. Even now when I fly for real (which is very frequently) I'll always chose a B747 option if one exists, this includes when there is an A380 option. (Yes I have been on the A380, it's nice but missing something as far as I'm concerned).
I look forwards to learning from the guys who have actually built them...
Catch everyone later...
Harvyk