BUILDING A NEW CESSNA 172 COCKPIT

[yogev]

Hi,

i am just building my cockpit simulator and wanted to ask you for feedback on it.

here is a picture showing it on 3d model.

Thank you.

[yoss]

Very nice project
Kola kavod

Wish you luck


Yoss

[yogev]

Thanks :) :)

[fsaviator]

Looks great! How much room do you have available?

Also, it looks like you plan to mount the projectors to the top of the sim... I would advise against that as every little movement you make in the sim will shake the projectors. Other than that, welcome, good luck, and keep us posted!

[mndless]

You planning on using nthusim (http://nthusim.com/), or something similar to help blend in the curved sceen???

Looking forward to seeing some in progress pictures!

Wish I had the room for a similar visual setup....

[Cessna172sim]

Welcome on board. C172 is a very good choice for a GA home cockpit project. We also have a C172 project here in Finland, based on a real C172 fuselage.
http://www.lentosimulaattori.com/index-eng.html


By looking your 3D plans I might have few ideas /improvements:
PROJECTORS: You will need to have a 'short throw projectors' like BENQ or similar. It is not possible to use a normal projectors since the image from the
projector should be as big as possible.

Also, as said already below, the projectors should be attached on to the roof or a special stand that is free of all shaking and movement from the cockpit. The projectors should be attached to roof also because otherwise your nose cowling will hide front picture. Feel free to ask more: robots@jippii.fi

The side pictures / side projectors should also be projected /placed differently. Here is a good example:
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/Visual+system+testing/kuva2.jpg

This way you will get a bigger side pictures.

FUSELAGE:
I would use doors and close the backwall. Also if you are constructiong the cockpit from wood, make the nose (upper cowling) full size. This way it is much more real. We have a special modified Virtual Cockpit view for FS2004 with the propeller only. This way you could use a 'real' upper nose cowling and virtual propeller.
Attach also wheels and handles since you need to move the fuselage until you find the right space.

In the picture the fuselage is too close compared the curved screen. You will need at least 1 meter space between the nose and visual screen. Same thing with the sides of the screen. The radius of the curved screen seems to be too narrow.


For projector image corrections you will need a special program, like Nthusim.

[yogev]

Thank you all for your comments:

Well about the room I have its about 17 m^2, I am planning to build it from wood so its need to be as simple as it without any round corners.
The dimensions are real from measurement I did.
About the 'short throw projectors' thanks for the advice I will do so as well as adding wheels and handles too.
The simulator will stay static without any motion so the projectors can stay on the roof  at this time.
I will add more pictures soon.

[Cessna172sim]

The simulator will stay static without any motion so the projectors can stay on the roof  at this time.
I will add more pictures soon.

Please notice that fuselage itself will shake when people are flying it. This movement also makes the visual shake. That's why the projectors needs to be attached in a separate stand or even better, in a roof.

Also like said, if you place the center projector on top of your sim cockpit, you will not be able to get so much front view since the fuselage itself will hide your picture. Check out this old picture about our tests. We made a wooden frame to simulate our sim cockpit /front cowling to see how high the center projector needs to be so it will show 'over' the sim fuselage:
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/Visual+system+testing/IMG_0191.JPG

[iwik]

Hi Vectro,
Nice Sim you have there. Does your Flap control have a Flaps Position indicator
running along side the Lever?. If so how are you driving this Mechanically and do you have
your SIOC code for this.
Thanks
Regards
Les

[Cessna172sim]

Hi Vectro,
Nice Sim you have there. Does your Flap control have a Flaps Position indicator
running along side the Lever?. If so how are you driving this Mechanically and do you have
your SIOC code for this.
Thanks
Regards
Les
Hi Les,
We modified the original flaps indicator by taking only some parts from it.
From here you can see the mechanics.

http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/assorted+construction+pictures/flaps+Indicator/

(the first two pics are form our temporary test rig. That's why the quality looks so poor).

It is similar to Simkits original:
http://www.simkits.com/images/trc472/thumbnails/flapswitch1s.jpg

http://www.simkits.com/images/trc472/thumbnails/flapswitch2s.jpg

http://www.simkits.com/images/trc472/thumbnails/flapswitch3s.jpg

The slide potentiometer and the servo are connected to Simkits CCU II board but I'm sure similar connections can be done via IOCards and SIOC.

[iwik]

Vectro,
Thanks a million, i looked at your pics but missed those. been hunting around for a while to see what others have done. Im doing a C177RG.
I havnt seen a real set of flap controls, but can you tell me by using a servo the indicator will travel in an arc.Is this what happens in the Real Indicator.
I had tried to find Pic of Simkits ones with no luck, Your pics were great.
Regards
Les

[Cessna172sim]

Vectro,
Thanks a million, i looked at your pics but missed those. been hunting around for a while to see what others have done. Im doing a C177RG.
I havnt seen a real set of flap controls, but can you tell me by using a servo the indicator will travel in an arc.Is this what happens in the Real Indicator.
I had tried to find Pic of Simkits ones with no luck, Your pics were great.
Regards
Les

The indicator works exactly like the real thing. First you take for example 10 degrees flaps and the indicator follows with a little delay. If you use IOCards and SIOC you will need their servo card to control the servo (indicator):
http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/servo-motors-card-p-46.html?cPath=21_31

+ Master card:
http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/master-card-p-29.html?cPath=21_27

As said, we use Simkits gauges so there is a place for flaps and flaps indicator in Simkits CCU II board as a default. The indicator and the flaps handle are then calibrated in Simkits TRC calibration program.

Check out for example this video (min 5:14 and 6:20) and you can see how the indicator works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkv_FlWSe9Y

[iwik]

Thanks again Vectro,
Reply much appreciated and Happy Flying.
Les

[yogev]

Hi all,

For a long time I didn’t get into this forum , well I would like to share with you my last progress of the Cessna 172 glass cockpit simulator .

Here is some pictures I made for you.

Still have a lot of work to do, enjoy .

[Efe Cem Elci]

Is it just me, can everybody else see the photos?

[fsaviator]

Is it just me, can everybody else see the photos?

Nope.... not just you Efe... I can't see them either

[Efe Cem Elci]

Here they are now... its like magic I tell you!

Looking good...

[yogev]

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Sorry had some trouble uploading the pictures

[yoss]

Very cool ,Yogev

I have some spare ,printed labels for swithes, left from my project ,you could use
If intrested, dropp me an PM

Yossi

[yogev]

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