A Sun Simulator? Simulating The Sun?

[stevem]

Just a discussion for consideration, and how it would be done. The simpit that I'm building, a Vulcan, is a dark cockpit -- all black, and very confined. I've noticed that most simpits (and the full-size, full motion sims) look dark and unnatural on the inside, while running a daytime visual on the projected visual display out the window. In other words, nighttime in the cockpit: daytime on the visual display. It looks unnatural.

The thought occurred to me: for daytime flight, could a bright light be built overhead the simpit cockpit shell, such that it is on a rotating arm, and it rotates opposite to aircraft heading?

This would create a bright light shining into the cockpit shell, creating semi-realistic sun shadows that move with aircraft heading.

- How crazy is this?
- What kind of motor/card would be needed to rotate the arm, so that it's smooth and not jerky?
- Would this be insufficient to simulate the sun, and would the cockpit still be dark?
- Would the brightness drown out the projected visual display?

[BushPilotWannabe]

How about several lights inside the cockpit facing inward and adjust the intensity to simulate one source and the light bouncing around the cockpit?

[stevem]

Hi BushPilotWannabe, great idea. It's just that, when flying an aircraft (not sure if you're a pilot), the shadows move and rotate as you turn in a smooth manner, coinciding with aircraft yaw. I definitely like the simplicity of dimming lights, as you mentioned.

[BushPilotWannabe]

Not a simple problem. You still have to calculate the vector to the sun and work this in to position of the light source, and if you are using a moving source, how do you position it in front of outside view monitors or the projector screen. My rig will never progress beyond a table top sim so I am limited to adjusting four pot lights and maybe a floor lamp.

Hugh

[stevem]

I had envisioned something like an OpenCockpits card, linked to a servo motor (of decent power), and some SIOC code that rotates the motor opposite to aircraft heading. The motor would lie over the cockpit shell, and an arm would extend overhead, over the shell cockpit windows, with a light pointing in through the windows. Let's say the aircraft is on a 090 heading in the morning. The arm would be in front of the cockpit windows, shining in. Then, when the aircraft enters a right turn, the arm would rotate counter-clockwise. Something like that. Just a thought.