DIY Touch Trainer

[russ]

I'd love to have a hardware based cockpit for my sim but it is pretty pricey for me. When I first saw the SimAvio TouchTrainer (FlyThisSim) I really liked the concept.



FlyThisSim TouchTrainer Lists for $8,100 US


For one thing it eliminates using mouse and keyboard for controlling the sim. As a veteran airline pilot I find using touch control with Air manager gets me very close to the realism of a full hardware setup. And, having had a job where I flew the same type of airplane day after day, I also like the fact that the touch panel can serve many different airplane types. When SimAvio made their software for creating and running their touchscreen panels ONLY available with the purchase of their expensive turnkey hardware system I was very happy I found Air Manager. FTS has several years head start but Air Manager is gaining fast for the DIYer. I decided to try to replicate the TouchTrainer for an affordable price by using Air Manager.

Here's what I came up with:

The Simulator visual is X-Plane 10 running on a i7 cpu Windows computer with a Nvidia gtx770 driving three 23" lcd monitors using Nvidia's Surround with bezel correction.
The Panel computer is an FX-8320 cpu and a gtx750 video card running Air Manager
I have a basic CH yoke and a Saitek throttle quadrant,Combat rudder pedals, and a trim wheel (added after these photos).

Here's the basic setup

simOblique.jpg (238.74 KiB) Viewed 3684 times

I built a framework to hold the Monitors and controls that sits in an old desk. I built several plank spacers to put under the panel touch screen monitor so I could created the correct view angle by adjusting the top of the monitor to the correct height. Note the double shelves for mice for each computer. Note: These mice are not needed from start up to flight shut down when using Air Manager Touch Control with the touchscreen monitor,

simLookDn.jpg (221.86 KiB) Viewed 3684 times

The nice thing is that Air Manager allows me to customize the cockpit layout to exactly what I want...where FlyThisSim offers only some airplanes they choose. If I owned a real airplane I could make it precisely like mine.

simStraight.jpg (176.94 KiB) Viewed 3684 times

The cost was about as follows (some were good deals but all were purchased online):

Sim Computer $1200
Panel Computer $ 800
3 LCD Monitors $300
Touch Monitor $150
CH Yoke $100
Saitek Throttle $50
Combat rudder $150
Trim Wheel $45
X-Plane 10 $60
Frame(scrap wood) $ 0

TOTAL $2855


The future:

I just got 3 49" 4K TV screens to upgrade my visual. Obviously they will operate at 1920 X1080 each at first but they only cost marginally more than the standard HD so I decided I would plan for the future faster video cards that may support 4K resolution. I also recently purchased a second touch screen for an amazing price. I hope to build a cockpit structure to locate controls and Air Manager instrument panels inside the new large visuals.

Here are a few contenders:

Roger Dodger Aviation has many sim layouts using PVC pipe construction. One that caught my eye is a unit designed for a roll-away single monitor setup. I would use that monitor only for the Air Manager panel and redesign in a way that allows the panel monitor to be moved up and down easily as needed for various airplanes flown (to get correct eye cutoff angle by the top of the panel).



http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsim ... -away.html

I was thinking how a similarly constructed setup might be made to allow even and overhead or console touch panel for airline flight sims. Air Manager can easily rum several monitors on a modest computer with a mid range video card. I really think a touch panel costing a few hundred bucks is an excellent substitute for an expensive hardware overhead airliner panel that costs thousands. The difference between touching a switch to flip it(touch screen) vs. actually moving a switch is very minimal. You still have to visually identify the correct switch and reach out and touch it in either case. And these panels are also only rarely used for a routine flight except for pre-flight and after landing flows.

The second possibility is one of the cool designs fron SimSamurai. They are more substantial and expensive but would be great for Airliner sims.
This model caught my eye from their line of products,



http://www.simsamurai.com/?page_id=32

I'll keep dreaming as I try to decide but I'd love to hear other's ideas and input as I do. I was a FSWeekend a couple weekends ago and saw some fantastic airline cockpits but the 30K-40K Euro price tags made me realize that it wasn't going to happen. I still would like to add real hardware where it is smart...where it most impacts realism of the experience or training. For example,if I could only add one control panel in an airliner sim, it would be the autopilot Mode Control Panel(MCP). On a typical flight it is probably the most touched control panel in the cockpit besides the the radio mic switch perhaps. And it directly impacts the control of the airplane. Radio tuning knobs are probably close behind in use but are not quite so important. You get the idea... add hardware that most used and most important... but I do find that a touch screen MCP using Air Manager touch control is almost as intuitive and useful as a hardware panel,

Thanks for listening to my rant

Russ

ps. Here's a link to a demo flight using a Eclipse Very Light Jet made last May https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH2K_aI0CCo

[russ]

Just upgraded my Air Manager cockpit using the three 49" 4K televisions. Still working out the bugs but here is a video of landing in Innsbruck. It looks even better real life.

[MarkH]

Russ, that is spectacular! You know, you might be able to run those TVs at 4K if you used FSX with WideView. Of course you would need three computers, each one capable of running a 4K screen and there would no doubt be other issues, but it would be the IMAX of simulators

[russ]

Mark

I have thought about that possibility but I have to wait for the right opportunity to sneak that kind of purchase past the family comptroller ( aka wife). Actually I have now build a 4m x 4m room in my basement for this improvement to my sim. The ceiling is high at about 2.7 m so a projector system could work there too. I just wanted a more protected, less dusty place since each tv was about $500 US.

At Oshkosh Fly This Sim (Sim Avio) had this monster running X-Plane.



It had three video cards running six separate instances of X-Plane on a Linux machine. That is a limitation of X-Plane is that there is no windowing. I am using the single gtx770 GPS with surround and am still trying to figure things out. At least it works. I want to try P3D but am afraid to introduce more confusion until I get this setup stabilized.

This project has distracted me from working on your Twin Otter instruments but I hope to resume that after the Holidays.

bTW, I enjoyed your video on extending the Saitek yoke. I have one sitting here that I modified to try to get rid of the detent. I just couldn't live with that annoying "coach" and made a mod using rubber bands I saw online. It worked okay but I have since found the CH yoke to be much more realistic in its feel. An improved yoke is definitely on my wish list... Just not sure which one.

Happy Holidays

[MarkH]

At Oshkosh Fly This Sim (Sim Avio) had this monster running X-Plane

Now that's just showing off

For yokes, check out this video someone in the Iris Dynamics forum just pointed me at. On the other hand, Milan at MFG tells me his next project is a floor-mounted joystick so I would hold out for that unless you really want force feedback. I've always wanted a proper joystick and dumping the yoke would simplify the panel-building for my Twin Otter, realistic or not. Looking forward to the new instruments!