Helicopter home cockpit fun

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Mickolodias
Posts: 69
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:21 am

Helicopter home cockpit fun

#1 Post by Mickolodias »

So I decided to spend the evening setting up my lego/wood/pvc cockpit in front of the TV to see how it went.

Overall the experience compared to my 49" widescreen (work) monitors is pretty damn good. I've set the resolution pretty low in XP12 but not really any different to using the monitors.
The best part is that I can use my old iMac for AirManager which I have no way of placing at my work desk.

Here's a shot coming in to land at the Melbourne City Heliport (custom scenery I'm working on) in the CowanSim 500e... badly, think I'm too high, too slow, and generally not on target lol
c1.jpg
I'm one of 'those' mac guys. (and I have no idea why I can't afford to eat)

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Sling
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Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun

#2 Post by Sling »

Nice homemade collective. Any details?

Mickolodias
Posts: 69
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:21 am

Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun

#3 Post by Mickolodias »

Cheers! It's a lot of fun to fly with.

Edit: oh right, Collecctive :)
The collective is just a slide pot held in with some lego.
15mm Pipe for the main handle, with 20mm around the outside for the throttle. Some clever use of electrical tape to fatten up the small pipe so the throttle sits properly.
Underneath is a hall effect sensor, the magnet is mounted on the 20mm pipe. So as you rotate it increases/decreases the value.



Found a few photos from contruction

Here's the cyclic

The slide pots also held in with a basic wood structure and some (glued) lego :D
It doesn't look like much, but works really well and incredibly sensitive.
Uses bungy cord for a centering mechanism, while a real collective doesn't centre, these are set quite loose ( mostly to keep it upright when not in use )
IMG_5727.jpeg

The joystick is a frankenstiened logitech extreme 3d pro I picked up really cheap on ebay.
Just happens to fit perfectly (with the help of a layer or 2 of electrical tape) inside the 25mm PVC pipe
IMG_5469.jpeg

The ribbon cable barly fits. I couldn't work out the diodes on the circuit board so had to run a separate wire to each switch connection and cut some of copper.
Took me ages to get tha cable and plastic for the buttons in place and still functional, one those nights that was mostly swear words lol
IMG_5467.jpeg

It all runs into an Arduino Leonardo using the Arduino Joystick Library
Next project is to extend physical buttons around the pendo pad for auto pilot controls.
Although might use si message port so I can get some LED indicators going as well.

And now with video_stream around the corner I'm thinking a lego G530 just needs to happen :D
Last edited by Mickolodias on Fri Oct 21, 2022 5:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm one of 'those' mac guys. (and I have no idea why I can't afford to eat)

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Sling
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Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun

#4 Post by Sling »

Great stuff.

Mickolodias
Posts: 69
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:21 am

Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun

#5 Post by Mickolodias »

Hall Effect sensor. I love electrical tape
IMG_5729.jpeg
I put felt on inside here so I can tighten the bolt holding the pipe to increase tension and not drop when I let go. That's why I need the brick sitting on it :D
IMG_5728.jpeg
The buttons are small tactile switches mounted under the lego bit. I'm suprosed at how well it fit together. I'll try to grab a photo when I get to building a biut more.
I'm one of 'those' mac guys. (and I have no idea why I can't afford to eat)

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