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
Helicopter home cockpit fun
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Helicopter home cockpit fun
I'm one of 'those' mac guys. (and I have no idea why I can't afford to eat)
Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun
Nice homemade collective. Any details?
Air Manager panels at https://www.experimentalsimavionics.com
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZqXX ... kfZMq5BKig
Air Manager API Tutorial Video Series https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNr0 ... baT4gJKg5D
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZqXX ... kfZMq5BKig
Air Manager API Tutorial Video Series https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNr0 ... baT4gJKg5D
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- Posts: 69
- Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:21 am
Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun
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
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 )
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
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
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
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
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 )
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
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
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
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)
Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun
Great stuff.
Air Manager panels at https://www.experimentalsimavionics.com
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZqXX ... kfZMq5BKig
Air Manager API Tutorial Video Series https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNr0 ... baT4gJKg5D
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZqXX ... kfZMq5BKig
Air Manager API Tutorial Video Series https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNr0 ... baT4gJKg5D
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- Posts: 69
- Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:21 am
Re: Helicopter home cockpit fun
Hall Effect sensor. I love electrical tape
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
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)