ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Interested in building your own home grown cockpit?

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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:55 am

As Ive posted in a few other threads, Im building a simulator for my old club. I thought Id document my progress, or lack thereoff, in this thread.
Please note I have no idea what Im doing, Im no good at working with wood, and im a really bad designer, but I have the internet, a 3D printer and I want to build this thing.

This is the concept:

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Its built around a second hand car seat, some left over LCD panels and a FFB2 joystick and rudder panels. Because the panels are relatively small (27" UWD in the middle and 24" side panels) they need to be close to the pilot. But in order to be able to get in and out, I will put the entire upper section on linear rails

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I may need to come up with a locking mechanism.

Here is a mockup of the main parts a few weeks ago:

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Getting in and out proved a challenge even without the top parts, so I made the joystick removable by printing a holder and mounting it on the seat

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For the airbrake lever, I went full ghetto by repurposing a (worthless) drill press. But I soon discovered the spring was much too strong, I couldnt find a suitable replacement spring, so I replaced the spring with rubber bands.

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I also printed some parts to mount a potentiometer:

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I may add a micro switch to activate wheel brakes and Im still thinking of something to mimic the locking mechanism.

Because of how condor input works, and the fact condor simulates many gliders, I gave up on my initial idea for a "real" flap lever and settled on a sequential shifter. After half a dozen iterations, Im mostly happy with it now:

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The trim lever still needs a little refinement, but already feels great

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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:58 pm

Some progress.

I finalized and mounted the trim, flaps and airbrake levers

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I also added a microswitch on the airbrakes to activate wheel brakes.

Wired everything up to a leobodnard controller

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I extended all the cables inside the FFB2 to accommodate the longer stick (not a fun job!) and applied some dashes of paint (green for trim, yellow for cable release obviously). Also fixed and painted the joystickbaseplate holder
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And I was ready for a first testflight using a laptop

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It works :) I particularly like the flap shifter, I really want one on my desktop now

janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:09 pm

Ive went back and forth on the monitor issue at least a dozen times, but I finally decided on a single TV setup, using a 50" curved 4K tv

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A triple screen based upon my existing monitors would have to be too close to my face and risk being too narrow to provide a realistic FoV. I would need 30-40" monitors to do that properly and thats going to break the bank.

Ive looked at large widescreen TVs or monitors but 21:9 TVs seem no longer to exist, and UWD monitors larger than 34" cost an arm and a leg. So it will be a 50" 16:9 with headtracking.

I also finished a gear lever:

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Once again using rubber bands to simulate the locking :)

janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:02 am

my TV arrived.

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The original feet are temporary, as they are too deep and a little too high. Im making my own mounting system thats more compact

Condor looks glorious in 4K. the TV does suffer a little from ghosting/motion blur, so when panning around it all gets a little fuzzy (even in gaming mode. On hindsight I should have bought an OLED tv. The curvature is barely noticable.

And I started mounting and wiring one side panel. The button LEDs are as bright as I feared. Would look awesome for a spacesim, but a little out of place for a glider sim. but I will make the lights switchable, possible dimmable.

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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:59 pm

Bit of paint and it begins resembling the renders

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Neighbour's kid is a beta tester and he approves:

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Crakob
Posts: 239
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 8:26 am

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by Crakob » Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:49 pm

Whow !!!

what a great project. That looks super.

My respect.

Christian
CRAKOB = CRA

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pckormic
Posts: 159
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by pckormic » Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:28 pm

Really superb work.

But I am really interested in how do you have elongated" the Microsoft Sidewinfer FF stick.

¿Could you make a little tutorial of you did that?

Thanks a lot
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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:13 pm

But I am really interested in how do you have elongated" the Microsoft Sidewinfer FF stick.
All credit due to the author of this design:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2120328
I just 3D printed it. It goes between grip and the base and works like a charm, it even keeps the twist function intact if you need it.

You do have to make the wires longer, or buy an extension cable as explained on thingiverse

I made mine a little shorter now (the blue print in the photos above above, the silver one above that is as on thingiverse), because the forces get really weak at that length.

pckormic
Posts: 159
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by pckormic » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:00 pm

Thanks for your response

I whould like to make the joystick extension shorter than in the thingiverse printable file, some like your blue extension showed in your simulator pictures.

I wonder if you have the printable file with the this short extension, to print it myself.

Thanks a lot.
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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:54 pm

I uploaded it here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3124839/files

(ffb2short.stl)

Its a somewhat tricky print on a regular 3d printer. I laid it down and cut it in 2 symmetrical halves in my slicer. Then it still needs support, but very little and easy to remove:

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Interestingly, you dont even need to glue the halves together, as the parts are clamped together both at the base and the top.

edit: added the clips too

pckormic
Posts: 159
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by pckormic » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:24 pm

Thanks a lot.

I will tell you how it goes...

Good flights :D
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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:22 am

Finishing touches, mounted the tablet, added tow release. Dont mind the cable mess, that will be cleaned up obviously.

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When the only tool you master is a 3D printer, everything looks like a 3D print. Including labels. I mean, sure, you could print them as decals, but wouldnt you want 3D labels in your glider ? :D

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Unfortunately, I dont have green filament atm, so the trim label is in black.

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pckormic
Posts: 159
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by pckormic » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:24 pm

You really have done a superb work, :D :D :D

I specially like the printed labels. I reckon it could be used in a real glider too...
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pckormic
Posts: 159
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by pckormic » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:40 pm

janjansen wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:54 pm
I uploaded it here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3124839/files

(ffb2short.stl)

Its a somewhat tricky print on a regular 3d printer. I laid it down and cut it in 2 symmetrical halves in my slicer. Then it still needs support, but very little and easy to remove:

Image

Interestingly, you dont even need to glue the halves together, as the parts are clamped together both at the base and the top.

edit: added the clips too
By the way, I didn't understood the way you printed the joystick extension:

Did you printed it in one piece and then you "cut" it in two halves, or you did another "blueprint" with the two halves and then printed each half separately? (as is depicted in the upper picture)
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janjansen
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: ACK Keiheuvel simulator

Post by janjansen » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:54 pm

I printed it in 2 pieces. The software Im using (slic3r) has an option to cut a STL in two along the Z axis
Just lay the object flat, then in the menu Object select Cut.
Put the slider halfway and tell it to keep both parts.

If you are using another slicer which doesnt have similar function, let me know, Ill upload a "pre-cut" part. What printer and software are you using?

edit: I uploaded a "precut" stick to thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3124839/files

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