pitbldr

I'll second y2kiah's recommendation on the G540. I have one and love it. Building it yourself has some advantages and can save some cash, but I would also recommend spending the money now on parts that will hold up - in other words, aluminum extrusion over plywood/mdf. I would think that over time, wood/mdf is gonna develop more play and throw your tolerances out of wack. Build as much as you can now out of aluminum and save yourself time and headaches later on. :) Also, depending on how big of a machine you need, you could always start off small and upgrade. That's what I did and it worked out great. I bought a Fireball V90 for just under $1300, used it for a year, then sold it for $1150. Check out ebay too if you haven't yet. You might find a complete machine a good price! Hope you get it all worked out.

Hey guys, I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend (for those of us who celebrate). I actually managed to not stuff myself and was able to get a lot of work done. :) I turned out all the left and right console "prototype" panels. I call these prototype becuase I know I'll need to make some modifications to the design as I start adding the switches and other hardware. Once some more aluminum sheet arrives, I'll start cutting out the switch plates. The only panels not shown in the pic are the panels that are included with the TM Warthog and the CDU. Next comes painting and engraving, which I still need to perfect the process for, but I'm close.

Very nice! +1 :thumbup:

Looking good Rocketeer!! :thumbup:

Hi, See if this helps: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=56837

Thanks! According the manual, the EMER position on the master dial and the entire Code dial are not used in the sim. I'll wait and see if that changes, but if not, I'll just be using a rotatry selector for the master mode dial. Also trying to decide how I'll implement the thumbwheels. I've seen a few on ebay that weren't too pricey, so I may order one to test it out. Appreciate the info! :thumbup:

Perfect! Thanks DM! :thumbup:

Thanks Feed!! Is the OUT the same as OFF for those switches? Frederf - I am referring to the IFF panel on the left console under the SAS panel.

Does anyone know why the IFF panel uses the word "OUT" instead of "OFF"? Also, are the TEST switches two position on-off or are they three position on-on-on or on-off-on? They are not functioning in the sim, so I can't check their operation. The manual does not mention the number of positions for these switches as it does for others. Thanks!

I've seen bulk switches on ebay, so you might find some deals there. And $3 ain't bad... I've spent $25 for just one switch! I expect to have several hundred invested in switches when it's all done. Of course, I am trying to find and use military grade hardware though. :D

LOL - I guess someone just couldn't pass up such a sweet deal!

Don't miss this one! Wow, what a deal!!! And in stock too! http://eektechnology.com/THRUSTMASTER-HOTAS-WARTHOGFLIGHT-STICK/M/B00419ZUXS.htm Only $1,874.96!!!! :smartass:

Awesome! Looking forward to trying it out! :) Will we be able to change/arrange the layout?

Makes perfect sense. Just curious if you had discovered a special technique. I have seen woodworking plans where they use a template with several pieces stacked together and use a bandsaw to cut the stack all at once. I could see where that would save a lot of time.

Man, you were busy! :thumbup: I'll be interested to see your painting station. I'll probably need to set one up myself or either go outdoors - may have to copy your design. :music_whistling: Can I ask why you're only cutting the templates on the CNC and not the actual ribs? Completely agree with you on MDF... that stuff is messy and unhealthy. I only use if for my spoil board since it is extremely flat, but I hate it when it's time to resurface it! I'll be watching your NISE project closely. I am leaning toward OC hardware, but need to understand what both solutions offer and which will work best for me (I have very little knowledge of programming or electronics). I did learn that the local TechShop offers an Arduino class and even sells the card. I may end up taking that just for the learning experience.

For those who like this kind of stuff, follow the link to find the mil specs on illuminated panels. Look for MIL-P-7788F. There are two, second one is an amendment. http://www.everyspec.com/MIL-SPECS/MIL+SPECS+(MIL-P)/ These have been replaced with SAE AS-7788, but I cannot find that one for free anywhere. The 7788F doc is mostly text, but on the next to the last page it has the font I believe is used on panels (or at least when then document was current).

Thanks! :D I think I've got it dialed in enough that my second attempt will be usable. Now I just need to start working on a PCB board for the switches - another first for me. Thanks! I feel like I am inspiring the purchases of CNC machines! They are great toys....er um, tools! ;)

Thanks guys! You won't hear my laughing, cause I've been there! :)

Update on the CDU. Spent all morning working on the buttons. Don't get too excited, this was a first run and there were several mistakes. I am on the right track I think. Painted the bezel yesterday and it turned out great. No good pictures of it yet. This morning I took a piece of acrylic that I had previously welded together. It was made up of .25 clear and .0625 white. I painted the white side with some light gray paint I had on hand. I think I need something darker. Anyway, after the paint was dry, I used a .0625 V carving bit to engrave the text. Very happy with those results. Then I cut the buttons out and this is where I had a couple problems. First off, the piece moved - I've learned the double sided tape does not work well when adhered to wood. So, after several minutes of trying to re-align the piece, I started again and was off only by a few hundreths on one axis, so some of the text was not centered once the button was cut out. Lesson learned - I'll be attaching these with screws from now on. I lost a few buttons due to my depth of cut being too deep (final specs on this was for a .375 piece, so I was .0625 too deep.) :doh:The buttons went flying up into my vacuum system. I was also off in the measurement of the line select keys. I think the layers of paint may be a factor here. Anyone know how thick a layer of paint might be?? The end result is encouraging though, so next I'll be getting the correct thickness of acrylic and the proper paint color and running this again. Using a flashlite to demonstrate the backlighting affect.... and that's with only one layer of paint and the sides still unpainted. Some very poor pics are attached as proof! :D

Thanks guys! :) I tried to make some panels years ago when Janes F/A-18 came out. Wanted to build a pit way back then too! I can honesly say I would not be attempting this again if it were not for being able to use the CNC to do it.

Be sure to keep good notes so that you can explain to the rest of us (just me maybe) how it's done. :D After a lot of back and forth, I think I'll be going with the OC cards too. I just don't know squat about SIOC or LUA, so I'll be pestering all you guys when I get to that part of the project.

Yeah, on my second CNC machine. First one was too small. :D The buttons will be made from a single piece of acrylic or at the very least two pieces bonded together *before* I cut them. The thought of trying to clue all those small pieces together and keep them aligned correctly sends a shiver down my spine. I'll do it the easy way! :) Anyway, here's pics of the top and bottom plate. Had some blue and red acrylic scraps sitting around that were the size I needed. This looks very promising.

+1

CDU design Hey guys, I started working on the design for my CDU panel. Attached are a few images for comment. My plan is: 1. Cut the "top plate" (modeled in black) from .125" acrylic. 2. Cut the "bottom plate" (modeled in dark gray) from .25" acrylic. 3. Weld the top and bottom plates. 4. Cut the "backplate" (modeled in light gray) from .0625 aluminum. 5. Buttons will be cut from .25" and .125" acrylic as well, but reversed. The button top will be .25" thick to allow it to sit 1/8" above the top plate. The bottom portion will only be .125" thick to allow for 1/8" of travel when pressed. 6. I'll attach a piece of clear acrylic rod to each button that will pass through the backplate and actuate the buttons underneath. 7. I'll mount a PCB board with pushbuttons underneath the backplate about an inch or so using standoffs. (not modeled yet). Depending on the push buttons I use, I may also add some small springs underneath each key if needed. The unknowns at this stage are lighting and LCD. I know the acrylic rod will pass/carry light very well, so I am hoping to find a method to light the keys using that. Attaching an LCD will be done once we know exactly what we'll be able to pull from the sim. Feedback/thoughts welcome! :D

Very nice! Rep inbound. :)