Triggerhappy69

Pitbuilding Update - 5th August 2010 - Suffering from "Builders Block"... and moving I know my friend.. I know..! :cry: And belive me, I have tried flying the Blackshark with a standard joystick setup, just to see if it was ok.. And I'm sorry to say that IT IS NOT..! hehe.. So now I'm pushing forwards to finish at least the HOCAS, and get back into the game..! The last two days I have experienced a "builders Block"..! You know like writers have when they can't seem to get a word down on paper..? Well I have got so many things going on in the pit at once now. All of them depending on another small detail being finished. And now it's all come to a complete standstill... BUMMER.. So I pushed on with making the first Gauge..! I'll be using standard HITEC HS-55 servos for this instrument. Since the reolution on it is of lower importance. Originally I planned on using some small MPs835 Stepper Motors, but it semed like such a waste of four stepper motors..? The original faceplate I used as a template: ... and my version of it: I simply printed out the drawings (they are in a 1:1 scale) Checked them for size just in case. Cut out the pieces, and glued to the plexiglass with one of those "lipstick" type paper glue appliers. And here are the PDF files you need: Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge front Plate 70mm.PDF Ka50 Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge 01.PDF Ka50 Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge 02.PDF

And here are some Pics.

Pitbuilding Update August 3rd 2010 - Testing Force Trim Mechanics Check it out so far guys..! The damn thing actually WORKED..!:thumbup: The "jerking" that you see when I release the Force Trim Calipers by hand, should go away when I have an actuator releasing it for me. Also I'll add Mini Moto Steering Dampers to all axis before the Force Trim Plates. These should smooth out the motion as well..! Like these:

.. THAT I don't belive..! No man in he's right sence would ever do a thing like that..? Feed your wife's shoes to the dog? It's like signing the your own death sentence, and that of your dog to? LMAO..! BTW. That is one good looking dog you have there.. Awake, attentive and alert.. like a dog should be..

Women have no consept of what WE see as valuable assets that wee need to hold on to..! It's just one of life's great mysteries..! ... however, I really have serious problems coming to terms with womens consept of what is important, if not crutial to they're very existance!! Nor have I, during my 41 years on this rock, I've never ever found myself in a situation where my life was dependant in weather I was carrying three shades of lipgloss or not.? but who am I to say...:music_whistling:

Pitbuilding Update 26 July 2010 - Trim Force Calipers mounting Bracket Taadaaa..! I finally found motivation to sit down and de-assemble the Brake Calipers and mount them all on 6mm threaded rods.. :cry: I've been dreading this job for a while now. Not because it's particulary hard, but simply because it IS NOT..! hehe. And unfortunately I was right in my asumption that it would be a long, and tedious labour! But now it's done!:thumbup: The reason why I mounted them like this is allignment... All the brake disc's are rotating arround the same axis, so they should be pretty much moving in the same axis. And to save myself a lot of measuring, and sweating and swearing, and because I found that with an aluminum bracket on eather side of each caliper would require to much space, I opted for the "all-in-one" solution of using threaded rods. This will give me some room to fine adjust the calipers form side to side as long as I get the first outer extreme correct. After that it's just a matter of using the nuts to adjust the other two to theyr correct position before drilling and screwing the other side into place.. Or at least that is what I hope..? In the background you get a glips of a little side-project I have been playing arround with from time to time lately. I've always been fascinated by hovercrafts, and have secretly had a dream of building a radio controlled one with segmented skirts for myself. Just to see if it was possible for me to do it? And also to get a better understanding of the physics behind how hovercrafts work! This first prototype is made almost exclusively from 3mm sheets of Depron. The motor mount and control surface mount I made from some scrap 8mm plexiglas. And the propellers are hand made from three smaller airplane propellers that I cut the blades from, sanded to the correct angle of attack, and attached to servo heads with six arms (by using these I knew I had a stable platform with the correct angles to start from) ... not a bad resemblance from the real thing, considering I only had this picture, and a couple more, to go from? The thrust propeller without it's cowling.. I haven't gotten arround to making the cowling (or duct) yet, and I'll probably be scrapping this one soon to make a better one anyway.. ... YES you are quite right..! Making all these segments one by one DID take a long time..! And finding a quick and simple way to attach them did to.! But now they're all inplace.. AND THEY WORK..!:thumbup: .... I'll upload a video of it soon..

Well, let me try to elaborate.. There are two springs at each end of the timing belt. each with different strenght. The strongest spring is connected to the brake caliper. The other spring is there only to keep the belt tentioned at all times. The switch in my hand turn on and off the power to the motor that pull the belt. Only that the power has to go through a microswitch that allow power through as long as it is not activated. Or in other words a normally open switch. As I press the switch in my hand, the motor starts turning, tentioning the belt and pulling the "activator" (the piece of plastic i glued on the belt) towards the microswitch. Now.. When the belt and "activator" passes a point where it has opened the caliper enough to release the trim plates, it will push the microswitch down and cut the power to the motor. Since I want the calipers to re-activate again as fast as possible when the trim button (the one in my hand) is released. I have mounted a fairly strong spring on the calipers pulling on both the belt and the sfirst spring. This will naturally also pull the belt back again, re-opening the power to the motor for a brief moment! (hence the "jerking" you hear as a "tack-tack-tack-tack" sound). But this will have no different effect on the trim system because of the springs on either side.. I'll make a mock-up of the whole system when I get home, and take pictures of every step..

Pitbuilding Updtae 22 july 2010 - DIY Force Trim Actuators I wish I had a million somethings to spend on magnetic brakes, like the real helicopters have. Because all this fiddeling with different kinds of solenoids and stuff has left me at the brink of giving up.! But Now I have finally found a solution that really works well. or so it seems..!?:music_whistling: If uoy check out the video, it should be easy to see what I mean: What the video doesn't show is the Brake calipers place in this setup. So I took this picture to ilustrate:

Thanx mate.:) Honestly, I'll probably be so bored with it I will give it away to the flight museum here in Stavanger..

Pitbuilding Update 14. july 2010 - New Cyclic Stick ready for wiring

Pitbuilding Update 14. july 2010 - X and Y Axis force gradiant units installed! See, it's chugging along slowly this build prosess..! The Force Gradiant Units for the X and Y axis are connected. Imagine the disk brakes fixed to the lower plate, and you have the whole setup. I have auired three 220 Volt AC solenoids that will dissengage the brakes. Just need to do some testing to see how I should mount them. I know... It's kinda overboard with ballbearings on both the brake plates AND the fixingpoints. But at least It will run smooth this way! Some views from below, showing the Cyclic Stick and tyhe Force Gradiant Units. The X-Axis and its bellcrank. ..and the Y-Axis without.. ..dunno why this picture got in here? It seems to be another picture of... Aaaaargh.. Why do I even bother writing this? The Force Gradiant units fixed to the brake plates.

I agree. Don't think they have givven up on the project, but I'm not sure if and/or how long it will be before this Su-27 stick is available for sale.. As far as I can remember, from what HPO said when I was visitingthem, they stick was originally ment to be a part of a cockpit that Joe Curr and some others were building? ... but I'm getting old now.. my memory is not the same anymore..:cry: As far as russian DIY joysticks go. They might look less "flashy" than they're western counterparts, but the ingenuity and brilliant design solutions from some of them are just to die for..! I find myself spending HOURS searcing through russian forums like sukhoi.ru and other, looking at pictures and picking up ideas.. (mainly because I can't read a word russian) I've just finished modding an old SunCom F-15 and Thrustmaster F-16 HOTAS together to make an A-10 HOTAS with split throttle.. It did take some time, and I had to get rid of all the inernal electronics, and replace with one of Leo's joystick cards. But now that it's done, I have to say that it really does the job well..! And it's "kinda Russian".. witch I like..:thumbup:

This is exactly what I've been looking for..!:thumbup: ... how can I get my hands on four of those?

Man.. That thing is going to be just AMAZING to play in..! I'm really imressed..! However I have a question.. Why is that some preferre pneumatics before using DC motors, or even steppers? from the videos it seems like the electric ones are more precise and not so jerky? Am I way of here? I have to point out that this subject, I not close to nothing about! I envy you sooo bad right now mate.

... you... stop it... :blush: I use opencockpits IOCards and SIOC.. :thumbup:

How did you go about ordering these dampers? I have been looking for something like this to put on the pedals and collective for AGES now. And watching the video you posted on Check-Six forum these little gems are just perfect..! Rep coming your way for solving my desire for "fluid motion feeling"..! Did you find them on some webshop, or buy directly from the manufacturer?

Kevlon. I'll continue this conversation in english since we have a limited number of Norwegian speaking guys here.. Hehe. Where in London do you live? We just sold our house in Portebello Road a couple of months ago. No one was using it since "my old man, the engineer" decided to move to Abu Dhabi, and my little sister finished her play in London. I really like London.. It's such a diverse city, and it has THE very best movie theater in THE WORLD..! A small cinema called "the electric cinema" smack in the middle of Portebello road where you are seated in reclined leather seats, with a pillow to put your feet up on. And they serve drinks in the bar before and during the movie.. M-m-M..! (naturally the last row consist of seats that are twice as wide as the others for making out in..!) I moved to Stavanger now.. So just come on over mate..!

I think Yoou'll be amazed by the versatility of this IO Card.. I use it in the hand pendant I made to run my CnC router.. And here it has Toggle switches, push-buttons, potmeters, a couple of encoders AND a LCD display connected. All if it to the same tiny IO Card..!

According to the manual you do not need to build the Matrix or add diodes to the push-buttons in a matrix with Pokeys55. However I doubt it will work without glitches if you connect toggle switches to a matrix in general.. Since the matrix setup is reliant on hvaing the abillity to scan all rows and collums for any changes.? I have a Pokeys55 card here, but haven't had time to test it... So this is just based in how I interpret the manual. However it might work with the "keypress down" and "keypress up" commands activated for that particular switch..?

I recomend making a joystick extension and combining it with a hall effect mod... It makes flying so much more precise when you really need it.. Your stick motion become less jerky when under stress, simply because the amound of physical movement required to "jerk your bird arround" is more obvious.. Or at least that is what it did to me... Extending the cougar is also quite simple when you know that the threads on the cougar handle are the same as most garden-hose fittings... And the extension cable is basicly an old keyboard extension cable..

I dissagree..:music_whistling: I modded my cougar after these french How-To's from Check Six Forum (excellent french flightsim forum) Using Honeywells hall effect sencors that cost 7.94kr (1Euro) each and some magnets from the local hardware store I think the complete hall effect mod (all axis) cost me a grand total of next to nothing..:thumbup: (Pictures from www.sukhoi.ru forum) If you search the VVS504th Squadrons forum I think you might still find the thread where I show how I did it... Downloads of the french docs telling you how to here: http://www.4shared.com/document/NiYf8DPA/Cougar_Throttler_Hall_effect.html http://www.4shared.com/photo/q5np4WRj/hallss49xx2vo9.html http://www.4shared.com/document/cxgO_csR/Sonde__effet_hall_perso.html It's really a lot easyer than you think, and the difference in accuracy is just... stunning..!

LoL.. Thanx Scud.. I used that exact same word in a wrong context not long ago myself, so I was hoping you did to.. Here are the a-10 files: http://www.4shared.com/file/BnnrVxE3/A-10_filespart1.html http://www.4shared.com/file/U_coqMTF/A-10_filespart2.html http://www.4shared.com/file/en1uQspM/A-10_filespart3.html That should at least cover the most popular requests... My Ka-50 folder is still "under development", and 4,5Gb in size.. But I'll share files by request from it..

Ha Ha..! I have to give you that one man..! Not one of my best analogys.! :lol: .. I'll keep workingh on it though..:cry: I've started working on the ejection seat drawing. The seat back to be precise.. The height of the seat from the floor, with the seat padding, will be just a bit under 30cm. But how high should the back be (measured from the top of the seat to the slots where the seat-belts come out? Any ideas

And last (at least for tonight) the Su-27 files: http://www.4shared.com/file/8XaM1a0i/Su-27.html Enjoy the files guys.. Ps. if you do improvements or actually finish the drawings. Could you please send me an update?

I also uploaded My Mig-29 files: Mig-29.rar