Spit-Pit for HMD and DCS

Evening All.

First post here, so apologies in advance for any faux pas...

I've been inspired by seeing some of the wonderful (mostly modern) sim-pit builds on here and by playing dcs so decided to finally build the Spitfire sim-pit I've been humming and hawing about for literally years.

Here we go... the plan is to build it out of wood for cost and relative simplicity of working, and to build between frames 7 and 12 of the fuselage - which encompasses the cockpit and fits within my boxroom nicely. The broader plan is to have an physically accurate, although not necessarily high-fidelity, spitfire cockpit for use with both the DCS Mark IX and the Rift (or other HMD) when both of these finally surface. Essentially, the physical controls and switches will be in their correct place and connected via a Bodnar Board to the sim, while the HMD will allow me to use the virtual cockpit rather than puddling about with servo'd dials etc.

I've used the frankly *excellent* information provided by this Canadian chap. The ebook is well worth picking up at the price, and if anything has too much detail. At least I'll know where to put all the rivets though... :P

http://monfortonpress.com/

Using that I was able to draft the lower frames (below the fuselage datum) directly on to 18mm ply that had been cut in to rectangles by the hardware store, before jigsawing them out and cleaning them up with surform files and steel wool. The frames taper upwards as one moves aft, but I made the decision to extend them vertically downward at buttline 2 to the same depth as frame 7 - thus making a flat base for the pit. Erm, you might need to be looking at the above plans to follow that statement, sorry.

The plan is to use 33x33mm softwood as longerons; two along the bottom (at buttline 2 again) and two along the top edge. This should give a solid lower hull that I can build the upper surface on top with by a similar method. Then I'll sheath the whole thing in probably 1mm poster board.

I've also made the design decision to cut the holes in frames 9 and 8 (both forward of the pilot) to waterline -2, which is about the right height to mount rudder pedals on sliding drawer tracks running over the top, rather than building the authentic pedals.

Anyway, enough waffle... talk is cheap, so here are a few pics of the build so far. So far, so good, particularly as I'm a nurse ("Jim") not a joiner...

Back to work now. :)

Ah, this has real potential!

Looking forward to seeing where you go with this :D

Smirks

Thanks for the support. :)

I've now got all the frames cut and shaped and sanded and stuff (mostly hand finished, I prefer that for "feel" whilst working). Next step is to mark out the lower longerons and mount the frames on those, then attach the upper longerons. Think of it like making a full-scale balsa plane (we all did that in our youth, yeah?) and you'll not go wrong.

Attached are a few images of the completed frames. On frames 8 and 9 you can hopefully see what I meant before by stopping the cut at waterline -2 for mounting the rudder pedals. I also decide to cut frame 10 rather high as I'll be using that as a support for the base of the seat.

Nice work. I look forward to seeing the project develop.

Where in the world are you?

Nice work. I look forward to seeing the project develop.

 

Where in the world are you?

Thanks. Should get some more done over the next few days. Need to paint the "hanger" too though.

I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

One of the reasons I've plumped for the spit (despite there not being an option to fly it... yet) is because of the historic association between Edinburgh, 603 Squadron and the Spitfire. That's why there's one sitting outside the local airport. :)

(First RAF victory in WW2 was a Ju-88 downed locally, actually. People tend to concentrate on the south of England and forget about the Scottish Blitz. It's actually not that far to fly across the North Sea, but I digress.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._603_Squadron_RAF

Hi Cripple, welcome to the forums, should have noted from the large radiator in your room you were in Scotland!

Really good idea to build it based on the actual Spit - do you know what material the flying one was made from?

I saw he had all scale plans on that website you linked to, im building a CNC at the moment, I am hoping to be able to make a scale aircraft to fly eventually and I love the Spitfire. I also imagine it was made "simply" so they could smash out the numbers required.

I was at a Suppliers in Yeovil next to the Westland facility a few years ago and a Supermarine flew in and landed, it was quite historic and alot of old boys came out to see it, probably some had worked on it back in the day.

I'm in the Midlands (not my fault), one of the main places where the wonderful Spitfire was made, and where it's designer grew up.

Are you opting for the Spitsim joystick and pedals, or are you going to fabricate them yourself?

Scotland: where men are Real Men, and have huge... radiators. :P

The original Spitfire was fabricated out of aluminium. I chose to use wood as I'm not going for a museum quality facsimile, just as glorified cardboard box to sit in and make vrooooooom noises; I also have close to zero experience with working aluminium. What I do know is that you basically have to build everything twice: once in wood for a mould/jig/whatever, and then again in the aluminium over it. Hasn't stopped this lot though...

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?50540-Spitfire-Simulator-man-building-metal-spit

Or this fella who built smaller scale spits and a mustang.

http://www.spitfireinmyworkshop.net/spitfire.php

Neil - I love the the spitsim bits but I'm going down the home fabrication route myself. As much for cost as anything else (I think my full budget, including new pc and HMD, is about the same as a set of controls), but also for the "fun" (cough) of learning about hall sensors and interfacing. I'd also be terrified to mod any of the spitsim parts!

Got a cast replica grip from ebay, tidied it up, and got my thinking cap on about how to farb up my own BBC button etc. Watch this space. :)

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?50540-Spitfire-Simulator-man-building-metal-spit

 

http://www.spitfireinmyworkshop.net/spitfire.php

wow.... that is just insane :noexpression:

Evening all,

Just a quick update. This is a proof-of-concept dry-fit of the frame 8 panel (below the dash) on the lower longerons. All the (lower) panels are now notched to fit, and the longerons are marked up. You can see the top upper longeron notches in the pic. Just needs assembled now (glue and angle brackets, methinks), and I'll have a curved box to sit inside making vrooooooooooooooooooom-dakka-dakka noises. ;-)

The (internal) debate now is whether I assemble this stage before or after I begin to:

a) mark and cut the upper frames, and

b) redecorate the "hanger" it will live in - currently used as a cutting room.

Evening all,

Wow, 900+ views. :)

No updates on the wood-working as I'm waiting on a lift to get more wood. However, here are a couple of shots of the grip. It was an ebay sand-cast, cleaned up, spray painted, with a sawn bolt epoxied in to place. The brake lever is a bike brake lever. Grip was whipped with string then wrapped with duct-tape. Electrics and springs to be added later. Still need to fabricate the BBC (guns :P) button too.

Not museum-quality, but more than sufficient for the inside of a spit-pit - particularly with an HMD on.

Just go visit this place :)

 

http://spitfirespares.co.uk/controls.html

 

;)Looking good, cant wait to see the finished work, and for you to ship mine to me

Know it well.... bit rich for my wallet though! ;-)

Heh heh - do we ever "finish" cockpit builds? Hope to have something completed by the end of the year though...

How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time. :)

Afternoon All...

Been a couple of weeks since my last update, but rest assured that progress is still being made. No big construction updates, unfortunately, as I've been trying to get the "hanger" room repainted and ready for the installation of the cockpit shell.

So, what have I done?

- worked out how much ply I need for the upper frames.

- worked out how I am going to do the smaller ribs that support the cockpit combing. Short version, I'm going to cut 2x frame 9 and 10x frame 10. On each side I'll use 5x frame 10, 4x for the door panel, and an end support. On the port side the door will be hinged, while on the starboard it will be screwed firmly in position - which should give a nice solid handhold for hauling my old arthritic body in and out (see pic).

- discovered that Cuprinol "willow" paint is a decent substitute for RAF interior green, and covers both wood and metal fittings with ease (see pic).

- after lots of pouring over pictures of old and modern spitfires, and more 1940s wiring diagrams than I'd wish to, worked out the switches I require for the 'pit. The pic is of my first thoughts, and represents a mash-up of marks. The mk.ix doesn't have the reflector gunsight or generator switches, and the "master" switch is like the supercharger switch and on the throttle body. Not going to bother with the IFF at this point as I'm planning to use proper vintage switches, which are Not Cheap. IFF seems not to be implemented in dcs anyway.

Anyway, things are still moving, but a lot of it is thinking and planning work rather than exciting build shots. Hope to have the basic cockpit frame assembled and in situ over the next few weeks though.

This guy has vintage switches at a fair price...I've had a few from him including the nice starter buttons with safety guards.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/gbairspares/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

This guy has vintage switches at a fair price...I've had a few from him including the nice starter buttons with safety guards.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/gbairspares/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Thanks!

I'll have a good browse of his wares...

Cripple, watch for an ebay seller called "amys-tree63", updates once a week or so, various Air Ministry switches and controls. Bought a bunch a while back for my 'pit.

.... Bought a bunch a while back for my 'pit.

Wow! That's a *nice* pit. I'm very impressed, and more than a wee bit jealous. :)

How did you interface the flaps switch? I'll admit that one is causing me a bit of head-scratching so far.

Finally, some build pics (rather than wooden shapes and musing)!

The lower half of the cockpit is assembled and in situ. Still got to screw the datum longerons in place, but thought I'd share a wee update regardless. Happy Face here as it's all coming together as planned... pretty much. :-P

In other news, my credit card hates me after some ebay splurging. I *love* the feel of the old switches though.

Oh, and I'm not a serial killer. Honest. The plastic is so I can paint the damn thing without moving it again.

Anyway, pics...

Guess what I've been sitting in whilst making vroooooooooom noises and looking over my shoulders? :D

Lower frame all done apart from the intercostals. Pretty sturdy now.

Nice work. :thumbup:

Still need to fabricate the BBC (guns :P) button too.

The BBC button ("Browning, Both, Cannon") parts can be ordered in 3D print in Shapeways (although a little expensive)... :huh:

http://www.shapeways.com/product/Z7PL2MYZA/spitfire-rocker-button?li=search-results-1&optionId=43289517

http://www.shapeways.com/product/8WD32893E/spitfire-cannon-button-housing?li=search-results-1&optionId=39898550

http://www.shapeways.com/product/599V4A3CT/spitfire-cannon-spade-grip-ram-block?li=search-results-1&optionId=42926132

http://www.shapeways.com/product/4LXAUNSJP/spitfire-spade-grip-back-plate-cannon-button?li=search-results-1&optionId=40039647

http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=spitfire&s=0#more-products

Or buy the button and build the box:

http://www.scalemodellingnow.com/wp-content/gallery/br-hurricaneexplored/12-ar-fig-2-pneumatic-twin-gun-firing-button.jpg

I did this drawing based on pictures:

http://i58.tinypic.com/30iidyq.jpg

Thanks for the link, Sokol. I'll pick up the bbc button and the flaps switch, I reckon...

Anyway, here's another wee progress picture. Look like half of a big fat balsa plane now. So far, so good. Not bad for an arthritic cripple muddling through, eh? :-P

Not bad, period!

Thanks for the feedback. :)

(There's a familiar, and inspirational, name popping up there...)

Anyway, here's another picture wee update. Got the upper bulkheads all marked up and ready for cutting out. Re-wrapped my grip with bike tape - not authentic in the slightest but rather nice on my large and arthritic old hands. Oh, and I have acquired a furry co-pilot (two, actually)... this one was rather smug after having stripped all the polythene dust sheeting down from the walls!

Funny old hobby this, isn't it? My original plan was for a fairly cheap lo-fi box-with-modern-switches; now I'm buying period(-ish) gear to essentially window-dress the dashboard! I also know faaaaaaaaaaar more about spits than I started... which is now enough to know *exactly* where the damn gaps in my knowledge base are. Heh heh. Got a cd or two of plans too, so I am busy sifting through them for the required info. Some wee nuggets so far though, like the spacing and font for the various switch labels.

(Oh, and I am delighted that my "best guess and fudge it" decision to use 36mm wood for the datum longerons is as-near-as-dammit to the actual width of 1.5".)

Another week, another update. Nothing too spectacular here, just the upper bulkheads cut out and shaped. Still need to do the inside cuts, but that shouldn't take long....

(Also working on other bits n bobs on the side, but I'll refrain from sharing those until progress is made.)