F/A-18C Cockpit Plans and Parts

[LynxDK]

Is there any chance that you may share the blueprints like you did for A10? I have checked your website and forums but there was nothing about F18

 

 

Yes :) they will be shared like we did with the A-10C :)

[Ares63]

Hi LynxDK how did you optain so defined label?

i mean...are you print it with 3D printer and double head? or are you engraved and filled? or are simple drawn?

[LynxDK]

Hi LynxDK how did you optain so defined label?

i mean...are you print it with 3D printer and double head? or are you engraved and filled? or are simple drawn?

 

 

None of the Panels are 3D printed. Its Milled Acrylic, which is then painted and engraved :) Thats the short version :)

[Waxer]

Intentionally it wasnt our plan to begin making Throttles and Joysticks, and it still isnt. Why, because we simply dosnt have the machinery to make high quality joysticks, and there are allready others doing way better than we would ever do.

 

I've been catching up with your website and all the work you've been doing on F/A-18C sim pit design. Impressive work, attention to detail and craftsmanship to say the least.

 

Taking note of your comment above regarding specialist machinery required to do a good job on the throttle and joystick I just wanted to check that you were aware of this HOTAS product promised by Winwing in China? Link to forum posts here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=241976

 

This product was originally due for shipment 31 August, but the latest word from the manufacturer is that this is 3 weeks late. I've got a set on order. I wonder about the extent to which this could be integrated into your Sim-pit designs?

 

Anyways, keep up the fantastic work. I will be following all this with great interest.

[LynxDK]

I've been catching up with your website and all the work you've been doing on F/A-18C sim pit design. Impressive work, attention to detail and craftsmanship to say the least.

 

Taking note of your comment above regarding specialist machinery required to do a good job on the throttle and joystick I just wanted to check that you were aware of this HOTAS product promised by Winwing in China? Link to forum posts here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=241976

 

This product was originally due for shipment 31 August, but the latest word from the manufacturer is that this is 3 weeks late. I've got a set on order. I wonder about the extent to which this could be integrated into your Sim-pit designs?

 

Anyways, keep up the fantastic work. I will be following all this with great interest.

 

 

Thank you Milou :)

 

 

Those WinWing Controls look really awesome, but i have been looking on their site, and i cant find anything about the dimensions on the throttle.

But if the Throttle are the same dimensions as the real flight controls, it shouldnt be a problem to integrate them..

 

 

But to do so i would need a complete width, depth and lenght of the base casing, and preferreable a technical drawing with possible mounting holes etc.

 

 

There is so many posts in that forum thread that im not sure if anything like that have been posted there, maybe someone can help me with that :) otherwise ill contact Winwing to see if they can send me anything.

[Weasel]

Hello Lynx

 

There is a Facebook Group and chat you can ask everything about their Hotas system. There you get answers to all your questions

[Waxer]

Winwing did publish some drawings of the grip and throttle on their own mounting brackets. However, these drawings don't have the dimensions that you would need for pit integration: they only show dimensions including clearance with their mounting brackets. (Just for reference, they are here, but like I say I think they are not suitable for the dimensions needed for sim-pit integration here - https://shop.winwing.cn/p/JOYSTICK_en.html)

 

However, I think the best thing you can do is send a message to Alex at Winwing. You can reach him on: info@winwing.cn

[SteenosMT]

This looks amazing. I would love to buy plans for this but I have no where to cut the cockpit structure. Any ideas? I'm in Boston MA

[LynxDK]

This looks amazing. I would love to buy plans for this but I have no where to cut the cockpit structure. Any ideas? I'm in Boston MA

 

 

Plans will be free to download when they are done.

And i will sell them precut in my webshop to ship World Wide too...

 

 

Its a little early to say the final price, but we are in the same ballyard as the precut A-10C Consoles i have in my webshop, see here: http://lynx.dk/product-category/products/flight-simulator-gear/a-10c-warthog/a-10-precut-consoles/

 

 

Because of the weight of the package the price is different for each country.

 

 

It will not be exactly the same, but it will be close, as the F-18 Console is smaller than the A-10C, and therefore is lighter, but there is many more cut parts than in the A-10C. So longer cutting time, but lighter weight.

 

 

Its still too early to speak about the price for the 3D printed rails too... as they are not totally finished due to some missing parts in the consoles i need the redesign.

[Highwayman-Ed]

Wow, just wow. This is almost enough for me to put my VR away and go back to projector mounting...

[Nikolas_A]

Ok guys, I put the real EXT LT lighting plate I have on the CNC and measured it with a digitizing probe.

 

I made a 3D model, when it's complete it will be available if anyone wants it.

 

The FIRE TEST Panel Backplate is 82.10mm Wide.

And we know that a normal Panel like for example the FUEL PANEL which sit underneath the EXT LT Panel Backplate is 146.10mm Wide.

 

So taking the Width of the EXT LT Panel Backplate and retract the Width of the FIRE TEST Panel Backplate, 146.10 - 82.10, you get 64mm, if you then allow for 0.59mm between the panels to be sure you can fiy them all beside eachother, you end up with a width of 63.41 on the EXT LT Backplate.

 

I like your way of thinking but the result is definitely wrong. The lighting plate is 68.56mm wide, so the mounting plate cannot be 63.41

 

I modeled the mounting plate using Stang's figure of 72.63mm. It looks a bit wider than it should be. The DZUS holes don't center in the arcs of the lighting plate.

 

If I make it about 2.3mm smaller the DZUS holes are centered and the distance between them is 60.748mm (2.39") which makes me believe the DZUS rails are 2.4" (60.96) center to center.

[Fusedspine33]

Ok guys, I put the real EXT LT lighting plate I have on the CNC and measured it with a digitizing probe.

 

I made a 3D model, when it's complete it will be available if anyone wants it.

 

 

 

I like your way of thinking but the result is definitely wrong. The lighting plate is 68.56mm wide, so the mounting plate cannot be 63.41

 

I modeled the mounting plate using Stang's figure of 72.63mm. It looks a bit wider than it should be. The DZUS holes don't center in the arcs of the lighting plate.

 

If I make it about 2.3mm smaller the DZUS holes are centered and the distance between them is 60.748mm (2.39") which makes me believe the DZUS rails are 2.4" (60.96) center to center.

 

 

 

Milspec template showing standard spacing.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Nikolas_A]

Milspec template showing standard spacing.

Yup, only the EXT LT is not a standard size, hence that discussion...

 

 

See Stang's drawing on page 3.

[Fusedspine33]

Yup, only the EXT LT is not a standard size, hence that discussion...

 

 

 

As long as the lateral spacing matches .375. Make it however you want. There are a couple known deviations to this panel.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Nikolas_A]

Yes, the leght is a multiple of .375".

The width according to MS25212 should be 5.75". It is not. It can't be because the throttle is in the way. The other panels under the throttle are 5.75". Did you even look at page 3?

 

 

Sorry for the derrail LynxDK

[Nikolas_A]

Yup, looks about right!

 

 

Now, I need three black 6-32 screws and wiring.

[LynxDK]

Ok guys, I put the real EXT LT lighting plate I have on the CNC and measured it with a digitizing probe.

 

I made a 3D model, when it's complete it will be available if anyone wants it.

 

 

 

I like your way of thinking but the result is definitely wrong. The lighting plate is 68.56mm wide, so the mounting plate cannot be 63.41

 

I modeled the mounting plate using Stang's figure of 72.63mm. It looks a bit wider than it should be. The DZUS holes don't center in the arcs of the lighting plate.

 

If I make it about 2.3mm smaller the DZUS holes are centered and the distance between them is 60.748mm (2.39") which makes me believe the DZUS rails are 2.4" (60.96) center to center.

 

Sorry for the derrail LynxDK

 

 

 

 

No need to sorry, we are all doing this to get the best result :)

 

 

However i will say, that my way of thinking, that you called it is definitely not wrong. Because i have a read Fire test Panel, and i had a friend measure some specific things i needed in a real F-18, and he confirmed that the Throttle width is the exact same as my Fire Test Panel.

 

 

And since the throttle sits right next to the EXT LTS Panel, and it cannot be wider than the other panels, we end up at that width, unless the EXT LTS Panel is not in line with the other panels.. and thats not the case.

 

 

So exactly what is happening i dont know, because your panel look authentic, however maybe from a newer version of the plane? as it dosnt have the switches and engraving positioned the same place as the panel we see in the F/A-18C.

 

 

[LynxDK]

I have tried for some time now to get in contact with Winwing for a technical drawing and the posebility for us to work together so that their Throttle would fit 100% in our consoles, but without any luck, they simply never answer me.

 

 

So we will problaly release the drawings for the console as a version 1.0, and then if there is changes later on, we will release a document for where to drill mounting holes for fx. Throttles.

[Stang]

Not sure if this helps, and certainly don't want to detour LynxDK thread.

 

Below is a engineering drawing as included with my plans for the left console and the Throttle spacing. The small yellow tic lines are .375 apart, to show the standard DZUS rail mounting points in modern US fighters.

 

I did include a 1/32" (.031" inch, or .79mm for your other side of the pond guys :thumbup:) of spacing on the top and bottom of each panel to allow for non standard panels (sim panels) and homemade panels.

 

Let me know if I can help. :thumbup:

 

 

Just updated the picture address above.

 

Stang out

Edited May 27, 2020 by Stang

[Gruman]

Any update on a Seat? Would love to order a precut set of a ACES2 or SJU-17 styled seat.

 

Thanks

[AizenSousuke]

For the measurements, which file should I check for? Or I have to open the model and see?

[Waxer]

I have tried for some time now to get in contact with Winwing for a technical drawing and the posebility for us to work together so that their Throttle would fit 100% in our consoles, but without any luck, they simply never answer me.

 

 

So we will problaly release the drawings for the console as a version 1.0, and then if there is changes later on, we will release a document for where to drill mounting holes for fx. Throttles.

 

Hey Lynx, I've been lurking on this thread and checking things from time to time. Very impressed with the work that you have done. It is a shame that Alex from Winwing has not replied. He has been very helpful each time I have asked him something. But I imagine that he might see you as a competitor to Winwing's own button boxes. I don't see it that was as you are producing replicas whereas Winwing are producing interpretive gaming button boxes, but not replicas.

 

Anyways, you will find the dimensions that you are looking for in these CAD files:

https://www.winwing.cn/en/download

 

Specifically:

https://www.winwing.cn/static/file/WINWING_HOTAS_INSTALL_3D_DRAW_V1.1.zip

 

Hope this helps.

[Donnerbalken]

It's amazing how you guys are building those panels and intruments. I am wondering from where you got the exact measurements of all of these components.

[Deadman]

They don't for the most part It is a best guess

[aegis53]

Greetings,

 

For those who are interested the Open Hornet project has plans for a CNC cut ejection seat.

It it made from MDF or Ply and uses 3D printed parts for details. It looks very good.

 

B