VR UH-1D/H Pit

[EvilBert VR]

Hey folks,

 

 

I'd been asked to share some pictures of my Huey SimPit project. And here's what it is like:

 

It started approx 2 years ago when I made first contact to VR and a "semi-scale" Huey pit on a trade fare here in Germany.

I was overwhelmed by the impression of VR and the feel of sitting in a real cockpit seat using somehow real stick and pitch.

 

 

 

I decided to give it a go except using as much real Huey parts as possible and connect every panel and switch to the sim accordingly. I am happy enough to have access to a real bird and that is where I picked up all measurements. For parts that's a different story :music_whistling:

 

Well, here's how it started:

 

It began with a wooden mock-up to get dimensions and a general plan of how to connect the electronic parts afterwards. That mock-up was used as a template for the metal sheet that was designed using Auto CAD.

 

To be continued...

[FragBum]

Very nice. :thumbup:

[EvilBert VR]

Very nice. :thumbup:

 

Thx... :)

[EvilBert VR]

After the measurements were set and done it was about time to cut and weld the aluminum parts for the stick/ pedal control column base.

Followed by another dry fitting test with the wooden mock-up of the floor plate.

 

To be continued...

[EvilBert VR]

Assembly of the floor base for the pit:

[NightShiftNinja]

Looks awesome, which collective are you using?

 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[EvilBert VR]

Looks awesome, which collective are you using?

 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

 

 

Hi Gotwake,

 

 

the collective as well as the other control parts (stick, pedals, etc.) are original.

 

Cheers

[EvilBert VR]

Preparing the pitch fitting:

[iffoif]

Now that is an interesting project! Please keep us updated on your progress!

 

Gesendet von meinem SM-G955F mit Tapatalk

[Mr_Burns]

This is why I wish my old man was still alive, he could have done this unlike my two left hands!

 

 

Nice work man!

[EvilBert VR]

This is why I wish my old man was still alive, he could have done this unlike my two left hands!

 

 

Nice work man!

 

Thx!

 

Another dry-fitting of the main parts before starting bolting the individual bits and pieces together:

[iffoif]

Wow, that is quite impressive!

 

Now if you combine it with something like this:

 

Video 1

Video 2

 

It would be the ultimate DCS sim for me. :)

[slowmover]

Magnificent!!

[EvilBert VR]

Wow, that is quite impressive!

 

Now if you combine it with something like this:

 

Video 1

Video 2

 

It would be the ultimate DCS sim for me. :)

 

 

Well, this is something that could happen in the not too distant future!:music_whistling:

 

Just stay tuned .:)

 

What was done next was the drilling... Drilling, drilling and drilling. :prop:

 

All of the holes for the yet to com rivets and nut plates had to be drilled and sinked.

The footrests had to be prepared and the rails for the seat adapted. Well, this is how it looked:

[ElementLT]

oh wow! can't wait for you all to show off the finished project! this looks awesome!

[EvilBert VR]

oh wow! can't wait for you all to show off the finished project! this looks awesome!

 

 

Thx Element!!!! (Have we met online before? ;))

 

 

 

Just some more drilling and riveting.... I was lucky to gather some sheets of the original Huey floor structural panels. My intention was to bolt them onto the base plate to have it just like the real one.

I had to consider the necessary steps that were required for the "underfloor" mounting of several bits and pieces for the to follow control items before attaching the structural panel onto the base plate to gain a 100% match to the real Huey.

 

Cheers, ROB

[EvilBert VR]

Here's some progress on the rig.

The base frame is finished waiting for the structural panel to be cut and bolted into place.

 

Cheers

[Spitty]

Aircraft sheetmetal..Drilling holes and filling them in again ;)

Looks great so far !!!!

[EvilBert VR]

Hey everyone,

long time....

I promised some fellows to post some more pictures of building of the pit (which is finished since more than a year now).

Here the structured cabin floor has been cut in order to fit  on the  construction:

 

Seat rails, pedal blocks and other bits put in place to test if my measurements on the real bird had been adopted correctly.
And to my surprise everything fits perfectly and smooth in the desired place!

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

masterpiece

[EvilBert VR]

Since I wanted to use the Pit in a modular way in order to save space in my little office at home, I decided to create a side module that houses the center console as well as the dashboard. Measurements on my Huey and some spare parts made that task easier than the rest:

First the aluminum frame:







Fitted with the same floor structured panel:

[EvilBert VR]

Turned out to be a smooth fit!

[streakeagle]

Nice!

[Fusedspine33]

 Very nice work!

 

[EvilBert VR]

In the meanwhile:

As for the connection from the inputs to the computer I decided to go a different way.
I wanted to keep the original plugs with the stick and the collective and was eager to send the trigger signals from the buttons to the Bodnar board.
I have chosen the Leo Bodnar just because of its simplicity and Plug-N-Play features. Additionally the board also offers the ability to read the axis commands that are sent via linear potentiometers as well as some hall sensors that I used for the axis outputs.

Since I wanted to keep the option to use either the US B-8 stick as well as the German modified stick (with plenty more functions --> see first pic), I installed to connectors to my "box" so that I am able to change the sticks without having to struggle getting the cables newly connected to the Leo Bodnar.

So here's what I ended up with:

 

 

Connectors for the axis:


Connectors for the 2 version of the control stick:

Connector for the collective:

 

 

To be continued....