VR UH-1D/H Pit

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

I´m beyond words.

[EvilBert VR]

On 1/12/2021 at 8:30 PM, Ala12Rv-Tundra said:

I´m beyond words.

Thank you sir!

Here's a little glimps of the inside of the box:

Nothing really special, just some connected wires.

As mentioned earlier, I am using both; hall sensors and linear potentiometers for the axis control.
Nick, roll and collective are hall sensors, pitch, throttle and yaw (pedals) are linear potentiometers. I am using different types, just what I was able to get a hold on.

The hall sensors were mounted on the bearing frame of the stick base and later connected to some plugs that go into my box. The fittings were 3D printed for an exact fit:



Here's a pic of the linear sensor that is responsible for the throttle input:



More to follow!

Cheer!!

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

what´s next, using the tail rotor instead of a fan for your computer case?

[streakeagle]

I used industrial quality linear potentiometers for my real F-4 stick. Even the good stuff only lasts so long before it starts getting noisy or spiking due to dirt and wear. I finally got tired of cleaning the pot with alcohol every night and switched to a Warthog with an extension.

 

Within the next year or so, I am going to bring my F-4 stick back into action. I think I am going to disassemble a Warthog base or VKB Gunfighter base and find a way to make it work for both pitch and roll. The Warthog and VKB bases have higher resolution and are built/programmed to minimize noise/spikes. So all I have to do is come up with the mechanical interface to leverage their great hardware/firmware to connect to my big stick. I can't wait to use it again, because the spring setup I was using for centering in the pitch axis made violent dogfighting very tiring... sort of a force feedback simulator. I like going to bed physically exhausted after just few hours sitting in a chair in front of a PC. I have had my original Warthog stick for a very long time and it has required zero maintenance beyond replacing a green board in the grip because the first stage of the trigger had stopped working. I love having 14-bit resolution (because contrary to advertising, that is the actual resolution used by the Warthog) with no noise and not having to do any cleaning

Edited January 14, 2021 by streakeagle

[Fusedspine33]

Evil, can you post a link the part used to add screw terminals to your BBI-32. Thanks

[EvilBert VR]

12 hours ago, Fusedspine33 said:

Evil, can you post a link the part used to add screw terminals to your BBI-32. Thanks

You mean something like this:

This has been crafted by a friend of mine. Makes it a lot easier connecting the wires without having to struggle to fiddle them on the tiny board pins.

Cheers!

[Fusedspine33]

Yes those terminal blocks look more durable than the ones I have found. If your friend could provide the source it would be appreciated.

 

[EvilBert VR]

13 hours ago, Fusedspine33 said:

Yes those terminal blocks look more durable than the ones I have found. If your friend could provide the source it would be appreciated.

 

He made those on his own as well as some other goodies that make work a lot easier!
He is a very talented guy and provided lots of help during my building progress. Also for my current project that pushes my sim-boundaries a little further. But that will be another topic here soon ;-)

PM me and I will get you guys in touch.

Cheers!

[EvilBert VR]

This is how the linear poti has been connected to the yaw axis (pedals). Don's mind the cables from the stick. Those are from the first version without using the US type with complete connectors.



And of course I was in need of the upper console that houses all the AC/DC distribution panels as well as the panels for lighting and other features.
Therefor I decided to use a frame construction into which I had to fit my original console that accommodates the panels. The forward center structure also replicates the beam between the windshields in the correct angle, height and distance as in the real helicopter. The picture shows the first version though with the center beam still in its vertical layout before switching to the angled type.



And here after the correction:


With the panels installed:



Cheers!

[EvilBert VR]

Just for the look and to shield the framing and the gadgets underneath the rig I constructed a skin plate out of aircraft aluminum using the correct Huey cover plates to replicate the fuselage skin on the pilots side of the bird:


For quick mount/ dismount I used velcro stripes to hold the panel in place.

After some paint the panel slipped into its place. The pictures shows the rig prior to deployment to the AERO fair at Friedrichshafen. Unfortunately not all of the instruments were ready to be installed but it was good to go and in working condition.



Cheers!

 

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

On 2/11/2019 at 11:35 AM, EvilBert VR said:

Assembly of the floor base for the pit:

Astounding work Sir! When I saw this picture with the hand rivet puller I thought: "Nice work but too bad he's doing it with pop rivets". Then with closer examination of later pictures it appears that all rivets are Cherrymax! Also, it looks like the primer is aircraft grade yellow epoxy primer, the connectors are aircraft grade "Cannon" type and, of course, the use of true Huey fittings. Can I assume that you are an aircraft mechanic?

 

Looking forward to seeing more as this project progresses!

[EvilBert VR]

On 4/7/2021 at 11:23 PM, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Astounding work Sir! When I saw this picture with the hand rivet puller I thought: "Nice work but too bad he's doing it with pop rivets". Then with closer examination of later pictures it appears that all rivets are Cherrymax! Also, it looks like the primer is aircraft grade yellow epoxy primer, the connectors are aircraft grade "Cannon" type and, of course, the use of true Huey fittings. Can I assume that you are an aircraft mechanic?

 

Looking forward to seeing more as this project progresses!

Well, sort of
I deal with this in the real world. So it is not that uneasy for me to get a hold on those little bits.
For what the project concerns: I am currently in the process of split-wiring the control panels for dual use. I wanted them to work in DCS and I wanted them to function with the Hueys 24V system. That gave me a headache at the start. But working with relays now is the best solution.

Besides that me and some friends started to work on reallife replicas of all of the instruments. We fiddled a lot and started with mounting the new controllers into real instruments. What turned out to work nicely showed it limits in pricing. It is also considered to be a waste of resources. No one rally likes to tear apart hard to get and pricy real aircraft instruments. So the idea was to replicate the instruments as close to the real thing as possible. The results are just stunning!!!

This is an example for an temp gauge.

[EvilBert VR]

Even more in the works.....

These are pics of the first prototypes. Further development is in progress!


 

[DeTesla]

Ah man that looks very nice. I have accumulated over 3800 hours in the Huey since '13 and i would absolutely love a setup like this. I must say if i would have made this, i'd go all the way and get the co-pilot side fitted aswell, for flying physically with friends, but thats just me.

Alas, as i live in Norway, getting parts such as this is very hard, but eventually i'll make a Hueycockpit aswell when i get the time and funds.

Beautifully done nevertheless!

[EvilBert VR]

41 minutes ago, DeTesla said:

Ah man that looks very nice. I have accumulated over 3800 hours in the Huey since '13 and i would absolutely love a setup like this. I must say if i would have made this, i'd go all the way and get the co-pilot side fitted aswell, for flying physically with friends, but thats just me.

Alas, as i live in Norway, getting parts such as this is very hard, but eventually i'll make a Hueycockpit aswell when i get the time and funds.

Beautifully done nevertheless!

Thanks mate!
This is only my "home" setup. I have also a compete cockpit section that is currently undergoing work into a complete Huey flightsim.
That is going to be a fully functional 2-seat sim for use in VR/ MR or screen. For that reason all of the instruments will be working.

Cheers

[EvilBert VR]

Hey lads,

I've been asked about Hall sensor installment on the stick base of my pit.:
Basically it is only two pivot mounted hall sensor along the two axis (roll & nick). They are mounted on 3D printed parts and simply connected to a Bodnar. That's it.

Here's some pics:

 

[Studsmcgee]

2 hours ago, EvilBert VR said:

Hey lads,

I've been asked about Hall sensor installment on the stick base of my pit.:
Basically it is only two pivot mounted hall sensor along the two axis (roll & nick). They are mounted on 3D printed parts and simply connected to a Bodnar. That's it.

Here's some pics:
 

 

 

 

Hey thank you for the photos! 

Are the 3D printed parts just glued to the gimbal? Or did you drill and tap for screws somewhere?

[EvilBert VR]

21 minutes ago, Studsmcgee said:

Hey thank you for the photos! 

Are the 3D printed parts just glued to the gimbal? Or did you drill and tap for screws somewhere?

You're welcome!
Actually the parts are glued over the screwheads.
Never had an issue so far.

Cheers

[Studsmcgee]

On 4/8/2022 at 1:11 PM, EvilBert VR said:

You're welcome!
Actually the parts are glued over the screwheads.
Never had an issue so far.

Cheers

That worked great! Thanks. 
 

Do you have any sort of spring force or dampening on your cyclic?
 

Mine is currently completely free moving. Easy to hover with but it’s tiring holding the weight of the stick constantly. Any thoughts on that?

[EvilBert VR]

Studs,
for the current version I am using the friction for giving it the stick feel. In the new version I will install the original magnetic brakes with the dampers for a better stick feel.
Do yourself a favour and DO NOT use any springs for centering or whatsoever. It is just unrealistic.
For the pedals I am using a a gas/spring loaded damper from a DB 190 car.
On the collective I've attached a 4,7kg counterweight to simulate the hydraulic force. You can move the collective with your fingers now pretty easily in both directions.

Cheers

[Studsmcgee]

6 hours ago, EvilBert VR said:

Studs,
for the current version I am using the friction for giving it the stick feel. In the new version I will install the original magnetic brakes with the dampers for a better stick feel.
Do yourself a favour and DO NOT use any springs for centering or whatsoever. It is just unrealistic.
For the pedals I am using a a gas/spring loaded damper from a DB 190 car.
On the collective I've attached a 4,7kg counterweight to simulate the hydraulic force. You can move the collective with your fingers now pretty easily in both directions.

Cheers

Thanks! 
 

I used the built in friction a little but mine is rather sticky. Have you used any grease or lubricant on the mechanism? It also seems to be stiffer near the edge of the travel and looser near the center.