DIY Helicopter Collective and SimPit

[zmaber]

 

Hi Guys! Got inspired a few weeks ago and built myself a cockpit for flying DCS helicopters. I've always enjoyed flying DCS modules but since I started using an Oculus I have been wanting something a little more immersive for the controls. The seat is from a Mazda I found at the salvage yard, and the controls are VKB. The homemade collective, seat, and PVC frame cost about $100 total to make. In case anyone is interested I posted a gallery on Imgur with very detailed pics showing exactly what I used and how to find the parts. I am also including a link to my Arduino code that I used for the collective.

 

Gallery:

https://imgur.com/gallery/EevnWKI

 

 

Arduino Code: https://imgur.com/gallery/xmt2Zid

[Mr_Burns]

Nice work, what holds the collective in place, friction?

[zmaber]

Thanks! Yup its just friction for now, until I devise a hydraulic dampener for it. The friction is adjustable via a long screw that squeezes the collective arm.

[FragBum]

Great job, having proper inputs makes the immersion that much better. :thumbup:

 

I'm a big fan of the low cost motor cycle steering dampers for such tasks as collective and pedals. For those that can do the mechanical side there are after market USB controllers available if the thought of programming scares you from such a project.