Desk Mounted F-14 Tomcat Cockpit for VR

[LASooner]

What one loser with a couple project boxes and a P-Touch Label maker can accomplish

 

My crappy F-14 deskpit.

 

It's ain't pretty, but it's functional and a reasonable approximation of the Tomcat switches and buttons

 

 

solved the ACM switch cover with a refrigerator door light switch

 

 

I plan on doing the landing gear/ fuel panel next, then maybe the radio

 

It is refreshing to be in VR and reach out to find what you're looking at in the headset

 

I would like to get a square switch cover for the NAV/TID witch, that would help with identifying the switch I'm touching while in VR.

 

I had to add a bunch of custom axis entries for the HUD and VDI brightness knobs, it's really nice to be able to quickly adjust the brightness during night missions. I'm mostly pleased with the whole deal

[zcaa0g]

That will work. Good job. Boomer Sooner!

[LASooner]

That will work. Good job. Boomer Sooner!

 

I don't know what will kill me first, a Mig-29 or my favorite football team.

[javelina1]

Hey now! That's cool, and it's functional. Nice job buddy!

[LASooner]

 

The VR Crap Cat continues to grow

Edited March 10, 2021 by LASooner

[War_Pig]

That's awesome, thanks for sharing!

 

One thing I've done for switches with covers in DCS is use a MOM-ON-ON Switch, so that the cover when closed presses the spring loaded MOM position down.  It works great for switches that have two positions, and the cover works as it should without the necessity of an additional switch for the cover.

I didn't come up with the idea originally, so I take no credit.

[LASooner]

Probably overdue for some kind of intervention, here's this is this weekend's project. Going to tackle that TACAN panel next, but probably won't get to it for a bit.
Had to make a few custom key binds but all switches are accounted for now.

[LASooner]

As an aside, if a switch cover is a separate keybind how do you combine 2 actions with one button press? Can you do combos like that? The Master Arm cover on the ACM panel, that flips up automatically when you arm it, is a single device so it's not actually sending 2 different button presses.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by LASooner

[LASooner]

Finished the TACAN, added a designated switch for VSL and PAL. Probably done for now, will wait and see if Tekcreations makes a light panel for the right side since I already own his environment panel

 

[AH_Solid_Snake]

Is that a throttletek f-14 there? Did you modify the radio and wing sweep switches?

[LASooner]

Yes it's a throttletek, no those hat switches came with it. The only upgrade I had done was hall effect pots for the throttles.

Sent from my Samsung Chromebook Plus using Tapatalk

[skunk160]

Excellent work Sir

Edited May 5, 2021 by skunk160

[LASooner]

So I finally got tired of waiting for someone else to make and sell the thing I wanted and finally got around to 3D printing my own design. I got motivated to do this when I bought a used Tekcreations ACM panel, and needed to reconfigure the other VDI and HSD controls pictured above, so I figured why not make it look like the real thing. It needed to work with my Virpil long desk mount so I set about modelling a VDI and HSD in Maya, and make it fit and work with it. I'll jump straight to the end result

I play in VR, so you may be asking yourself, "why go to all the trouble?", and my answer is .. Because I have to look at it when I'm not playing, and it's more satisfying.
The button above the VDI screen is for toggling the night filter.
It also gave me a reason to learn a little about Arduinos, LED's and DCS-Bios sketches.



Since I don't have a large format printer I just printed them through Shapeways, and it allowed me to print the filter handle in steel. I really had fun working on this stuff, so I have jumped in on the Ankermake M5 printer on kickstarter and plan on making the rest of my pit more realistic and maybe a little more visual bling like the radio freq LED, bit test LEDS, etc. I really haven't given the new setup a run though yet, but that is my plan tomorrow. There might be space for a small LCD monitor, but I don't intend on doing that. Currently I have my GearFalcon board and my Arduino attached to the opaque plexi.

I miss judged on a few things, like the mounting holes on the top to attach the ACM panel so it's kinda mangled up there. Also screwed up the hole position for the filter switch, so I had to fill in the hole with some plastic putty and re drill a little further over. I fixed it in the 3D model.

I plan on making a new housing for the Tekcreation ACM panel to more closely resemble the real thing and adjust for the angle that I'm currently using washers to get. If I had cheaper L brackets I could have bent them, but I tried standing on them and they didn't budge. The button is for the Jettison cover, the ACM cover automatically goes up. I also want the ACM panel to have the same level of "wear" and I want to make a functioning jettison cover and more to scale and shape of the real thing. If it works out good enough, maybe I'll have Shapeways print it in metal. I will also probably make the fire lights at that time as well.

The holes on the back are spaced to work with the Virpil mount and it holds the 2 panels together, There are also screw holes in between the 2 panels with a pass through hole for the wires but I didn't need to use the screw holes.

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by LASooner

[dureiken]

Hi

fantastic ! what do you use to make these button box ? I mean the case

 

thanks

[LASooner]

Hi
fantastic ! what do you use to make these button box ? I mean the case
 
thanks

The VDI and HSD were modeled in Maya and 3D printed


Sent from my Samsung Chromebook Plus using Tapatalk

[LASooner]

Here's the 3D printed pieces as they came from Shapeways after I cut them off the sprews

Here you see the VDI, the center button hole was too small so I had drilled it out a little, I also thought that was the case with the hole for the hud filter pull, but It was too close to the wall. Also the holes for the caution lights were too small. So I've adjusted that in the 3d models.

HSD was pretty much good to go as it's pretty simple over all.

Really like the way this turned out, the screw holes are too small and have been adjusted in the 3D object. 

This was the VR only caution light blocks, but when they showed up, I realized the mount holes were too small and if I was going to all this trouble, why not make the lights work?

So this is the revised version designed to hold LEDs. The holes were just a little too small, so I made the holes bigger with an exacto knife and will fix it in the model. I also may make the fake screws look more like fake screws.

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by LASooner

[Lt_Jaeger]

I'm so looking forward to it (your upload).

 

Due to my mounting situation, I need to make some heavy editing but since these Panels ar pretty boxy, I hope it will be kinda doable to convert the files in something editable in Fusion360. The HSI I even most probably need to cut in halves

 

This is the way I have to mount it, so it sits in the right place in VR. It's not even symmetrical, which I don't understand, but hey, it works

Would love it if you could also provide the "VR - light blocks"

 

You are really the men ... way to go.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Lt_Jaeger

[LASooner]

2 hours ago, Lt_Jaeger said:

I'm so looking forward to it (your upload).

 

Due to my mounting situation, I need to make some heavy editing but since these Panels ar pretty boxy, I hope it will be kinda doable to convert the files in something editable in Fusion360. The HSI I even most probably need to cut in halves

 

This is the way I have to mount it, so it sits in the right place in VR. It's not even symmetrical, which I don't understand, but hey, it works

Would love it if you could also provide the "VR - light blocks"

 

You are really the men ... way to go.

 

If the modification you need to make is screw holes in the top of the HSD, it already has 4, I will definitely put the VR only versions up as well

 

[LASooner]

removed link

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by LASooner

[hitmanalpha1]

48 minutes ago, LASooner said:

Available to download or have Shapeways print

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/lasooner-3d-junk

Print at your own risk

 

This is absolutely fantastic work. I commented on it in the DCS cockpit FB group. I can’t find the download button in shapeways. I wanna take a closer look and see if I can fit it into my current center console design. I was happy with my design until I saw yours! Very nice work! Thank you for sharing!

[LASooner]

I believe you have to be logged in for it to show up, you can use your facebook login

[LASooner]

Parts:

Push Pull Switch For HUD Filter

Long shaft Potentiometers for VDI pots

Standard pots for HSD Brightness

Momentary Push Buttons for VDI Filter and Bit Test button

LED bulbs

Plexiglass Red

Plexiglass Clear

Plexiglass Black Opaque

Arduino Uno

No Detent Rotary with push Button for Course and Heading knobs on HSD


Used a brother P-Touch Label maker for the caution lights laid on top of the plexi, using this tape.

Silver Knob Caps for pots and rotarys

Sandable Primer|

Krylon Fusion Aluminum Paint  For Base Coat

Metallic Grey  second coat

Metallic Red for Trim Knob

White Coat for Knobs

Clear Coat for finishing


I think that's all of it.

[LASooner]

Small update, made some UHF radio knobs. Added some wear and tear. Uses square nuts and m3 locking screws to hold it in place.

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[LASooner]

Got my metal printed ACM switch painted and mounted on my TekCreations ACM panel.

Favorite thing I've made for my pit so far
 

Edited February 8, 2023 by LASooner

[hitmanalpha1]

On 6/11/2022 at 11:45 PM, LASooner said:

Got my metal printed ACM switch painted and mounted on my TekCreations ACM panel.

 

Base Piece
https://www.shapeways.com/product/YVAHHBWLS/f-14-tomcat-acm-jett-switch-base?optionId=261145319&li=shops

Cover Piece
https://www.shapeways.com/product/TBBZE2MCR/f-14-tomcat-acm-jett-switch-cover?optionId=261145725&li=shops

I've added plastic as an option, but I can't guarantee how well it will work. The metal version works great. I needed to use plastic washers and lock tite to keep the screws at the proper tension and not unscrewing themselves when flipping it up and down.

Favorite thing I've made for my pit so far
 

 

These are great! Available for download or just print only?