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Universal military aircraft homecockpit project


Viper1970

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So after the F-16 throttle is "ready" at least function-wise, I start with the convertion of the first warthog throttle. I will do the F-15 throttle first, cause it seems to be the easiest mod. For the later F/A-18 and F-14 mods, I have to cut off the original handles. 😬 😅

P.S:

Most parts aren't finished yet. There is still a lot to do and sometimes also painting of details is still necessary. But I would like to finish the whole "raw" work first and also those sections of the mods, which need a fillering, priming and spray painting after. This can only be done the next two to three months and that's the reason I do a kind of assembly-line work at the moment. All other things like small details, electronics and even the pit itself can be done at anytime


Edited by Viper1970

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Still very early WIP 😅 The antenna wheel is only a place-holder (from an old TQS). It will get a printed one.

P.S: The mic switch is a three stage toggle switch originally, but I will use the 5way hat for it (to have some additional functions). The button itself will look like the one of the original switch.

 

IMAG0954.jpg

IMAG0956.jpg

IMAG0957.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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All edges on the new top plate are now sanded. I have also immediately resharpened the cover of the small lever, since here the accuracy of fit originally is already not special.

The matching switch on the outside left is also already fitted, the cables must still be separated from the original and soldered to this.

The switches in the right large handle are all unsoldered from the PCB and connected with cables, because the distances of the holes are different to match the original of the F-15E. The PCB remains in the handle.

For the antenna wheel I have to think of something, because the original potentiometer of the friction lever is used here and it has no center position notch. Unfortunately, a larger pot did not go into the handle, because of the screw connection. The antenna wheel will be connected to the friction lever input. There will be some other changes to the switches in the base also, like eg. a 90° rotated momentary three stage switch for the rudder trim.

The position of the wheel is therefore also not exactly the same as the original (too far forward and up), but otherwise I would have had to remove the second screw and the whole handle would only be fixed with one screw.

With the right handle I had to do without the third screw, because exactly there sits the third input from above (missle reject switch). However, the housing holds together firmly even with the remaining two screws.

All original holes were closed with epoxy, sanded, the new cover was put on and glued and then the new holes were milled out.

The brackets for the finger lifts are also glued and grouted with epoxy. They are then additionally screwed to the levers to be stable.

Both handles will be fillered, primed and painted also.

 

 

IMAG0963.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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A pic of one grip at my center base in the pit. The grip is still unfinished (socket still only primed, but color is relatively near 😅).

The spring in front is adjustable to compensate the weight of the different grips. But I'm also thinking about adding some rim balancing weights, the ones that used on aluminium rims, inside the printed and the light grips, to match the weights a bit better. The paddle switch is on the jet extension. There also exist a helo extension, which is only a kind of a L-shaped tube like extension.

The frames arround the mechanics, which limit the travel of the stick can be easily changed with different inlays (magnetic snap in). There are ones with a smaller square hole, ones with a round hole and also two with a rounded slot. Those with the slot are for the yoke extension to prevent it from doing the "roll" movement. If the yoke is attached, there will be also to large dampers mounted with wing-nuts, to smooth out the pitch movement.

 

IMAG0964.jpg

IMAG0965.jpg

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Not much happend at the F-15 throttle today. Only had some time in the evening to work on it. I printed a new antenna wheel, added a plate with a notch to have a center detent and made some frames for the slew and the front POV.

Nothing reworked or sanded yet and the square frame doesn't fit in the hole at the moment (it's much to high on that pic 😅). I have to file this out a bit, so that the square-frame directly sits on top of the surface of the handle. I'm really not satisfied with the position of the wheel, but there is no other way to fit it in the warthog grip.

I also made a new DMS switch for the F-16 stick (correct version now). I will post a pic of the stick when ready.

 

IMAG0966.jpg

IMAG0967.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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Just fiddling arround with the front hat and the slew. I printed new parts here and I'm using a spider-web-hat from an old throttle. Don't know anymore if it's from a Suncom SFS or a TM TQS. Just grabbed it out of my button, hat and switch caps box. 😅

Sadly the frames of the old Suncom SFS weren't useable, cause of the size for the slew's and the POV's mechanics, so I had to print them.

 

IMAG0968.jpg

 

and the new DMS switch on the F-16 stick

 

IMAG0970.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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The whole F-15E throttle project is far more complex than first thought. Thanks to a colleague who is an F-15 professional, I now know how the throttle works. The finger lifts have a crucial role in the startup. I need two additional switches integrated in the lifts, which will not be easy.

In addition, the functions are then no longer sufficient. Therefore I had to discard the 5way hat on the side (MIC), which would have allowed additional functions and replace it with the original 3way slide switch. This leaves three functions open, two of which I can use for the finger lifts, if I can find a solution for the integrated switches.

At the moment the thing looks like this. The front hat and the slew are also done now, but the original slew is such a ..... I will later replace it (and also on my other throttles) with the Deltasim slew solution. But right now I'm totally broke and 4 slews for all my Warthog throttles would be 252€ plus shipping, so about as much as another Warthog throttle. That will have to wait for now. 😅

 

IMAG0973.jpg

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The F-15E throttle grips with all inputs integrated. Now all the wiring has to be done and after this the whole filler, prime and paint work.

I used very tiny stop micro-switches to have the necessary function of the finger-lifts for the engine startup sequence. It's not the nicest, clean looking solution, but the only one that was possible with my finger-lifts.

As it seems that the F-15 has no real detent for the AB, I will use the Warthogs original detent and file it down for the AB, so that you can easily push it in, but there is still a feedback before you go into it. The cut-off detent will be completely removed and here the lifts have to be activated to reach this section. For the engine startup you have to shortly pull the lift to start the corresponding engine.

Many thanks to the really nice guy that helped me a lot with the functions of the trottle! 👍

 

IMAG0976.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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Did a quick test of the electronics and things work like they should. At the F-15 throttle not so much changed.

The 5way POV is splited now. Forward and backward is the MIC switch, up and down are the fingerlifts left and right. The friction pot is used for the antenna wheel. The rest is nearly like the original switches, with the exception that I changed the china hat and the boat switch mechanics, to match the real F-15 grip (not the caps). The boat switch is now momentary and the china is normal. The CMD switch changed to momentary in both directions (left outside toggle switch).

The speedbrake in the F-15 has no momantary push-back-function, but I will leave this as it was on the original Warthog throttle. I prefer a momentary function for a quick use of the speedbrake. Originally this is a normal switch in both directions. Back activates the brake, center holds the brake and forward retracts the brake.

 

F-15E throttle layout.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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The first detent part prototype for the F-15 and F/A-18 throttles, that works with my fingerlifts. I have also thought about making the notch screwable and adjustable. Must fiddle arround a bit with that. This thing will be glued on top of the original cover. It fits perfect.

The notch is for cut-off not for the burner. AB will stay original, but the nose sanded down to be able to push it in without lifting the throttle.

The fingerlifts are springloaded. There is a little ball-pen spring inside those cabinet-locks.

 

IMAG0977.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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Side by side - A-10C and F-15E 🙂.

Still some things missing at the F-15 throttle like the rudder trim switch. There must be an adapter printed for the hole to integrate the normal momentary 3way switch 90° rotated. Electronically all is working fine, I have already tested this. The A-10 throttle will also be slightly modified, like removing the handle-lock, already changed the max throttle position a bit backwards, so that the throttle isn't lying on the base at max power anymore.

There is now a new detent at the max position on both throttles (did the same for the 15s throttle). This is a bit tricky, cause if not enough travel is available the Warthog calibration program disables the fictitious cut-off buttons 29 and 30 on the throttle axis.

After fitting the rudder-switch both throttles will be partially disassembled again, some parts sanded and fillered and after that also painted satin black like the sticks. The next throttle will be the one of the F/A-18.

P.S: Button and switch colors at the 15's throttle aren't also right yet, there will change a lot.

 

IMAG0980.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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Ok, managed to get all working perfectly at the F-15E throttle.

The antenna wheel rotates only arround 30° up and down (60° completely), cause I had to make a detent inside the wheel, which limits it to this range. TM used a joystick pot for the friction lever which although it rotates 270° only has a contact area of about 60°. But this isn't bad at all, cause you can easily grab the wheel with your little finger, putting him arround the wheel and very precisely control the axis. Nyogel makes it even much nicer to move. 😅

I don't made a springloaded mechanism to return to center, like the Hornet throttle will have, but made a center detent. I think both kind of antenna elevation (F/A-18 like or F-16 like) should be controlable with this wheel, cause of the relatively short travel and the center detent. Don't know how the radar in the Eagle works, cause I have not read the whole documents I own about it until now. Sometimes such details are also not very clearly descripted. It's already a luck if it's descripted if a switch is momentary or not, most of the time only the direction and the function is descripted.

The only thing that still is a pain, is the slew control. This little thing is such a s.... and a total faulty design. It's not imprecise at all, I'm really thinking it's even more precise as a thumbstick, but you can't control it the right way. It has to be moved (slided) to the corners, not tilted like a ministick or even the old eraser head of the old TM gameport TQS, which was nothing more as a laptop keyboard ministick. But this can't be done without a good amount of pressure on this little cursor, which then automatically activates the push button, and this is something you don't want to have.

I'm still fiddling arround a solution for this, but also I'm having a lot of ideas most of the time, here I'm totally lost at the moment. But 262€ just for the slew control of all my Warthog based throttle is quite a statement. Nevertheless, it looks like there is no other option left in the end.


Edited by Viper1970

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So, as I'm often asked which switches I use, here are some examples and links of the things I use. I also made many of them by myself with TinkerCAD or made templates for the buyable parts for my constructions

It's really easy to do some frames, mounts or even Switch/POV-caps with TinkerCAD. I also haven't finished all of them now, but making a "replika" of a POV hat for example is only half an hour of work in TC. I mostly do this short before I assemble a HOTAS and print those parts so to speak "just in time". 😅 Also the print of them does not take more than a few minutes.

Here are some links to Thingiverse for useable POV's. Many of them are instantly useable, some must be reworked or created new if they doesn't fit the original.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3641494

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3452944

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4543158

Thank's to the guys who made this awesome work! 👍

 

And here are some pics of the buttons and POV's I use in many controls, which can be bought on Amazon, Ebay or anywhere else. Others also used and some of them are in the 3D drawings that follow, but I have no time at the moment to find all those somewhere at the web. I have a really huge collection of buttons, switches, POV's and also old HOTAS parts I can reuse for my projects. To find all those parts for sale at the web would take weeks, if they are even available. Sometimes a little own effort is required to finish my HOTAS. They where never meant to be used anywhere else as in my own project. 😅

In the 3D schematics ther is also my dual-stage-trigger mechanism. It's the little button with the 6x6 microswitch on top. I use lacquered wires for connecting the microswitch, cause they are very thin and easy to store if there is not much room left inside a grip. The little frame has to be printed and pressed or glued on top of the buttons button. 🤣 Believe it or not but I mostly print those little frames really with my FDM printer and the are stable. I have a resin printer, but I'm often to lazy to use it cause of the whole cleaning after prints. ☺️

The switch caps are used on top of the small switches, to have a bigger switch. I also print them often with my FDM an rework them (sanding) in my lath, sticked on top of an old drill-bit. Sometimes they are a bit tricky to put at the switch, cause you must do this upside down if you use superglue, to prevent it from bonding the switch-mechanics. They are small enough to go through the diameter of the switch hole. The bigger ones must be destroyed if a switch breaks and must be replaced, but a spare part is printed within minutes.

 

 

 

Small-Buttons.jpg

Medium-Buttons.jpg

5way Switch.jpg

Switch-Examples.jpg

Buttons Overview.jpg

Switches&Caps.jpg

Thumbstick Frame.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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I reverted the slew on the 15's throttle back to original, cause with the spider-web-hat there was no way to use it in any useable way. I made the mistake and changed it before I even used the Warthog at any time (yes I bought them and didn't use them until now - did only a very short test if all is running a year ago or so ☺️).

I thought it has the same mechanism like the old eraser head on the TQS, which was more like a mini forcesensing stick, tilting and transfering the pressure to a pressure sensitive resistor-plate. But this thing slides over a hallsensor and it has a little magnet inside. The higher the cursor is, the worse this sliding works. You can easily test the hallsensor with another magnet, which you move over the backside of this little PCB. It let's the cursor move.

I did this cause I thought of an ball gimbal with a springloaded center mechanism and a magnet on the inside, which moves over this little PCB and has the POV-hat on the other side. But how to make the button working? So I reverted all to original state and only added the squared frame arround the slew, which the F-15 throttle has. It looks 🤮 now, but it's working at least. I will save some money and buy the Deltasim solution for all throttles later.


Edited by Viper1970

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F-15 throttle completely done, except the whole paint works. Still ugly 😅, but this will change. I changed the autopilot 3way to an 3way momentary, rotated 90° for the rudder trim switch, the 15 has. I also changed the flaps switch with a detent to only two functions now (up/down) and made a new switch cap similar to the 15's flap switch. The fingerlifts have microswitches for being able to start the engines of the Eagle correctly.

I cutted those annoying noses in the base-plate arround the flaps switch, to be able to easily remove and add this plate at anytime. Both plates will get a completely new lettering, but won't have the backlightning after that again. I will do my illumination in the pit with LED-stripes in the side-walls that beam the consoles from the top. I will use a green, a white and one UV stripe for this. The UV stripe will make the white lettering appear somewhat bright, so the consoles and the throttles will look a little more uniform and it is less work to make the lettering for them.

 

IMAG0982.jpg

IMAG0983.jpg

IMAG0984.jpg

IMAG0985.jpg


Edited by Viper1970

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Cause I had not much desire today to disassemble the 15's throttle again for the whole paint work (did this so many times the last days to test the mechanics, the functions and so on), I already startet with the new project, the F/A-18 throttle.

I will do a E-model version, cause it has a few more functions available. There is enough I can use from the WH, and why should I leave features unused when the newer model has more? Optical they are nearly identical, with exception of the CMS hat. I do the same with the F-14 throttle and make the one of the D-version. It's also useable with the A and the B-models, but if some day .... I have already the right throttle and also the stick for the Super Tomcat. 😅
 

 

IMAG0987.jpg

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First steps at the new "Hornhog" 😅 Still a huge bunch of work is missing, like adding the fingerlifts and their mechanics and also of course the whole wiring has to be done.

I cutted the original handles off an put my printed Hornet grips on it. Fits perfectly! Nothing glued with epoxy yet. Finally the handle levers will still be demountable, so that you can reach the wires inside. Only difference is, that the inner handle-cover is shorter now. In the end all will be demountable like it's on the original Warthog, with the only difference of an other grip design now. The F-14 grips on the last WH will be attached the same way.

 

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Hi flankerone,

no, unfortunately not. I later dropped the idea of trigger guards because they are not really nice to make 3D printed. You also need a solution that the guard doesn't hang vertically from the trigger, because of gravity.

So you have to put in a spring mechanism, which is not so easy with the limited space you have. I will just leave them out for now. Maybe later, when everything else is ready and I can already fly a bit, I will look for a new solution for it. I would actually also like to have them on the controls.

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And the last of the "Hog"-throttles. The F-14D throttle. The grips are really that small, I have the right dimensions. 😅

F/A-18 and F-14D are still a construction-site for sure, the F-15 and the A-10 must be painted the next days. After the throttles I will start with all my collectives and the last part ever (maybe 🤣) will be the 4-engine throttle for the big birds.

At the last photo all Hogs are side by side, starting with A-10, next F-15, after that F/A-18 and the last is the F-14.

 

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Edited by Viper1970

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Desoldered the switches and prepared the holes for fitting the POV's. I will use partially POV's of an old FLCS stick (3 POV's on the right outside).

The original 8way POV will be splittet into two 4way POV's, one with the diagonal directions and one with the straight ones, to have enough inputs for the F-14D throttle. This isn't programmable with the TARGET GUI, but can be done with the script, althoughit's a bit tricky. As Direct input it should work without any problems. The wing sweep POV will be made out of the functions of the Boat- and the China hat.

For the wires at the diagonal switch, I will rotate the direction logic clockwise and always add two functions, like eg. up and right to one pin, which than exactly will press the up and right contacts at the same time and makes an up/right corner signal.

The slew must be integrated in the left handle, cause the F-14D grip has it at this position. I will transfer the wires here from the left to the right handle (which has the PCB inside) through the base, making them a bit longer. There is just enough room in the ducts to do so, if the original shrink hose is removed.

The front POV of the right handle will be the 5way POV of the original WH, but with another matching cap for the Tomcat. Originally this is only a 4way POV, but I will use the push-function of this one and the push-function of the slew to mimic the functions at the F-14A/B throttle. Sticks are different, cause I have one F-14D grip and one F-14A/B grip.

 

IMAG1001.jpg

and a bit further. Now some POV and switch caps have to be printed to make it look more like the real thing. There will change some switches in the base too and of corse I will make the manual wing sweep also, but it will not be realistic in it's dimensions and I have to make some compromise also with the functions. Front POV cap will also change.

 

IMAG1002.jpg

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Edited by Viper1970

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Added the fingerlifts (springloaded) to the Hornet throttle and also printed all the POV's. The left outside switch is also added (couldn't be seen here at the pic). I used the original switch from the Warthog.

Now all the electronics and wirings have to be done. Some switches in the base will change and many small things have also to be sanded and painted.

P.S: I decided to make the dispense switch cap of the F/A-18E, cause functional it is a Super Hornet throttle. Antenna Wheel is still missing, cause the supporting part to hold it in place is the friction pot, which will be removed now after disassembling the whole thing once again.

 

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and the F-14D throttle grips with all inputs (also not all in the right colors).

 

 

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Edited by Viper1970

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So, of all the throttles I've made now, I find the F-14D throttle the most comfortable to use. Although it has a rather simple shape, it is in my opinion the most ergonomically successful throttle.

Of course, this may also be due to my rather small hands. But all POV's and switches are very nice to reach and can be operated excellently. The slew on the left is a bit unusual, but I think with a reasonable stick, as the Deltasim solution is, this is no problem at all. And the Tomcat D-model throttle has by far the most functions under control.

The Hornet throttle I find despite the ergonomics, not so great to use. Whereby my hands are probably just too small.

On the A-10 and also on the F-15 throttle, the two grips are very far apart (as in the original), which also bothers me a bit. But the rest of the throttle is reasonably easy to use.

The F-16 throttle is, in my opinion, after the Tomcat throttle the most pleasant to operate, but has very few functions. I'm curious about the Harrier throttle, but it still has to be assembled. Then the jets are all done.

 

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Complete disassembly. This is now the third time that I disassemble such a throttle. I'm slowly becoming a WH professional.

If one of the 5 switches in the front plate is broken, you really have to disassemble the whole throttle to get the board out. Then you still have the problem of soldering one switch out and the other in.

Why didn't they just connect the switches with cables to the board? That way almost anyone can change a switch. This is not a 50€ throttle that you throw away when a switch no longer works.  The cables to the LEDs are so short that you can hardly get the switch-board out. 🤬

 

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Edited by Viper1970

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Changed some switches, added also other stuff, removed some things. Still very early WIP and some things missing.

All switches will be painted to look as real as possible, and a whole new lettering will also added later.

 

IMAG1016.jpg

a little further, but still ugly 😅

I added the lid above the manual wing sweep, but it's just a mockup (and not finished yet - some small details will follow). Anyway, the whole thing is way too small compared to the original and the function is a bit different too. The opening of the lid and the pulling out of the lever will be programmed via TARGET at the little red button.

My pit is universal and so are all my HOTAS, nothing is a complete replica of anything, but it should give a bit of the feel of the airframe you are just flying. Because of the universal design I have to make some compromises and since the things should be interchangeable, everything must be relatively small and kept in about the same size. The AV-8B throttle respectively its nozzle lever will also not correspond to the original in size and appearance. But I'm ok with it and it was also clear from the beginning of this project.

And on the other hand, which purchasable HOTAS or consoles already correspond to the original? 😂

The switches will be: Top two 2way switches for the engine mode, next are two 3way switches (changed from one stage momentary to normal 3way), the left is the throttle mode switch, the right is the throttle temp switch. Next with the guard is the asym limiter, the red button is already descripted. In the bottom panel left there is a 3way momentary switch, laterally aligned, for the engine crank function. The next switch is a 2way, vertically alligned for the air start. The last switch is also laterally aligned and is a 3way momentary for the rudder trim function.

Inlet ramps and many other extra functions, like a eg. a second backup flaps switch which will be momentary in all directions, will be mounted in a small console left to the throttle. The second flaps switch is needed to use the throttles also with aircraft, that have more than only one or two flaps positions.

 

IMAG1017.jpg


Edited by Viper1970
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