Universal military aircraft homecockpit project

[Viper1970]

Made some progress at the MV-22B controls. The stick is ready now. It's a little bit a "Franken-Stick", cause I don't have a picture of the backside and also added two bottons the original doesn't have (I could also put bezels over the button holes, in case I want to have it more like the original).

Also the bottom part isn't like the original is, as with all my grips, cause I use a special system to connect them and therefor all grips have to be adjusted in this section, to be interchangeable. I'm ok with it, cause as said before, I don't have the intention to make exact replicas. They should work mostly like the original and be as close as I can do it, considering the changebility my contols should have and also respecting my possibilities. So they do not have to look like the originals to the last screw and bolt .

I know for some guys this would be an absolutely "no go", but for many years we just only had things like the TM FLCS or TQS and similar, which were also far from exact replicas and even the most buyable HOTAS today aren't exact replicas.

The throttle is still in the "production-phase" and that's the reason why the nacelle-wheel-mechanics are still looking out of the grip's body . I have to arrange some things and after this will make the thing hollow and integrate the parts. I did a complete rework of the shape of the throttle based on the one you can see at Bugeye Tech's site.

I did a simplification arround the backside-buttons and some other areas, to have all of one piece. I like things simple to get them easier printed.

 

Edit:

Throttle hollowed and splitted into five pieces. Doing all the screwings will be a nightmare.

Edited October 15, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

MV-22B throttle is mostly done. Not my nicest work, but sometimes you have just to come to a finish. Some things at the base itself, respectively at the plate on top, are still missing, but I don't have any desire to do this at the moment. I will now start with the Apache turbine levers and the manual wing sweep for the Tomcat throttle to come to an end.

As much as I enjoyed the making of all of those 3D models, I'm really looking forward to do some manual working at the pit at least. After 10 months of continuous 3D building it's enough now. I had to do all the 3d models and also will print them now, cause it's better to have all the shapes of the grips IRL for fine adjusting things related to the changeability of the different controls, as just fiddeling arround with theoretical dimensions. What you get is what you see is a lot better.

For sure I will not complete all of them to be functional during the next time, this will take quite a longer while. I just want to have the shells printed for being able to plan all the things very exactly, that are related to the mounting or other details.

 

[Viper1970]

Starting with the Apache's throttle in the left console. The grips will be completely printed including the levers. Handles and levers will be one part. The rest is the base of an old Suncom SFS throttle. Some buttons and switches arround the throttle will also be added.

 

[Viper1970]

The Apaches throttle is mostly done. Here I have only to smooth out the levers a bit. The rest will be manual drilling work at the base for putting some of the engine-function switches/dials to it.

But I've seen that I totally missed all the screwings at my 4 engine throttle quadrant . This must also be done before printing and is a lot of work at this part .

On the other side I was just able to get two used Logitech quadrants for the helicopter overhead controls, which saves me a lot of 3D modeling to get the fuel levers and the engine levers for those kind of helos done. Also something I had planned from the beginning and totally missed at all this workload.

I will use 3 axis for the fuel system and three additional axis for the engine levers here, to be able to to control the system of a CH-53E also. For other twin or single engine helos with overhead controls I will simply use less of those controls. Here I have only to model a fitting frame for the quadrants and of course also suitable grips.

For F-14 wing sweep, I will look if I could make a mechanical system fitting on top oft the original friction lever of the Warthog throttle.

The panel for the jets needs an universal useable UFC also, but this will come at a  later time. I will try to make a hybrid between the F/A-18 UFC and the F-16 ICP with some additional functions and have also made some plans for it a while ago. A much simpler version is already printed for my command unit.

The goal is to be able to do all more basic stuff with the pit itself and for all the special systems using the virtual pit. Some kind of mixed universal input system, like a very big button box. Most of this will only be useable in pancake mode while flying with TIR and the monitors, cause in VR this wouldn't make much sense.

As I started this new project I wanted to use VR only, but then quickly decided to have real switches also and the possibility to fly in both worlds, VR or 2D. I love to have real switches and functions since I made my first pit and also wanted to have a little of this again in my new project. Thats why my project is a hybrid.

[agrasyuk]

1 hour ago, Viper1970 said:

 

The panel for the jets needs an universal useable UFC also, but this will come at a  later time. I will try to make a hybrid between the F/A-18 UFC and the F-16 ICP with some additional functions and have also made some plans for it a while ago. A much simpler version is already printed for my command unit.

 

Curious to see how you envision such a device. 

[Viper1970]

There is already such a device available called "Total Controls Multi Function Box", but this has also some switches eg for gear lever, hook and so on, I will not have at my UFC/ICP hybrid. It should really be only a UFC, but the idea behind it is the same. I will maybe also add some functions of the Harrier, the Strike Eagle and the A-10 UFC. It should be possible to use it with all of those aircraft. I know it's not realistic, but this is also the case for the rest of my whole concept of  a "universal" pit.

The buttons and switches want be at the same place, as they are in the real thing, but this is also the case if someone uses a button box. But it feels much more nice to switch real buttons as it does to activate all the things just with the mouse in the virtual pit. I already did this in my last pit, which was also a universal pit and it worked. It was much, much more complex as this project, but the hardware I used those days 7 years ago was much, much cheaper and I made many things out of used materials or anything that could be converted to a useable part for an homepit. Even if it were only plastic bottle caps put together on top of a pipe to mimic a lever. After some sanding and painting it really looked good . 3D printers where much to expensive for me, back those days.

There is my old building plan on page 3 of this whole thread and also some pics of its early state. I dismounted it and disposed it with a heavy heart last year, to go the VR way. But as mentioned before I was not very satisfied with the prospect to be able to fly only in VR without anything real arround you. So the next big project started again and grews and grews and...

This concept of being universal useable was even the initial request as I started my first pit back in 1998. Of course the things were much easier back those days, cause the simulations weren't as complex as they are today, but I always wanted to be able to use my pit with different kind of aircraft. Otherwise for me personal such a big project like a homepit did not make any sense. I don't want to be restricted to fly only one single type of aircraft the next coming years. But this has also the big drawback that you never will have the "real" feeling in this pit as it is the case in a replica pit. So anyone has to decide which things are most important to him. For me it's the controls, cause they are the direct interface to the type of aircraft you are simulating to fly and that's the reason I put the most effort on them.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Ok, found another old broken SFS throttle in my parts-box I really don't now that I had it. So a total of two broken SFS bases are available for building anything throttle related. As said before I had missed to do all the screwing at my previous 4 engine quadrant and also was not so satisfied with the bunch of big parts that I had to print for this input device to make it come true. Also the mechanics were relatively complex and every single part had to be printed.

So I thought, why not make a new version with the use of those two SFS bases, respectively only their mechanics and one of those wooden boxes I also have. This would save a lot of fillament and printing time and also has the advantage of better mechanics. So I started to rebuilt the quadrant. It's an very, very early state at the moment. At the end it should have the same possibilities as the first one, including to be able to change between Airbus and Boeing thrust reverse system, having additional axis for propeller pitch for the Herc and all the first version also offered.

I also started with the overhead controls for the helos, which are based on two Saitek/Logitech quadrants I was able to get used very cheap. One will be for the fuel control and one for engine starting and similar depending on what which helo uses. I choose to have three axis for every system, cause I want to be able to fly the CH-53E with this controls also.  It does not replicate any existing helo overhead system, but I designed the levers a bit after the BK117, cause I like this design.

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Coming closer to the final. And this time much easier and faster to print

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Another little step further

The quadrant with all the levers in different positions to be sure that the levers could pass each other, especially arround the reversers.

Now additional things like the TOGA buttons with housing and other detail like cable channels could be added. The throttle will again function in two different configurations. One like Airbus (negative gate for reverse) and one like Boeing (thrust reverser handles). To be able to reach the reverse gate of the Airbus system it will also be necessary to pull the levers, but only to be able to come across the stop-notch in the panel.

When the Boeing system is used, there will be an additional bezel at the end of the lever-slots, which will stop the arm exactly a small amount before the stop-notch. So the reversers can be pulled without any blocking.

To switch between the two systems a an electrical switch must be changed. In the Airbus position the middle pin of the pot will directly connected to the PCB-board, in the Boeing position there will be the lever pots of each axis connected serial to the thrust-axis. To reach full minimum of the thrust-axis you have two push the thrust lever fully back until it reaches the Boeing-stop-bezel and also pull the reverser fully.

Each system must be calibrated seperatly, but I wanted two have the option to use both systems, cause those two basic principle thrust reverse systems are often used in many different aircraft.

AND my two Logitech/Saitek quadrants for the overhead have arrived just at the moment. They are really in new, mint condition, completely original boxed. They were bought in June and never used and I was able to get them at a lower price one unit normally would cost . This was such a joy and I'm so happy, cause I only thought about the idea of making the overhead system for the helicopters with such quadrants instead of printing all parts on my own, but was very sceptical what it what cost, especially at the moment with the high hardware prices. So I only wanted to look for the prices of those units and came across the offer of this guy. This saves me a lot of printing .

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Some more improvements ...

 

[Viper1970]

Most work at the quadrant is finished. Nothing what makes a great difference in optics, but some work had to be done to be able to fit all the cables and the springs for the reversers. The two left console levers (red and blue one) will also change at the next step and then the splitting of the throttle levers and some missing screwings have to be done. The colors are a bit more now as it should look like if its finished.

After this I go back to the helicopter overhead levers and the last part will be the wing sweep for the F-14 throttle on my Warthog convertion. I hope I'll be ready for start printing all my parts until end of October or at least early in November.

 

Edited October 24, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Completely done! Only the splitting of the levers them selves for easier printing is still to do, but they aren't hollow (they have a seperate port with a screwable plate at the back for the wiring) and so this isn't a big problem. The halfs of each lever (splited vertically) will be simply clued together. I just have to find the best point for splitting.

I will integrate some holes for small 2mm diameter steel needles in the 3D-lever-halfs, which later will be made out of cutted nails, when I'm sure how to split them. This will position the halfs of each lever exactly before sticking them together, the same way screws are normally used, but the nails are much smaller and could be easier placed on those small lever arms. It's not necessary to be able to split them anymore after printing and so they really could be glued together and perfectly matched with those small connectors.

The levers including the knobs on top and also the reversers will be one single part (levers seperated in two halfs) and only painted like they look in the pics. For the reversers a lot of supports will be needed for printing, but due to the layout of the Suncom throttle bases and their throttle guides, no other solution was possible to get the reversers and also the throttle levers near together. I wanted to be able to control all levers comfortably with only one hand (and I have very small hands ).

I also integrated a lock to be able to connect the two left and the two right levers together for better dual engine use. In single engine only the inner double lever will be used and for three engine aircraft the outer right will stay unused.

The quadrant has a total of 13 analog axis (every thrust levers pot and the matching reverser pots are one axis with serial wired pots) and 8 button functions. I will use two Arduino Pro Micro here and make two MMJoy2 devices out of the quadrant. One with the four throttle and the condition lever axis and one with the elevator-, aileron-, rudder-, mixture- and the additional prop-pitch axis for smaller aircraft.

 

 

[Viper1970]

Ok, the work at my helicopter overhead controls can go on now. I use two Logitech quadrants here and only will make some additional grips for the one in front. The backwards one will get the original knobs, but I will shorten the levers a little bit at this one.

The wooden boxes at the left and right of the levers, are those boxes I use for my overhead "button-boxes" and also for my side consoles (here mounted on top of old big tower cases with removed face plates lying on their fronts, having a board on the back). They have a hinge and can be opened, so you could pack the electronics inside and put a little printed panel on top which fits all the switches, knobs etc. and the cables just go to the inside electronics. I hope those hinges and the latch are strong enough to resist the operating on the panels. If not, I have to make the lids screwable.

The overhead will also get two further analog levers at the left and the right. One will be used as an APU lever and the second is a backup for other functions, which needs a lever. Main goal is to be able to control the CH-53E somehow realistic, which is my absolutely favorite big helo . As it is one of the helos with the most turbines, it should also work for other overhead contolled helos. This shouldn't be a replica of any real thing, just a universal useable overhead control for helicopters.

Still very, very early at the beginning

P.S: There aren't two sets of levers on every quadrant. This is only for planing, to see where they will stay at the end-positions.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Viper1970

[Droning_On]

Damn Viper, your the King of 3D printed HOTAS's      I was intending to build the Authentikit Spitfire Spade and trim wheels but youve given me the motivation to go finish my F-16C T-Flight mini deskpit 

Out of curiosity what control boards are you using ?   im currently using a Micro-BBI in the throttle base for additional switches and a BBI-32 Button Box Interface ?  im probably going to need 2 additional boards for the RHS button box and the ICP.   so 5 USB devices !!!  any thoughts on how I could streamline this. ?

[Viper1970]

For the HOTAS I use canabilized TM electronics in separate boxes at the different places, where all my HOTAS could be connected to. I wanted to be compatible with TARGET with all my HOTAS.

But for the pit electronics I always use Pokeys56U/57U devices. I was able to get ten 56U at Ebay for a real good price some years ago and after I did my first projects with them, I never bought anything else. I also tried to use Arduino Mega R3 for the pit but the Pokeys offer so much more and aren't so expensive. For the new 57U that I bought, I always took the one without terminals, what makes the boards again more cheap and I also want to have electronical things rather to be soldered as screwed in a terminal, cause of slacked joints.

[Viper1970]

The overhead how it should be mounted correctly. I added two additional levers and will take the remaing knobs of the Logitech quadrant (colors of the original knobs will all change).

For the buttons in the back engine levers, I will use 3 functions of the Logitech quadrant (each unit has 6 seperate button functions - the ones of the axis in the reverser segment are only simulated button functions) and fix the wires with cable ties at the levers front. This leaves a rest of nine functions I will also add to the console.

Maybe the original 2way buttons on the front console will stay original and the other three I will integrate at another place of the unit. The wires on the front face of the engine levers will also reduce the useable way of the axis a little bit, as they will be installed through the guidance-slot, but thats not a real big deal.

P.S:

There are three zones for each lever you can program also with button or macro functions, which makes it easy to use it with simulations which aren't use axis for the helicopter throttle controls.

The reverser is also programable which gives you four functions on each axis in different positions. The two outside levers will be connected to an analog input of the Pokeys boards each in the overhead (placed in the boxes to the left and right), which is also programable in a very similar way to the Logitech quadrants in case of emulating button functions or keypress. 

The gap between the quadrants will be filled with a housing. The gap is necessary for the cables, which came out of each quadrant on the backside and it's also better having a little more space between the front and the rear levers.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Just thinking about the placement of the helicopter unit in the overhead. Realistically it should be in the left side of the overhead cause the pilot is mostly sitting on the right side. At first I want to place it in the middle to be able to reach it better with both hands, but now I think a placement which is more realistic should be better. For this I have to redo my unit, cause it's to wide to fit at the left side of the overhead.

[Viper1970]

Reworked and done!

I also have made the still missing "Boeing Clips" for the 4 engine quadrant, that will prevent the levers to go into the "Airbus reverse" if the Boeing system is used.

Now my last HOTAS part has to be made, the manual wing sweep for the F-14 throttle and the 11 months of construction adventure is finished. Some things still have to be smoothed, especially the last parts I did, but this I will do while I'm already starting to print the first parts. The printing will also take a while .

 

[Viper1970]

So, starting my last part for now, the manual wing sweep override for the F-14.

As I put my F-14 handles on top of an original Warthog throttle (cutting off the A-10 handles and do some preparation - same goes for the F/A-18 throttle on another Warthog) I will simply use the friction lever and put a knob on top which looks a bit like the original one. I will also try to make the frame arround, but this all will be far away from the original in case of appearance, cause of the size and other restrictions.

I will also make an original looking flaps lever for it, which I want to have springloaded (return to center) to be able to mimic more then three positions. Not realistic, but a workaround. I try to use the original switch for this and make a mechanical solution to do this, cause I don't want to desolder the switches of the Warthog throttle bases and change them to anything other if its possible in any way to keep the original ones. The F-14 and F/A-18 handles are more then enough work to do on my Warthog throttles.

I will also change the face plates with printed ones at a later time to make the throttles more individual, but for this I have to start with my side consoles first, to see what functions will be in the consoles and what I will put individually on every throttle. A printed face plate will of course remove the backlit from the WH throttles, but I've planed to do the cockpit illumination with external LED stripes in sidewalls beside the consoles. In every wall there should be a white, a green and one UV LED stripe. The UV stripe should illuminate the white letters on the consoles and panels a bit more intensive. That's the plan, I hope it will also work

The UFC and the different panels have also still to be modelled, but for this I have also to start with the all the functions for the pit first, to see what can be done in which way and where it's placed. I will use the layout-blueprint of my predecessor pit for this, because I had already done endless planning to get all under one hood some years ago. This time I will do much less functions, so it shouldn't be that complex.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Started with the manual wing sweep. The face plate template could be found at Thingiverse.

I think I will make the wing sweep's frame a fixed part of the face plate.

The friction lever was made within 5-10 minutes. It's not an 100% precise copy of the original, but good enough as a template for modelling the wing sweep. That's why I love TinkerCAD. Combine some very simple shapes and you have very quick a useable result.

P.S:

A little further. Not the nicest part , but there is not much room to place anything big and I also have no desire to make a whole extra part only for the wing sweep.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Does anybody know of a mod for the Warthogs flaps switch, which makes it return to center? I want to have a (I)|0|(I) momentary function at the flaps switches of my Warthog throttles.

I know it's not realistic with some aircraft in DCS, but I want to be able to use my throttles also with other aircraft in other simulators. Here it would be nice to have a momentary flaps switch, which could mimic more steps in both directions up and own. Never understood why Thrustmaster made it working like this. It's ok for the A-10 in DCS, but if you use the throttle for other aircraft in other sims also, what a lot of people do, you can only configure three flaps positions.

Fore sure I could solder the original one out and replace it with a momentary one, but I don't want to solder at the throttles mainboards if possible. The handles are enough work to do and to change this single switch at every throttle I have, is a real bunch of work.

P.S:

I know you could program everthing with TARGET related to this switch and make it also do only one step for the up and down positions, then return to center and do the whole thing again, but this isn't a good solution for the handling. If the switch does not self return to center you have to fiddle arround many times between up and center or down and center to mimic a flaps mechanism which has more steps for up and down. A simple momentary function would be a lot nicer. And I think you could also do the eg. the A-10 flaps with a momentary solution much easier as other planes with a stationary switch.

For sure I can make an additional lever for this in my consoles or in the panel and will also do so for other aircraft which have them in the  panel, but I want to have the switch at the right position in case of VR use for those aircraft which have it besides the throttle. The function it self isn't that important, so a mometary switch is ok for me, but it's a bit weird in VR to reach to eg the panel to set the flaps if the switch in the virtual plane is beside the throttle.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Just found a quick and dirty solution for it!

I had lying arround some strong "rubber-foam" from an old cardboard box inlay (I think it was from my Ender 3 Pro delivery box). I stick two small squares of it in front and at the back of the flaps-switch under the square face plate. Violla it perfectly did function the same way like a momentary switch.

I will do a little printed frame for this, to prevent the rubber-foam from sliding out, making an extra flap handle glued on top of the original switch and that's it. If it will wear out over the time, I have still enough of this foam lying arround here to make a spare part. It's always good to keep parts like this and do not throw them to the trash.

I have an extra drawer for things like that in my workshop. Those are the "mmhm, could it be useful at anytime? Don't know, but I will keep it"-parts.

P.S:

I will also do my own faceplates for the WH throttle now, using a scanner lying the plates on top of the bed an scanning them in 2D. After this I will extrude them to 3D. The one from Thingiverse are meant for lying them on top of the original ones, but mine should be a replacement for the original ones. So I must have all holes and especially the holes for the srews at the exact positions. I will maybe also add frames or special other things arround some of the switches, what I will do as a fixed part of the faceplate, printed as one single part.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Viper1970

[agrasyuk]

I'd say the proper way to achieve this would be to open the throttle and and replace the switch with one that has your desired behavior. I wouldn't do it though. Perhaps put the momentary switch for flaps on any other panel that you are making? 

There was a stencil DXF file on this board for Warthog throttle face plate (i think it was made by @jrsteensen if I remember right). I have a copy somewhere, can share when I get home if you can wait .

[Viper1970]

Hey thanks, that would be nice. I've just done the scan of the faceplates and corrected some graphical issues due to shadows while scanning.

Here is the scanning result. I can extrude it to 3D, but if someone has already made good faceplates, why reinvent the wheel?

 

t

 

Those are the original scans:

Edited November 1, 2021 by Viper1970

[Viper1970]

Just did it and it's soo super simple!

I always used Cura for 2D to 3D but this is unnecessarily complex and also creates polygon-heavy 3D models you have to tweak a lot and also to reduce in poly-size to get good results for importing them to TinkerCAD.

Just convert the black and white JPG (after some fixing/adjusting in the graphic software - eg. remove the lettering) to an SVG-Image (there are some free online converters out there). The black part should be the model you want to make and white is the background.

After importing them to TC you can export it again to Cura and adjust it proportional to the correct size. Maybe a mirroring is also needed. Then import back to TC for the further work you want to make.

Those are the results I was getting after using this technique (the grey ones in the foreground - I left the holes for the 5 LED open, but don't know if I really will use this - I only wanted to have it for the templates)

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Viper1970