Red Dog's F-16 simpit

[Red Dog]

The F-16 cockpit was started in 2004 and built for Falcon 4.0. It flew BMS for 15 years.
Since 2021 I switched to DCS and today I am ready to restart publishing Vlogs flying the pit.

The pit flies both sim without reprograming, so all key inputs are common between DCS and BMS, it took a while to setup.
The software interface is also common thanks to a little software gem called DCStoF4 allowing to put life in the DCS cockpit by reading the BMS shared memory. This may sounds strange to most of you but when all the cockpit has been interfaced to read the BMS shared memory, it's much easier to keep doing it rather than reprogramming the multiple third party apps that are necessary to interface the pit. 
The small caveat of course is that the BMS shared mem needs to be active when I run DCS. Small price to pay to have a pit flying two totally different sim.

Full report of the WIP build is on Viperpit

Enough talk, Here's an introduction picture of the pit and I will use this topic to post Vlogs of solo and MP flights with the F-16 in DCS

 

 

Edited February 21, 2024 by Red Dog

[unlikely_spider]

Seat not fuzzy enough

2/10

[Red Dog]

  Here's the first of I hope many series of Vlogs using the pit:

MP Air to air refuel in the persian gulf

 

[Red Dog]

Next one: embedded checklists in the CPD with the DCS kneeboard

 

[Smith]

Hello Red Dog, I wanted to thank you for all the inspiration you gave me. You belong to the Pioneers of Cockpit building. almost 20 years ago I was in my teenage years when i stumbled over your pit at viperpits and it blew my mind what you guys achieved there.

Sadly i like the Su-27 the most and i m still waiting for exact meassuerments for the Su-27 cockpit, so i still didn't start to build a full fidelity pit like you did. Maybe i will switch to the MiG-29 cockpit, because Eagle Dynamics will soon release the MiG-29 with laserscanned cockpit. As the ejection seat, joystick, throttle, HUD and Canopyframe are the same on all versions i can interpolate the dimensions of the MFDs from the SMT version so i have a modern russian cockpit.

But until this happens i will fly in my much simpler VR cockpit

Thank you again for showing what we flight sim enthusiasts can achieve.

[Zorg.]

 

A few years ago too, I followed your construction on C6. For about 2 years, I finally had the opportunity to equip myself to embark on such a project.

Also, the central poster may make me change my mind about the design. How do you switch the display on the central screen. I'm working on it at the moment, and it could be a good solution, very ergonomic -

[Strale]

Holy Crap ! 
it happens to surf some pages and finding an old friend ! Nice to see you're still "alive and kicking" and that you didn't left the party !

 

[Red Dog]

On 3/29/2024 at 6:19 AM, Smith said:

Hello Red Dog, I wanted to thank you for all the inspiration you gave me. You belong to the Pioneers of Cockpit building. almost 20 years ago I was in my teenage years when i stumbled over your pit at viperpits and it blew my mind what you guys achieved there.

Sadly i like the Su-27 the most and i m still waiting for exact meassuerments for the Su-27 cockpit, so i still didn't start to build a full fidelity pit like you did. Maybe i will switch to the MiG-29 cockpit, because Eagle Dynamics will soon release the MiG-29 with laserscanned cockpit. As the ejection seat, joystick, throttle, HUD and Canopyframe are the same on all versions i can interpolate the dimensions of the MFDs from the SMT version so i have a modern russian cockpit.

But until this happens i will fly in my much simpler VR cockpit

Thank you again for showing what we flight sim enthusiasts can achieve.

Thanks Smith, Doesn't make us younger does it
You already nailed your pit. It's indeed exactly what is needed, the rest is overkill ... Well done. 
I started with Flanker 1.0 and Flanker 1.5 ages ago. I must say I have a sweet spot for the flanker airframe as well

On 4/2/2024 at 2:25 PM, Zorg. said:

A few years ago too, I followed your construction on C6. For about 2 years, I finally had the opportunity to equip myself to embark on such a project.

Also, the central poster may make me change my mind about the design. How do you switch the display on the central screen. I'm working on it at the moment, and it could be a good solution, very ergonomic -

Helios. 
It actually allows to hide a panel and I use that feature to hide the instrument and make room for the  DCS kneeboard - which is a pain to set at fixed coordinates

 

On 4/4/2024 at 2:40 AM, Strale said:

Holy Crap ! 
it happens to surf some pages and finding an old friend ! Nice to see you're still "alive and kicking" and that you didn't left the party !

Hey Bud - It's been another life. Glad to see you're still around as well

 

[Red Dog]

Here's some real pit building 

Late last year I bought a 3D printer and I needed an easy part to learn 3D design and printing 1 0 1.
The FDR will be the perfect candidate. The FDR is a Flight Data recorder attached to the left side of the Aces II 

I learned Fusion 360 as I designed it. Then I had to learn the process of 3D printing where everything is important, placement of the parts, exposure time, type of resin, supporting your piece, thinking upside down ... lots of fun as well and a few hair less on my skull due to scratching
That was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. 

 

The top connector part is screwed on the FDR bottom plate and the bottom connector is screwed in from under.

After a good wash, the resin was primed in white. The seat plate painted in light grey and screwed on the seat side
The FDR has been painted in bright Daygloo orange (Tamiya TS-12)and the connector was given a lot of attention with different shades of metal paint, that took quite a while to get right.

I cut a length of the real wire harness I had hanging from a real connector and attached inside the FDR and made it pas through the connector, the loose end will be attached to the seat side. As I don't have the seat rails, that will have to do. I didn't make the lanyard yet as I have nothing to attach it to (no rails again)

Final FDR with stickers

 

For those interested the STL files are available. FDR box, lid, attach plate and the 2 connectors

 

[Strale]

Olivier, that's really a nice FDR !

 

[33rd_Elvis]

hi, can you report how do you build the ICP Panel? I look for an pcb for the bottons. I have buy the Hispapanels ICP .

[Red Dog]

It was built in 2004-2005. I can't remember specifics but back then it was all homemade.

Sorry that it won't help much