Red's A-10C Pit

[Deadman]

Chamber naw no fun and it will get in the way of the screen . ACES II ejection seat Hell ya:thumbup:

[KLaFaille]

Stick shaker in action.

 

 

Red

[Deadman]

sick:thumbup:

[KLaFaille]

Here's another new toy to try and electrocute myself with... a 400Hz Static Inverter from some aircraft or another. Input 28VDC and you get an output of 115V 400Hz AC to drive instruments and whatnot. I'll use this for running the synchro and control transformers in the ADI, and whatever else I can figure out how to make work that needs 400Hz. I have a couple other 400Hz supplies, so quantity of juice shouldn't be an issue, if need be.

 

[brydling]

Hi Red,

 

Haven't read all the previous pages of your thread yet (sorry, I will!), so I don't know if you have said that you already know how to do this. I have designed both a synchro-to-digital and a digital-to-synchro converter with USB connection. Due to limited spare time I cannot make them for sale, but I would be more than happy to share my experiences. Just ask if you need any help with the controlling of the ADI, or any other synchro-based instruments. I guess that the D/S-converter is the only thing you need. And maybe one more 400 Hz phase for the two-phase AC motors that may be inside, if you don't want to fake it with a capacitor :)

 

Keep up the amazing work!

 

Niclas

[KLaFaille]

Thank you very much for offering to help byrdling, because I honestly don't know how to make the pair of synchro and control transformers in the ADI dance yet. :)

 

I knew that some D/S converters were needed, but had yet to build it or anyway to interface it with a PC. It's a bit late right now, so I will PM you tomorrow or perhaps we could discuss this via MSN if you have it.

 

Thanks much, I have bunches of questions!

 

Red

[brydling]

I'm glad I can be of any use! My MSN is on my profile. Sleep well!

 

Niclas

[KLaFaille]

Small update.

 

Last night I modified the internals of the TM warthog stick and removed the stock pushbutton switches and replaced them with the proper real pushbuttons used in the F16/A10C stick. These are heavy duty, take a bit more pressure to depress then even the trigger to it's second stage, and have a tactile and audible click when pushed.

 

Only thing is that they are all white caps, but that's not too bad and if I may dye them at a later date.

 

I'll put up a pic when I get home.

[KLaFaille]

Photo's, as promised.

 

Modded Warthog (1 of 4).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Modded Warthog (2 of 4).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Modded Warthog (3 of 4).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Modded Warthog (4 of 4).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Red

[Deadman]

Looks very good

[KLaFaille]

Danke :D

[Duckling]

Ooouch Red :thumbup: , that mod looks absolutly great. Both the Otto's in place and also the handle to stick adapter.

Can you share some pics and info how you made the handle "adapter" ?

 

Did you swap the Amphenol 20-29 Female in top of the stick or drill through it (or any other magic) ? `Looks like you either made your own 'plug' to the TM handle or modded it ?

 

I got hold of an 20-29 Male with contact and "had" the idea to make an adapter with inner threading to fit the amphenol plug and outer thread to fit the nut on top of the stick, was sure I'd recieve it this weekend but the mech firm failed :mad: , they couldn't find the correct data for either the inner or outer thread they said. Do you know the correct type ?

 

Your version is sure better, the one I got in mind would raise the handle another inch above top of the stick.

 

Keep up the superb work Red and please keep the pics comming :)

 

Cheers

Gus

Edited June 12, 2011 by Duckling

[LostOblivion]

Hmmm, I notice the release button on your stick is white. Strange, as it's red on other hogs I've seen.

[pcalvert]

Wow! - That is amazing!! :))

[Deadman]

See post 159 he replaced all the stock push buttons with real OTTO switches

 

 

Hmmm, I notice the release button on your stick is white. Strange, as it's red on other hogs I've seen.

[KLaFaille]

Thanks guys.

 

Getting the TM stick on the real control stick was a very simple task after a bit of brainstorming. The original Amphenol insert in the stick was removed altogether as seen here.

 

base2 by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Note that the two keys on the base are set at the proper angle for the rotation of the grip already. Now luckily the mounting piece in the bottom of the TM grip is just about a perfect diameter to fit on here. I filed two keyways into the grip that fit into the keys shown above, and took off a little material as needed to get it to sit flush against the top of the control stick.

 

base by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

The thread pitch on the control stick gland nut is 1-1/2" x 18, so I found an old Amphenol receptacle that used the same thread pitch and cut off the threaded portion and filed it down to the height that I needed. The ID of the threads was just about the same as the OD of the TM stick base, so I took a couple of split rings (silver piece in the pic above) and placed them around the center post coming out of the TM stick. Now when the threaded portion I cut off screws into the control stick gland nut the split rings and TM stick base are sandwiched between the two holding it in place. Once it gets tight enough, the two set screws in the gland nut are tightened down, and voila, we have a setup that is rock-solid and ready to go.

 

I'll either do the PS2 extension cable or make my own little connectors for either end and run that through the control stick to attach to the TM electronics.

 

The OTTO pushbuttons are sweet, btw. :thumbup:

 

Red

[Duckling]

...was a very simple task ...

 

Now you teasing, LOL . Would have taken me years to come to the same result :doh:.

Thanks for the update, will save me a lot of time

 

Cheers

Gus

[KLaFaille]

Haha Gus,

 

Don't sell yourself short, you're light years ahead of me in other departments already *cough* electronics *cough*. I'm a hack when it comes to that. ;)

 

Red

[KLaFaille]

Over the last few days I tore apart the Thrustmaster Warthog throttle and started modifying my real A-10A grip to a C model grip using a combination of TM and real parts.

 

I had originally tried just taking and modifying the entire Warthog right grip to work on the throttle arm, but this was proving to be difficult so I went the other way and adapted the TM parts to the real grip.

 

I removed the entire face of the A model grip and opened up the interior to allow the TM side panel to be fitted. They aligned up quite well actually and with some filler and sanding and a coat of paint things should close up nicely. The speed brake and china hat switches have been replaced by real aircraft switches and I desoldered the board in the grip and will mount it elsewhere, either in the base of the throttle itself, or externally with the rest of the Warthog control cards.

 

Throttle Grip (1 of 2) by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Throttle Grip (2 of 2) by KLaFaille, on Flickr

[KLaFaille]

I've been a little slow on the pit side of things, playing around with some electronics to learn more on that side of things, and real life has a way of kicking you in the junk just when you think things are going OK...:music_whistling:

 

Anyways, some work has gone on, and some bits and baubles have been acquired. The throttle is just about done, attaching the new face to the original grip has proven to be a bit of a pain but I pretty much have that worked out. Rewired the entire thing using proper Milspec 22ga wire, and with help from AlexRCPilot have a new transducer amplifier circuit built for the slew control. I have to get all the TM Warthog control boards mounted in an enclosure, right now they are all sitting in a pile on a shelf.

 

Some more panels and a compass have been acquired, I now have an Electrical Panel, Aux Lighting, and LASTE panel all with the proper NVIS Type 1 Green backlighting, and I replaced a faulty magnetically held switch for the EAC in the LASTE panel with one I had on hand. The compass had red lighting, I took that out and filed down green LEDs to fit in a cavity above the glass, and with a resistor I'll get them their correct voltage (3.7V @ ~20mA) while still running it on the 5VDC lighting rail for the rest of the panels. Interestingly enough, these panels and most all others draw over half an amp current at 5V, so either LEDs will be in order or I'm going to need some large amperage 5V supplies and the proper hookups here in the house to power everything.

 

Panels (17 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (16 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (18 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (20 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (19 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (21 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (22 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Panels (23 of 23).jpg by KLaFaille, on Flickr

 

Here's a video showing the proper magnetically held toggle switch for the EAC on the LASTE panel.

 

Edited July 11, 2011 by KLaFaille

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Those are awesome. Not sure I wanna know what body parts you had to sell to get them though.....

[Olgerd]

Great photos and videos. Thanks.

[Duckling]

...these panels and most all others draw over half an amp current at 5V, so either LEDs will be in order or I'm going to need some large amperage 5V supplies and the proper hookups here in the house to power everything.

 

Fire up the pit and see the lights at the neighours houses start flickering... :)

 

Thanks for the pics. Great reference.

[Avilator]

*Snipped*

 

OK, now you have me drooling.:D

[Deadman]

Hell ya bud those look great with the back lighting on makes ya just wanta go out and blow the hell outa something :thumbup: