F-18 grip, WARTHOG compatible

[the_soupdragon]

Hegykc

 

Hi mate.

Could you give me some information regarding the connectors you are using for the X55 grips. Are you making them yoiurself or are you buying them in?

I am looking to build and extension for my X55 but cannot find any information on the connectors used for it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

SD

[EH_Chaser]

Hegykc

 

You Sir are a genius!

 

go on mate and i will buy a bunch of stuff from your company ;-)

[TomOnSteam]

Here's a "little" update:

 

For the past month or two I have focused my attention to designing the stick and throttle base. It might not be apparent from the renders, but the base is just slightly larger than the warthog one, with a ton more features:

 

 

-steel construction

-separate springs for pitch and roll axis

-adjustable spring strength (by replacing the springs)

-"on the fly" adjustable pre-tension of the springs

-hydraulic damping (adjustable by oil replacement)

-built in stick extension (fully adjustable in length and grip rotation)

-adjustable office chair mount with ability to rotate and fold the whole thing under the seat

-adjustable stick displacement in all directions separately

-functional safety pin and "remove before flight" tag

-ability to connect up to 6 more axis and 40 buttons (I plan on designing replica and "desktop general purpose" type panels to connect to both stick and throttle bases

-tri-axis SPI interface 14-bit resolution hall sensor, programmable in a million ways

-the whole thing is designed per F-18 cockpit station geometry (extension length and grip position) and can be set up to have the same amount of travel/displacement as a real F-18 grip

 

AND a bonus for all of your patience. Fully functional chair mounted ejection handle:

 

 

-all steel construction

-industrial grade shaft bearings for extra smooth pull/slide movement

-dual action ( first it activates No.1 switch, then No.2 switch ) so you can map it to both canopy jettison and seat eject

-functional safety pullout pin (pin operates a slide master switch so no action until you remove the safety tag and the pin)

-possible additional ARM ON/OFF toggle on the top plate?

 

I probably forgot to mention some of the features. Note that this is a still evolving design. Just wanted to let you know that the wheels are still grinding. Most of the work went into re and re-designing, removing part by part, and reducing the size until I was left with the smallest possible container, with the least amount of parts possible to perform the task. And then it was off to designing the tools, jigs and machinery to manufacture each part. If it doesn't have machine/tools designed for it, it is not in the renders. There are no CNC manufactured parts here, which should keep the price way down. Laser cutting steel is still pretty expensive, but i plan to make a few pieces and send them out to respective members of this community for a closed beta test. After we solve any problems, and they put their stamp of approval, they'll do open reviews and I will consider a crowdfunding campaign for a metal laser cutter which will reduce the price by 40-60% as this is the biggest cost and the last piece of the puzzle.

 

F-18 grips alone are pretty much ready for production, but I do not want to improve Thrustmuster or Saitek sales by selling grips only. And that will happen If I get tied up into fulfilling F-18 orders of TM and Saitek compatible grips, and people who want more have to wait unitl I design, test and manufacture my own base system.

I will put the TM and Saitek compatible grips for sale first, but I need to have at least some prototypes of my own system before I do that.

 

Even more important than that, a low price like saitek is only possible through standardization of products, parts and processes. And standardization is only possible if you design multiple products at once. At least a few of them. This constant delays due to research, design and development will save a huge amount of time and money later on.

 

No throttle base renders yet, but expect the same amount of features and configurability.

 

Holy Mackerel!

 

Edit:

 

Q: is it possible to remove the springs entirely so that the hydraulic hold the stick where it was left? (helicopter style)

Edited June 12, 2015 by TomOnSteam

[RabidRider]

Wow, incredible!

 

Did you work together with Milan from crosswind on this? Remember you mentioning him. Will definitely save up for this!

 

Plans on making the F-14 throttle and stick as well? Possible to switch the stick on this design?

[debolestis]

I know it is not forum for this but do you have any plans for Star Citizen? People are spending insane amounts of money on that game.

[WildBillKelsoe]

Airbus sidestick? Is it possible to produce Airbus sidestick also compatible with TMWH?

[S-GERAT]

Airbus sidestick? Is it possible to produce Airbus sidestick also compatible with TMWH?

 

Since when the Airbus have guns mate ? :music_whistling: I want the F-18 with the ejection handle, my girlfriend is going to enjoy bothering me :mad:

[WildBillKelsoe]

They have missiles not guns. :) there is a red button for missiles on the sidestick for those times boeing is locked

[S-GERAT]

They have missiles not guns. :) there is a red button for missiles on the sidestick for those times boeing is locked

 

Good one xD :megalol: Anyway, if somebody releases someday a transport plane for dcs world I'll buy it for sure.. the need to fly anything flyable is a bad thing.. :pilotfly:

[Deadman]

here ya go no waiting the guy has no papers so it will probably sell for a lot less than he wants. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Side-Stick-from-Retired-Airbus-/261925503915?hash=item3cfbfa03ab&vxp=mtr

[WildBillKelsoe]

here ya go no waiting the guy has no papers so it will probably sell for a lot less than he wants. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Side-Stick-from-Retired-Airbus-/261925503915?hash=item3cfbfa03ab&vxp=mtr

 

I told you it has a missile button. Oh good thing, btw do you still produce the remove before flight jackets for the TMWH?

Btw, it happens to have a trigger too ;) so this means airbus secretly has built cannons under the pilot seat, for those pesky Guptas waving their broomsticks :)

Edited June 13, 2015 by WildBillKelsoe

[Sokol1_br]

More functional, perhaps fit in Airbus: :)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/authentic-F-14-tomcat-NFO-A-C-controller-grip-assembly/191600759596?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D31194%26meid%3Dc72f7cc7b1294b6f927eeb87b84c3165%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261925503915&rt=nc

[Deadman]

nice find

[Svend_Dellepude]

@ hegykc

 

Must say your render looks really interesting (read wow! :D).

What is the explanation on the way the springs/damper are placed? Like, are there any specific benefits?

I hope to see this beauty in production soon, I will sign my name on the already long (i think) list of customers.

 

Cheers

[98abaile]

I would imagine it's more for space saving than anything else.

[Svend_Dellepude]

Could be..

I would very much like to see an exploded view of the base. :)

[Nobody96]

Hey hegykc,

 

have you ever thought of swapping the springs on your design with solenoids, add some electronics and make the base FFB capable?

 

-Mathias

[Shadow_1stVFW]

This, for anyone new to the thread.

 

 

 

Yes, the stick base is 3/4 of an inch wider than the warthog (in a fully encased version), but uses the same mounting pattern, and has a "zero" length extension too. Same for the throttle base.

 

The pivot point and "zero" length extension of the desktop and chair mounted joystick is the main problem a lot of people have trouble controling an aircraft in high fidelity sims like this.

Warthog in a zero extension length has 1.5 inches of pitch up travel. Since it claims 12bit or 4096 position accuracy, that would mean you have to move the stick by 0.0003 inch increments, which is totally impossible for a human. I say a human can do 1mm or 0.03 increments in arm precision during a flight/combat, which would mean a desktop stick gives you 50 increments of precision.

 

The 5 inches of pitch up ravel that is stated in station geometry mil-spec, and is what I use in my design, brings that number to 166 increments of precision, that's more than 300% increase in available precision, without you as the pilot learning a single thing to make you a better fighter/flier.

 

As I tend to offer these mounting arms and extensions bundled with the base and cheaper then warthog, I hope it would start a small revolution as to how virtual fliers experience the whole thing.

 

Looking at the obutto, the same geometry mounting arm should be possible. I'll look into it, and any other seats suggested.

The VolairSim seat as well, for your consideration

[Cowboy10uk]

Damn that's a stunning update.

 

Quick question though, Is the ejection handle going to be a standalone product or is it only available with the seat mounted stick?

 

I'm planning on getting your TM F18 and Quite possibly the F14 Handle but my stick is already centre mounted, and I don't really want to have to replace the entire setup, The ejection handle though would make a fantastic addition.

 

Also any idea what price range the ejection handle would be looking at?

 

DAMN! I'm waiting to order the Komodo Sim collective/cyclic for the Huey sim (it's not complete yet), and I'm waiting to receive the MFGs in August. So hopefully by then, I'll be able to order your sticks for the F18/etc.! NICELY DONE!!!! Amazing how much we've come from the days of origina MS Flight sim, Flight of the Intruder, F19 Stealth, Gunship, Falcon 3.0, and Knights of the Sky era!!!

 

Simply amazing.

 

hsb

 

Quickily off topic sorry, The waiting time for the Huey collective is increasing daily, If you want one and have the money, I would order now and get yourself on the list. I ordered mine last month ;)

 

 

Cowboy10uk

Edited June 17, 2015 by Cowboy10uk

[KomodoSim]

 

 

Quickily off topic sorry, The waiting time for the Huey collective is increasing daily, If you want one and have the money, I would order now and get yourself on the list. I ordered mine last month ;)

 

 

Cowboy10uk

 

Not any more, its starting to reduce as I have minions! Well one and its my dad, he's building all the base units. All orders over the next 2-3 months have their base units 95% ready, so just getting all the grips done now.

 

BR

 

Rich

[plehmann]

Not any more, its starting to reduce as I have minions! Well one and its my dad, he's building all the base units. All orders over the next 2-3 months have their base units 95% ready, so just getting all the grips done now.

 

BR

 

Rich

 

Hey Rich, hows the ka 50 stuff progressing ?

Edited June 18, 2015 by plehmann

[KomodoSim]

Hey,

 

Good, check the Facebook page and other threads on here, don't want to crash hegykc's thread.

 

BR

 

Rich

[hegykc]

is it possible to remove the springs entirely so that the hydraulic hold the stick where it was left? (helicopter style)

 

Yes, and this will be something I will test out. Although it would be a "half-solution". I am working on a realistic helicopter trim and would like to include it all in one base if it works out.

 

Did you work together with Milan from crosswind on this? Remember you mentioning him.

 

Plans on making the F-14 throttle and stick as well? Possible to switch the stick on this design?

 

Mechanical engineering is mine, Milan does his magic in the firmware/electronics department. F-14 and all other grips will follow soon after. Being able to easily switch grips is the main goal of this project. Both stick & throttle grips.

 

I know it is not forum for this but do you have any plans for Star Citizen? People are spending insane amounts of money on that game.

 

Absolutely. But the very size of that crowd would overrun my capacity. Once these prototypes are tested thoroughly, manufacturing ramps up and I am no longer a one-man-show, I will definitely take a look at Star Citizen.

 

Airbus sidestick? Is it possible to produce Airbus sidestick also compatible with TMWH?

 

Very easily, yes. But only after a set of RIO controls for the F-14, would be a more logical choice :music_whistling:

 

@ hegykc

What is the explanation on the way the springs/damper are placed? Like, are there any specific benefits?

 

I will discuss this in more detail when the design is tested and approved. Biggest benefit is a complete lack of center detent compared to a single-spring-per-axis cam style systems.

 

have you ever thought of swapping the springs on your design with solenoids, add some electronics and make the base FFB capable?

 

Not sure solenoids can be used for a flight sim ffb? Even if they can, ffb is a much more complex project than that. There are also patents and expensive licenses involved I believe. Not to mention all the firmware and electronics.

 

I believe that a much simpler and cheaper solution for "flight effects feedback" is a DIY bass shaker system, for which firmware is available and cheap, recently even a DCS specific one. And then implement only a force loading effect to the stick itself, let all the other effects come from the airframe/seat where they belong anyway.

 

A base with a force loading system and "bass shaker ffb" is something I will do for myself, and offer the community at some point. But, baby steps first.

 

Is the ejection handle going to be a standalone product or is it only available with the seat mounted stick?

 

Also any idea what price range the ejection handle would be looking at?

 

A 4$ arduino uno will make the ejection handle a standalone product, along with the many other handles and levers I have planned. Or a 12$ teensy board or something like that. These are only digital inputs, no axis so there would be no need for a fancy feature rich firmware.

 

I'm hoping to hit a 60$ mark at first, and lower it once the product list expands and the machines/assembly lines are working full time, and all the metal fabrication is done in-house. Keep in mind these are goals, not facts :) (but not pipe dreams either)

Edited June 18, 2015 by hegykc

[RabidRider]

Great info, thanks!

 

"flight effects feedback" DIY bass shaker system sounds great!

[WildBillKelsoe]

Looking forward to your artwork man.