Keeping a collective in position?

[JaseGill]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of building a collective for use with the Heli's in the sim.

The one thing I find difficult to get my head round is how one keeps the collective in place without the brake that some I've seen here have?

Also how would one adjust tension on this, I'm not sure how the mechanics of that works.

I'd like to keep it Sim independent and probably use a Leo Bodnar board so any help on mechanics (I can do electronics easily) would be much appreciated.

J.

[MTFDarkEagle]

JG,

 

How I would attack it..

1) The collective head: any way you can think of (real life, electronics box with switches, whatever).

2) Linkage to rotation point: How solid do you want it to be? You can make it pretty solid with PVC piping and such (talk to BIGNEWY). I would use metal piping with ballbearings for rotation.

3) Tension: That I'd have to think about and is dependant on the actual mechanics that you decided to build.

4) In terms of interfacing it's so easy, as you say: leo bodnar board. Get a potmeter (or better a hall sensor).

 

One way of keeping the collective in place:

Gas spring.

 

Hope this can get you up to speed.

[PeterP]

start here > BIGNEWY'S Collective project 2013

and here > KA-50 collective: another picture-tale

to get some inspiration how to solve it easialy with a counterwight and implement even a functional collective-brake/twist-throttle.

Edited October 4, 2013 by PeterP

[BIGNEWY]

Some good advice there PeterP :)

 

Some of my older pictures have vanished into the digital abyss but still have some pictures in the gallery

 

Gallery

 

The counter weight is the best way to go, but I ran out of room for one as my pit is low to the ground so I ended up using just the friction method and a window hinge :)

 

If you need any advice ask away

 

edit

 

PeterP inspired me to update my collective thread :)

Edited October 7, 2013 by BIGNEWY

[JaseGill]

Thanks guys.

Some seriously good work there that I'd seen before and definitely what I aspire to.

The Gas Strut idea I really like the look of. I guess its finding the right one with the right tension (if that's the right word) is the big question.

If I have more to ask I will, I reckon I wont get close to either of yours but I will have a bloody good go.

Thanks,

J.

[DeJohn]

I'm in the process of finishing a collective made out of some left over PVC, a few project boxes from radio shack and a saitek throttle quadrant I had for FSX. How I solved the staying put issue without having to crank down on the friction knob was to put some old fishing sinkers I had in the opposite end of the collective as a counter weight. Now I only bearly have the friction know tight.

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

If you want a cheap and easy solution here's mine (shameless plug)!

 

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2711990/Re_A_Good_Joystick_to_Hack#Post2711990

[hannibal]

i spent 3 months in 2007 building a crude collective that sandwiched wood with rubber pads on wood to hold the collective in position.

Try to google "plastic collar clamps".

after seeing someone's design on hovercontrol, how they held their grip assembly in place, it inspired me make a version 2 collective in a cleaner buld

[jay43]

Just a heads up keep in mind that a spring has 2 open ends to it so there is no need to go cutting joysticks in half to get the spring off.

Think of the spring to be more like an extended version of a key ring, hook the open end around the shaft and just twist it until it comes off, reverse the order to put it back on.

[JaseGill]

Just a heads up keep in mind that a spring has 2 open ends to it so there is no need to go cutting joysticks in half to get the spring off.

Think of the spring to be more like an extended version of a key ring, hook the open end around the shaft and just twist it until it comes off, reverse the order to put it back on.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

Much appreciated,

J.

[JaseGill]

If you want a cheap and easy solution here's mine (shameless plug)!

 

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2711990/Re_A_Good_Joystick_to_Hack#Post2711990

 

That looks great.

So cool. Thats the sort of level of workmanship we can all strive for.

Not sure mine will be as good, not even started yet, but I'll post here whatever I can.

J.