Boltz's A-10 Build

[Boltz]

GPU turned up and now installed. Pali Jetstream 970 is a great card! I read quite a lot of bad reviews about it but I wanted it for the blower cooler which sends the hot air out the case instead of across the other components, good for sli, and the higher base clock speed. The reference card is 1050 MHz. Mine is running at 1400MHz stable. 4790k is also running at 4.6 GHz and at a resolution of 7780x1080 I get about 35 FPS on all high settings except shadows and MSAA turned off. Lowest is 22 FPS and over the water around Batumi it's into the high 70s.

I will try to shoot a video later today.

 

I also got time to try out DCS-BIOS on the new rig. It is a great piece of work! So easy to use that I had my entire UFC working in about 10 minutes. That involves making the sketch and setting up the various files. Excellent work Ian! I think it is the way I will be going now.

 

Boltz

[Boltz]

After much reading and tweaking I have 55 FPS where I had 35 before. Also got shadows on high. What kills the performance was the "Bushes and Clutter" so that's on 0. Trees are the main problem now but I turned the visibility down to 7km. With that all the way to the right, flying over a forest brought FPS down to 20.

 

A resolution equal to just over 4k, with 5 view ports and 55 FPS leaves me amazed!

[FSFIan]

Your results give me hope.

I am about to upgrade from a five-years-old Core 2 Quad Q9650 to an i5-4690K. I'll keep my current graphics card for now and wait until I can get the GTX970 for about 200 €.

But given that currently my graphics settings don't have much effect on framerate anyway, I think it is not unreasonable to finally expect framerates above 15 fps (trying to land with less than 10 fps really sucks).

[Boltz]

Hey Ian. I know how you will feel. Every update of DCS brought my frame rates down and down. I didn't get quite as low as yours but it's pretty bad. Makes it difficult to change view around the cockpit to find switches.

 

Now I don't know how anyone could fly at under 30FPS even though that was me yesterday. The difference is difficult to put into words. You will love it!

[Boltz]

Still some more work to do with DCS and also Helios but it looks good. It's difficult to take pictures of without taking them outside the pit which ruins the effect. The video is witht he camera on the rocket tube of the ACES II. About 30cm back from pilot's view point.

[Boltz]

After I tore down the centre console last year and rebuilt it entirely differently I haven't had a place for the UFC. So after 6 months of using the mouse I decided to build something. Found my old glareshield that I just built as a mockup and painted it. Then I decided to build the top part of the front hood. Mounted it on a hinge for easy access to wiring and routed a dado to locate it in place and give the MIP some more rigidity. the glareshield does not match the MIP and sticks out too far but it is only an old one I found. I will make a replacement from aluminium at some point.

AHCP completed. I modified the switches to remove the crimp terminals and ground them down to fit in front of the screen. 4mm spacers also helped and even then the switches rest against the screen. I added some electrical tape to prevent the scratching and it seems to have worked well.

I found some footage on the camera of making the switch caps but in the end I went a different way. Basically they are just different sizes of aluminium tube ground down and knocked inside each other before a filing and sanding.

[Deadman]

You are doing great work it is really coming together !!

[Boltz]

Thanks DM! I'll get there some day

[MacFevre]

Yes, it's looking great Boltz! As you know, I'm starting my V2. We'll all get there someday. ;) That is, if we don't keep going back and redoing it over and over. :D

[Boltz]

Most of the right outboard edge finished. All aluminium construction and I know the screws are pretty random but I will change them all out soon.

[MacFevre]

Nice canopy handle, Boltz! Is that a ping-pong ball?

Oh yeah, wanted to ask before but forgot, just curious how you mounted your switch caps to the switches.

Keep up the great work!

[Boltz]

Hi Mac, thanks for the words! Yes it is a ping-pong ball but filled with hot glue and model filler to keep it's structure and add some weight.

As for switch caps, I assume they are the AHCP ones. I just used a standard craft glue that works on metal. Not the strongest stuff but it did the job well. I thought of using epoxy but then there would not be a way to remove them in the future and if some got into the switch then I would have had a hard time breaking it.

Hope that helps

[Boltz]

Been busy the past 2 weeks with other stuff but before then I spent some time working on this project. Moved everything downstairs and out to the garage so that I can work on it this summer. Now built an entire canopy frame. The bow is bolted to the side runners which are screwed along their length. All the frame is removable by taking out screws. The side skin of the cockpit is only touching the runners. No glue there.

I knew that I needed the large runners for mounting flood lights and also to give a finished look and cover up a lot of ugly parts along the top of the sides. I added a sweeping bend to make it more like the real thing and breakup straight lines. Turned out well but making the extensions to the side skin (seen in photos with a lot of wood filler) to meet with the runners took a couple of hours to get right. Small things like that make a huge difference.

Where have the consoles gone?! You'll have to wait for the answer to that :P

In the above photo you can see more clearly how the parts of the cockpit floor go together here. Rudder pedals are out as well at the moment so I can still fly at a desk. When in place, the pedals are adjustable and so is the seat. I got a couple new additions to the MIP that still need work done but they look nice ;)

 

Still more work to do on the outside then it is painting and applying the decals. There are also a few smaller parts that I will be able to work on after next week. Looking forward to getting some nice parts going now.

[Ragtop]

Looking great. Your AHCP looks pretty nice! - That's my next project.

[Boltz]

Cheers mate. I've got your part now and will send it on as soon as I get time

[Warhog]

Hey Calum

 

Looks really good. You are doing quite the outstanding job there my friend. Is that a real ADI or a place holder pic until the real one arrives?

 

Looking forward to more pics as you progress.:thumbup:

[Boltz]

Thanks John. All th instruments are just placeholders at the moment with bezels. I have collected a few real instruments but no ADI yet. Still working out how I will do it. Definitely do not want to use a screen.

[Warhog]

Thanks John. All th instruments are just placeholders at the moment with bezels. I have collected a few real instruments but no ADI yet. Still working out how I will do it. Definitely do not want to use a screen.

 

With any luck I just might build one and then you can use it as an example to develop youral

own. After building the standby ADI I see no reason why the 5" ADI will be much different or more difficult. Its the globe that is the biggest concern. I can make a globe but getting nice graphics on it (I mean professional quality graphics) is the real challenge. I haven't quite figured out how that can happen...yet.:smilewink:

 

I have been looking for a real Sperry 5" ADI and although they are readily available they are a bit pricey starting at $250-300 and then going up fast.

 

After looking at your build I'm starting to think maybe I should be adding a full size fuselage as what your doing. I had originally planned on the 2 consoles and dash board.... and maybe a HUD but I hadn't really given much thought to going any further....until now. I shouldn't really hang around this board, I get too many ideas:music_whistling:

[Boltz]

If you find a way to make the ADI then I would be very interested indeed

 

As for building half a fuselage I suggest making the consoles and MIP separate and then adding them into any structure. Wiring in this thing would be difficult and kill your back. Much better with the consoles out and working at a desk. Biggest problem with having something so large is the visual system for outside views. A half dome projector setup would be nice but very expensive and I have something almost too big to work around. Got the 3 TVs for now and I think they will work but then 2 days ago I had an idea to add part of a top view. Like you say too many ideas from reading these forums

[MacFevre]

Looking great! The skinning and canopy make a lot of difference! Keep up the fantastic work Calum

[Warhog]

If you find a way to make the ADI then I would be very interested indeed

 

As for building half a fuselage I suggest making the consoles and MIP separate and then adding them into any structure. Wiring in this thing would be difficult and kill your back. Much better with the consoles out and working at a desk. Biggest problem with having something so large is the visual system for outside views. A half dome projector setup would be nice but very expensive and I have something almost too big to work around. Got the 3 TVs for now and I think they will work but then 2 days ago I had an idea to add part of a top view. Like you say too many ideas from reading these forums

 

The visuals is no problem. I run a JVC DLA-X55R HD projector and a 12' screen that takes up the entire wall. Its almost like being there...and hopefully even better when Edge becomes a reality.

[Boltz]

That's a monster of a projector you have there!

 

I have a question regarding lights on the canopy frame. The following picture is taken looking up the open canopy on the right side. My question is what are the lights marked A and B? Where are they controlled from in the cockpit?

My guess is that B are the emergency flood lights controlled on elec panel. Not so sure about A. They might be the "Flood" lights on the interior lights panel.There are also more "A" lights covering the MIP and forward consoles.

 

Thanks

[Deadman]

Boltz it is all in the Dash one. No supper secret or any thing. Here ya go Nice Pic by the way do you have any other pictures of the canopy?

 

What the lights are.

 

Secondary interior lighting is

provided by low-intensity floodlights ( Marked A in your picture)

for the instrument panel, left and right consoles and controls. A utility light fixture (20,

Figure FO-2), with a plug-in attachment, is installed at the aft

portion of the left console for general utility purposes. Thunderstorm

lights (Marked B in your picture) are provided to illuminate the instrument panel and consoles.

 

How the lights are controlled.

 

Floodlights Control.

The floodlights control, placarded FLOOD (on the EXT INT Lighting control panel),

provides variable intensity level to the low-intensity floodlights.

These lights are powered by the auxiliary DC essential

bus when the emergency floodlight switch is in OFF. There

are low-intensity floodlights (A) arranged along each side of

the cockpit. The intensity level of each floodlight increases

when the floodlights control is turned CW. In addition to the

low-intensity floodlights, thunderstorm lights (B) are provided.

The thunderstorm lights come on when the floodlights control

is turned beyond the maximum BRT detent to TSTORM. The

thunderstorm lights are powered by the auxiliary DC essential

bus. All low-intensity and thunderstorm floodlights are shaded

to glare.

 

Emergency Floodlights Switch.

The emergency floodlights switch a two-position

switch, placarded EMER FLOOD and OFF, is located on the

electrical power control panel. EMER FLOOD causes the cockpit

floodlights to come on full bright using power from the battery

bus. In this position the floodlights control is inoperative.

In OFF, the floodlight intensity is controlled by the floodlights

control.

 

 

 

That's a monster of a projector you have there!

 

I have a question regarding lights on the canopy frame. The following picture is taken looking up the open canopy on the right side. My question is what are the lights marked A and B? Where are they controlled from in the cockpit?

My guess is that B are the emergency flood lights controlled on elec panel. Not so sure about A. They might be the "Flood" lights on the interior lights panel.There are also more "A" lights covering the MIP and forward consoles.

 

Thanks

[Boltz]

Thank you very much DM. For some reason I never thoght of looking in the dash one

 

I'llnwork out a way to connect the lights up for correct operation. Looks like a pot with 2 or 3 detents will be needed. Certainly need them for "OFF" and "TSTORM", maybe for "BRT" as well.

 

The picture is actually a screenshot from http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/072/A-10A%20Cockpit.html It's a really good way of getting high resolution pictures of the real cockpit.

[Deadman]

the sim panel has an on off Pot and an added detente ring on the shaft of the pot. Your welcome I never though of taking screen shots of that site great idea thanks.