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View Full Version : Trying to start a Blackhawk UH-60L homemade simulator



GSS Rain
12-04-2016, 07:56 PM
I'm trying to see if FSX or prepar3d using existing third party software has the ability to support a homemade UH-60L Blackhawk cockpit that is at least 80% to 100% controlled by real hardware and not by the clickable mouse inputs to the on screen cockpit. By hardware control, I mean using Arduinos to build the overhead panels, center console, main instrument panel, circuit breaker panels, throttle quadrant, etc.

My plan is to use Pro Flight Trainer Puma for the cyclic and collective. In conjunction with this I am going to gut the insides of a thrust master warthog throttle and remount the many hat switches and butttons into the collective. That way I could still use its software to program the hat switches. Or I may try and locate the hat switches myself and maybe use FSUIPC to make assignments. I have a lulzbot taz 5 3D printer to remake the collective into the proper shape and mount it.

As far as add ons go, I saw Cerasim and Virtavia both make Blackhawks for FSX but Virtavia's model looks like the most modern cockpit according to the pictures I see of it. They also have a more populated center console.

Now I'm an electrical engineer by profession and not a software engineer. I can use existing applications to write code in the IDE but not the skills to create something out of nothing.

I built an A-10C warthog homemade cockpit using Digital Combat Simulator and a third party software called DCS-BIOS. Digital combat simulator has over 20 flyable aircraft but DCS BIOS only supports 4 planes and it states that. I'm wondering if FSX third party software has similar limitations or do they completely cover every I/O point on every aircraft in the game.

Link to YouTube

https://youtu.be/pfreR_-HonQ

As far as FSX and P3D goes, I see YouTube clips of 737 homemade cockpits but I am not sure if software like link2FS or mobiflight is covering the whole cockpit I/O or are they using software like PMDG for the 737. Could I expect similar results with a Blackhawk sim.

So my question is can I use FSX or P3D to build a Blackhawk cockpit and expect that there is existing software to drive the entire cockpit using arduinos?

Thanks,

GSS Rain