Universal Cockpit: Myth or Reality, How much Can I achieve

Hi guys!

I've been around reading your posts for a while and finally I got the resources to do my built.

I'm an aviation enthusiast that enjoys sim-flying (FSX) on many different aircraft so I’m planning to build something that can be suitable for every airplane that I fly.

As a result I’m trying to arrange as many things (Switches, Rotary Dials, Push Buttons, etc) that I can fit in a cockpit in order to achieve what I want.

The airplanes that I have and I would like to see them represented on it are:

FlightSimLabs Concorde X
PMDG Boeing 747-400
Flight 1 Cessna Citation Mustang
RealAir Duke (Turbo-prop)
MilViz Cessna 310
ORBX Lancair
Aerosoft Katana 4X
DodoSim JetRanger

I know this is a challenge and in my mind is like a conundrum that I want to solve, so I’m going to be very pleased with every commend, experience, tricks or questions that you can provide me.

Of course I'm facing a big number of questions, regarding building an universal cockpit. So here you have the initial ones

My first incredible basic question is:

Is this feasible?

Do you know if all this planes have mapped key-actions so I can start thinking on my design?

It is possible to use only one PC?

I want to keep it simple! (Hahh! What a contradiction!) so for the moment I don’t want to use multiple screens

Which are the limitations that you can spot?

Do you know someone that has tried before?

Well, hope you are not as scared as I am…

Looking forward for your answers…

Thanks in advance,

Jcmmg

Yes, it's possible, at least in principle. Plenty of people here have 'generic' cockpits. But you'll never cover all the bases in terms of having every control that each real aircraft has in its cockpit, obviously. The level of absolute realism is thus reduced. You'll never get certified on it :-)

I'm in much the same boat as you - I'm building a highly generic pit and intend to fly multiple aircraft with it. To that end I'm putting in lots of screen real-estate so I can show graphical panels / controls for where I have no physical switches. Perhaps even as far as being something like Garmin's G3000/5000 next-gen systems. Somewhat customisable controls (I plan to build the TQ with removable and re-configurable thrust levers, for example), and lots and lots of compromises.

Can you do it one PC? Well, some people here have relatively complex sims on a single PC, but in general most people going for a full enclosure will end up using at least two. For myself, my final solution will likely use 5 PCs of various kinds.

Of course, my project has been stalled for many months now and is still at the shell-building stage, so you don't want to emulate me :-)

NH

I don't think it is a myth but rather the norm. The thing to think about is your purpose. Do you need to know exactly how to operate a specific plane, then the answer is simple ( and expensive ). If you are just fascinated with a certain plane that you want to sit behind the panel of because it just gives you goose bumps (like the 737ng does for me) then you build that, however complex or complete you feel like spending money or time on, or both. What I did was googled panel pictures of every plane IU was interested in and found the 73ng to be the best combination of glass and guages. Another thing to concider is that most of the "stuff" in all planes is the same, starter, master, generator, landing lights, and most of the guages are the same or at least work the same way. So you could research what YOU want in your very own plane by picking the things you like from all the other plane out there. And then arrange them how you want them using examples that you like and then come up with a pit that is like no other pit ever seen, totally your own idea. There are no rules. Just to have a good time building and flying.

And by the way, welcome to this most awsome of adventures.

A year from now you will know parts and terms and software you never thought of.

Andy

the way i went is to make an airbus cockpit. programmed many accesses in sioc to interface with project magenta then i wanted to fly also beechcraft baron 58 so some minor changes to the fy by wire (shut it) and abig change to sioc script which finds out by itself which plane is oaded and adapts the functions of the buttons. the only drawback s that the key identifications on the panels remain airbus

greetz peter

Hi all

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

Based on your commends I will start by creating a list of the actions that I want to recreate for each aircraft.

Currently I'm going to concentrate my efforts to built some panels like autopilot, switches, engine controls and radio/nav panel. I've estimated that by doing this I will spend more money than buying Saitek, VRinsight or GoFlight modules, but:

This is going to guarantee a better compatibility to the aircraft that I've chosen?

What is your experience with them?

Currently I'm not planning to use Project Magenta

To do that I'm planing to use Leo Bodnar's controllers...

Sorry for such a list of questions, but I'm doing my preliminary work so I need your help as I don't know anything of this stuff (a steep learning curve for me!)

Hi Buddy,

As someone said (and i strongly believe in this), the way to go in your universal cockpit is to make your very own unique pit. Do this by collating a series of pictures of your aircraft type's cockpits and then picking out what is 'common' in them all. Many jet liners have a MFD and PFD which sits on both sides of the cockpit, so this could be one of the main features of your unique sim. Many jetliners also have a few standby gauges such as the ASI, ALT and VS, so you could then incorporate this into a centre panel. With the exixstance of your centre panel you can then include an EICAS screen which could double up as an extra source to display EFIS and ENGINE data. I suppose you could display anything from a radio stack to a GPS on the centre screen too for GA or TWIN flying. All jetliners have autopilot devices and radio equipment so again, pick what radio equipment is common in your add-ons and build/buy as to your unique spec. When you have the basics, then add generic switches and rotaries etc, because by then you will know exactly what knobs your turning and what you your not. Work on what you need to control and keep it simple, because before you know it, your 20 toggle cockpit has turned into a jet liner that requires a £grand to interface it then the hundreds of hours of pulling your hair out because the button you need to interface isnt lighting up or doing what you want, and then you end up giving up and then putting it on hold for months again. All I can say is plan, plan and plan. Get a copy of fsuipc and see what is key mappable from your add-ons ( fsuipc can covert mouse click macros to switch commands :) ) From there you should have some idea of what you can control based on all your add-ons.

Alex