Vc-10

Hi all,

After much consideration on aircraft types I have decided to look into building a VC-10 sim. My favorite aircraft of all time (followed by the 742).

There are two main problems at this stage:

1) I plan to build the cockpit from real parts; but:

There were only 54 VC-10's built of which:

5 have been completely destroyed in hijackings/crashes.

4 are preserved in museums

19 are in service with the RAF

28 have been scrapped

Thus I am unable to obtain parts from the 9 aircraft destroyed or preserved, and for the meantime I am unable to obtain parts from the aircraft in service. I am pretty sure that of the aircraft scrapped, many of the parts would have gone to the RAF??

So getting these parts will be difficult, I hope once the RAF retire their aircraft, there will be a 'flood' of cockpit parts available.

What are your thoughts on getting hold of VC-10 cockpit parts?

2) Interfacing

There are no accurate VC-10 sims for FS at the moment, so I am thinking that I will have to write the software myself??? Neither have I seen any 'steam gauge' home built sims other than the connie.

If anyone can offer any advice of getting hold of parts, flight manuals, constructing an analog simulator then I would love to hear from you!

Also does anyone know of a home built sim using analog gauges, other than GA aircraft using simkits. (Such as a 727 or L1011 etc).

Lastly if anyone has any advice on how to interface a sim to an aircraft not currently modled in MSFS I would also love to hear from you. (I guess I will have to write my own software????)

Thanks for reading all my questions!

Richard

Well, welcome to the forums and for having an interest in something different! However, you will have many more challenges ahead of you besides all the normal ones that those of us who build commericially supported projects to face.

Hopefully you can learn lots of helpful info here at MC.org!

Simkits are very costly but they work.
I would buy their controller board and use it to control instruments you build yourself.
You can get the info you need to build your own instruments from Mike Powell's book. http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/mfdbooks.htm
It's a great book for what you want to do.

I had the great honour to fly on an RAF VC10 during the Queens Jubilee rehearsals in 1977 (as an Air Cadet).

The day before the flypast, we flew on the display aircraft over Oxfordshire, and I was lucky enough to be in the jump seat as we formated on 3 Victor bombers, and spent 10 minutes in the sort of close formation flying normally performed by fighters, but in an airliner close behind 3 nuclear bombers.

On the day of the flypast, we flew in the reserve aircraft, but did not take place in the flypast.

Luckily, there were still enough VC10s servicable enough at that time!

As source of parts (or sections) may be via Witham (www.witham-sv.com) thay recently had a Nimrod dispay section mounted on a 40' trailer for auction, also some Hawks.

Great idea for a project, and I'm sure I saw an FS model for the VC10 somewhere.... Let me have a look.

Thanks for the replies,

I plan on using phidgets to manipulate the gagues, using their own software, and hook it up to PM systems/PM sounds.

The real problem I think will be the collection of VC10 parts.

I am rather hoping that when the RAF retire theirs then there will be a flood of parts available.

Thanks again!

You may have to resign yourself to the fact you will be scratch building many of the parts/panels you may need.

It might be awhile before they retire the aircraft and a longer time for those parts to become available on the open market, if they ever do become available.

Nothing wrong with scratchbuilding parts. In fact some of the panel designers/builders here can probably help you out with very realistic panels.

I'm still replacing scratchbuilt panels with the real thing as they become available. They served their purpose, but the real panels are much better. I'm down to only having to replace seven more in the whole cockpit.

Good luck with your build.