Need to pick an aircraft type

Hi everyone, as some may know, i'm in the process of building a flight simulator with the Air Cadets in Newcastle upon tyne, at the moment i'm struggling to decide on an aircraft to base it around. I've kind of started modeling it around an airliner cockpit, but it dosent seem to be doing too well, the squadron dosent really have a very healthy bank balance to go out spending several thousand pounds on various modules and software etc. I just dont think we're going to have the money to build a realistic enough airliner cockpit, so i think something simpler and less dense instrument/switch wise would be a better idea.

I would like to build the most realistic (DUAL) cockpit possible, with the least amount of money (Leo Bodnar Cards/ FSXPand will be used)

Is there any particular aircraft you could recommend?? (side-by-side)

Thanks for the help :)

A list of current equipment:

• High Spec PC (Quad Core 2.5ghz, 4GB RAM, 8800GTS 384mb)
• Gauges PC (1.6Ghz, 512mb Ram, DUAL VGA output)
• 24 port 3com switch
• 3X LG 17" TFT monitors
• JVC 50" Plasma Display
• 2x Saitek X45 Joysticks
• Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals

What do the local flying schools have for training? Not to say you should go with the most popular but perhaps picking an aircraft that you can easily transition into training with will make it an asset to you and your fellow cadets if you can move from one to the other. If on the other hand you are wanting to go into the military to be a pilot. Then find the aircraft the RAF is currently using for training and go that route. This will make the transition to the actual aircraft a breeze and even make the qualifications that much easier.

Both of these have a great many advantages.

1 - You most likely will be able to get access to the same aircraft you are trying to build (take measurements and gather data)
2 - If the local base or school knows you have a sim they may be willing to help you build it. Their students/clients come from you guys and gals.
3 - You'll feel right at home when you take your lessons in an actual aircraft saving time money and the instructors nerves all at once.
4 - Trainers are pretty easy to construct more then say a heavy. I'm thinking many of the cadets are looking to fly as a private pilot or military pilot so the heavies while quite interesting are perhaps beyond your needs for the time being anyway.

All that should make the construction and operation quite realistic as you can draw on people that are at the schools or in military pilot training/pilots for there experiences. They can test your sim for accuracy and give you pointers to improve upon perhaps.

I was an air cadet in my youth 27th Air Cadet Squadron London, Ontario, Canada I would have loved to have a flight sim then. When I was there though the newest PC had only 2 colors (Green + Black) and while the flight sim for PC had just came out about that time we couldn't afford the $3500 to $4000 for the PC to run it. Would have been great though. Best of luck on your build.

Hope that helps..
Ron

Thanks for the info Ronson, yes building the simulator around our trainers would be a very good idea, however there are aspects around both aircraft we routinely fly which will be hard to replicate.

Firstly, Both aircraft (Grob 115E & Grob 109B) are Stick and Bubble, so we are used to all round visibility, including above us.

Second, Both aircraft require us to wear a parachute, although yes it wont really matter in the sim, i'm still trying to maximise realism.

Third, The 115E (Tutor) requires cadets to wear a helmet, something which will be rather expensive to replicate (although there is a fast jet helmet from a jaguar somewhere on the sqn)

Fourth, There are no half decent models available for either aircraft that even closely replicate the handling characteristics of either aircraft.

i took all of these into account in the very begining stages, which is why i decided not to build the sim around one of our aircraft in the first place :)

thanks for the input anyways, it was still pretty good information that other squadrons and cockpit builders should consider should they be in the same/simular position that i am :)

Hi Keith,

I would build something like this...

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Algoa...***/1923247/L/

It's very clean looking, doesn't have too many switches, uses a screen behind the panel for the instruments and doesn't look too difficult to build.

I'm also in Newcastle, building a 737. You're welcome to come over to talk sims if you like.

Sean

Sean, I love that sim, I have that pic saved on my desktop, Its always an inspiration to see that pic!

Alex

Thanks for the info and offer sean,

I have decided to follow something like the King Air 350, that way it can still be a military aircraft (Shadow R1), the aircraft seems complicated enough that a good few minutes can be spent on the ground messing around with switches etc in order to add to the realism, and its not as complicated as an airliner either, so that will make things easier.