Cessna 172 (ish) FSX Simulator

[CathayA340]

Hello.

I am a 14 year old that enjoys flight simulation. I mainly fly the PMDG 737NGX for AAVirtual.net.
Today, I went to the local airport to take a tour and got a 1 hour gift certificate for later use on an "introductory flight lesson" in the Cessna 172.
I know that I have to start with a Cessna to get up to my goal of being an airline pilot on the 737, so it is time to start now.
I run FSX on one computer, an i5-4670K overclocked to 3.8GHZ with an MSI GTX750ti 2GB video card and can handle the NGX's VC at 30fps.
The default Cessna in FSX stinks, so what is the best payware C172 I should get for FSX?

I also want to start practicing flying the C172 as I have little experience with it (I know how to fly airliners more). I would like to build a cockpit, it doesn't have to exactly resemble the 172, but something similar so I can get the feel for it when I start flight/ground school. I am on a very low budget of around 200-300 dollars as I just spent $900 building the computer for FSX. After this year, my budget will rise to around $800 for the cockpit.
I am not too good with electronic stuff so plug and play modules would be ideal. I am also looking for some measurements for the cockpit, and some suggestions of materials to use. By cockpit, I just mean a panel, and not an actual "cockpit" if you know what I mean...I already have a 32" monitor for the scenery display and 2 20" monitors (I used those monitors as my instruments for the NGX).
Any tips would be appreciated as to where to start and how to build.

Thank you

[Westozy]

A2A C172 is outstanding!! I suggest you start there, good luck with your projects!
Cheers Gwyn

[CathayA340]

A2A C172 is outstanding!! I suggest you start there, good luck with your projects!
Cheers Gwyn

Thanks for the suggestion! I will be purchasing that shortly. Are there any checklists that go along with it?

[BushPilotWannabe]

Working towards FSX C172 desktop panel myself. I think that a low tech radio panel is a good intermediate step. Nothing slows the flow of the sim faster than using the mouse to change frequencies etc. Maybe try turning a second keyboard sideways and assign one row (4 keys) to each to a radio. eg. the 5, T, H and N keys for 'Nav1' MHz, kHz, up and down. It's as labour intensive as the mouse but once located you can move by feel while keeping straight and level. My next project is to paste a photo of the radio stack to an 8"W x 12"H panel (cookie sheet?) and add switches etc. through the photo for the most used devices. I'm starting with Nav1 and the heading adjust knob its CDI instrument. It would be nice to have digital read out next to the switches but this is an intermediate step getting experience building and flying as cheaply as possible.

I cannot contribute any history with an off the shelf switch controller because so far my strange methods are best served by an Arduino board and do-it-myself programming. BUT, I suggest that you keep to a system that allows multiple controller boards and start off with something small that will control four encoders and maybe half a dozen pushbuttons and then, if you like the product go for the biggest available. As you experiment and expand if this part becomes redundent it is nice to have an off the shelf product with a fair resale value.

[steveteva]

I use iDisplay and an android tablet with Flight1 GTN750 for the com, nav and map,.... Very good but I will purchase a touchscreen monitor because bigger than the 10inch tablet.

[BushPilotWannabe]

Great! Now you have me thinking about programming a touch screen overlay on top of the FS radio stack window to adjusting frequencies by touching a virtual knob and sliding four directions to move the numbers.

The world will be a better place when you can drill holes in LCD panels beginning with the shaft for a flight yoke.

[steveteva]

I use simplugins for gauges, they also have an A2a c172 addon but its fee so not tested yet.
I don't think that the default FSX c172 is bad. I use it for my cockpit and it's great.

The only thing I don t like about the c172 is the flying range and altitude that is too low compare to a Cirrus single enine SR22 for example that is great for coutry flying from many waypoints all over the US.
When you do for example a NYC to San Francisco it's easier with it, there are high mountains to cross and C172 won't make it, also fewer stops.

[BushPilotWannabe]

Bonjour steveteva.

I have Panel Builder on a 19" 4x3 monitor and trying for a C172 realistic panel which needs a little more width, and cannot decide amungst 21" to 23" widescreen monitors. Are you using one of these and do you have any recommendations?

[steveteva]

I have 3X22" monitors (gtx780) for outside views, 1X19" for panel and 10" tablet for GPS and GTN750

So looks like we have same screen size for the panel a 19" and it's fine for me I guess a 21" will be better, bigger won't really be useful if you use a touch screen monitor by its side or a tablet like I did.

I did not yet finished I must cutout holes on a aluminum sheet to cover my gauge monitor for more realistic cockpit.

See picture

photo (17).jpg

This is my old setup with a 22" monitor for panel but without the tablet device and 2X22" monitors for outside views:

photo (13).jpg

[CathayA340]

I use simplugins for gauges, they also have an A2a c172 addon but its fee so not tested yet.
I don't think that the default FSX c172 is bad. I use it for my cockpit and it's great.

The only thing I don t like about the c172 is the flying range and altitude that is too low compare to a Cirrus single enine SR22 for example that is great for coutry flying from many waypoints all over the US.
When you do for example a NYC to San Francisco it's easier with it, there are high mountains to cross and C172 won't make it, also fewer stops.

Thanks for the info! I will also try that idea, sounds good with the simplugins gauges.