Panel build concept for 172...help and advice needed!

[No Longer Active]

Hi as for the Yoke....

This is pretty much a replica of the Cessna yoke we all know today, it is just the yoke only, it's plastic, it's lightweight, it's hollow, it's......just a yoke and that's it. Excellent if you wish to make a yoke from scratch, baring in mind you will have to weight it down, or fill it with something ( I have seen people glue 2p coins to the inside ) Weight is needed without a doubt, you could take off your saitek yoke and replace it with one of these, but this could prove tricky, and I mean really tricky, best bet would be to just keep what you have got....or build a yoke from scratch and use this yoke handle assembly. I would just stay put with what you have got, you don't want to chance breaking your only yoke would you!

As for the wet compass...yeah these are good, mega expensive, but if I was you, I would just use the compass on your display for now, it's not priority, you can always display a simulated compass on your screen, or build a dummy, then interface it somehow later....I would love one of these too, as I myself want's one, I am thinking up a set of plans to make one of these dirt cheap, so gimme time on this one!

As for Peix.....I am really new to this, I only knew about peix up until about a month ago, discovered it by mistake really....Chances are that I will purchase Project Magenta, so I haven't really gone down the Peix route in too much detail yet, I am configuring my whole sim based on Project Magenta, that was my plan, so I am going through with it!

As for.....

GOOD NEWS: A totally redesigned GA Panel is under development, with more gauges, graphics smoothness, lower CPU use and fully customizable. The demands of instruments from customers will be easy to add, and it will support hardware interfaces (real lights, switches, etc). Also Helicopter's gauges will be included.

It has had this up since I discovered it, I really don't know how long this has been up, you could be waiting forever for all we know....so take it with a pinch of salt mate....

There are some FREE...yes free software gauges available....

http://www.flightdecksoft.com/

This is free, if you download it, please donate a few pounds to the owner if you like it! (It makes it worth while, and gives them motivation! )

So just have a search about mate, there's plenty out there!

Cessna 172 / PA28? (VERY COOL PLANE)...Whatever you choose, I am sure you will be fine, I'm always here if your stuck, drop me a PM and I'll give you my email address if your stuck!

Cheers Buddy!

Alex

[JimmyGerrard]

Been on a wild goose chase today, but have finally managed to get my 4th montor set up and working OK, so the fun starts here. I am about to install the Peixsoft GA panel but it appears as though I also need FSUIPC for it to work. I believe there's a basic version that's free? If anyone can direct me to it that'd be great because at present I can only find one I have to pay for. I'm currently running FSX.

In truth I am not really sure what FSUIPC is...will it interfere with my current config (eg. Saitek yoke etc.) and will it require any programming? Kind of going in blind on this one!

[Geremy Britton]

FSUIPC... stands for something which i've totally forgotten off the top of my head BUT... basically as you know the assignments section within flight simulator where you press the button on your hardware and you assign it to a function. FSUIPC is a program that you open within flight sim and uses this same concept however allows you to do a whole lot more and you can assign buttons, switches to soo many more functions that are not possible in the standard FS Assignments tab. Because Microsoft obviously think you are just going to use FS on your desktop so doesn't expect you to be assigning switches to 'batt press on' etc etc. however FSUIPC is for the simbuilder and covers all these options.

There is also other nifty tricks such as another function to be performed when the button is released and the list goes on.

You can precisely control axis too... so for example on your throttle after a cetain point on the movement loci of your throttle handles you can have a value which corresponds to a position on the throttle quad (Eg Max power - full forward etc)

Peter Dowson developed with software for us and is a member so he would be able to help with in depth enquiries. however basically it is a must have. And i can safely say you can't get very far without it. Not sure of the price nowadays but it has always been cheap and extremely good value for money.

Hope that helps slightly.
Alex will be here to help you with the GA aspects soon.

[JimmyGerrard]

Thanks Geremy, maybe I will have to consider putting my hand in my pocket then!

Would buying it interfere with my existing hardware do you know? I am thinking primarily of my goflight gear here as it has its own software that deals with key assignments for the buttons on the units, and I've got all of their modules working just as I'd like them now...would annoy me if they muffed up!

[JimmyGerrard]

Well I bought the FSUIPC and was amazed that I didn't need to do anything with it after installing; the Peix GA Panel software automatically interfaced with it and what's more, as far as I have encountered so far there have been no conflicts with my Goflight stuff, which is still working fine. Very impressed thus far I have to say.

Bit of a noob question this one, but I can't figure it out. I've got the panel working fine on the 4th monitor and interacting with the game so I've got all the instruments working fine. Now I'd like to remove the cockpit view completely and just have open air...ie a view out of the front windscreen. How do I do it? Sat there for twenty minutes playing with settings and the only outside ones are the usual 'Spot', 'Lock Spot' etc. I just want to see out the front window!

[Geremy Britton]

Jimmy,

Glad to hear you purchased FSUIPC so fast.. and it realy was a neccesity and also it doesn't interfece with goflight at all. It acts as another run alongside program so you can still assign things through FSAssignments infact there are conflicts sometimes. If you have the same button assigned to a function in FS and FSUIPC so watch out for that if you end up putting the gear down and it comes straight back up again for example.

And for the view. Press 'W' on the keyboard. I think that will sort you out. You may need to press it more then once. I think 2 or 3 times. As it alters the view until eventually nothing. Then press 'W' again to resume to cockpit view.

At least thats how it works with FS9 i'm presuming FSX would be same if that's what your using at the moment.


Best regards

[JimmyGerrard]

Hi guys,

Have been thinking about this over the last couple of weeks and have decided to move my set-up away from a specific aircraft and focus on building a generic pit so that I can fly all manor of props as desired.

I have acquired the Peix panel which is good if not spectacular, and have managed to sort out my PC so that all of the software is running as I'd like it to. The best thing is I'm still getting 50FPS, so I am very happy indeed!

Anyway, I have attached my 'vision' of what it might look like, and I'd like to thank the chap from Sweden whose fantastic design helped me a little bit in coming up with an idea. Lets say it won't win any CAD awards, but paint is the only software I've got and it's still in the 'visionary' stages just now!!

I am mainly stuck on how I will incorporate the throttle quadrant, with the mouse and a keyboard as well. When you're making a complete cockpit I would imagine it's easier, but due to space restrictions I can only really build the captain's side, so I can't connect a 'pedestal' to the middle as somebody else might. Any ideas on that front would be welcome, but ideally I would like it low and to the right for that 'pedestal' feeling when cranking up the throttle!!

I have bought some 18mm MDF panels and will probably - with the help of a family friend- start doing some proper drawings next weekend, so I will provide an update then!

[No Longer Active]

mmmmm....

Interesting design you have there!

I could give you a few pointers to consider first.....

So watch this space!

Cheers,

Alex

[JimmyGerrard]

Will await them with eager interest my friend!

Of course after it's built I would finish it off with detail...my 'line drag' Paint finger unfortunately got tired so I left it where it was though!!

Will probably cut some aluminium as some kind of 'fascia' and build a glareshield on there for good measure, which should make it look much more aesthetically pleasing. Because I am sh*te at DIY, my current mantra is make the design as easy to build as is humanly possible, and worry about the rest once I am sure it can stand up straight!

I will also need to build a structure behind it to support my 3 monitors, but I will worry about that later.

[No Longer Active]

Couldn't you design the throttle quad to be position under the radio stack instead of to the side of the radio stack, so that you save space, and also I think that it would look better.

I really didn't know that you had an MCP aswell, quite odd for a GA pit, but handy.

The MCP doesn't quite fit in with the pit, in terms of design and ergonomics, the screen, the radio stack and MCP are all completely different widths; so wouldn't line up properly, into any sort of form or shape.

You have gone for pre made modules by goflight, so its a shame you couldn't mount all your switches and knobs into the panel, where as it stands, you have to mount a module into the panel.

But I would do something on the lines of:



And I wouldnt round the corners of the MIP off either as you waste space, unless you are building a pit like the cessna with gauges in the cessna array!

Anyway, good luck pal!

As always!

Alex

ps. you can always buy a USB track pad that eliminates the need for a mouse, you can then mount the track pad directly to the MIP, which will save you the need to build a flap to hover the mouse as required!