Best cobat sim software for Spitfire simpit?

[Lodewijk]

Hello everyone,



Seeing as this is my first post on this forum, allow me to introduce myself . My name is Jan, I’m 36 and live in Pretoria (South Africa). The reason I joined this site is because I’m planning to build a Spitfire cockpit and need to do some research in order to determine the best way forward.



My Objective is to build a cockpit with functioning flight instruments, flight controls and motion platform. I have tried to break down the project into a series of tasks in order to clarify the process for myself. Here is what I have come up with:



1. Decide on type of aircraft – Spitfire Mk. V or Mk. IX

(Type doesn’t really matter that much to me, but it seems these are the most popular types as far as flight simulator software goes)

2. Decide on Flight simulator software to use

(This is where I need some advice. Which Flight Simulator software will allow me to both control the simulator from controls in a simpit, but also provide information for the functioning of flight instruments and a motion platform. Having done a bit of reading on Mike’s Flight Deck site it seems that providing the interface for control input is the easier part and that most Sim software would allow one to do this. The problem is which Simulator software would allow me to read information from it in order to drive flight instruments and a motion platform?

3. Find good quality plans, drawings and reference material for construction of the cockpit interior and the section of fuselage housing the cockpit. Any sugestions?

4. Get information and acquire soft- and hardware necessary for interface between input and output devices (i.e. flight controls and instruments) and chosen flight sim software.

5. Build Flight Instruments

a. First: main instrument display panel, altimeter, airspeed indicator, artificial horizon etc. Basically the six instruments on the main (centre) panel.

6. Build cockpit section of fuselage.

7. Build flight controls

a. Yoke
b. Pedals
c. Throttle
d. Landing gear lever, etc. etc.

8. Build motion platform (3 D.O.F.)

9. Flight Instruments

a. Build secondary instrument panels.


I would really appreciate any input, comments, suggestions and help, with regards to choosing the best flight simulator software and particularly which interface soft- and hardware programs or modules to consider for exchanging data with the flight sim software.



In summary, my main questions are:



1. Which is the best flight sim software for a Spitfire cockpit with motion control?


2. What hardware and software will I need to get the cockpit to talk to the sim software and vice versa?


3. Are there any additional steps that you think I should include in my program?


Any other sincere and related advice would also be appreciated

[spitfire9]

I would say the best combat sim with Spitfires would be "IL-2 1946" .
There is a free program available called UDP Speed whick will allow Spitfire instuments to be used on a seperate monitor or computer.

I am sure it is wideview compatible but I have no idea about the motion platform software.

The sim is highly immersive with a very good graphics engine and a sim called Cliffs of Dover, made by the same company will be out soon. The Spitfire models are some of the best.

[Crescent]

Ya, I guess your first question is whether or not you want to be able to fire guns and shoot others down. IL2 or Battleground Europe will allow you to do that, but FSX won't. As far as interfacing the instruments goes, I only know that FSX or any of those series by Microsoft will allow this. I doubt IL2 will and I know Battleground Europe won't.

With building your instruments to interface, make sure you really think about it. I picked up Mike's book on building the instruments and found it nothing but confusing. I think there is alot of knowledge that is assumed you have. So, for my Lancaster project I'm going with monitors mounted behind the instrument panel (flush) that show up in the appropriate slots when the game starts.

[spitfire9]

here is a link to youtube and a video of a spitfire sim running UDP Speed gauges on a monitor behind the panel.Using IL-2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7pt_9mOAY4

here is a link to the UDP speed download.
I haven't tried it yet myself ,but the gauges themselves look real nice.
http://mission4today.com/index.php?n...kid=377&page=1

[Lodewijk]

Hi Guys,

It’s been a while since I have logged onto this website. I had my laptop stolen so my only access to internet was from work and I am sure my boss wouldn’t be very happy if I spend my time at work chatting about flight simulators . Anyway, insurance has sorted us out and I’m back.

I have purchased both of Mike Powell’s books, that is the guide to Building Recreational Flight Simulators and Building Simulated Aircraft Instrumentation. (I’ll get the one on displays later). I have also today ordered Spitfire plans and manuals from Techdata in the UK. I got the Ultimate set of Supermarine Spitfire plans as well as the Technical manual and Parts Listing

Basically the plan is to build a realistic Spitfire cockpit, probably a Mk IX. The cockpit then needs to be mounted on a motion platform. I decided on a spitfire since I want to be able to engage in aerial combat with cyber Bf 109’s etc. I think a Cessna pit would be nice, but I generally get bored with just cruising around.

The first stage of my project will involve building just the instrument panel for the Spitfire. I’m still not sure which software I would be able to use to interface with both instrumentation (i.e. output) and controls (i.e. input). It looks like MS Combat Simulator 3 might be an option as well as IL2. I will probably need to experiment with both of these programs to see which gives the best results. I’m thinking that maybe I need to build a few gauges and maybe a small motion platform (using radio control servos) to test and see what I get out of the software. I don’t think the input side will be that problematic; one could probably just hack an old joystick and get reasonably far. It is more the output for the flight instrumentation and motion platform that I’m worried about. Anyway, let’s see what the plans look like. In the mean time I’d better start reading about i/o devices and software. Any pointers anyone

Cheers for now and thanks for all the good advice sofar

[Westozy]

Hi Lodewijk,
I build Spitfire hardware flight controls etc, some pics are here - http://www.aerosimsolutions.com.au/spitfire.html This is the awesome Spitfire owned and operated by our member "Tony Hill", I have made many mechanical components for this beautiful simulator!

Cheers,
Gwyn Perrett
www.aerosimsolutions.com.au