Hi from Northern California (building a helciopter sim)

[Jetprovost]

hi there,

I am about to embark on a build of a Schweizer 300 helicopter pit. Very exciting and daunting at the same time.

I've seen a few R22/44 sims, but is anyone else building a Schweizer?

Stuart

[Matt Olieman]

Welcome aboard Stuart. WOW!!! we need more Helicopter sims. Fantastic, will love to see your progress, be sure to take pics, we love em. :) :) :)

Glad you decided to join us.

Matt Olieman

[Ronson2k9]

Much like the Hughes 200. It's my favorite of the small helo's. Wide windshield though .. Could be a challenge to do the visuals?

One thing you may want to consider and I say this only because if it were me.. You may want to put in a floor mounted display so you can see the ground below you. If your pit is in the air somewhat. When making a simpit it's important to do the things you wouldn't normally have when just flying a desk. I know that when flying/landing that is greatest cue more then your instruments. It's also the one thing I would end up flipping to over and over again as I landed. So having that in your sim would really be a great benefit.

Just to get you started...
You may want to have a look at this.. (on the left side of this page you can download the Schweizer 300c POH (Pilots Operating Handbook)

http://sharpmountainaviation.com/id3.html
NOTE: Right click and save to a location (opening in a browser gave me an image error) Saving & then opening in Acrobat avoids that.

There are good drawings of the Intruments and Instrument panel in Part-B of the manual download. Don't let the opening to the document bum you out that bird started out as the 269 but later became the 300 and so the manual starts out at birds routes but goes forward through the 300c So you should have quite a bit if all the data you need to build with. Unfortunately it's a scan of manual so you can't do an active search in Acrobat. A little bit of clean up though and you should be able to print that out and keep as part of your cockpit. All aircraft are required to have a POH on board at all times..

One little nugget I gleaned from the manual ... It says and I quote..

The minimum crew of the Schweizer 300c is one pilot :) :)

I also found this from the Sikorsky site. It has nice panel layout and cockpit diagrams.
http://www.sikorsky.com/StaticFiles/Sikorsky/Assets/Attachments/Mission%20Downloads/SXR-004_300C_TI.pdf

What plans do you have for your simpit?

And -- Welcome Aboard

[autocadplease]

nosecone is building a MD500 http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17241

[jasonw93]

Hello

I am Jason. I am 30 years Old. Nice to meet you.

[Joe Cygan]

Hi Stuart,
Welcome to mycockpit! We don't have enough helicopter flight sim projects here so I'm sure everyone will be interested in yours. I'm an ex-Californian myself now living in Texas.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Jetprovost]

Well Ronson what I was thinking was two sets of 3 screens (ie: 2 x tripple head 2 go) so I could lower the second set. Ideally I would project onto a curved screen, but I just dont have the physical space.

I think I'm going to plump for the Epic card for the interface.

I am still very much in a parts collection phase (do you know how hard it is to find large ball end toggle switches?!!!) I have lights and switches coming and I was looking at Simkits for the instruments, but they seemed to have stopped their multiuse instruments so I am still sourcing an alternative. I am also still sourcing a place to get the actual panel - I'm goign to replicate the Jsut flight 300 layout.

Although I'm pretty handy with computers and electronics, and I've been flying (fixed wing) for 20 years, I am completely new to both rotary wing and simulators. So let em know if I'm offbase at all with my choices as I go.

[spitfire9]

Lots of pictures of helicopter sim projects at Hovercontrol.com .

http://64.34.169.161/cgi-bin/ifolio/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Screenshot_Gallery/SimPits_and_Hardware

[Ronson2k9]

I would take a shot at building the ball end toggles (just the handle of the toggle switch). You wouldn't need to take the toggle apart to do that but add on to the toggle switch with a plastic bead and bushing/tubing then paint. That could save you quite a bit if you get good at it. Toggles are pretty cheap to by if not specialized. You may also have a problem with a real toggle interfacing with the sim? Not sure on that. There are those here that would know for sure.

- It would depend on the amount of power the toggle is rated for in relation to the amount you will be passing through when connecting the interface to the toggle?

Huge 300C cockpit pic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dutchmetal/3854721923/

I can see the toggle switches in that pic quite clearly. Should be pretty easy to make them if you were so inclined. When making a sim pit you pretty much hang out at the hardware, art and jewelery/craft store as they have all the bits you need to build either what you can't find or is to hard or expensive to buy the real thing of.

While you can model your cockpit after the one in the sim. Really the sky is the limit (no pun intended) as you're interfacing a built cockpit with the sim. So in essence you're making a really really fancy joystick in a way. The computer has no idea what you have only that it controls the sim. It's up to you to tell it what each of the things you have does.

You'll find also that what you see here can sometimes be the real thing. Taken out of an actual airplane but many times it looks and feels and operates like the real thing but it's made of wood or plastic or common household items or of course from the aforementioned 'Simpit - supply stores' hehe.

Best of luck on your build and keep us posted on your progress.

Ron

[nosecone]

Hi Stuart
Good too see someone else taking on the challange of building a Helicopter pit.
As autocadplease stated I am builbing a MD500E simpit from the bones of a Hughes 300. Thanks heaps autocadplease for all you help dude.

I can agree that it seems daunting, but as you get things done and the project takes shape the excitment starts to build.
I plan to use real ball end toggle switches from the hughes 300 I am using, so when Leo's control board arrives I will be able to see if they work or not, so I will keep you posted. I have tested the switches with a multimeter and they work, be interesting to see if they work with the board?

For you instrument panel the cheapist option could be a face plate over a LCD monitor and some bezels to add depth to the panel.
I have seen some great panels using that option and they look fantastic.

Sound Like a great project

Regards

Rhys

[Jetprovost]

My ridiculous sense of perfection wont let me get away with a screen display lol - I wish it would! Very interested to see if we can get real switches working.

[nosecone]

Hi Stuart
Hoping the board will arrive end of this week early next week. As soon as I find out anything I will let you know (here's hoping)

Rhys

[Jetprovost]

I started a thread in the "MY COCKPIT UPDATE" forum with some pictures of my first steps as components arrive.

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17681

[nosecone]

Hi Jetprovost,

Leo's board arrived so I started to hook up toggle switches too see if they would work. At first I got nothing but after some perseverance and hooking the swithes up correctly thanks to the guys on the forum they work.

I then assigned the switch to landing lights in flight sim and that worked as well, even the starter botton on the collective show up in the properties test :-D

Things are getting exciting, now that I can get real switches to work.
I am now going to concentrate on the cockpit fabrication then move to the panel.

Regards

Rhys

[Jetprovost]

Good news! - I dabbled with Anti Torque pedals for a bit, but have decided to start by concentrating on the panel. I managed to source some authentic klixon switches and some push to test lights. I have a few questions for you...
Does Leos board do outputs (lights) as well as inputs?
Are you planning on hardwiring power via the battery switch to the other switches or just letting the interface and software handle it?

Thanks,
Stuart

[nosecone]

Hi Stuart,
I plan to just use the interface and software to handle it, to be honest I wouldn’t have a clue about the battery option or its merits :oops: I am sure there is someone here who could help and me as well.

As for outputs (lights) as well as inputs again, I am a total novice and I am sure someone here knows what they are doing and could help both of us on that one:-P
I would love to see some pic of the push to test lights

Regards

Rhys

[Jetprovost]

Well I am glad I am not the only novice around here :) See attached photos of my push to test lights. Very easy to wire - 3 posts 1: Ground 2: Signal voltage (from your interface card - this will light the light if conditions are right) and 3: This is direct to power which lights up when you push to test.

It is in a test state right now, as I am still sourcing parts and a main panel.

2413

2414

2415

[nosecone]

Great stuff
I have hooked up a pot to Leo's board and checked out how things work in the properties test menu, all working fine so far

Rhys

[Jarod]

Hi all! As spitfire9 said in the posts, hovercontrol has some really good stuff at their website, for pictures go to: SimPits and Hardware and for forum chat go to: Home Cockpits and Hardware

I am setting up a micro helicopter cockpit myself. Micro because it has to be small enough to stove it away when needed. Made a small website about the project, but since I just started it - no pics yet :( But it will come.

Link to the Micro Helicopter Sim (http://www.myhelicoptersimulator.com/micromelicoptersimulatorproject.html).

Off course I will also add the pictures here as the project moves forward. It is always great to see others peoples simpits. Gives me motivation and inspiration - often needed!! :D

Happy simming!

[Jetprovost]

OK so it has been a while, but I finally finished my CAD drawings of my panel and received it back from the water jet company. I have been concentrating on the panel and getting the authentic parts from various places. I 'dry fit' tested the components I have managed to get so far (all the swithces, lights, and some guages). I am missing the mixture control, 3 engine guages, and all the flight instruments oh and avionics. I have plenty to be getting on with though. I plan to use the Simkits guages with custom face plates. See attached face plate designs I made in Powerpoint. So now a few coats of gray paint and wet & dry sanding and then its on to the lettering!

[Jetprovost]

Here is the panel painted and 'dry fitted' to ensure the lettering will fit. I am awaiting delivery of the Pulsar decal system (http://www.pulsarprofx.com/DecalPRO/index.html) to enable me to convert these laser printed labels into white decals. I will let you know how it goes....

[Geremy Britton]

Welcome to the madness, you're already away with the building of your sim. Keep up updated as to how it goes and of course if you have any questions were all here to help, there are many helicopter 'experts' with us.
Thanks for the pictures too. :) :)

[Sweetwater]

Jetprovost,

Thank you for the interesting decal link... That might just do the trick for my C441 panels that are being cut as we speak...

Jeff

[Jetprovost]

Hi Jeff,

I will let you know how it all works. The materials are on their way.

I ordered 'al la carte' as opposed to the starter set.

FYI For white decals you need:

GBC "Personal" Laminator (Its listed on the decal site for $69, but Presentations Direct have the same laminator for $24.95
KK-2000 Adhesive (Getting this from Joanns Fabrics for the same price and doesn't impact UPS shipping)
Carrier Board
Carrier Foil
Toner Transfer Paper
1226 Pigment White Toner Reactive Foil

Stuart

[Jetprovost]

Well my decal supplies arrived - Boy you need some practice and patience! 7 Hours Later I got 2 labels done. However, I learnty a lot along the way - You definately need a day to practice with scrap panel amterials. It is a 10 step process.

1. Print off your label ont eh special paper via a laser printer
2. Dry with heat gun
3. Cut it out and cover with the white foil and run through the laminator
4. Remove white foil and clean up with masking tape
5. Cover with mylar carrier and run through laminator again (I ran it through 3 times)
6. Trim and run through laminator again
7. Place in water bath and await spearation of film from paper
8. Dry film
9. Apply adhesive
10. Stick to panel

At any step something can (and usually does!) go wrong. from wrinkles inthe foil to not sticking the label on straight. HOWEVER the results are worth the effort. I am hoping that the rest of the labels go on much quicker than todays efforts.

[Jetprovost]

Well the panel is finally labelled! - You have to have the patience of a saint, but the results are well worth it. See attached pics....

Stuart