[simpits-tech] Finally its done!

[Chris Brace]

Hey Rick,
Way down in little New Zealand, come on down anytime you like.
As for Xplane, we found the development team quite good to deal with, in
fact we actually found a few small issues with the plugin system that they
fixed specifically at our request in the releases over time. 
There are of course a many things that are just plain beyond comprehension
with it too....
But that is another story


-----Original Message-----
From: simpits-tech-bounces at simpits.org
[mailto:simpits-tech-bounces at simpits.org] On Behalf Of Rick Davis
Sent: Wednesday, 24 March 2010 14:00
To: Simulator Cockpit Builder's List
Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Finally its done!

Chris,

Exactly, where do you live? I'd like to come visit. LOL

10 stars. X-Plane project of the year!

Fabulous.

Rick

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Brace" <chris at renovo.co.nz>
To: <Simpits-tech at simpits.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 6:54 PM
Subject: [simpits-tech] Finally its done!


> Guys, quick update on my C172 project. Finally its done!
>
> First of all many thanks to many of you, for those little gems and
> inspirations that kept Greg and I plugging away at what seemed impossible
> solutions. This has been one of those long term projects that suffers from
> the usual stop/start/motivation/money/life problems but we got there in 
> the
> end. And the results speak for themselves.
>
> Check out the video of the sim in action here
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W2omkBwirU
>
> A few things about it. Build time has been around 7 years! Been through
> several iterations of software and hardware but settled now on xplane.
>
> Simulator is Xplane 9.4. Instruments are early simkits with a CCU. All
> interfacing is via an XPlane plugin we wrote ourselves that does all the
> hard work and is modeled very similarly to FSX's SimConnect in principle.
>
> Primary flight controls are custom made with the electronics being a 
> plasma.
> Rudder pedals are from aircraft spruce and the mechanisms (with toe 
> breaks)
> is inhouse designed and built.
>
> The complete avionics stack is custom design and built Most the parts are
> laser
> cut- yes we even bought a laser cutter of our own to do the job. Displays
> and I/O are Phidgets. Each unit is completely separate much like the real
> deal. They all bolt into a chassis that can be removed as a single unit 
> and
> bench run if needed from a single USB connection and power.
>
> Circuit breakers are also custom made. Again each CB is a separate unit. 
> All
> are driven by a Phidget 16/16 board. Again each is made from laser cut
> acrylic and various parts.
>
> The cessna shell is custom made. I measured up the real thing, drew my own
> set of plans and then set about building it. Mostly its 18mm MDF but all
> jointed with aluminium L sections and M6 bolts.
>
> Projection is the interesting part. Three ultra short throw projectors
> (1024x768 res each). Each screen is about 1500mm wide (about 60 inches) 
> and
> is rear projected with a single mirror that folds the image back onto the
> screen.
> Projection distance is 950mm (2 x 470mm) or about 38 inches in total 
> length.
> Everything is adjustable, screen height, screen angle, projector angles 
> and
> position, folding mirror angle etc. This was done so that we could roll 
> out
> one sim shell and if needed roll in another with different requirements.
> Presently we get about 160 degrees wrap around. The images are simply edge
> butted together there is no hardware device doing any blending - just 
> plenty
> of adjustments and time.
>
> Voice comms are a real aircraft 4 place intercom and headsets - just a 
> cheap
> unit imported from China. Audio is fed into it from the Sim PC as needed 
> via
> an source input on the unit.
>
> A single fairly grunty PC runs XPlane,the visuals and primary flight
> controls.
> The PC has 4Gb RAM, quadcore CPU, and three high end graphics cards. Each
> card drives a single projector. OS is Windows Server 2008. Another PC 
> drives
> all the instruments and avioncs and comms to Xplane. Third PC drives the
> dual screen instructor station.
>
> I have a bunch of pictures of the build (over many years) on my personal
> website (www.chrisb.co.nz) under "The photo gallery" section then LS172
> simulator project.
>
> Enjoy.
> ChrisB
>
>
>
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