10-10-2006, 07:35 AM
Thought I'd share this. This is my flight controls for Fs9 - setup for General Aviation, though it can be used for jets also. I don't have space for a
full-blown cockpit, so I set out to build something that can be moved out of the way when not in use.
The two controllers on the right are homemade.
![[Image: fs.jpg]](http://members.shaw.ca/david.marlor/fs.jpg)
Far right is my homemade throttle quadrant, setup with two axis (black handles) for throttle, blue handle is for prop and red handle is for mixture.
The four buttons are rudder and elevator trim.
In the middle is my homemade toggle console, designed to fit up to six Goflight modules. As you can see I have two Goflight modules - GF-166A (top)
that handles all the com and nav radios. GF-46 bottom, which is setup for transponder, autopilot (hdg, course, altitude, vertical speed, speed, mach),
altimeter (inches and millibars), gyro, DME, etc.
The two toggle panels are homemade. The core for the 12 buttons (6 per panel) is a Seitek Cybourg Evo controller - I pulled the controller card out of
the Evo and placed it in the box and wired it to the 12 buttons. The LEDs are also from the Evo, wired through the "Master bat/alt" toggle on the
lower panel and the "Master Avionics" toggle switch on the upper panel. The LEDs are just for visual. Switching on the Avionic switch has the effect
of lighting up the LEDs and lighting up both Goflight modules.
The toggles are simple cheats - I didn't want to get into spending money and time on making relay circuits, so I cheated. As you know, computers can
only handle momentary buttons (press-release) - so a toggle that stays on will not work. I used two types of toggles to get around this.
The four middle toggles on the bottom panel (used for the aircraft lights) are DPDT "on-on-on" toggles - a little expensive at $9 CDN each and hard to
find. I wired the middle "on" only so that passing through the middle creates a momentary contact.
The black toggles on each side of the panels are DPDT "on-off-on" and cheaper at $6 each and eay to find. These are wired so the middle is "off",
pressing down creates a momentary contact and then the up position is not wired to the computer, so is a fake on. The LEDs are wired to the up "on"
position using the opposite pole to the momentary contact. To switch on - I press down, then up to the top "on" position. To switch "off", I press
down to the bottom and then up to the middle "off" position.
The red toggles are SPDT "on-off-on" toggles - cheaper at $3 each and work the same way as the DPDT above. One advantage to this wetup is that when
using Approach, when Approach intercepts the ILS it turns off the "Hdg" and then "Alt" - so when this happens, I can press the HDG toggle back to the
off postion without making a contact that the computer will see, so it does not disturb the approach mode.
I still have four axis and one more LED from the Evo that I could wire up - but so far haven't found a reason to do it.
The three controllers (Evo, and the two Goflight controllers) are connected to a powered USB hub contained in the box and then a single USB goes to
the computer.
Far left is my Yoke - setup for radio control on the buttons and view control - engien start and F keys - the axis on the Yoke are for flaps, spoliers
and landing gear.
Not seen are my CH rudder pedals.
Cost?
Well, - let's see:
CH Yoke $150 CDN
Rudder Pedals $200 CDN
Home-made Throttle Quadrant (wood box, aluminum strips, K'nex gears, wire and USB/Gameport convertor) about $60CDN
Goflight GF-166 - about $150CDN
Goflight GF-46 - about $150CDN
Two toggle panels - about $72 for the toggles and a bit more for wire. The Evo controller was $50 but I had two years use of it, so I don't consider
it of any cost to this project)
The box was made of scrap wood, so it didn't cost anything, except for a bi of paint.
Total cost for FS9 controllers so far: about $782 CDN
full-blown cockpit, so I set out to build something that can be moved out of the way when not in use.
The two controllers on the right are homemade.
Far right is my homemade throttle quadrant, setup with two axis (black handles) for throttle, blue handle is for prop and red handle is for mixture.
The four buttons are rudder and elevator trim.
In the middle is my homemade toggle console, designed to fit up to six Goflight modules. As you can see I have two Goflight modules - GF-166A (top)
that handles all the com and nav radios. GF-46 bottom, which is setup for transponder, autopilot (hdg, course, altitude, vertical speed, speed, mach),
altimeter (inches and millibars), gyro, DME, etc.
The two toggle panels are homemade. The core for the 12 buttons (6 per panel) is a Seitek Cybourg Evo controller - I pulled the controller card out of
the Evo and placed it in the box and wired it to the 12 buttons. The LEDs are also from the Evo, wired through the "Master bat/alt" toggle on the
lower panel and the "Master Avionics" toggle switch on the upper panel. The LEDs are just for visual. Switching on the Avionic switch has the effect
of lighting up the LEDs and lighting up both Goflight modules.
The toggles are simple cheats - I didn't want to get into spending money and time on making relay circuits, so I cheated. As you know, computers can
only handle momentary buttons (press-release) - so a toggle that stays on will not work. I used two types of toggles to get around this.
The four middle toggles on the bottom panel (used for the aircraft lights) are DPDT "on-on-on" toggles - a little expensive at $9 CDN each and hard to
find. I wired the middle "on" only so that passing through the middle creates a momentary contact.
The black toggles on each side of the panels are DPDT "on-off-on" and cheaper at $6 each and eay to find. These are wired so the middle is "off",
pressing down creates a momentary contact and then the up position is not wired to the computer, so is a fake on. The LEDs are wired to the up "on"
position using the opposite pole to the momentary contact. To switch on - I press down, then up to the top "on" position. To switch "off", I press
down to the bottom and then up to the middle "off" position.
The red toggles are SPDT "on-off-on" toggles - cheaper at $3 each and work the same way as the DPDT above. One advantage to this wetup is that when
using Approach, when Approach intercepts the ILS it turns off the "Hdg" and then "Alt" - so when this happens, I can press the HDG toggle back to the
off postion without making a contact that the computer will see, so it does not disturb the approach mode.
I still have four axis and one more LED from the Evo that I could wire up - but so far haven't found a reason to do it.
The three controllers (Evo, and the two Goflight controllers) are connected to a powered USB hub contained in the box and then a single USB goes to
the computer.
Far left is my Yoke - setup for radio control on the buttons and view control - engien start and F keys - the axis on the Yoke are for flaps, spoliers
and landing gear.
Not seen are my CH rudder pedals.
Cost?
Well, - let's see:
CH Yoke $150 CDN
Rudder Pedals $200 CDN
Home-made Throttle Quadrant (wood box, aluminum strips, K'nex gears, wire and USB/Gameport convertor) about $60CDN
Goflight GF-166 - about $150CDN
Goflight GF-46 - about $150CDN
Two toggle panels - about $72 for the toggles and a bit more for wire. The Evo controller was $50 but I had two years use of it, so I don't consider
it of any cost to this project)
The box was made of scrap wood, so it didn't cost anything, except for a bi of paint.
Total cost for FS9 controllers so far: about $782 CDN
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