By Fritz Weinrebe on 25 April 2008

There are many USB joystick models to buy off the shelf nowadays.  These joysticks mostly only have 3-axis controls and a few buttons.  To build a home cockpit you will need more than 3 axises.  You can buy more than one joystick, but then you will disassemble the joystick anyway to build your own controls. 

Why not buy a joystick controller?  One good controller is the BU0836 from Leo Bodnar.  The BU0836 has 8 (10bit) analog input channels, 32 buttons inputs and a 8-way hat switch input pins.  Here is what the BU0836 joystick controller looks like.


(Images courtesy of Leo Bodnar.)

There is now a newer 12-bit model available called the BU0836A and it even supports rotary encoders.  Al ... Read More »

By Fritz Weinrebe on 15 April 2008

Both pedestals are now assembled. Here they are with the seat. This is probably the first photo to show what the pitsim will look like when done.

Now I can start with the panels for the pedastals.  I did an experiment about a month ago.  It involves white Perspex spray painted with a grey primer and then a matt black layer.  Before the paint is sprayed on, the Perspex is sanded with 1200 grain sandpaper. 

For the lettering we used a CNC CO2 Laser Engraver to engrave the letters and lines onto the prepared panel.  It worked very well.

By Fritz Weinrebe on 03 April 2008

In a previous Blog entry I mentioned that I am going to use the Hawker Beechraft Texan II as a flight model for this project.  IRIS Flight Simulation Software just released a Pilatus PC-9/A. 

Well I just bought it and will use it as the flight model for the PC-9M instead.  It includes a 90 page Pilot Handbook which is what makes it more valuable.

Below is a FS2004 screenshot of the IRIS PC-9/A in front of a hangar at the Pilatus Factory at Read More »