Hi Nice to know you all in this big family.
I am a new cockpit builder, and start to interesting in this things 2 years ago.
I am a Mechanical Engineer before, design the Vehicle Parts. So, I do not have a very good experience on Cockpit.
I hope i can learn something from here. Thank you all.
Welcome Aboard ;)
An airplane is a vehicle too, and your experience will be an asset for sure.
Jack
Hello Lorne,
Great to have you as part of the CockpitBuilders's Forum. There is a lot of experience and knowledge within this group of helpful folks. Got Questions? Ask away, as you will benefit from this knowledge base.
You mentioned that you are a new "cockpit builder" with interest in this hobby for about 2 years. I presume that you have been planning to build your own Sim, and perhaps you have already started construction. In any case, there are a few important considerations as you begin this wonderful journey of building and owning your own flight simulator.
- If possible, define and settle on exactly what you want out of this hobby. What kind of aircraft you want to simulate. Will your Sim be an enhanced Desktop unit, or a full-scale Simulator.
- Space considerations are important, as a full-scale Sim can and does take up a lot of space. For an airliner type of full-scale Sim you can expect to take up a full room in your home or garage.
- The type of display you desire for your Sim is an important consideration. Using one or multiple LCD or LED displays is fairly easy to configure. If you decide to build a multi-projector display system, the complexity and space considerations greatly increase. Related to this is the Graphics Card you plan to use. Sim graphics require a lot of GPU power.
- Consider what kind of computer system(s) you might use. Most of us here use Windows 10 systems running on a high-end PC. Using a fast CPU is important.
- Decide what you will use for the Sim software. XPlane and P3D are good choices (I use P3D v4.5x) FS2020 has promise, but it is fairly new, so I would caution you to hold off using this Sim software until it is more stable and supports more Sim hardware.
- Keep in mind that building a full-scale Sim is a time consuming project. A BIG project! Big projects require time, money, and a whole lot of patience. Depending on your budget, you can shorten the time required to build a Sim by buying some, or all, or part of your Sim hardware modules, eg. Instrument Panel, Instruments, Indicators, etc. In this regard, be realistic about your budget, time availability, and personal construction/design capabilities.
- If you are new to Sims, then go with the herd, and build what others are building. Having common ground and fellowship with Sim builders that are working on a similar Sim design, can be a great benefit, as you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Selecting a common aircraft that others have had success with will increase your chance of success building the same type of Sim.
I hope that others chime in here, as there are valuable opinions and experience on this Forum. Let us know what you decide to do in planning your Sim. Perhaps we can help to nudge you in the right direction.
Best Wishes,
Mike