Hi all,
First of all thanks to everyone that has been contacting me via my new website, the interest has really surprised me and I am grateful for the growth in business! The announcement of my column base mechanism lead to questions from quite a few members asking me if I can produce an elbow for the top of the column. I thought this was a good idea for another product so I have completed a design and can now offer the units for sale to our members.
The unit consists of a solid Trovidur PVC circular block machined to house a high quality needle roller bearing for the hollow axle. The hollow axle will allow yoke button wiring to be be fed down the inside of the yoke column along with the potentiometer wires which are supplied. The flange has two rows of threaded holes for mounting a replica or generic yoke handle. The flange also has a pin for limiting rotation to 180 degrees. The potentiometer drive for roll motion is geared at 3:2 so the potentiometer rotates 270 degrees. There is a small pulley on the rear of the unit with a locking device to grip 2 mm wire rope, this is for transmitting roll motion across to the second yoke in a two position simulator. The mechanism will slide into a standard 80mm PVC drain elbow which can also be supplied if required. Pitched at an introductory starting price of AUD$280.00 per unit. Combined with the yoke base mechanism the package represents a low cost solution for building a high quality relica Boeing type yoke control column with pitch and roll potentiometers ready to wire to your interface card.
(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Yoke-head-05.gif)
(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Yoke-head-02.gif)
(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Yoke-head-03.gif)
(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Yoke-head-04.gif)
(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Yoke-head-01.gif)
Cheers, Gwyn
www.aerosimsolutions.com.au
wow! nice work gwyn!
Put me down for two Gwyn, quick before you get snowed under and I have to wait 12 months!
Fantastic idea and design by the way.
Cheers,
Ken.
Very cool Gwyn
FYI - in the states that elbow is hard to come by. You may want to add the elbows and pipe for the columns as an option for any builder in the states that requests it.
Great work. You are resolving some of the toughest engineering problems for the DIY builder.
Regards,
Scott
Congrats Gwyn,
Once again another good idea has come to reality.
Quote from: XOrionFE on April 27, 2010, 03:35:47 AM
FYI - in the states that elbow is hard to come by. You may want to add the elbows and pipe for the columns as an option for any builder in the states that requests it.
Scott
Those 90° elbows made of white/Black ABS or PVC 3" drain pipes should do ...no?
Check Home Depot or similar.
Just an idea:
Maybe inserting two light compression springs in the travel groove, as shown below, could help the centering/dampening feel of the yoke?
Gwyn?
:-X
That's a nifty Idea Jack.. I could see that would work well actually.
Trev
Cheers guys and thanks for the 'approvals'!!!
I was wondering wether US drainage pipes would be similar in size to the aussie ones. The main round piece which is a snug fit in the elbow and it is 79.5mm in outside diameter, perhaps someone can accurately measure the inside of a US 3" PVC drain elbow for me for comparison? I can adjust the files and make the outside diameter different, (the export model!!!) It can't really be smaller as the pot is very close to the outside edge now. I was going to offer the elbow as an option for about $25. It cost only $7 to buy but but it takes a while to remove the raised print from the manufacturer and also the moulding flash. The elbow in my picture is painted in epoxy enamel which is very tough paint, it's the same paint I use on the Boeing backlight panels.
Other news - Roberto Soriano from www.throttletek.com has suggested combining our products which I think is a great idea. I will be making elbow units to suit it his fibreglass replica yokes. Roberto is sending me a yoke to work on. Jack's idea with the springs is a good one, I might do some experiments in self centring when I get the yoke handle from Roberto. It is usually much easier to fit self centring to the cables that go down the tubes, I used this method with Darryl's Spitfire control column. I fitted springs to the chains and the heavy replica spade grip centered beautifully.
Thanks for the order Ken, two elbows added to your shopping list! I hope you don't mind these interruptions to your TQ build!!! I ran out of 10mm sheet on Saturday but it's on order, I've made the bottom base plate for the box and it's attached to the 'generic' throttle base!
Cheers Gwyn
Hello Gwyn,
I have measured several 3 inch PVC elbows and the inside dimension is 89mm. This is a Charlotte Pipe and Foundry brand. Some of the other guys here in the states may want to take a measurement but I would think they should have a standard size.
Quote from: Aerosim Solutions on April 27, 2010, 08:19:26 PM
Thanks for the order Ken, two elbows added to your shopping list! I hope you don't mind these interruptions to your TQ build!!! I ran out of 10mm sheet on Saturday but it's on order, I've made the bottom base plate for the box and it's attached to the 'generic' throttle base!
Cheers Gwyn
Put me down for the two of the base pivots too Gwyn. Gotta get in early by the look of it.
Ken.
Quote from: shaneb on April 28, 2010, 02:51:11 AM
Hello Gwyn,
I have measured several 3 inch PVC elbows and the inside dimension is 89mm. This is a Charlotte Pipe and Foundry brand. Some of the other guys here in the states may want to take a measurement but I would think they should have a standard size.
Thanks Shane, it might be better if customers buy the elbows where they live and I will machine the outside diameter to suit. (89mm is easy to arrange). The base pivot mechanism will suit any diameter pipe so that won't be a problem. I would appreciate more checks on the US sizing as you suggest.
Cheers Gwyn
Hi Gwyn,
Some more checks on sizing would be good just to make sure and I would think it would be easier to purchase the elbow locally. As Scott had mentioned .. it would be difficult to find that size in the states if not impossible. I really like the looks of your design!
I concurr with Shane on the measurements.
Maybe best for one of us to send you an elbow though because depths may be different as well. I ran into all of these isues when I was trying to duplicate what Ian had done and I ended up modifying my design to the US elbows....
Hi guys,
I think the best course of action here is if you guys buy your elbows and I will machine my bearing cartridge to suit, I can supply these units reasonably quickly. I will need a measurement accurate to within 0.1mm. It is really easy to tweak the CNC file for different sizing of the outside diameter. Apparantely the European plumbing hardware has different sizing too. Oh well, I always promote "custom order"!!!
Cheers, Gwyn
Scott has a good point about the depth as well, I had not thought about that. On the elbows I have , the depth is 39mm