Deciding Which Cockpit To Build (and How)

[NeoMorph]

Well I've Pretty much decided on something like a twin engine, short haul cargo plane. It may not have the sexyness of a the big Boeings or Airbuses but I've always liked the sound of a prop plane over jets. Another consideration is that short haul is probably all I can handle in one sitting due to a joint disability... This project is kind of a distraction therapy from constant pain you see.

So which plane to go for.

Small dual pushprop I would probably go for the Piaggio P180 Avanti II - Kind of sexy looking.

Beechcraft King Air 350 - Nice I suppose
Dash-8-300/ATR 72-500 - I like both of these... they are very similar.

For glass cockpits the Bombardier Q400 looks nice... but working out how to make a HUD would be... problematical.

Most probably I will go for the Flight-1 ATR 72-500... Something a little different than the herds of 737NG simulators that I see loads of online. Don't get me wrong... I love the look of those beasts, but I would never be able to build one of those in a million years... I just don't have enough cash. 

So what do you guys think? I will be using a mix of fsXPand and hardware switches and encoders to fake a lot of the dash...I will have to find somewhere that will make the masks for the dash probably. I think 2011 (at least the first quarter) will be me doing research.

[Bob Reed]

Hello NeoMorph. Nice to have you here. The ATR-72 is a good choice. Here is a place to look for panels and other bits: http://www.ruscool.co.nz/index.html Don't be afraid to contact them with questions. Great group of folks.

[NeoMorph]

Yikes Bob, that site is like santa's grotto for older kids... LOADS of stuff that is soooooo tempting. Prices look reasonable also.

[Bob Reed]

I have some of their B200 panels.. NICE!!!!

[mikeh]

Hi NeoMorph
We cant be a million miles apart - also in Midlands
I am just beyond you - have settled for the ATR72
some great support especially Glass intruments- though not lots of it like 737
I have built some OCockpits boards and got them working (worked first time built from kits. These guys really are switched on
The programming is simple following Nico Kaan's website and the ATR cockpit builders site.
I have worked up solution for doing the prop condition levers and most of the light units. Done the Master battery etc
Great thing is that there is no auto throttle thus will not have to get into motorised throttles etc
Mike

[NeoMorph]

Hah... yeah... you caught me out. Going for something smaller is with no autothrottle is why I am going for something like an ATR 72.

Do you have the url for the ATR cockpit builders site?

I can see that most of my time is going to be doing a lot of research regarding things like the overhead panel operation (ie how much of it will actually work with the Flight-1 simulation). If it is going to just be dummies then can I really afford the price of the panel parts. Another big money Eater is going to be the FMC/CDU. I've got an idea for that though. Good thing is that there is only one to deal with (unlike the big jets who need two... or three in some cases).

I'm not going to rush into it. I want to see what I can make myself and what I am going to need to farm out. At the moment I haven't even bought the main display PCs (another thing I need to decide on). I don't even know what machine specs to go for as my last games PC was a 2800+ with a GF4600 graphics card... and 512mb ram.

Oh and Mike, dunno if you found this already, I found a nice checklist for the ATR... http://www.atlanticsunairways.com/training/checklist_atr72.pdf - Gives me some idea what to plan for now.

Oh and for dimensions I have found a 100% scale poster of the dash, pedestal and overhead.

http://www.avsoft.com/index.php?q=node/136

[mikeh]

Hi Neomorph
site is http://digilander.libero.it/washburn_it/index.html
check out the cockpits page and especially Alexis Ramos

I am going for the minimum cost option also - but I want to end up with overhead panel working - the MIP and autopilot are not an issue
Do you know of any site or info area that shows if any of the flight1 coding is being sent to the 'virtual' joystick or button areas of FSUIPC
I have successfully coded the landing lights to FSUIPC virtual joystick No 64 and then done mouse macros to link into the panel - but I reckon its a bit clunky - but it certainly works and of course being SIOC is not CPU intensive

Tks for the heads up on the aerosoft 100% diags
Mike

[NeoMorph]

Not found anything on the FSUIPC regarding the Flight-1 ATR 72-500 at present. I will be getting a bunch of stuff to start the core testing before even starting building the cockpit so I will know more then. It's been a few years since I played with FSUIPC so I've forgotton 99.999999% of the stuff I learned in FS2002 and FS2004 so I will have to learn all over again.

I have done a lot of modding in the past so hopefully it will help in the tech design phase.

[mikeh]

OK out of circulation 'till after christmas but happy to help any way I can in future

[NeoMorph]

Found out the Flight-1 manual is actually 500 pages... YIKES...

Here is a set of checklists for the F1 ATR 72-500. WAYYYYY more detailed than I expected... You have to do MATHS 

http://atr.flight1.net/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1942&PN=1

[NeoMorph]

Hello NeoMorph. Nice to have you here. The ATR-72 is a good choice. Here is a place to look for panels and other bits: http://www.ruscool.co.nz/index.html Don't be afraid to contact them with questions. Great group of folks.

Bob, you weren't kidding when you said they were a great bunch. They have helped out a lot already.

[mikeh]

back after a great Xmas break - have continued work on my return and now have the display II board built and tested. Wrote a small piece of code and then tested that the heading bug setting and the course settings are displayed correctly from an fsx default aircraft. Need to test ATR next. also tested the dimmer code and all OK

[NeoMorph]

Mikeh, I'm hopefully getting sent some cockpit specs for the ATR (dimensions, photos etc) so if/when I get them would you like a copy?

[NeoMorph]

Mikeh, you still working on your ATR 72-500? I've got my hands on a bunch of real cockpit photos from the guys at Ruscool now if you would like a copy (I doubt that they would mind as they show a lot of their panels for purchase as well).

I sooooooo wish I could afford a CNC machine.

[mikeh]

very much slow mode at the moment - but still going forward - yep I agree with your sentiments re milling system - have hooked up with a VA friend in Eire who has a gas plasma cutter that connects like a printer (i think - it cuts 3mm perspex apparently) - so just need to get a DXF file sorted for something simple and see what he can achieve

[NeoMorph]

Mikey, I've actually PM'd you asking if you want a copy of these photos of the ATR... I have amassed quite a bit of info for building an ATR sim now. Yesterday I hit the jackpot though... I now have a copy of the ATR 72 Flight Crew Operator Manual. All 1,012 pages of it heh. LOADS of good info for building the sim. So if you want any of it just give me a shout.

Actually the more I find out about this aircraft the more I'm going to enjoy building it. I think I'm going to have to put in a bulk order of LED's though...

[jskibo]

Make sure you've done the de-icing boot mod and read the part about FIKI carefully   Wouldn't want another Eagle 4184 problem

[NeoMorph]

There was a fix that allows ATR 42 and 72 birds to fly in all icing conditions now... that said, Flight Sim is a bit weird where the Icing settings are concerned. Actually been working on the FSUIPC offsets to figure out how to model this and came across some quirks which I pointed out to the guys at Ruscool...

With the Prop De-ice, I am having the same problem so there appears to be a possible problem with the offset.  In the FSUIPC document it states that this offset hasn't yet been fully tested.  I will be looking at getting this to work myself early next week so will advise if I come up with any answers.

So it looks like we may have my ATR falling out of the sky for no reason (icing) for a while yet heh.

Watch this for an approach that gets totally futzed up by icing affecting the flaps... or as the pilot says "What the heck is going on?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk4hak6NVKE

[jskibo]

Ouch, asymetrical flap condition somwhere between 5 and 7 degrees.....  Nightmare approach.