Simviation Forum - Anyone know a cheap way to get a homebuilt Cockpit?

Aug 29^th, 2010 at 5:40pm

AirForcePi1o7 Offline
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I mean like for Jets/Fighter Jets. Mainly Fighter jets... But anyone know the cheapest? I'm 13 so I don't have that much money.

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Reply #1 - Aug 29^th, 2010 at 6:05pm

JBaymore Offline
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AirForcePilot,

I wish there was a way. Go get a part time job and start saving now for when you are 40 Wink

. Even the cheapest ways to set this stuff up are typically thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars.

A single P+P Goflight VRP-166 aviation radio unit is pushing $200. Most aircraft have a LEAST two radios.... $400 POOF!. And two nav radios... another $400 gone. Add a good powered usb hub and there is almost a Grand.

Even with raw parts and building the driving interfacing yourself (with great electronics skills and already having some tools) you are probably looking at $50 minimum each in parts alone per radio. And many, many hours of work.

There is a pretty tight relationship between realism and price. The more realistic, the more expensive.

Don't want to "rain on your parade".... but that is the reality.

Look in old threads in this forum sectuion for some creative ways to do basic stuff cheaply. You can still add a lot of immersion with these kinds of things.

best,

....................john

Intel i7 960 quad 3.2G LGA 1366, Asus P6X58D Premium, 750W Corsair, 6 gig 1600 DDR3, Spinpoint 1TB 7200 HD, Caviar 500G 7200 HD, GTX275 1280M, Logitec Z640, Win7 Pro 64b, CH Products yoke, pedals + throttle quad, simpit

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Reply #2 - Aug 29^th, 2010 at 6:09pm

AirForcePi1o7 Offline
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Well then, Whats the cheapest Gaming Computer that I can get that is still good? And maybe a place to get cheap but good Throttles and Joysticks? Currently I'm using Mouse yoke.

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Senior Airman.
"I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program, that I will attend meetings regularly, participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service of my community, state, and nation." - Cadet Oath

"Semper Vigilans - Always Vigilant" - Civil Air Patrol Motto

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Reply #3 - Aug 30^th, 2010 at 7:06pm

HarvesteR Offline
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Hi there!

I'm afraid John is right... Sim pit and cheap are two words (ok, 3 words Wink

)that don't go together in the same sentence...

But since you mention you're using Mouse Yoke (I admire the braveness), you might get a huge improvement just by getting yourself a good joystick.

I would suggest Saitek's X52 line, since you mentioned you're into fighters... these sticks are VERY good for their price, and are already well above the average gamer's setup.

then, once the bug is settled in (it's only a matter of time), you could save up for a triple head setup. Trust me when I tell you that once you get one of these, you will wish every computer in the world had three screens by default.

These things I suggested are what, to me, would give you the best experience without raising the price to the astronomical figures a regular simpit normally entails... nevertheless, they aren't what one might call cheap, but I think it's a much better bang for your buck than diving headlong into the simpit addiction.

Best of luck!

Cheers

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My 8800 GTX has at last retired... may it rest in peace in GPU heaven.

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Reply #4 - Aug 30^th, 2010 at 8:16pm

beaky Offline
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All I can say is this: eventually you have to spend some money, at least on the electronics, but imagination, patience, and willingness to scrounge and do a lot of work can save you big bucks.
I haven't really kept track of what I've spent on mine, but a lot of it was made out of free materials, fabricated with my own hands (and, I'll admit, some tools that I owned already).

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Reply #5 - Aug 31^st, 2010 at 1:10pm

Romflyer Offline
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Check out this site http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims.html
they have alot of simple ideas that can get you started, you will probably find the jet pit mod at the bottom of the page as something you should think about.......of course you will need to figure out the joystick thing first Wink

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Reply #6 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 12:50am

RitterKreuz Offline
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Texas

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it might be cheaper to get a private license and buy a decent cessna 150.

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Reply #7 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 10:12am

olderndirt Offline
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Rochester, WA

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Romflyer wrote on Aug 31^st, 2010 at 1:10pm:

Check out this site http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims.html
they have alot of simple ideas that can get you started, you will probably find the jet pit mod at the bottom of the page as something you should think about.......of course you will need to figure out the joystick thing first Wink

Has anyone built one of their units? A while back, I bought their plan for the centered stick/left hand throttle/rudder pedals all in one unit. Looks good but haven't bought any PVC yet.

THIS IS NOT A PANAM CLIPPER

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Reply #8 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 11:52am

Steve M Offline
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Cambridge On.

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olderndirt wrote on Oct 25^th, 2010 at 10:12am:

Romflyer wrote on Aug 31^st, 2010 at 1:10pm:

Check out this site http://www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims.html
they have alot of simple ideas that can get you started, you will probably find the jet pit mod at the bottom of the page as something you should think about.......of course you will need to figure out the joystick thing first Wink

Has anyone built one of their units? A while back, I bought their plan for the centered stick/left hand throttle/rudder pedals all in one unit. Looks good but haven't bought any PVC yet.

The general aviation set up looks good. I think I could build one just from seeing the video. I would fill those pipes with sand to give it some weight though.

Flying with twins is a lot of fun..

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Reply #9 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 12:26pm

westside Offline
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That all looks good the PVC framework and all but notice it is filled with yokes, pedals, joysticks and throttle quadrants, all some what pricey pieces of hardware. The frame work is some what inexpensive but not really. Back to the question of a cheap home cockpit............. The answer is no.
I am approaching the cost of a private pilots license with what I have invested in mine. The problem for me and a real pilots license is that I would not get to fly the aircraft I get to fly in Flight Simulator.

Mark

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Reply #10 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 1:30pm

Steve M Offline
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Cambridge On.

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westside wrote on Oct 25^th, 2010 at 12:26pm:

That all looks good the PVC framework and all but notice it is filled with yokes, pedals, joysticks and throttle quadrants, all some what pricey pieces of hardware. The frame work is some what inexpensive but not really. Back to the question of a cheap home cockpit............. The answer is no.
I am approaching the cost of a private pilots license with what I have invested in mine. The problem for me and a real pilots license is that I would not get to fly the aircraft I get to fly in Flight Simulator.

Mark

All true of course, but what is the definition of a homebuilt cockpit on a 13 year olds budget. Living in Ontario (expensive) I just bought a keyboard for 19 dollars and tax yesterday. Most people know someone in construction and if you are 13 yrs. you can ask for help with materials. If not you can copy this with scrap lumber. Flying a fighter jet you don't always need a yoke, so your exsisting joystick should do. Using imagination as you age untill you can add throttles and pedals, ect. The answer to a 13 year old should be yes you can start and build as you are able to.

Flying with twins is a lot of fun..

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Reply #11 - Oct 25^th, 2010 at 11:18pm

JBaymore Offline
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hombuilt cockpit!

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westside wrote on Oct 25^th, 2010 at 12:26pm:

The problem for me and a real pilots license is that I would not get to fly the aircraft I get to fly in Flight Simulator.

BINGO!

best,

.................john

Intel i7 960 quad 3.2G LGA 1366, Asus P6X58D Premium, 750W Corsair, 6 gig 1600 DDR3, Spinpoint 1TB 7200 HD, Caviar 500G 7200 HD, GTX275 1280M, Logitec Z640, Win7 Pro 64b, CH Products yoke, pedals + throttle quad, simpit

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Reply #12 - Oct 29^th, 2010 at 11:54am

Solid Offline
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Panama

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You can make a 737 or a Cessna 172 cockpit for around 15 US Dollars and some imagination....Here is a pic of a cockpit I made a year or so ago using...Sheet Foam!!..it depends on what equipment you have...for a single monitor plus controls it could be much cheaper...note that I covered the foam with colored cardboard....the top is a complete .85 cents foam board..... Wink

____________

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/scratchbuilt/cabina1.jpg

Gera

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