Show us your cockpit!

[Miles_Vorkosigan]

DIY, but inspired by PT Actuator. Roughly 10,000.00 USD cheaper

[kissTheSky]

3 minutes ago, Miles_Vorkosigan said:

DIY, but inspired by PT Actuator. Roughly 10,000.00 USD cheaper

That calls for a build thread, no? ?

[Miles_Vorkosigan]

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/upgrade-time-inspired-by-pt-actuator-6dof.16651/

Edited February 9, 2023 by Miles_Vorkosigan

[102nd-YU-cmirko]

wow really - I also want the build link and I bet nobody would mind if you shared it openly

 

amazing cockpit really, do you have some shakers attached also ?

[Customizer171]

12 hours ago, Miles_Vorkosigan said:

I have one, just not here. I will PM you the link. 

Isn't it possible to put the link here?

I am sure lots of people are interested in seeing it.

[Miles_Vorkosigan]

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/upgrade-time-inspired-by-pt-actuator-6dof.16651/

 

I didn't want to create issues with cross links. 

 

Yes, there are four transducers, one on each corner.

[Miles_Vorkosigan]

 

[TheSNAFU]

Check this out. Pretty cool!

 

https://fb.watch/iHj9dQAJ0y/?mibextid=uc01c0

[1Sascha]

Quick update, cause the DHL-guy dropped something off at my place yesterday. Only 6 weeks and 2 days after I'd ordered and paid for it, but... oh well... ? 

 

 

 

Feels so odd switching from the WHT to this puppy, but I guess that's normal... I always feel uncomfortable with new gear at first... guess I'm weird that way.

 

S.

[kestrel79]

12 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

Quick update, cause the DHL-guy dropped something off at my place yesterday. Only 6 weeks and 2 days after I'd ordered and paid for it, but... oh well... ? 

 

 

 

Feels so odd switching from the WHT to this puppy, but I guess that's normal... I always feel uncomfortable with new gear at first... guess I'm weird that way.

 

S.

 

How does that Virpil Throttle compare to the Warthog? Looks like way more hats, buttons, and sliders. Very cool.

[VilsonFarias]

1 minute ago, kestrel79 said:

 

How does that Virpil Throttle compare to the Warthog? Looks like way more hats, buttons, and sliders. Very cool.

 

I have both and here is my opinion (with all my personal preferences and biases)

 

The Virpil Throttle is precise, has more buttons and the buttons are more diverse. The controls also feel better on the Virpil. The grip feels better, the movements feel more precise.

 

The downside of the Virpil is the rotating knobs don't work on IL-2 (I tried different approaches and none worked fine) and it's also kind of complex to map them properly on DCS. But honestly, it's not a deal breaker at all.

 

The Thrustmaster throttle has a horrible analog stick that is super imprecise, almost useless. The levers wobble and feel more toyish, but I didn't know that until I bought the Virpil.

 

Since the Thrustmaster is an A10 replica, it works fine on an A10 simulator but not so good on anything else. Just look to both throttles and see how many different buttons and controls the Virpil has, besides how better they are organized.

 

If you like lights, the Virpil buttons can have their colors configured, you can even change the colors programatically.

 

On the other hand, I really like the way Thurstmaster's TARGET works, although some people will say the opposite.

 

I've just put my Warthog kit for sale.

 

[1Sascha]

4 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

How does that Virpil Throttle compare to the Warthog? Looks like way more hats, buttons, and sliders. Very cool.

After just one session, I will say this:

The levers and their action feel more precise on the Virpil. It's not that the WHT was imprecise or anything, but one thing that bothered me is that, when reducing throttle on the WHT, the grips wouldn't settle precisely where I wanted them. They'd always "bob forward" a tiny little bit when I stopped pulling back - which did result in imprecise throttle settings in some games. Overall the WHT's action feels pretty good to me though too, with the Virpil feeling just a little bit better. I should remark that I didn't have a #10 spanner lying around, so I couldn't adjust the VPC levers' friction yet. They feel a bit too loose/light for my taste out of the box, so I can't *really* judge that aspect of their behavior yet.

 

I'll also say that the sheer number of buttons, switches etc is still confusing to me after one day. I guess I'm at the point where I still have to do way too much thinking when using the new throttle and its buttons/hats, so it doesn't feel 100% comfortable yet.

The WHT has way less switches on the grips which is both good and bad - plus its switches under your thumb are all so uniquely different both in shape and in the way they function/move that it's very simple to get used to the WH's grip - easier than with the VPC and its plethora of buttons and hats.

 

Dislikes (yes, I have those):

- with the classic lower detent installed, the lifts will make quite the racket when you push them over the detent (from off to idle). It's *really* loud and not in a good *thunk* kinda of way.

- the four red toggles feel a little less high class than the rest of the switches. They feel plastic-y to the touch and their action isn't very impressive either. Nothing big, but given the quality of the other switches, those four do stand out.

- The ring-finger slider on the grip is downright flimsy and feels like it doesn't belong there. It's too easily manipulated with not enough feedback and its center notch is too light. I'd rather have some sort of radio-dial in that position with more resistance and better feel to it.

 

 

Setting things up wasn't as much of a nightmare as I feared. So far, I've:

- Split the throttle into 32-button devices - since one of my games wouldn't recognize any buttons beyond 32

- turned one of the red toggles into a "button press X both in the up and down position"-type of switch

- Installed and adjusted my detents (lower = classic, upper = aerobatic).

- Set up my throttle axes to match the detents and then created two logical buttons for "engine on/off" - so now the VPC acts pretty much like the WHT when pushing from "off" over the lower detent to "idle" ... and back over the lower detent to "off".

 

All of which was pretty easily done with the help of one or two guys over on the Virpil board's support-forum.

 

Re the software: I will say that the VPC SW seems a bit less scary than VKB's... but it also seems a little less powerful. Plus it's a bit slower - takes quite some time to save a profile to the device, a task that the VKB SW finishes in a few seconds. Plus there doesn't seem to be a way to save and load individual profiles (or I haven't found it yet?) - something that you can do very easily in the VKB SW.

 

In summary: Is this thing worth the asking price? Absolutely. Do you *really* need it if you already have a WHT? I'm not too sure about that. It is more precise, more pleasant to use, better built and a lot lighter than the WHT ... but it's not *perfect*. Still: At this point, I'd certainly recommend it if your budget allows for it.

 

EDIT: Don't have an interior shot of my WHT, but since I had the VPC open anyway to adjust the friction, here's a pic to put the TM-product to shame... well... a little bit at least.. ?

 

 

 

S.

Edited February 17, 2023 by 1Sascha

[Miles_Vorkosigan]

@1Sascha that is a really good write-up. I appreciate the time you took to do it. While I am very happy with my WinWing HOTAS it is good to read details about other sets. 

[Youtch]

4 hours ago, 1Sascha said:

After just one session, I will say this:

The levers and their action feel more precise on the Virpil. It's not that the WHT was imprecise or anything, but one thing that bothered me is that, when reducing throttle on the WHT, the grips wouldn't settle precisely where I wanted them. They'd always "bob forward" a tiny little bit when I stopped pulling back - which did result in imprecise throttle settings in some games. Overall the WHT's action feels pretty good to me though too, with the Virpil feeling just a little bit better. I should remark that I didn't have a #10 spanner lying around, so I couldn't adjust the VPC levers' friction yet. They feel a bit too loose/light for my taste out of the box, so I can't *really* judge that aspect of their behavior yet.

 

I'll also say that the sheer number of buttons, switches etc is still confusing to me after one day. I guess I'm at the point where I still have to do way too much thinking when using the new throttle and its buttons/hats, so it doesn't feel 100% comfortable yet.

The WHT has way less switches on the grips which is both good and bad - plus its switches under your thumb are all so uniquely different both in shape and in the way they function/move that it's very simple to get used to the WH's grip - easier than with the VPC and its plethora of buttons and hats.

 

Dislikes (yes, I have those):

- with the classic lower detent installed, the lifts will make quite the racket when you push them over the detent (from off to idle). It's *really* loud and not in a good *thunk* kinda of way.

- the four red toggles feel a little less high class than the rest of the switches. They feel plastic-y to the touch and their action isn't very impressive either. Nothing big, but given the quality of the other switches, those four do stand out.

- The ring-finger slider on the grip is downright flimsy and feels like it doesn't belong there. It's too easily manipulated with not enough feedback and its center notch is too light. I'd rather have some sort of radio-dial in that position with more resistance and better feel to it.

 

 

Setting things up wasn't as much of a nightmare as I feared. So far, I've:

- Split the throttle into 32-button devices - since one of my games wouldn't recognize any buttons beyond 32

- turned one of the red toggles into a "button press X both in the up and down position"-type of switch

- Installed and adjusted my detents (lower = classic, upper = aerobatic).

- Set up my throttle axes to match the detents and then created two logical buttons for "engine on/off" - so now the VPC acts pretty much like the WHT when pushing from "off" over the lower detent to "idle" ... and back over the lower detent to "off".

 

All of which was pretty easily done with the help of one or two guys over on the Virpil board's support-forum.

 

Re the software: I will say that the VPC SW seems a bit less scary than VKB's... but it also seems a little less powerful. Plus it's a bit slower - takes quite some time to save a profile to the device, a task that the VKB SW finishes in a few seconds. Plus there doesn't seem to be a way to save and load individual profiles (or I haven't found it yet?) - something that you can do very easily in the VKB SW.

 

In summary: Is this thing worth the asking price? Absolutely. Do you *really* need it if you already have a WHT? I'm not too sure about that. It is more precise, more pleasant to use, better built and a lot lighter than the WHT ... but it's not *perfect*. Still: At this point, I'd certainly recommend it if your budget allows for it.

 

EDIT: Don't have an interior shot of my WHT, but since I had the VPC open anyway to adjust the friction, here's a pic to put the TM-product to shame... well... a little bit at least.. ?

 

 

 

S.

I have the exact same combo Virpil cm3 + Gunfighter VKB, best of both worlds.

[1Sascha]

10 hours ago, Youtch said:

Gunfighter VKB, best of both worlds.

Not sure about that now that Virpil have launched the CM3-base, but yeah.. the Gunfighter is a great stick. In a perfect world I'd like to go all Virpil (simply because  VKB don't have a throttle that interests me), but it's not really necessary I reckon. The GF might be an "older" design, but it's the best stick I've ever owned or used on a regular basis. Smooth as silk and very reliable once they sent me some new grip fasteners. And it's better IMO than my buddy's WW Orion F-18/F-16 stick, although I wouldn't tell him that to his face... ?

 

 

S.

Edited February 18, 2023 by 1Sascha

[Dusty_Steppes]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:23 AM, 1Sascha said:

 

EDIT: Don't have an interior shot of my WHT, but since I had the VPC open anyway to adjust the friction, here's a pic to put the TM-product to shame... well... a little bit at least.. ?

 

 

 

S.

Just a heads up...

My throttle developed an issue with the cable that feeds up into the right throttle handle. One of the outer conductors developed an open where it makes the bend and heads up the stem to the handle. I contacted Virpil and they were extremely prompt and helpful. They sent me two replacement cables, one for each throttle handle. 

[1Sascha]

2 hours ago, Dusty_Steppes said:

My throttle developed an issue with the cable that feeds up into the right throttle handle. One of the outer conductors developed an open where it makes the bend and heads up the stem to the handle.

Actually... that cable sits in there pretty tight on mine too. I was moving the lever around when I was adjusting the friction and I got kinda freaked out by how that cable moves when you manipulate the lever. As far as I could tell, it wasn't touching anything or getting pinched by the mechanism, but ... man... it's a pretty tight fit in there and every time the lever moves, it *looks* like the metal parts are about to squeeze that cable or cut into it... ?

 

S.

[Dusty_Steppes]

1 hour ago, 1Sascha said:

Actually... that cable sits in there pretty tight on mine too. I was moving the lever around when I was adjusting the friction and I got kinda freaked out by how that cable moves when you manipulate the lever. As far as I could tell, it wasn't touching anything or getting pinched by the mechanism, but ... man... it's a pretty tight fit in there and every time the lever moves, it *looks* like the metal parts are about to squeeze that cable or cut into it... ?

 

S.

The cable in mine had a much sharper fold in it than yours. I think the flexing of it over approximately six months of use caused it to fail. The first symptom was intermittent right throttle buttons. Then it started failing if I pushed the throttle past 81%. I was getting axis errors and the six button lights on the throttle base started doing weird things. I contacted Virpil and they suspected the right throttle cable was at fault. They asked me if I wanted to ship the throttle to them or if I was comfortable with them sending me the cables so I could do the replacement myself. Being a retired electronics technician, I chose the latter. When I opened the throttle, I found the sharp bend and decided to enlarge the bend radius. The throttle completely failed at this point, with constant error codes. I then did a continuity test on the cable, reported my finding to Virpil and they promptly sent the two cables. I spliced around the faulty conductor to get my throttle functioning again while I waited for the cables to arrive. Virpil tech support is top notch. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Dusty_Steppes

[GVL224]

He made a dynamic backlight of the monitor behind.

[kissTheSky]

1 hour ago, GVL224 said:

He made a dynamic backlight of the monitor behind.

Welcome back! I hope everything is well with you!

[GVL224]

3 минуты назад, kissTheSky сказал:

Welcome back! I hope everything is well with you!

Yes, my family is fine, but not at home yet...

[kissTheSky]

1 hour ago, GVL224 said:

Yes, my family is fine, but not at home yet...

Fully understandable. Still, great to hear from you. You’ve been missed. 

[=FEW=fernando11]

+1 glad to have you back, and to know your family is OK @GVL224

[SharpeXB]

Updated 2023

Chair: X-Chair X3

Desk Mounts: MONSTERTECH

Desk: Ethan Allen

PC: ORIGIN

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by SharpeXB

[TheSNAFU]

Wow, it looks like we have very similar cockpits ?

 

[=FEW=fernando11]

I used to have almost that same setup.

Ch joystick, Ch pro pedals, and Ch Throttle Quadrant.

Good and usuefull gear indeed !

 

[TheSNAFU]

Yep my ch gear is nearly 10 years old and have never failed. Can’t beat em for their price point and reliability. 

[ITAF_Rani]

Started today my project  Me 109 G6 simpit to add new dimension to my VR experience...I know VR provide all we need...but the feeling to sit and see your cockpit there  waiting you is awesome..

 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by ITAF_Rani

[Crocogator]

On 3/19/2023 at 4:25 AM, ITAF_Rani said:

Started today my project  Me 109 G6 simpit to add new dimension to my VR experience...I know VR provide all we need...but the feeling to sit and see your cockpit there  waiting you is awesome..

I think that the dimensions look good otherwise, but your arse will really hurt after 30 minutes, especially if your pedals are in the accurate position. The real thing had copious cushioning by using the parachute. I refer to these photos (some real, some models for the cutaway): https://imgur.com/a/wPRYLPh

[THERION]

32 minutes ago, Crocogator said:

I think that the dimensions look good otherwise, but your arse will really hurt after 30 minutes, especially if your pedals are in the accurate position. The real thing had copious cushioning by using the parachute. I refer to these photos (some real, some models for the cutaway): https://imgur.com/a/wPRYLPh

 

This is absolutely true and very important - I did my first cockpit some years ago and it was meant as a prototype just to figure out the dimensions, feasibility and of
course the sitting position in conjunction with my rudder pedals (angle, location etc.). Although I took several measurements and tried to have a comfy upholstery, 
after a hour flying or so, my bud starts to hurt considerably - I have to make a pause and have a smoke and some coffee...

 

The seat is angled and I took some measurements of a general pilot's seat. The seat can be adjusted forward and backward.

Edited March 20, 2023 by THERION

[ITAF_Rani]

6 hours ago, Crocogator said:

I think that the dimensions look good otherwise, but your arse will really hurt after 30 minutes, especially if your pedals are in the accurate position. The real thing had copious cushioning by using the parachute. I refer to these photos (some real, some models for the cutaway): https://imgur.com/a/wPRYLPh

Thanks guys for the feedback, yes I' v already  scheduled to make a good cuscion for this( at least 5 cm tickness)..all the stuff shown is in developing...

 

6 hours ago, THERION said:

 

This is absolutely true and very important - I did my first cockpit some years ago and it was meant as a prototype just to figure out the dimensions, feasibility and of
course the sitting position in conjunction with my rudder pedals (angle, location etc.). Although I took several measurements and tried to have a comfy upholstery, 
after a hour flying or so, my bud starts to hurt considerably - I have to make a pause and have a smoke and some coffee...

 

The seat is angled and I took some measurements of a general pilot's seat. The seat can be adjusted forward and backward.

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by ITAF_Rani

[GVL224]

Cockpit in evacuation...

[Hoss]

If it works Vitalli who are we to criticize? 

 

Cheers

[GVL224]

19 часов назад, Hoss сказал:

If it works Vitalli who are we to criticize? 

 

Cheers

Everything works, but I would like a chair like at home (in Ukraine) and a throttle like at home...

[Soarfeat]

 GVL !!!!!

Glad to see you !!!!!!

[Flitgun]

Hi there. I bought some new gear and made a thing. After a couple of years grounded I'm back in this contraption...

 

 

[the_dudeWG]

Just finished my new cockpit using a modified Dardoo cockpit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQW1DRXP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 and a custom made steel plate for my MSFFB2 joystick. The stock cockpit is reasonably priced and VERY sturdy, but I had to drill my own mounting holes for EVERYTHING. I'm guessing the screw patterns on their plates are more in tune with racing gear. Luckily I have a good drill and titanium drill bits. 

 

 

The custom 1/8" steel plate I had made is insanely sturdy.

 

I've finally come up with the perfect mounting solution for the MSFFB2.

 

The stick will not shift or budge at all when the lock nuts to the thumbscrews are properly tightened. 

 

I'm using nylon threaded lock nuts under the plate to keep them snug. The tip angle of the screws act like a clamp without damaging the stick base.

 

Ready to add the keyboard stand.

 

This keyboard stand is all metal and is very sturdy as well. I've since added magnetic stick-on squares to the back of the wireless keyboard to secure it firmly.

 

One great feature of the stand, is that it doesn't need to buttress against a wall or baseboard. If you have the right style of chair, the front legs of the chair hold the stand in place when you push against the pedals, so you can position the stand as close to or as far away from the desk as you like. The stock stand even provides plenty of foam pads you can wrap around the base bars to prevent wear.

 

One final adjustment I plan to make is to cut off the extra material on the wider joystick mounting plate (just inside my knees). It doesn't bother me too much as it is, but I think I could drop the plate even lower if that plate was narrower.

 

Overall I feel like it's a pretty clean design that's very sturdy, didn't break the bank, and doesn't take up too much space when not in use. I wish I did this years ago, because setting up all the equipment individually was always a pain and deterred me from taking a quick flight. Now I just slide it up to my desk and plug everything in and hop in. Cheers!

Edited May 1, 2023 by the_dudeWG

[SR-F_Winger]

This is my pit. Since i have to work on this desk every now and then I can do so thanks to the quick releases of monstertech and VPC Deskmounts.

[Guest]

I think this is the final version since I gave up on the Brunner. I've also stopped considering a motion rig after concluding the amount of work needed to fit out the 3DOF one would be a clusterfk in the making (and seeing a pic of where the strut holding the rudder plate had snapped at the weld).

[Customizer171]

5 hours ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

I think this is the final version since I gave up on the Brunner. I've also stopped considering a motion rig after concluding the amount of work needed to fit out the 3DOF one would be a clusterfk in the making (and seeing a pic of where the strut holding the rudder plate had snapped at the weld).

 

This was interesting.

I have been drawing on my upcoming simpit and by coincidence it's looking almost exactly as the yours!

Are you happy with this setup or is there something you wished were different?

You don't have a blueprint of it with all the measurements, do you?

I'm mostly thinking of the height of the seat regarding the pedals.

I have the same pedals and my new Virpil throttle and Ka-50 panel will arrive today ?

Is it comfortable with the panel behind the throttle?

I play in Vr so it needs to be easy to reach all the buttons.