MobiFlight Community Support

Hello fellow flight simmers,

being new to this forum, I like to introduce myself and my current project.
It was always my dream to have a flight simulator cockpit or at least a dashboard of my own. My 40 year flight simulator journey started in the late 70th when I had the opportunity to "fly" a genuine F-104 Starfighter Simulator during my service at a naval air base in northern Germany. Later, when the PC were around, I started with the Sublogic Jet on 5.25" floppy disc. I still have the original including handbook.

When FS 4 came around, I modelled my first add-on (a Dornier Do-27) and distributed it via Compuserve, There was no WWW back then. For FS4 and FS5 I programmed a whole German scenery which was also available commercially.

Later, around 2008, I started flying VATSIM for some years. I had to call that off due to my occupation. Now, that I'm going to be retired, I have the time and space for my own simulator/dashboard/cockpit. I started the construction last September. The first step is a dashboard with all needed instruments, yoke, throttle and rudder. As far as possible the system is modular and 3d-printed.
The yoke is the CadetYoke v2.0 [Open-Source Yoke for Flight Simulators] by Vince_Prints on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4884092 with altered mechanics and electronics.

All panels and instruments are self constructed, 3d-printed or milled. The dashboard suits a fixed gear general aviation single combustion engine propeller aircraft and is fully IFR-capable.
Instruments completed and tested so far are

• Airspeed Indicator
• Attitude Indicator
• Altimeter
• Turn Indicator
• Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) with heading bug
• Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
• Tachometer for Prop RPM
• Course Deviation Indicator with glideslope (VOR/LOC1/GS)
• Course Deviation Indicator (VOR/LOC2)
• Dual Fuel Gauge
• Dual Gauge for Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) and Fuel Flow (FF)
• Dual Gauge for Oil Temperature and Press
• Radio panel with 20x4 LCD, set with double encoder and select pushbutton

Currently in printing, programming and testing is Autopilot panel and a combined panel for transponder and some switches.

here are some images:







I would like to thank all contributors of the Mobiflight project very much. Without you, this would not be possible.

I also likt to give a huge Thank You to Trevor, whose Youtube videos directed me to Mobiflight.

Cheers

Volker from Germany (near Ulm)

Moin Volker,

sounds very interesting and as i also have 3D-printer i'm also into designing and printing some stuff for my FSX.
Not always 100% realistic, but i don't care....

Unfortunately your images are not visible.
If you placed them e.g. at imgbb you have to use the BBCodes, not the HTML-Codes when inserting here. Don't know why, but this is what i found out.

Cheers from Hamburg

Kai

Moin Kai,

thank you for your response.
The images are inserted with BBCode. They are stored at my webspace. I have not yet found out why they are not displayed in the forum. You can see the images with rightclick>show in new tab

I build the instruments generic but according to real measurements. Instead if 7-segment displays I use LCD (4x20 and 2x16) for Radio, Autopilot panel and transponder.

cheers

Volker

You can see the images with rightclick>show in new tab

You're right, but this makes it even more weird

I assume that the panel with the 4*16 LCD is your AP. Would it be possible to share the STLs and the electronic schema?

Thanks in advance and happy 3rd advent

Kai

Moin,

there might be an issue with the forum software or there are unknown restrictions for images. Sebastian is checking.
Yes, this is the AP-panel. The display is 4x20. I'm still programming the module.
I may share all my 3D-models in some way. Please contact me via e-mail.

Update: there was an SSL-certificate missing for my domain Now it works

cheers
Volker

Update: there was an SSL-certificate missing for my domain Now it works

Ups, the all-time favorite...

Reg. the STLs, why not sharing them with the world either over thingiverse.com or a download funtion on your own webspace?

Cheers

Reg. the STLs, why not sharing them with the world either over thingiverse.com or a download funtion on your own webspace?

Cheers

The parts of this project (at least most of them) will be available on the cgtrader platform as soon as they are ready. By now, most of them are still under development. Some (i.e. Altimeter and HSI) need reconstruction due to some issues I came across during testing. There is also a lot of work ahead for documentation, drawing scales/dial faces, labels, assembly instructions, IP consulting and so on prior to publishing anything.

I consider this a long term project, hence I do not haste. I am absolutely open to share or collaborate if anyone is interested and the circumstances fit. I beg to contact me via e-mail for this matter as stated before.

I have the autopilot panel installed and programmed and it works fine so far. The > sign points to the value (altitude or vertical speed) which can be dialled in with the encoder. Encoder switch toggles between altitude and vertical speed.



Next is a combined Transponder and switchboard (encoder dial knob not yet sanded and painted):



Programming in Mobiflight of the Transponder is ready and tested, the board needs now to be wired and connected.

Cheers

Volker

Well, i have to admit that on cgtrader are a lot of really cool projects. But some of them are really over-priced in my opinion.

However, you are going to build your own personal Cessna and i'm stuck with the A320.

Therefore the most of your panels won't fit.
And honestly, i don't have the time and the space to build my own cockpit, therefore i'm working with workarounds, not realistic but working and to have some kind of habtics during flying. As i'm not a hardcore flyer, online with real ATC and so on, i don't care about 1:1 re-build. I just want to start, fly around and land somewhere with some blinking and moving gadgets i can touch.

But hey, your project is pretty cool, i must say.

Cheers

Kai

Hi,

yes, some creators tend to overprice on cgtrader, sad but true.

The LCD-bearing panels I made so far (COM/NAV, autopilot and DME-XPDR/switchboard) will definitely be free. Also all other panels and the framework (brackets et al).

Although some parts are similar, my panel shall not resemble a Cessna panel at all. It shall have a realistic look and feel but is completely generic. I intend the throttle unit to be quadrant style containing trim wheel and indicator, throttle, mixture, prop and flap levers. I did not start construction of the TQ yet.

Made a mistake yesterday and fried two LCD IO-boards. Also my 3d-printer (self built) needed some maintenance. If everything works out as planned, I will have the panels online next week.

Cheers

Volker

The dashboard is painted and assembled.



The elevator trim wheel is not yet installed. A future version shall have the throttle, mix, prop, flap and trim on a quadrant and maybe a gear lever where the flap switch and trim wheel is now.
Next step will most probably be the frame. I contemplate either aluminium extrusion or welded steel tubing. I assume the later will be cheaper and more stable.

I have a description of the build on my web space: https://www.vmbollig.de

cheers

Volker

Although i repeat myself: very impressiv.

You must have a lot of time beside job, wife, kids, dogs, household.....i really envy you.

Although i repeat myself: very impressiv.

You must have a lot of time beside job, wife, kids, dogs, household.....i really envy you.

Thank you very much, Kai.

May I quote off my first post:

cpp-qt:

 Now, that I'm going to be retired, I have the time and space for my own simulator/dashboard/cockpit.

Yes, I have a lot of time for my hobby.

cheers

Volker

Hi Volker,

ups....i overread this passage....sorry.

Fair enough, i worked for CompuServe from 2000 to 2002 and only people in "our age" will remember this company before it was bought by AOL (for which i worked afterwards till 2007.

And i'm looking forward to retire on my own to have more time for my hobby (and of course for my beloved wife), but there are still 7 or maybe more ours to go. Sh.....

Kai

Hi all.

Y'all have a happy new year!

Having done some reconstruction of certain gauges I commenced the first test flight with the now painted and labeled dashboard. Here are some images:

in Flight:


Right panel cluster:



Mid cluster:



and the left cluster:



Next part to construct are the whiskey compass and the glare shield cover. Therafter I intend to prepare the parts for publishing.

Cheers

Volker

Fair enough, i worked for CompuServe from 2000 to 2002 and only people in "our age" will remember this company before it was bought by AOL

Also "younger" people ( i´m 39) remember CompuServe !

If i´m right then Windows95 by default have a CompuServe Software next to the AOL Installer pre-installed when you bought a new Computer !

But your right.... there are some Brands, younger people simply never heard.... like "Altavista" .
Or ask somebody below 30 if he know what "cd.. - dir *.bat " means :-)