glider simulators

Here's a demo of the TrackIR and explains how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AO0F5sLdVM

--Noel
P.S. Condor doesn't fully support "6 degrees of freedom" like they
talk about. But it does support looking up, down, left, and right.

sisu1a wrote:
On May 4, 6:57 am, Tony Verhulst wrote:
Bill Daniels wrote:
... There's a
whole hobby of building realistic cockpits to go with this simulator.
Would those hobbyists have web sites?

Tony V

Here's one for starters: (major link reconstruction needed; not a
glider cockpit, but...)
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...icial%26sa%3DG


My club has an L23 fuselage wreck and we're in the planning stage of
chopping off all abaft the rear cockpit, hooking the controls up to
Condor (or something similar) and projecting local scenery on screens
around the cockpit. Something like Cambridge (UK) has done.

Tony V.
http://soargbsc.com

Hey, Paul

If you get that pitot/static airdata air pump thingy working, I'd like to
hear about it. It would be a really great way to learn to use a new
vario/flight computer.

Bill D

"sisu1a" wrote in message
...
On May 4, 6:57 am, Tony Verhulst wrote:
Bill Daniels wrote:
... There's a
whole hobby of building realistic cockpits to go with this simulator.

Would those hobbyists have web sites?

Tony V

Here's one for starters: (major link reconstruction needed; not a
glider cockpit, but...)
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...icial%26sa%3DG

I have been working on a related project, to use one's own sailplane
as a cockpit for a simulator, with one's own instruments/controls.
What I am designing is a piece of hardware that will generate the
associated dynamic/static/TE/and capacity pressure values that would
exist during "in flight" conditions (Condor outputs standard sim
signals which could easily be translated into their associated
pressure values). These pressures can be fed to an actual instrument
panel, making the instruments read correct for their given simulated
condition quite effectively. Since Condor also outputs NEMA data,
flight computers/nav hardware can also be active. This will be used in
conjunction with little (sugar cube sized) independent self powered
pizeo gyros with bluetooth (or some other sort of RF) transmitting
capabilities that would each be placed on the extremities of all the
cockpit controls. The transmitted signals would all be received by a
device that would be converting the gyro's movements into standard
simulator control inputs that would be fed back into Condor for your
flight inputs.

To make clear my project goals in case it's still vague: I want to be
able to use my own glider with it's controls and instruments to fly on
the simulator. This wold be achieved by pulling the plane into the
"drive in theater" (a screen on a large wall with a projector set up)
and connect the pneumatic interface to my plane's pneumatic system and
put the pizeo gyros described above on their respective controls. Go
through a calibration sequence to define the full movements of the
controls, buckle in and begin checklist...Once this is closer to being
finished I will also work on the feedback issue, which I already have
several ideas. This glider in this setup could easily be changed to
another ship so long as flight data for it exists on Condor (very easy
if it already has a Winter quick pneumatic disconnect plug...) If
anyone that reads this finds it intriguing and would like to help, pm
me.

Paul

On May 4, 3:44 pm, "Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
Hey, Paul

If you get that pitot/static airdata air pump thingy working, I'd like to
hear about it. It would be a really great way to learn to use a new
vario/flight computer.

Hi Bill,

I joined the Condor group and posted my thoughts on the subject in a
little more detail on the cockpit builder's forum (then had to update
my post after reading your original post on the subject...) On the
Condor forum I saw your original inquiry as to an interface device to
turn sim signals into the correct pressures (to enable the use real
pneumatic instruments for a sim/etc) seemed to be abandoned due to
'perceived' difficulties in achieving the correct pressures since they
were dubbed too small to be precisely controlled. I do not see this as
a problem, but an asset. Rather than the pump idea (which does seem
problematic) my proposed system is based on C-N-C controlled (via ball
screw lead) plungers. Since the values are rather small, rather small
components are required to build it. It is actually quite easy to make
extremely small and precise pressure changes with a plunger, and with
a pressure transducer feedback loop will remain exactly on desired
target.

I fully agree that this would be a great way to test out new
instruments and such in addition to being a damn fun sim tool! If
coupled to Condor, (or other soaring sims with NEMA outputs?) even
complicated flight computers could be tricked into going through all
their functions, although some may also require tricking the compass
as well (a C-N-C controlled steel bar to generate a "false north" in
axis around heading sensor if so equipped?). I'll definitely share
when I have more to tell.

Paul Hanson