Hey guys! A short video following yesterday’s pedals upgrade. That 407 is a pure joy to fly now, even with a tailwind.
Important pedals upgrade
Here’s what has been done to the pedals:
- adjusted electronics housing dimensions so screws will fit correctly
- added nut sockets to the main frame part
- redesigned magnet and SS495A Hall effect sensor mounts (IMPORTANT!)
- changed inclination of apertures for a rectangular pipe in the main frame part to 40 degrees for easier fit of the pipe
- the frame was lightened to reduce chances of warping during a long print
- files renamed to fit the new naming scheme
- everything published to GitHub
This is a very important upgrade! Along with mostly cosmetic stuff, it includes new HE sensor and magnet mounts, that are really game changers. New mounts work the same way as in cyclic or collective levers, and add A LOT of precision! It have been really noticeable when I spooled up the Dreamfoil 407 for a quick test ride. The heli felt unusually stable! As a nice bonus, these mounts noticeably simplify calibration and add some mechanical resistance to drops or accidental hits (this happens to pedals from time to time as the unit usually lies under the table).
Download an upgraded version from GitHub:
UH-1 collective head release
I have printed and assembled the Huey collective head and corrected some errors, here’s the release version. Designing scale stuff is quite hard, its often too little space to fit things into. You will have to use some cable management to build this 🙂 Switches used are 3-way KN3(B)-223A-A3 (spring-loaded), KN3(B)-203A-A3 (toggle) and MTS-103 A-2 (toggle). The last one is mounted in place of a light bulb and acts as a mode switch. The thumbstick button is used for collective hold mode activation. This new feature is for those who would want to use this lever in a motion simulator, where a rubber band based tensioner will not work, or maybe for people who prefer flying with a very light tension on their collective. Basically, its an independent adaptive force trim for the collective. The latest software on GitHub fully supports this head, you can use the DCS Huey compatibility mode (which allows for proper engine start and shutdown procedures) with it.
Download it here
Latest software on GitHub
Fixes for collective levers
Minor fixes for single and twin-throttle levers:
- moved an idle stop mark to 40 degrees from the full-right position on both levers
- corrected orientation of the connector part for the twin lever
Please re-download:
UH-1 collective switch panel
With a lot of inspiration and love for a great machine, I’ve been able to design it in a day. The head is quite close to the original, as I managed to find most of its dimensions. Grab the dev snapshot!
What’s next ?
Just a little teaser of what’s coming in a couple of days. The semi-scale head (this one should be very close to the real one as you can see on the picture) for the best sim of an iconic helicopter =)
Twin throttle collective lever test build
I have assembled the twin lever today, everything fits very good. However, I should probably describe one minor “issue”. While building the lever, one MUST drill holes in the second engine throttle grip frame AND put screws into that holes STRICTLY BEFORE routing wires through the lever. Had to put everything apart 3 times because of that (well, at least this way I confirmed the possibility of disassembling the lever multiple times without breaking it). I also noticed, that in the dev snapshot the “collective_connector_adjustable.stl” file was oriented incorrectly. Consider turning it 90 degrees along the Z axis, or removing supports from inside of it will be very hard. Another very minor issue is with an idle stop “detent” mark, it will probably be placed 5 or 10 degrees higher. Otherwise, the dev build files are fine. Will correct this stuff in the release version, which I will post in a couple of days after some testing.
Now, let me share my feelings from the first flight with it!
Continue reading “Twin throttle collective lever test build”
AB412 collective head released!
I think after few days of testing I can finally release the head, it looks and feels great. There are few versions, with or without 1 or 2 rotary pots and mode switch on sides of the head. I would recommend using one with a rotary pot and a mode switch.
You will find more info on the build process, electronics, and configuration here.
Twin throttle AB412 style collective test print started
Here’s the twin-engine collective lever edition for the AB412 head. This thing is now being printed, and I hope it will come out alright from the first print =) Let me know if you need a dev snapshot.
AB412 collective head showcase!
Have you ever dreamed of starting the engine of DCS Huey without touching your mouse or keyboard? Now you can, with this open source Simchair MKIII collective lever. I’ve been working hard on software for the last couple of days. The head now supports 4 different switch operation modes to cover all your needs, 3-way mode selector switch option (which will triple your buttons or spring-loaded switches number), IDLE CUTOFF compatibility mode for DCS Huey. Because of the latter, the realistic startup procedure can be performed, with one exception.
In a real heli, the idle stop button controls a solenoid valve. if the battery will die in the wrong moment during startup (that happens sometimes), this valve may not open and you won’t be able to shut down, resulting in a burned engine. That’s why you want to position throttle just a little bit off the idle stop position on the decrease side, but you can’t, due to how DCS handles throttle operation past the idle cutoff switch. This is really a minor issue, still, if you want the procedure to be as realistic as possible, connect an external power prior to startup. Note that when flying in multiplayer, chat window has to be closed when using idle stop related operations with the collective.
The fresh software snapshot with all the goodies included is available on GitHub
Cheers!