Tag: simchair

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A major cleanup

Hi guys, very good news here. All the stuff is finally on GitHub! Everything is updated to the very latest version, STLs are oriented correctly, just download, print, and fly.

This repo will be the only supported place to get the stuff from now on. I will add “Downloads” section with a current snapshot of the repo to this site. All the stuff on thingiverse was reorganized and files were replaced with the corresponding links to GitHub (this way you’ll always get the latest stuff without any extra effort from me).

The simple collective was removed, as we don’t really need it anymore because both single throttle and twin throttle levers feel as good, but also support heads. Let me know if you want it back.

Cheers!

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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:

 

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UH-1 collective head release

UH-1 right seat collective head mounted on the single-engine collective lever

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

 

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Simchair MKIII in X-Plane

A very short (replay) video, showing precision maneuvers in X-Plane 11 with Simchair. This is the Dreamfoil 407. Not sure what happened with the engine, all gauges were green during the flight, only noticed the smoke on landing.

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Gimbal magnet holder mod for 5x5mm magnets

There seems to be a problem with finding 6x6mm magnets, so here’s the mod for 5x5mm ones!  The problem is, I can’t buy them locally, and they will probably take some time to arrive, so there’s no way I can test the holder. I think it should work fine, as all gimbals now have mechanical calibration. The resulting travel angle of the lever may differ a bit, but that difference shouldn’t be too noticeable. There are two versions: one with 5x5mm socket in an original place, and the other with a slight offset (closer to the sensor) from center. Choose whatever suits best for you!

Download it here.

Cheers!

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Twin throttle collective lever test build

Twin throttle Bell 412 – style collective

download dev snapshot

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”

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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.

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X-Trident AB412 idle stop switch compatibility mode

Many of us sim pilots love flying the great AB412 by X-Trident, and some probably noticed that there are no keybindings for an idle stop switch on the collective head. That kinda surprised me, given that the 412 collective head is very close to release now =) Thankfully, guys on X-Plane forums (including the 412 developer) were very kind to point me in the right direction, and I’ve been able to write a very simple script to fix that.

What it does, is it simply assigns PgUp and PgDown buttons to the idle switch. I will then be able to send these key presses from the Simchair firmware, in a similar way to the DCS Huey compat mode.

For the script to work you’ll need the FlyWithLua plugin, extract it to your XPlane11\Resources\plugins folder. After that, put the script to XPlane11\Resources\plugins\FlyWithLua\Scripts folder (remove the “please read the manual.lua” file). If you want to change keys for the switch, you have to find out their numbers with a sniffer. Put it to the same folder, reload all Lua files from the plugin options menu in X-Plane, and it will show you the numbers you can put to the script instead of PgUp and PgDown.

Cheers!