Homemade Comanche cockpit.

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alioth
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

GrubbyZebra wrote:Very excited to come across this project. I recently bought a TAS Indicator that had a broken bourdon tube (yay $40 real aircraft gauge!) I am pretty confident in how to get the mechanical stuff functional again (although I have to make a new card with the right speeds for the PA24-250), but am lost on the arduino side of it. Do you have a primer (or a site you referenced), or could you make one, explaining how to use and Arduino to drive a servo-actuated gauge?
I really prefer stepper motor x27.168 over any servo. I dont have any needle servo moved. Every needle is a darsonval or stepper motor x27.168, which are used in automotive cockpits.
You can find a lot of info about driving both of them in arduino sites. Just google "arduino servo".. and you get a lot of info.
Servos are very easy to interface, but the movment is not smooth.

Arturo.

alioth
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

Radio stack finished :)

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Fully working with a2a comanche.
Gtn750 is touch screen, same dimensions like real one. Functional buttons and knobs...

happy with the result!

Arturo.

Mikenor
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by Mikenor »

What a beaut!!!!


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Lewis - A2A
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by Lewis - A2A »

damn that looks awesome! 8) 8) 8)
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Glenn
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by Glenn »

Could anyone help in identifying the variable that manages the Fuel Selector switch i.e switching between Main and Tip Tanks? Can't seem to find it anywhere. If I use FSUIPC logging and move the virtual fuel selector it comes up with SPOILER_SET!
Many thanks

alioth
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

Hi,
The custom variables you are looking for are:
L:FSelComancheLeftState
L:FSelComancheRightState

0-> off
1-> aux tip tank
2-> main tank

Glenn
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by Glenn »

Thanks Aturo, as always, your help is invaluable! :D Unbelievable work on your cockpit. Makes mine look very sad!

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UKJim
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by UKJim »

I hate you!!

Not really ;) I love it, so jealous right now hehe.

Cannot wait to see the finished version, it's going to be amazing.

Thanks for sharing this mate.

Jim

alioth
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

Slow but I now have more time to build (and fly the Bonanza :mrgreen: )

I have made the Primer lever, the rudder trim with a mechanical indicator, and working with lights.

I have made some ilumination channels I can swtich on-off and dim individually:
-Radio stack
-Gauges
-panel Grimes
-Ambient light, white and orange.


The grimes are 3d desing, 3d print, sand, paint... with bright orange leds, which can be regulated with knobs.
The ilumination level is battery level dependent. Master bus dependent, to be exact.
If battery is low, you get less ilumination.

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First test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoQvkPBWzUk


Here is a video with ambient light (will be installed in the glareshield), showing the main bus voltage dependant:


I am enjoying a lot with the Bonanza these days. And a little tempted to transform the cockpit to the Bonanza. But I will finish it for the Comanche. Not easy to get or build the Bonanza yoke system. And the Bonanza is not a Bonanza without this yoke system.
And Comanche is really really good :)

Arturo.

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Lewis - A2A
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by Lewis - A2A »

That is some awesome work as always, lovely jubbly. The battery sound effect in the maint hanger on the video just adds to the effect hehe :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

cheers,
Lewis
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alioth
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

Lewis - A2A wrote:...battery sound effect in the maint hanger on the video just adds to the effect hehe :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
True!! :mrgreen:

One step back two forward.
I sold my bendix king interfaced HSI to a friend... Ok, I am an easy guy. I don't know how to say "no".

So, I got a new (very old) one for me. A collins one, which I like A LOT. Inside is like compare a toy (bendix) with a swiss machine (collins). I hope there is no bendix agents reading this..

And this is the result... Who says a2a stuff can't be use to home cockpits?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY412JhUY6I

Smooooth....
I am really happy!!


I think I have found a small bug in the comanche hsi (in the a2a one. Mine is perfect, of course 8) ). I think the GS indicator should be in the middle of the scale when there is no ILS signal, to be really hidden.
I looked for old a2a comanche videos and the pointer was in the middle. So I supose it is a bug induced in recents updates. Or perhaps it is only a problem with mine, I don't know.

Arturo.

alioth
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Joined: 01 Feb 2017, 17:05

Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

Testing pieces of panel (3d printed) before ordering an aluminium laser cut one.

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I am always learning in the process, and when I find somthing useful, I update some programming etc... So, the process is quite slow, but the end is near :)

Arturo.
Last edited by alioth on 23 Nov 2018, 04:08, edited 1 time in total.

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scottb613
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by scottb613 »

Hi Folks,

Nice looking HSI - I was literally flabbergasted when I found out the RW units are a $10,000.00 instrument...

Regards,
Scott


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alioth
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Joined: 01 Feb 2017, 17:05

Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by alioth »

I have made a piece to add buttons to my actual yoke.
It only had elevator trim push buttons.
Now It has autopilot (alt hold and ap disconnect buttons), and push to talk.

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And a video showing the results:



Step by step..
Arturo.

CptLemons
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Re: Homemade Comanche cockpit.

Post by CptLemons »

This is outstanding!

A2A, give him a job :lol:

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