The A2A Simulations Community

I'm an absolute new guy to personal computer flight simulations and I need some basic guidance about hardware. I get the PC-stuff: enough processor, enough RAM, enough Graphics card, enough SSD boot drive. I'll be using Win10. I like the Prepar3D environment. The airplane I'll get is the A2A Accu-sim T-6G Texan -- and I'm excited about repaint possibilities because I'd LOVE to have a virtual T-6G in my A2A hangar that looks like the physical T-6G it's my privilege to preserve, maintain, and fly in real life (N5115D, Serial 49-3330A).

But flight control hardware stumps me. Is there a resource or Flight Sim Type Club that could suggest control stick (joystick), throttle quadrant, and rudders that seem to fit the World War II piston fighter and trainer experience best? Could you recommend search terms or resources to help me find anyone who's built a T-6G (or Harvard, AT-6, SNJ) simpit setup? Has anyone adapted, e.g., a Thrustmaster throttle quadrant to be activated by a replica T-6G throttle quadrant with working throttle, mixture control, and propeller control? Or a joystick that is cable-connected to a full size replica T-6G joystick?

I really am at sea with this amazing new science of personal flight simulation but hope to be competent soon.

Rgds, Mark Hilsen

Mark,

Getting the right controllers for a specific application is always a bit complicated because you are dealing with both a unique airplane and pilot. There are a lot of options out there, but cost also plays a roll.

This also makes me wonder if we should, as a company, have an area where we review all known and recommended hardware out there.

Let me talk with our group a bit more about some options and I will get back to you.

Scott.

I like to have my simpit setup to fly anything and everything. While I had orginally set it up to be my Cub sim/taildragger simpit since I had a 4 person simpit as well, after discovering VR have moved it all together. Here is a video of my simpit.
https://vimeo.com/215568484/33a53b99a0

I added a pvc conduit pipe to a simple joystick to get a floor mounted joystick for stick planes like the Texan. The USB CH Pro Throttle has many useful buttons and switches to allow ease of use.

Kilstorm wrote:I like to have my simpit setup to fly anything and everything. While I had orginally set it up to be my Cub sim/taildragger simpit since I had a 4 person simpit as well, after discovering VR have moved it all together. Here is a video of my simpit.
https://vimeo.com/215568484/33a53b99a0

I added a pvc conduit pipe to a simple joystick to get a floor mounted joystick for stick planes like the Texan. The USB CH Pro Throttle has many useful buttons and switches to allow ease of use.

Kilstorm:

You're the man! Your simpit introduction was very informative.

I'm considering picking up a salvage T-6 fuselage just for the seats, cockpits, and controls; but if that fails to come together, I can always built a replica out of wood measuring off the real thing. The fact that you feel a piece of PVC pipe used to extend a shorter joystick mounted on the floor gives me hope that I can make that simulator control feel real.The throttle quadrant has only three actuators -- throttle, mixture, and prop control -- and those can be separated out and mechanically operate against three separate, if necessary, controllers programmed to set each associated control within the sim program (I think, and I hope). I'd give up the secondary controls like primer, starter, and mag switch: mouse clicking on those is close enough.

But what about multiple screens? Will I need 3 separate video cards for the forward, left, and right views? Or is a single video card with 3 coordinated, separate outputs possible? Is an Oculus VR system (Rift, Go, and whatever else they'll soon have up their sleeves) a better way to go than conventional screens?

And on an unrelated note, is there a resource that discusses, reviews, compares, and coordinates all of the software upgrade options? I'm barely familiar with the concept of EZDOK and ORBX, and I'm sure there are several others, too. How do these work together? Do they work together well, or at all? Do you run into CPU/GPU/memory limitations, i.e., a computer that hangs or pixelates to distraction? Is there a common setup that works for most?

I'm just getting started but as my vocabulary improves, I'll try to do my own research and fewer noob questions.

Rgds, Mark Hilsen

Mark I shot you a PM.

Scott.