I'll try to answer all the best i can..
@Merlin: Brake activation is applied using the toes on both pedals.
As about the steering while racing vs steering while flying, the racing controller will be used quite 'as is' for cars, while on the Falcon every control is programmed by the user, meaning i can define what i want the pedals to do. As about the steering wheel, i was actually thinking of making it detachable, by utilizing the 'Aircon' unit of the F-16!
lol
Here's what an aircon looks like:
http://www.f16simulator.nl/images/AIRCO3_01.jpg
http://www.f16simulator.nl/images/AIRCO2_01.jpg
By sliding the steering shaft through that, i just might be able to do something.. The aircon is actually what it says, the airconditoning vent for the cockpit, and it's located between the pilots' legs. Approximately knee-high. As you can all tell, a flight stick would not be ideal for automobile steering, not just because of its location to the right of the pilots' arm, but due to design too.
@Geraldine: A setup like this based on a regular pc could run almost any flight sim out there. But it would be rather impractical!
Try visioning a prop-driven planes' cockpit. Uber-minimalistic in most cases.
And it's not just the few instruments and panels in there, it's also the controls that differ from a modern jet. The stick was usually a long shaft most of the times located front center between the pilots' legs. Or looking similar to a steering wheel sort of thing.
Then you have thrust control which would also be a totally different design.
To give you an idear of what to expect inside an F-16 cockpit, here's a modern (block 52) cockpit layout:
http://www.xflight.de/original/documents/f16c_b50.tif
It really is rather crammed in there...
All the panels and instruments, controls, displays etc. are just not placed in a manner that you could simply remove something and replace it temporarily with something else.
And remember, every single panel has got to be wired-up.
I'll return shortly with some pics i took today.
---------- Post added at 02:37 ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 ----------
Here's the full-size prints of the panels (thanks to my good Dutch friend Rien for the plans!) :
So, today i had some spare time with the ICP. Started drilling and cutting some plexiglass. I left the adhesive on mainly for protection.
Lots more to do on that.. Here's the panel
And another piece of plexiglass for the round buttons:
This is one of the various momentary switches to be used, an ON-OFF-ON type:
This is where it will be located:
Here's all the plates together:
Finally, here's a better view of the 'sandwich'
Now, remember, the whole set is not yet trimmed, and the panel sheet is a spare one i use for marking the rest of the pieces. More drilling to come, buttons prepared, painted, wired, then it's the pots, case, illumination etc.
And this is just one of the many panels to come.. :nuts:
icard
