Creating a Home cockpit - testing possibilities

I posted a video on Youtube showing my first test using Air Manager from “Siminnovations” to create a panel. This is just an option, the first one I decided to test. We need multi monitor mode, we need vision without a 3D panel, we need and need a lot. But here’s a first step. Adjusting the camera to see only the scenery and using another monitor for instruments I got something, obviously a long way from the MD-82 that I plan to build. Well, it’s a first step… Doubts, suggestions, criticisms, everything is welcome. Thousands of heads thinking, think better than a few dozen.

2 Likes


Hi Is this what you are trying to create by the way of your question. The image shows 3 x Panels for cockpit window views and then 3 gauge monitors for Pilot position Navigation and aircraft altitude/speed & aircraft attitude which is mirrored for a co-pilots position with engine performance gauge displayed in the centre. Or have I read your post wrong?

1 Like

Yes, that’s basically it. I was unable to identify which simulator you are using, or showing, in the image but I see that the date of the photo is 2019, correct? I can do this easily on X-Plane. I don’t know if this is possible in P3D. For MSFS, the situation is what I describe in the video. We do not have an exclusive view of the scene, without a 3D cockpit, and worse, the screens of the instruments that allow pop out are not “saved” for an upcoming flight session. This means that with each flight, we would have to move and adjust the size of the screens and do this on a complete panel, with all the wiring, all the devices fixed… So, for now, as far as MSFS is concerned, I keep doing some palliative tests, just like this, using gauges from Air Manager. Thank you for commenting. I wish you the best.

I"m hoping for the same thing. I built a cessna 172 sim and would love multi monitor support. I want to be able to look out the side windows with out having to fumble with a mouse. or clicking look left that then resets my front view. and for the pop outs to remember where they were put would be amazing. I have lost the vfr pop out because it popped out to somewhere not on my desktop that I can see. now air manager seams to work with msfs 2020 and I got all my switches and encoders setup. working on my gns530 next week.

Hey man. To recover the vfr map, do the following: run the simulator in windowed mode, so that the taskbar appears. Click on the vfr map button with the right mouse button, then click on “move” option. With the arrow keys, move the vfr map window back to the desktop. As for Air Manager, yes, the beta version 4 works perfectly on MSFS. This version will remain free until the official version is released. My previous home cockpit used, basically, arduino for everything, with regard to the physical part, with AM version 3.7 as interface. While MS/ASOBO or some “enlightened” person cannot solve these problems in a professional way, the only way to have an HC is to get around these “difficulties” using creativity. Here in Brazil we say: “Gambiarra” or “jeitinho”. Luck, health and success.

Question, what should be the height of the tables (for lack of better word) for the flight controls to set/attach too? Standard desk height is 29" (US). I have a little side table set to a lower height, and my wrist does not hurt as bad. I put my mouse and joystick on it. Going to move it maybe to the left side to see how that works. I did hurt wrist over summer working in the yard, before that never had issues. Anyhow, your suggestions would be appreciated. The necessary bracket for the Virpil Mongoose base is height adjustable but again, my present setup will not offer that on my right side, nor will I be able to use the Honeycomb throttle quadrant there either. Thinking going to have to get another table and make it my sim table, but will not purchase two computers to run this thing. I have older desktop which should have the moxie to run it, so may use that and get new monitor for it. Your input is appreciated.

I’ll be honest with you. There is no “standard” height, or even size, for these things. When I start to build a home cockpit, I follow the exact measurements of the aircraft I intend to simulate. In the case of a table which simply serves to put things on it, or even fix some extra control, you have two options: you build one from scratch (and for me this is the best alternative) or you can adapt a piece of furniture that is left over. Tables and other furniture that serve to support or maintain utensils, even stoves or washing machines, here in Brazil, tend to be 80 centimeters high by default, something around 31.5 inches. On the other hand, when you build your own “game station” you can adapt to your biotype, which implies comfort. And it’s not expensive (not even here in an “emerging” or “third world” country, as they say) nor difficult to learn to do. It’s really fun, I can say that. Using two or more computers, for those who build HCs is almost mandatory. Incidentally, today I decided to build an HC for this “game” and chose the Citation Longitude. I’ll use 2 PCs. One more detail: I think you should, first of all, choose a chair that is comfortable for you. From there… you’ll determine the other measures. Luck, health and success, is what I wish you.

Marrenta - Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I am currently playing around with things. It sort of cart ahead of the horse, since the HC Throttle Quadrant has not shipped. And the new JS and base and bracket is in limbo, as company has account locked for some reason. Time difference are slowing down resolution, may have to call them to sort it out. They also may have long weekend, in which case my communication on Thursday would not have arrived in time for solution. Oh well. It will work out in the end. I have also looked at tables at home depot which can be raised and lowered with a crank, and those also look interesting. But until have equipment, just playing now to see what is what and who is who. Thank you again. I do have a second PC which is a dell desktop, and could do something but not sure what, as will need additional monitor to make it work, and how do I get them “both on the same page” so to speak. And that then leads to new UPS for main stuff, and old one to the other stuff. Lots of things to consider, and test out before making final decision or start to build anything. The HD store with those tables, lots of different widths, but most of the depths are only 24", and a deeper table might offer more surface to mount stuff. Since my plane selection is still more than 4, that is also some of the planning part too. And if my Wishlist for planes is realized, then I would have over 14 I would fly with. So you see some dilemma here, trying tor one cockpit area, which would serve all those different units.

1 Like

No problem, my friend. If a suggestion of mine, however simple, can help you or anyone, I’ll be happy. I saw clearly that your intention is to plan something that works for several planes, a “generic cockpit” (fourteen planes? This is what I call desire to fly hahaha = lol). Even so, I insist on bothering you with suggestions: see some photos and, perhaps, you can be inspired by some of them: photo 001, I show a “table” I made more than a decade ago, built with raw wood, to accommodate monitors and test the position of what would become an EMBRAER EMB-135 Legacy. The photos Flap_01 to 04 show a system that I came up with to control the flaps for this EMB 135. It was not ready as you can see if you notice that I was still using nails to test the switch trigger points. All built using scrap, 90% of the project, I would say. The photos are about 12 years old but notice the furniture I made to test what would become the Legacy panel. I bought wooden boards, measured, sawed, drilled, screwed and “bingo”. Right now, I’m building an “L” shaped bench in my workshop, all simple and basic, without finishing, just to have my 2 main PCs and 8 monitors (I won’t even use them all) in a more friendly distribution conformation. When I finish this, if you want to see it, I’ll send you the photos. I currently use an old but comfortable one sofa in my workshop. It gets complicated because it’s too big and the intention here is to free up space to work better with the project. I’ve a swivel chair, the kind used in offices, old, destroyed and rusted hahaha. I am cleaning, recovering and I’ll transform it into a “gamer monster crazy chair” hahaha, using wood and foam mattress pieces. I’ll gain space and mobility. See also two other photos, and the first one, for me, would be the “queen of generics”. The second is something very practical but specifically aimed at a model, in this case the A320 as you can see. Good idea. I think it was very nice. Finally, there is a video, also old, where I worked in a Baron for a friend. Just fun, good music (Green Day), a cigarette and some beer: recipe for happiness. When I retired from the air force (I’m used to be a F5-Tiger fighter pilot, now our guys will fly the Gripen… buá, buá --> this is me crying), I let my hair grow. Along with the hair, my belly also grew. Well, I fixed the belly problem, reduced the length of the hair, I don’t drink anymore but, 10 years later, I’m still the same guy.

001

As you say the last one is top notch. Thank you for your service. I was in our Navy. Was not pilot but stationed in two different air squadrons. First one planes older than me, second training squadron TA-4J’s. Wish I had gotten pilots license. Oh, well, never grew hair, but did grow belly, then got here, hills are steep like 14% grade up and down doing yard work, belly is going away slowly. Nothing wrong with the home made stuff, the switch assembly for flaps was very good. Got sort of nice chair, but desk setup is just built for office type work but solid wood, and very expensive when bought new. Plus planed a ton of PC builds on it, ran small business and other things. Too nice to ditch. Still thinking on what changes to make so it “flows better for FS”. Tried a little table last evening off to the side, that worked better than top of desk, just messing with different ideas. Like you don’t want to spend money on buying new stuff until I see how the controls I want are going to work out first. Plus I have lots of books in shelf attached to desk, and no place to move that too, and too nice to just throw away or store in another place. Delma’s all.

Try to make a drawing of what you want, this can make your decision easier. Your first question was about whether there is a pattern to be followed. I keep saying that the pattern is you, or rather, your biotype. TA-J4? Nice. Our navy has some. Here we call them A-4. They have been so modernized that they don’t do badly on missions against more modern airplanes, talking about “war games”. Our old (1975/76) F5 too. Today, both A-4 and F5M are considered to be 4th generation fighters, believe it or not. I took some improvement courses in USA between 1985/1986, after my graduation and we have relatives living in Texas. I love your big and beautiful country very much. I hope that after the elections, our countries will remain friends. My younger brother, also a fighter pilot, was selected for the Gripen program. My sister-in-law, my oldest son and my daughter-in-law are military flight controllers. We’re an “aerial” family hahaha. I have an old Beech 35 Bonanza, V-tail, which is usually “driven” by my wife. We’re always fighting to decide who gets the left seat. We live on the south coast of Brazil, our boys live in São Paulo and my brother and sister-in-law live in Rio. We usually fly between the south and southeast regions of Brazil, just to visit family and friends. Well, family, an old plane, 8 cats and good memories, man, it’s more than I need to be happy. And when there is no money left to fill the V-35’s tanks, I have the simulator hahaha.

As mentioned, waiting for stuff to arrive, still have to order some more as well. Then will know at least what sizes of things dealing with, etc. It not quite time to disassemble this setup until I see what limitations I have, and take some measurements on those items still to come.
I have friend who flew the A-4 in Navy, then he went to commercial aviation and flew for Delta 767 and the MD-11 at retirement. The TA-4J is a training variant of the A-4, added some wing and fuselage length, put in another cockpit seat aft of the Pilot in Command. It was the advanced Jet Trainer for the Navy until the DOD combined the basic-middle-and advanced Jet training for AF and Navy into one command. The Naval Aviation Fields I was stationed at are now Public Hosing in HI, and the Police Academy Training Center for forces all over the country, it is in Beeville, TX, formally called NAS Chase Field, RW’s still there and serviceable. If I understand it now, Carrier Qualification is then added to the Navy only pilots after completion of all the other parts. But won’t swear I understand how it works. Wont mention my personal feelings on that, but will say, Naval Aviators have to think differently because their operations are vastly different from AF missions, even though both may attack a site, the Navy does it with different planning logistically well away from targets over lots of salt water. I say better, but not pilot so what do I know. Wow, never been south of Texas, sounds like a wonderful flight along the coast. I hope we remain friends as well, sure will will. Anyway, we are making friends right here, so that is important. If ever coming this way into Georgia, give a shout, we can have coffee. I have beer every 2-3 months just to keep hand in. Wine for lunch once in while. Not much of a drinker period. Don’t have any real bad habits, except PC use.

I was thinking exactly the same about this conversation here. OK, it will be a pleasure to continue exchanging ideas for email. I’ll make contact.
PS.: Sorry world, we are outgoing hahaha

for, via, by email … I forgot the appropriate term … Getting old?

Sent you reply to e-mail, did you get it?

Hey Meridian, yes I got.
Sorry for delay… I’ll be in touch soon