Cockpit or desktop?

[Revvin]

I wondered how many CH users are using a home made or commercial cockpit or have you got your controllers mounted on your desktop? I've been toying with the idea of building one so if you guys got any pics of your own rigs feel free to post them as inspiration :D How many of you remember the old HOTASS wooden frame that you could buy that comprised of a plinth with three vertical sections that each had a platform that you could fix your controllers onto. The company has long since gone belly up, perhaps CH could market something similar?

[Solo]

Hey Revvin,

I help run a LAN squad over here in Oz and some mates of mine came up with a LAN portable pit that breaks down for transport (takes no more than a few minutes) and fits in the boot of u'r car. One of the designers owned a wee MG so one of the requirements was that when broken down it must fit into his boot!

You can get the plans here:
AB Mk1 (http://www.62ndfightingfalcons.asn.au/62ndff/projects/projects.htm)

Takes no more than a weekend to build. Pics of us building ours (we have 3 in the squad, 1 more almost finished and plans for 2 more in coming weeks):
Cockpit building (http://www.vfs77.userfriendly.com.au/cockpit.htm)

and in use at a public display:
http://www.vfs77.userfriendly.com.au/pics/edinburgh/edinburgh01a.jpg

Outside of LANs the pit has pride of place in the spare room (home office) and even tho there's another desk workstation attached to my pc with a real comfy chair both the kids and wife always seem to prefer sitting in the pit (which at times can seriously comprimise my flying time!). :D

[Revvin]

Nice pics Solo, I have those plans on my HDD somewhere looks like an ideal setup but I don't have the tools (or really the word working skills) to create one. I did try looking for a place here in Wales that would lazer cut the wood but not found anyone yet. If I do build one I'd like to modify it with a centre mounting for playing my WWII sims then perhaps move it to the side for playing Falcon 4.0

[Solo]

An addition for the centre mount would be dead easy, likely a small extension of the centre of the seat bottom. I also have an extra 'top' (the bit under the monitor) that has an extension that pokes through where the keyboard mounts (the keyboard is then placed on the side) to attach my Virtual Pilot Pro.

Seriously, you don't need much in the way of wood working skills though it would help to be able to cut a straight line with a jig saw because there's more than a few of them have to be done. ;)

The designer guy actually had a few laser cut and looked in to marketing them but the cost was prohibitive. Ours cost us the grand total of around $150AU (about $120US) each to make ourselves where the factory cut ones would be upwards of $450AU... :o

With all the extra gear to spend our money on these days that decision was a no brainer. :P

[Revvin]

Thanks for the info Solo :thumbsup:

[531_Ghost]

I'll take pictures of mine tonight and upload them. I built mine from my old office furniture, some plywood and 4X4s. Pretty cool tho. Here's mine...

[Revvin]

Nice setup Ghost! I really need to make the effort to create something myself, either a hybrid system like Ghost's or an Akers Barnes pit.

[531_Ghost]

Somebody thinks this is a little "goofy" (http://www.acesim.com/main.html) ;) but for a cheap FULLY ARTICULATING "Cockpit" check this out! Look at at some of the mods in the "Ready Room" too :blink:

http://www.acesim.com/ani3000o.gif

:w00t:

[MichaelCHProd]

Looks like if my sprinkler system went nuts ;)

[Typhoontony]

Revvin:
You must remember my setup which was inspired by the H.O.T.A.S.S. frame, in these 2 threads.

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=603&hl=

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?s...1&st=&p=&#entry (http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=623&b=1&st=&p=&#entry)


These were simple to build. :)

Tony