DC-3 Cockpit

[WxMod]

I work for an air museum and we have an authentic DC-3 cockpit set up for the public to sit in and play around and we're wondering if it would be possible to rig it as a flight simulator using FS2004?  How much would it cost to set up one projector, an interface with the yoke and throttles and everything else needed?

Thanks,
Brian

[Jared]

are you looking to make every button usable in the sim? or just a basic no thrills setup?

I don't personally build cockpits, but that would be the next question someone asks..

[JBaymore]

Brian,

Yup... Jared asked the right first question  ;).

Welcome to SimV..... and give us a little more info.    I (and others) should be able to help point you in the right direction.

The short answer is YES... it can be done.  The level of cost and complexity is somewhat up to your imagination of what you want.  Basically.... the more you want... the more it will cost  ;D.

Oh..... where are you located?

best,

...................john

[WxMod]

I know very little about turning the DC-3 cockpit into a simulator.  Before I research too much, I'd like to figure out how much time and $$ one would need to invest.

Initially, I would like to know is how much (rough estimate) it cost to build in all the bells and whistles so that every knob works with projectors.  

Would it be possible to put LCD's in where the real gauges were in the old panel?  

How authentic can a person get?

Then how much would it cost for a basic, no thrills set up with a working yoke, rudders and throttles with little for instruments, maybe just a computer monitor.

I'm volunteering at an air museum in Minot, ND called the Dakota Territory Air Museum.  We've had this old cockpit set up for static display for a long time and are thinking of ways to spice up interest besides just sitting in there.

Brian

[SilverFox441]

The easiest question you ask is

How authentic can a person get?

The answer is...almost totally. Every switch, knob, handle or guage in the plane can probably be made to function as part of the sim. The vast majority certainly can be functional. The original guages could even be converted over to work based on sim outputs.

The cost would be prohibitive though...even if you did most of the work yourselves rather than buying pre-configured components. Figure on somewhere in the $15,000+ range for all of that.

At the bottom end...it depends on how much of the converting you can accomplish yourselves. The computer to run FS and the flight control conversions are going to be the expensive bits. I would recommend a good gaming computer as the base (expensive but the increased visual quality and framerate are worth it). For the controls...Phidgets (http://www.phidgetsusa.com). The InterfaceKit 8/8/8 gives you the needed functionality to add your throttles (2), primary flight controls (aileron, elevator and rudder,3), flaps (1), differential wheel brakes (2)...8 analog inputs (and more than enough realism). You also have the option of adding 8 digital outputs and 8 digital inputs (switches or the like).  

That would make a very nice starter configuration for the 'pit...and leave it easily expandable for later (additional Phidgets).

I'm sure you are already aware...but many places will give you a deal on prices for a Museum. Hit up some of the companies (politely) and they may toss you some good stuff or at least shave the profit margin a bit.

Good luck on your project and feel free to ask any question that pops into your head...that's what forums like this are all about.

[JBaymore]

Brian,

Steve gave you some good info there.  

If you check a few of the links in this forum that say stuff like "Check this Out" or "Wow...look at this" they usually reference somebody's awesome simulated cockpits.  You will find that the photos of some of them are hard to tell from photos of a real aircraft in flight.  A few folks with "money to burn" are even taking it to full motion.

It can get "as real as it gets".  It is unfortunately then all about time and money invested.

A basic set up (prices loosely estimated) might likely be as follows:

• the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 program ($40)
• one gaming machine to run the main simulation($3000)
• one 5.1 computer sound speaker system ($100)
• one good quality video projector to show the forward display ($2500)
• one large projection screen for the forward view ($300)
• an LCD monitor to run off the second output of the video card for PFD / ND instruments
• an interface to be connected to your existing yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant ($250)
• one keyboard encoder card to add some functional switches ($150)
• a bunch of misc. electrical hardware to hook it all up ($200 - $500)

It will take a lot of labor to hook all the stuff up.  Gutting the real DC-3 cockpit so that you can "hook into" some of the real flight controls will take some tinkering and figuring out "on the fly" (no pun intended  ;)).

If you want side window views... that can be done by adding multiple PC's networked using two programs.... FSUIPC and WideFS (the pair at about $35) and using a program called WideView (about $30).  You'll also need a copy of fs2004 on each machine.  That will require wired 10/100 mBit network cards (about $10 each these days) and some cable, and a network hub (about $30-50).  Win XP makes networking a snap.

Adding more monitors for instruments can be accomplished using something like the freeware FreeFD instrument program..... which I am sure that Don would LOVE having a museum run.  This can run on "junk" level PC's ..... you can probably get donated from people.  Add some LCD monitors for behind the (gutted( instrument panels... and you can have "real" guages.

Depending on the museum's budget...... you can adjust the cost of a lot of this stuff a bit.  Also you might be able to get donations of a lot of it as Steve mentioned if you can give appropriate "credit" to the donating parties in a broad enough fashion.

Starting with a real aircraft cockpit is an envious place to be for many simpit builders  ;D.  You are off to a good start there with the "realism" bit.  It won't take too much to make your idea a reality.

Gotta go now... more later.  Check the other threads in this forum

best,

.............john

[Hyperion2]

You could also charge a nominal fee, say $2 or $3 a person to recover some of the costs.

Or you could have a fund raiser to offset some of the costs as well.