Simviation Forums

if anyone watches techtv on a regular basis, you most likely have already seen this. for everyone else, look at this link:

http://www.techtv.com/news/culture/stor ... 16,00.html

this guy has taken a full 777 (i think dont quote me on that) cockpit from a junkyard, rigged everything up, and I mean EVERYTHING to interact with flight simulator. hes got 7 computers running to control it all and hes pretty much programmed the whole hardware interface by hand. this is a true masterpeice if I say so myself.

just how much did he spend though? considering what he might have spent to do all that he could have started payments on his own Learjet. lol

It's a 737...chances are there aren't too many 777 pits lying around just yet.  

I can't remember properly, but I believe I've seen this guys rig once in photos.  The interviewer said that he kept it in his garage, and that the whole setup took about ten minutes to load.  He went on to say that when the individual tried it, he could never get all seven computers to link up correctly, and thus never got a demonstration.

Anyway, as amazingly fun as this sounds, it seems like an awful waste of time and money, when he could have taken what he put into the seven dedicated computers and put it into getting his license, and then flying for real!

Oh, well, I guess I just don't get it.

Anyway, as amazingly fun as this sounds, it seems like an awful waste of time and money, when he could have taken what he put into the seven dedicated computers and put it into getting his license, and then flying for real!

Oh, well, I guess I just don't get it.

Enderbaron,

I am not really familiar with the simpit in question above nor it's cost........ but it DOESN'T have to be all that much money to get multiple computers to run glass cockpits and multiple displays.  And my tests so far show that it is not all that hard to set up the networking.

I will have four computers to run the "glass cockpit" in my setup.  Every single one of them is a freebie that was being discarded.  Old outdated machines (PII or III 500-800 MHz) are sufficient to run the programs for that.  Plus the main machine that runs the sim itself.

But if I just say that I will have five computers driving the cockpit.... it sounds VERY expensive.

There is no question that some people DO spend multiple thousands on these homebuilt cockpits...... some discuss as much as $20,000 and up.  But to those people who actually DO such things......... it is like the "Average Joe" spending $50 on the new version of the sim.  Those people have so much money that it is not really a big expense to them.

Those of us who have far less money look at it and scratch their heads ........ myself included .  BUT....... I am planning on building a simpit even though I am not really "affluent".  Just not on THAT kind of budget.

Yeah.... you could take real flying lessons...... no question about it.  BUT......... most people are quite unlikely to EVER take those lessons in a 747 or a 727, or any other "heavy".   Or in a F-15 or F-16 or A-10.  Or anything even CLOSE to any of those.

And with the sim...... you can set up weather and such that you would likely NEVER be testing yourself against in real life (hopefully).  And you can have access to the "plane" at most any hour of the day or night.  And you can do "dumb pilot tricks" like flying under the Golden Gate bridge  ;).

I would bet that a number who have such simpits ALSO do take flyiung lessosn from time to time.  They obviously have the money  ;).

Just a little different way of thinking about it.  See the pictures of the basic setup of the cockpit structures I have built in another thread here to see how far about $100 went.

best,

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

I disagree.  Even seven computers that you somehow found for $50 a shot will total $350, which is about three hours of instruction.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a pit in my house.  I just wouldn't be willing to spend the tens of thousands of dollars that some of these guys pay.  Just me though.

Hyperion,

I wouldn't spend the tens of thousands either.  I don't HAVE the 10's of thousands to spend.  ;)

But I think that what I will have when I am done will be well worth the expenditure of time and money that I will put into it.

And I will likely also spend some time in the real thing too.  It'll be a balance.  Besides.......... in the "real world" I'll never sit a the controls of a jet of any kind, let alone a "heavy".

best,

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