> Maybe >we're just a few doing flightgear, but that'll certainly change over >time. Just show those (mostly ignorant) MSFS crowds what flightgear can >do :-)
Just joined the list myself and this was one of only a few main reasons. I was drawing up homemade control system hardware this afternoon.
I think I have the rudder pedals down to the bare minimum for correct control, linear rudder and proportional toe brakes but only using 2 drawer slides for minimum cost and only drilled holes for easy assembly, no slots in a bellcrank etc. Yoke is just a sloped cabinet with a drawer slide underneath, two bearings mounted on this with a threaded rod running through with the yoke. Fixed to the rod is an angle bracket, 2.5" out then several over, with an optical mouse attached. Sectioned 4" pipe fixed concentric to the rod with a pattern attached to the outside. With 2" in and out travel and 120 deg for roll it should give about 4" by 4" mouse travel around the pipe, for 1600 points total resolution on each axis, scaled down to reasonable for output. $10 optical mouse is the only part not absolute minimum cost, but with high res and all optical and a wheel to relocate for other use I think it's an ok trade off. Throttle and the rest are no real problem after that.
Will have a port to hook in my RC transmitter and multiple output formats, so I can fly either RC trans or yoke/pedals for Flightgear or FMS. Also since I need a slope cabinet for the yoke anyway, turn it around and the back side will be a dual joystick MAME controller for two players or dual joystick for Robotron 2084 etc. Trying to make it all in one so I only have ONE extra controller to have laying around! :)
Should come in under $50-$60 for just the yoke/pedals part, I do PICs as well so that part's easy. The $200ish for the CH stuff really isn't that bad, but I'm going to make some for a couple friends as well. I'd rather have something that feels rock solid over a plastic game controller for myself anyway. Plus I can put it on the net and then anyone can go to the hardware store and then build their own cheap good flight controls.
Alan
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