Full Flight Space Simulator

[Lunar Pilot]

Has anyone ever tried building a simulator like those you find at places like the National Air and Space Museum, or at amusement parks, but for Orbiter? Because I thought it would be really cool to build one for one of the DG's or the space shuttle, or another spaceplane.

 

[Kyle]

Back on M6 some guy was building a Replica of the Flight deck of the Space Shuttle. Progress was good, I haven't heard from him since August of 2007 However.

 

[TSPenguin]

The search term for this would be "simpit". You will find a few projects. But not many

 

[nasakid]

be cool. a hooked orbiter up to my big-screen tv using a coumputer wire.

very fun!

 

[Hartmann]

An exact replica could be difficult ,but a little capsule with screens in the place of windows and the mfd in other screens could be very nice and could add a lot of inmersion

 

[n122vu]

Saw a vid on YouTube of a guy who built a moving simulator cockpit for flight sims. If I find it I'll post the link...

 

[nasakid]

well building a cockpit would be difficult. try modifying something like this

http://www.thespacestore.com/spshcoplce.html

its a thought

 

[n122vu]

Here it is:

:speakcool:


Would be pretty cool to have vibration feedback in the chair, and more range of motion overall, but still pretty awesome!

 

[tl8]

On this, I intend, when I can, To build a FULL 3d 4 person (2 Pilots, 2 Passenger) Sim of the XR5. All I have worked out, is that I will need Money and alot of screens and PCs (about 3 to 4 I think)

 

[orwellkid]

Anybody know how one would hook up an MFD to a MFD screen? Make the buttons functional, etc?

 

[Deke]

Back on M6 some guy was building a Replica of the Flight deck of the Space Shuttle. Progress was good, I haven't heard from him since August of 2007 However.

Oh yeah that guy. He was really good with it. Had it coming along real nice too. Wonder if he's still working on it...

I attempted to build a small two seater simpit, but other priorities have put that on hold.

I'd LIKE to build an Apollo simpit however.

 

[Cobalt]

Never seen orbiter ones, but I used to have links to full scale 747 and 737 simpits, both made using salvaged parts from said planes.

 

[markl316]

I have plans on paper to do this for the XR5, XR1, and DGIV. About $20,000-$30,000 each currently, but prices of computers could come down. The most awesome thing to do would to build a 30-foot centrifuge and put the whole thing on an edge, and have a motor drive spin it around (G FORCES!!!).

 

[TSPenguin]

Anybody know how one would hook up an MFD to a MFD screen? Make the buttons functional, etc?

You use external mfds (use yet another mfd to have them in the same place everytime), let them display on a remote desktop. You either assign keyboard shortcuts to the sidekeys (which would make it only usable for one specific mfd) or use something like autohotkey to simulate mouse clicks on the areas of the buttons.
No Limit to this....

 

[Zatnikitelman]

I've got plans laid out for a full range gimbal ring simpit. Unfortunately, cost and space are my major holdups there. I have it mostly worked out, but I can't seem to figure out how to overcome gimbal lock short of having the computer automatically guess where I'm going to move next and compensate.

 

[Kyle]

well building a cockpit would be difficult. try modifying something like this

http://www.thespacestore.com/spshcoplce.html

its a thought

That Bunkbed got me interested. Imagine modifying it so that the windows would be Orbiter, and MFDs, imagine going to sleep in Space. I'd have to stock up on food, and do it only on weekends.

 

[tl8]

I can't seem to figure out how to overcome gimbal lock short of having the computer automatically guess where I'm going to move next and compensate.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and have come up with several solutions for it.

 

[gder]

This guy built a 737 sim in his garage using a 737 cockpit:

http://www.737sim.com/Intro.htm

 

[pete.dakota]

A full motion simpit can only ever allow you to feel acceleration equal to one G (by tilting you fully back), so it wouldn't be perfect for Orbiter. At least not during any traditional launch phase.

For any SSTO Space Planes (DGEX), on-orbit burns and re-entry scenarios, I can imagine it being a lot of fun, however.

 

[Apollo 11]

Mabey something like the Shuttle launch experience could be implemented. At liftoff, the sim shakes you around while you're at about a 65 degree angle. This creates an illusuin of G's when really thare aren't any. Then the sim tilts forward very fast to simulate weightlessness.