Left Console

Like Flight Sim Version 4, this has all custom panels. That way I could make exactly what I wanted, and package them all in densely. You can see that I standardized on one panel width (5.7″) but varied the height when needed. 5.7″ just looked nice and made two columns of panels fit in a reasonable space.

Construction technique is 1/8″ acrylic routed on my homemade CNC, spray painted black, then text engraved with the CNC. Each panel has a two layer sandwich of acrylic. Backlit with white LEDs, then loaded with switches and stuff. I don’t have a laser table, but that would have probably been the easier way to go, especially for the text engraving.

Left Side Overview

Flaps, Gear, WWII Warbird Controls

Flap control is a potentiometer. Gear is a microswitch and a detent mechanism. Have to pull towards you to move gear lever up or down.

Lighting, Generators & Avionics

Upper right panel is combo panel that can adjust Altimeter, Heading, Attitude Indicator, VORs, ADF etc. Click to select function, rotate encoder to adjust.

Elevator Trim Wheel and Indicator

Elevator trim encoder and printed bracket
Elevator wheel is CNC’d plywood.

The elevator trim sensor is a quadrature encoder – 360 pulses/rev/channel (i.e. 1440 counts/rev decoded), Amazon, $16. My software reads it in and maps +/-5 turns to +/-full trim deflection which it then sends out as a game controller analog axis value over USB. This replaced a 10 turn potentiometer that had a habit of getting it’s endstops broken. 🙂

Hacked board driving LEDs. Unhacked identical board in background.
What used to drive the 7 segment displays, now drives my LED bargraph.

I hacked a 4 digit 7 segment driver board (TM1637) to reuse for the trim indicator. It receives commands from the Teensy++ 2.0 on a DATA/CLK line, which saves a lot of LED wiring.

Throttles, Fuel Control

Side plates CNC’d out of hardboard
Glued stack of CNC’d hardboard pieces
White pieces are wood dowels
Wish I had my 3D printer back then. I would have definitely printed those throttle parts.

Mixture and Speed Brakes

I had a 3D printer at this point so lots of printed parts. CNC’d red knobs and hand bent aluminum were from beforehand. Grey knob and its “aluminum” lever are printed. Structure is all printed except for one piece of hardboard. Kludgy but you’d never know.

Cup Holder, Game Mode, USB Ports, Magnetos, Keyboard Slot

Little black dot in upper left corner is the IR receiver for the LED strip lighting located elsewhere.
Wood bracket and painted Tupperware.
Of course you need a cupholder.