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Started buildig basic KA 50 simpit with 3d printed parts - CAD drawings available?


don_sangria

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Dear community,

 

first of all i want to thank all of you guys for the efforts you gave with your valuable inputs without these i never would came so far, even i just started... :-)

 

Since January 2012 i started with Blackshark 2 and really got addicted to this simulation, and bought myself additional Hardware to get a good in game feeling. I even ordered myself a new PC, not knowing all the issues behind the DCS engine....

 

So i started building myself a little game environment. Since i always change or add components its a constant projects, not sure where it will end finally.... :-)

The easiest way i write down what i have presently setted up and what i consider to implement in future. But since i made myself a awesome christmas gift and got me a 3d printer (Ultimaker) where you can design and fabricate yourself more or less precise and VERY STRONG plastic parts, there will come up new possibilitys. I became this 2 weeks where i received the 3d printer really addicted to this stuff, reading about in the internet and not see sunlight for days, since i hade some spare holidays these days... :-)

Absolutely fascinated from this 3d printing theme, i changed my mind to produce my required parts by 3d printing. So i already started to design the collective switch box, the collective pitch lock mechanism and the collective brake handle with its mechanism. The next step i plan is a cyclic grip with the whel brake, throttle lever grips and maybe ejection seat handles, whatever there may come to print... :-)

With this thread i also wanted to ask for availablity for any cad or .stl files for any parts of the KA 50 , especially the cyclic grip since it is quite a complicated part to design and my cad knowledge is starter level... I like to share my design files, but i have to mention that they are not really matching to the real KA50 design and are adapted to parts which could order and buy locally.

 

So lets start finally with my presently hardware setup:

PC specs:

i7-3930k / 16GB RAM / 2 x HD7970 3GB GDDR5 / 1050W / WIN 7 64bit

 

Periphery:

- Optoma Full HD Beamer

- iiyama 24" touchscreen

-Track Ir 5

-Logitech G940

-Turtle Beach 5.1 Headset

-Modified car seat with 4 built in shaker loudspeaker (Bass pump, Conrad electronics)

 

Software:

-VAC

-Helios

-FFB trimmer mode application

 

With this setup i have finally MOST of the time acceptable frame rates of 27 with settings on VERY VERY POOR graphic settings....! but this is unfortunately a well known issue and no need for any tweak requests unless you would have an input... :-)

 

I am always looking forward to improve the in game experience and spend a lot my money for upgrades of any kind and other stuff related to, sometimes even it is only experimental.... :-)

So if you have any cool ideas, feel free to inspire me please :-)

 

Future plannings:

 

- TFS3 intellivibe seat is ordered 3 months ago and waiting for arrival... as they said they were affected by hurricane and new developmet of the product should be out next weeks...

 

- Panels, controls and levers controlled by arcaze usb interface.

 

- Force feedback cyclic ( as from PeterP, but in switzerland you cant find anymore an (used) MS sidewinder... :-( ). So i have to look for another solution, which is kind of documented since i dont have knowledge of electronics and programming, but i am willing to learn and experimenting, even if the output sometimes is that special smelling smoke.....and no, its not Napalm in the morning.... :-)

 

- Peripherical view, either 4 x 46" screens or oculus rift together with leap motion ( leap preordered :-) )

 

- self built rudder pedals, preferrably with force feedback

 

- Maybe a closed cabin with screens as windows, would be very cool!!! :-)

 

- Motion simulation platform, but thats far far away

 

 

 

Finally please find here the foto love story what i have installed and built so far, as well some pics of my 3d printer. The game environment is in half of my living room (yes, i am single...) and sometimes i can rape a friend of mine to play together with me in a apache in arma 2 on the chair behind my game chair and its controlled by gaming keypad and joystick via laptop.I was looking forward for arma 3, but they had some strange and unique issues.... As well for DCS engine there is no hope for a 2 seated helo sim in the next year(s) as i guess and fear...

 

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Thats my new platform i started building, i like this aluminium profiles, especially when you dont know, where you end up... :-)

 

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This my first trial for a collective control, but the cylinder and the valves are not sufficient and bumping, so i already desinged a more rigid clamping system by 3d parts and test it (not on the pictures).

 

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Here is my first trial for the brake handle mechanism in 3d print, the 3 finger handle from the bike brake was too short. I used the retaining spring from the original bike brake and designed the parts with the approxiametelys geometries. But it really feels better despite its not metal and slightly bended from the print warping, nevertheless its 10 per 10mm square and you cant break it, i would consider to install it on an bike...

 

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Sorry for the commercial on these pics, the ruler is for the dimension reference, but as you saw it and maybe thinking about having a industrial steam turbine in your backyard, just give me a note.. :-)

 

 

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Absolutely not matching to the thread and just fun, but this was a trial to control a 3d micro helicopter with a joystick. I just throwed the cheap origibnal rc remote with a cyborg ffb joystick ( it was working, i know not very clever and the electronics could be extracted more carefull for further use, but i didnt knew at that time ). It is very experimental and working, but needs a lot of rework and adjustment, but with the 3d printer, it should be wthin the possible... :-)

 

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So i you have any comments, inputs or proposals, please tell me!

And if you are in North Switzerland, please feel free to contact me for a litle demo or a printed part you like to have, but since 3d printing is not at the end of development, printed parts may slightly warp, surfaces are not looking uniform and bores needs remachining, but i am getting more experience and parts... :-)

 

Best Regards

Adrian / don_sangria


Edited by don_sangria
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Hello,

 

Best of luck with your project!

 

I think the only known drawings for the KA-50 are Triggerhappy's drawings and there are errors aplenty there. I did a search for the page, then got a security warning when I brought it up so I did not paste the link here.

 

I've always wanted ot make prototypes of certain parts like the switch covers and KA-50 replica knobs (chicken-head type) that could then be reproduced with an easier method like 3D printing.

 

I have a TFS3 and for BS2, it needs much more work to be good. Don't mind your wait time.


Edited by JG14_Smil
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collective box, firts try..

 

I just finished printig out my collective box i designed in autodesk 123d beta9. Due to positioning of the part for printing, support layers for top surfaces will be created, which can be removed, but a lot of remachining is required, but accuracy of 0.1-0.2 mm can be achieved by the printer. Maybe i change the cover for the top side with the switches, which will also give better access for remaching of functional elements.

So still need the dremel, sandpaper and files in all sizes and shapes... but of course, its a lot easier way to get that far, and if something got damaged or not get out as desired, you just print another one... :-)

For this part and this print setup, i had 16 hours to print the part. Most of the material and time was consumed by the support layers, which filled out the whole inner box and the pipe connection.

So room for improvent and environmental saving print is open and demanded... :-)

By the way i printed with PLA, which is a non-fossil biological product. but i will try print it out with ABS as soon as i get the required parts and of course in black colour.

 

I just cleaned the collective box roughly to test the if the switches fit and so on, more a kind of study and i already found some issues.

 

But it looks and feels very good on the collective handle, it also may survive a minor "angry black-out" were you blame the collective arrangement for your vortex ring or whatever you brings you too close to ground too fast...

 

 

I also put the namings underneath the switches, but they are obiously to tiny to display correctly. Either make the letters wider or go for another solution. laser machines are unfortantely not really affordable now, even there is also a milestone going on, but 7 grands are a little bit much, even though you have a lot of possibilities there.....

 

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  • 8 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry guys for my late reply, i didnt notice the follow ups, maybe i should read more carefull the subscription mails.... :music_whistling:

 

concerning the strenght with the pneumatic cylinder: for me it feels perfect, it is still possible to change the position of the collective, since the air get slightly compressed but it will bounce back to the setted position. So adjustments around 30mm up and down are possible without bigger force. The only problem i have is the valve, which is slightly passing to one direction, its either to lower or to raise the collective, depending how i connect the hoses. I have to get there a better valve, which is not passing, even if have ordered not the cheapest one and also tried 3 other valves, but i am not satisfied. with the intention to move the collective lever only by pressing the brake handle, i also filled the system with WD40 oil to get a more rigid setup, but the hoses and the connection holes diameters were not big enough, so with hydraulic fluid it was almost impossible to move the collective lever... I am not sure how it is in a real chopper, but i could imagine that the brake handle has to be always pulled even to make small changes on the pitch, due to vibrations in the helo and as safety precaution...

 

For the collective box: I can upload the STL file if you like, but i have to warn you that that was my first try to model something and it was done with autodesk123, so a ten year old child could do it better... as well i didnt yet adjust the holders for the joysticks and tactile switches, it was more a study to adjust the geometrics in a further design, but didnt came so far yet. As well the huge amount of support layers needed is far beyond good and evil, i had around 20 hours to print it with 0.2mm Z-axis resolution...

 

The position of the touchscreen i had to choose, that i can climb into the seat, as well i am 1.90m tall so when i sit, i dont have excessive space above my legs... :D currently i lowered the projection a bit down, since i my neck was hurting after 2 hours playing, since i had to look up all the time, but thanks for the advice!

 

i hope at the end of the year i can spend some time on the whole project and make some steps forward in regard of the complete setup and controls...

 

And as well, planning how to implement the new technology for next years big childrens christmas, where i will be then a proud owner of :D :

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=115663&highlight=castar

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  • 2 months later...

I had some time during the holydays to continue on my Blackshark Simpit.

 

I mainly got my 3D printer working, since much of modifying was necesairy to get some printed parts. And with improved reliability, as the success rate of prints was around 10%...

 

I decided to make at first some controllers for the Blackshark and afterwards the surrounding cockpit.

I thought to make a "generation 1" for testing and stressing and afterwards to improve it or rebuild it. Some improvements also only maybe detect after

several hours of use and when the whole paint job is already done, its kind of hard to destroy everything...

 

 

COLLECTIVE 1.0

 

The collective box was completely designed by hegykc and all Rights and Honors belongs to him.

So if you are interrested in that awesome thing (AND OTHER KA50 CONTROLS...!!!), you can support the BLACKSHARK-production with placing your order interrest

in the thread of this smart and talented guy:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=104154

 

 

The collective box is completely 3D printed in PLA, as well the hats and shifter. Its strong enough and the protection rails on top withstand some decent force,

so they wont break off if you hit them accidently with your hand.

I dont have treated the surfaces, so the look could be much improved and the surfaces made as desired. But the whole thing feels so cool, its just another world!!

 

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RUDDER PEDALS 1.0

 

The rudder pedals i have designed by myself. I used there a hall sensor for the axis input, but could not see an advantage in regard of a potentiometer, which i have installed at the collective axis.

Its also a problem that the real axis movement is only some degrees, so its a very low resolution of the input signal...

As well i face the problem of a noise in all analog input axes. I used also shielded cables to try to eliminate the noises, but without success yet...

 

 

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  • 5 years later...
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