F-14 Cockpit and instrument dimensions

Some great info in here. I vary back and forth to wanting a full blown pit and something more inconspicuous. Definitely looking to build at least a button box out two but have a saw, plywood and MDF and a 3d printer and know how to solder so may see what I can do.

Playing in VR so exact replica and HUD, functional screens and gauges aren't as necessary. May cheat and print 4 x MFD frames for how the dream ST 21 may have resembled with the most iconic gauges like the AoA and wing sweep, fuel represented with most of the switches from the left and right consoles present. Will consider the VKB stick but probably going to stay with the MCG Pro and Virpil throttle.

Highest on my list would be functional landing gear and hook levers among with the turning display controls. Fantasy land endgoal world be a functional motorized wing sweep handle, if not auto throttle.

I received the Oculus Rift S for Christmas so I'll be looking to make a simpit that has static gauges but functional switches and knobs. Only thing I am worried about is how unfamiliar I am with wiring and electronics so if any of you have some advice on how to route and what pieces I will need for junctions and such, please let me know. For now though I will be drawing up designs for the pit and planning out what pieces I will need including a new HOTAS, looking at you VKB. Will update you all when I have some solid plans including costs and such.

If anyone wants measurements I can get you some off my panel. :)

Yes, please.

In my mind I was thinking you'd need something like how a cassette tape deck works, only allowing you to have one button pressed at a time (yes I know they also allow more than one but you get the idea). The rotation you just do like those A6 ones you have there, cylindrical button body, a slot that wraps around like a "screw" that would probably interface with a pin or some kind of guide, and then copy how cassette tape players push other buttons up when you press another.

 

Something like that should be printable right? Cassette players should be cheap enough to find at goodwill or other old electronics stores.

Anyone have a design like this in STL format?

These buttons are deep in my mind and I want them for the at least the air flow (especially if I do an F-14D or hypothetical F-14E build) moreso than the display switches (in which they disappeared from the F-14D).

Howdy,

It's been a while since I've been able to get anything done with the Pit. I have finally, more or less finalised the front pit frame. I'm still working the 3d models/files for instruments and panels etc.

The only think I want to sort before I realise the front pit, is the canopy bow sub-assembly (purple structure). It's still missing some longitudinal support.

It's built to be modular, the green frame is duplicated across both sides and gets bolted together. The blue section is the centre pedestal and you will be able to swap out the panels on it as you see fit for the model/year your going for. The seat also follows a similar design and will fit a NACES seat if so inclined.

It has a 40mm steel sub frame designed into it to reduce the loads on the timber, especially on entry/exit.

Currently the plan is to buy some of LynxDK's DZUS rails and then mount the panels to them. I'll update the 3d model soon to accommodate this.

http://lynx.dk/product/dzus-rail-replica/

I'm potentially going to do some work on the seats to allow them to run as a G-Seat in future iterations of the plans

The only other thing I'm tinkering with is the crew boarding steps to help get into and out of the pit.

If some of the wonderful work in this thread could be posted up, specifically the panels, you should more or less be able to build the front tub without to many issues.

In other News I've started the back seat as well. I'm still missing some descent data from inside the tub, but I'm pretty happy with the shell. (Cobra and the Crew, anything you could give here would be amazing).

Cheers,

Mumbles.

Hey Guys,

Hope your all staying safe,

Latest copy of the pit is attached.

The model is at a point which you could build your own front seat minus the instruments and panels. I'll keep working those parts slow time. I've seen plenty of work on these forums that should cover most of it anyway.

If you mod the plans, let me know what you did and chuck them up here for everyone.

Cheers,

Mumbles

Mumbles F-14B Front Pit SKP Model 29 Mar 2020.zip

is anybody working currently on the panels to be used as a buttonbox??

in particular, I'm looking for blueprints/plans for the left panel.

is anybody working currently on the panels to be used as a buttonbox??

 

in particular, I'm looking for blueprints/plans for the left panel.

Just download image from NATOPS and scale. Panels should have a a standard width of 5 3/4".

I'm doing my pits switches the easy way with arcade boards for all the switches rather than doing arduinos.

Hey Guys,

 

Hope your all staying safe,

 

Latest copy of the pit is attached.

 

The model is at a point which you could build your own front seat minus the instruments and panels. I'll keep working those parts slow time. I've seen plenty of work on these forums that should cover most of it anyway.

 

If you mod the plans, let me know what you did and chuck them up here for everyone.

 

Cheers,

Mumbles

Dude this is epic. I'm thinking this will make a great lockdown project for me and my lad.

Is this done to scale and is there a way to take each piece of the structure and print out from sketch up a template to the correct size?

Do you think 9mm thick plywood is suitable for the "bulkheads"?

Ben

Thanks dude,

I'm quite happy with the way it's turned out.

It's dimensionally the closest model/plans that exist at the moment. Cobra was kind enough to let me use his laser scans of the front pit to make it.

It was designed as a modular design so you can tinker and build as much or little of it as you like.

I desinged the bulkheads to be 12mm with a 20mm steel rail so that you can climb over the side and into the pit without any chance of breaking stuff but it's probally overkill.

A couple of things to think about would be if its going to be a VR only pit or something like RomeoKilos lovely A-10 pit. A lot of design choices can be decided from this.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=160233

If your looking to keep it a bit simpler and use 9mm I would suggest building up to the last bulkhead inline with the center pedestal sub frame (coloured blue in sketchup). You could just then join the purple canopy rail assembly to the green side panel frame to make it one piece.

So printing it's pretty easy once you know what your doing.

I wacked up a post a while back on how to do it here.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3772384&postcount=175

The only change is that I've grouped all of the smaller sub assembly's together to make changes to both sides easier.

The only extra step now is you will need to double click into the sub assembly's first before you can select the part you want and copy it out.

If you need a hand at all tinkering with the plans or want a full up post on how to do it give me a holla. Sketchup's pretty easy once you get used to it.

If your keen on a backseat as well it's mostly done.

Cheers,

Mumbles

Anyone ever do anything for F-14D? I'd love to 3d print the MFD for example, though would probably be doing an imaginary F-14E cockpit since making 4 x MFD's in a T would be relatively easy than making a bunch of distinct gauges and since I fly in VR would just need to fill them with graphics instead of screens though I'd be doing functional buttons and rotaries.

Then it's just the vertical consoles with the various handles and switches. My right console switchbox is in the planning stage (have the boxes and planning to order switches).

Looks awesome,some great work there! Going to start building my first pit and it got to be a Tomcat! Sent you a pm as I really need help!!

I have a 25" 2560 x 1440 and a 27" 4K and it´s very difficult to see

Thanks dude,

 

I'm quite happy with the way it's turned out.

 

It's dimensionally the closest model/plans that exist at the moment. Cobra was kind enough to let me use his laser scans of the front pit to make it.

 

It was designed as a modular design so you can tinker and build as much or little of it as you like.

 

I desinged the bulkheads to be 12mm with a 20mm steel rail so that you can climb over the side and into the pit without any chance of breaking stuff but it's probally overkill.

 

A couple of things to think about would be if its going to be a VR only pit or something like RomeoKilos lovely A-10 pit. A lot of design choices can be decided from this.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=160233

 

If your looking to keep it a bit simpler and use 9mm I would suggest building up to the last bulkhead inline with the center pedestal sub frame (coloured blue in sketchup). You could just then join the purple canopy rail assembly to the green side panel frame to make it one piece.

 

So printing it's pretty easy once you know what your doing.

I wacked up a post a while back on how to do it here.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3772384&postcount=175

 

The only change is that I've grouped all of the smaller sub assembly's together to make changes to both sides easier.

The only extra step now is you will need to double click into the sub assembly's first before you can select the part you want and copy it out.

 

If you need a hand at all tinkering with the plans or want a full up post on how to do it give me a holla. Sketchup's pretty easy once you get used to it.

 

If your keen on a backseat as well it's mostly done.

 

Cheers,

Mumbles

How do i get a set of plans or are you prebuilding them?

Hey guys, two quick questions:

1. Is the parking break spring loaded, or is it simply pull out, push in without any resistance?

2. Is the gear and hook the standard pull out slightly then raise lower to position?

Speaking of which, does anyone have any STL for parking brake, landing gear, or tail hook handles?

Hey guys, two quick questions:

 

1. Is the parking break spring loaded, or is it simply pull out, push in without any resistance?

2. Is the gear and hook the standard pull out slightly then raise lower to position?

Anyone able to answers these? Important for my build.

Cheers.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to get access to the panel images inside the cockpit?

I’ve been having some

Success between trackir and view commands but I think I can do better if I can find the textures or images that the cockpit uses, I’ve had a look around and there’s a few locations that have texture folders in it, problem is that the .dds files don’t open for me. I’ve used .dds view and gimp with the .dds plugin but getting nowhere. Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

Anybody have accurate measurements of the ACM panel?

 

In my mind I was thinking you'd need something like how a cassette tape deck works, only allowing you to have one button pressed at a time (yes I know they also allow more than one but you get the idea). The rotation you just do like those A6 ones you have there, cylindrical button body, a slot that wraps around like a "screw" that would probably interface with a pin or some kind of guide, and then copy how cassette tape players push other buttons up when you press another.

 

Something like that should be printable right? Cassette players should be cheap enough to find at goodwill or other old electronics stores.

They're called "interlock switches". The pushbutton mechanisms are installed on a frame, which has a bar with hooks that slides through the body of each switch and is attached to a spring to keep them in tension. When a button is pressed, the hook for that specific switch is held, while the spring action of the bar releases the last pressed switch.

In Grumman's custom implementation, the round center presses down on the switch through the white square that functions as an outer ring. The ring has a 45 degree slot down its side, through which passes a key which makes the rotation action.

Five and six position interlock switches are fairly reasonable (in the realm of $6-10 on the 'bay as I've secured a few for this exact purpose), and the center/ring affair is eminently 3D printable.

Anybody have accurate measurements of the ACM panel?

I do not remember where these measurements came from, nor can I guarantee they are exact:

Panel: 9.75 " x 4.00"

Bottom of the panel is 9.00". Angles come in at 3.25" from top

Cuts for Master arm and ACM switch is 1.5" x 2.0"

~2.75" from left/right edge for Gun/Prep button.

Salute,

not to suggest anyone pay this much, but great for reference photos:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Martin-Baker-GRU-7A-Ejection-Seat-from-the-Legendary-F-14-Tomcat-Complete-RARE/184472587752?hash=item2af36c4de8:g:2dQAAOSwcNJfd8rj#viTabs_0

not to suggest anyone pay this much, but great for reference photos:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Martin-Baker-GRU-7A-Ejection-Seat-from-the-Legendary-F-14-Tomcat-Complete-RARE/184472587752?hash=item2af36c4de8:g:2dQAAOSwcNJfd8rj#viTabs_0

I've been strongly considering trying to make a faux ejection seat using an aluminum drag racing seat, something like a Kirkey 55 or similar. At least something that with a pad setup like the link would give a similar feel. May have to chop the bottom side bolsters off but keep the ones along the back

On 12/30/2019 at 7:52 PM, TomVR said:

I took the .obj of the entire cockpit earlier and separated the grip from the rest of the model I've tried cleaning it up in Sketchup but leaving it for now. Could be a good base to work from.

 

edit:

 

see the thingiverse page for the more recent version https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4076915

Hi TomVR,

Did you ever make more progress with this, or did it stagnate?