KA-50 collective: another picture-tale

After having my stick ready - it felt kind of "not right" any more to use the A-10 throttles to control the rotor pitch for the KA-50.

>>>

So I knew that I have to change this asap...

and as you can see I have now all necessary parts together for this job:

(BTW: The most of the parts you would usually find in an old joystick/radio - and while taking a 20min walk over your local scrap-yard)

My goal is to finish it up to next Sunday. And I will also include a working collective-brake that I really have to push to move it freely.

I think that I will use again Saitek Cyborg ProGamer Pad to wire everything as I already know how to hack it >>> Dual-Thrust Unit. - and I can get it really cheap on e-bay .

See you next Sunday on this page with more pictures and explanations :)

Edit:

Finished after 5 Days!!

>>>>http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1415714#post1415714

That's exactly what I had in mind!

Getting my things done -there will be hardly time for it in the near future.

 

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DONE!

 

 

 

 

As you can see I will only have to turn this 180° if I switch to the A-10.

 

And when I will use the P-51 some day I can reach all 5 levers easily for the complex engine management. ... and there is also enough room left for a aileron/ruder trimwheel box under the dual-thrust.

 

 

 

 

Some photos about how the brake works now (tweaked once again):

 

I use "Grip Tape" - the same as on a skateboard - to get enough friction to hold the collective in place when the brake is released. and now it is rock solid - and I don't have the wobbly felling like I did before with the rubber ring.

 

 

 

 

 

More pictures with explanations/videos of the most important steps will follow early next week...

 

 

 

...Now I will reward myself with plenty of Grog! -I'm so damn happy!

EDIT :

Ka-50 Collective - Twist Throttle Upgrade for DCS-Huey

Done!

 

 

 

I have to show off a little... because I'm so proud of it!

This is what I have accomplished the last three hours:

I have to show of a little... because I'm so proud of it!:)

You have the right to be!:thumbup:

I'll second that! Well done, PeterP!

Nice job!

Looks great:thumbup:

I'd say, outstanding!

The building bug has really taken hold of you! Great stuff.

The building bug has really taken hold of you! Great stuff.

Yes !

I turned already the kitchen upside-down :D .. and right now its almost impossible to make a sandwich without having plastic-shavings in the butter...

and my love is visiting her parents this week - and she said something similar like this:

"I really don't care what you doing again while I'm away -so enjoy your self. -but please make sure I can't see how you did it!" - so I have to finish it at Sunday !

Its a hard life when you r 2!

Great going there!

Pp.

you r more than :thumbup:

and this is another :thumbup: for your love

"I really don't care what you doing again while I'm away -so enjoy your self..."

Its a hard life when you r 2!

Great going there!

:lol: Its not so bad -Because I love her for everything she does to me - but you have to know that we will be 3hree in the next month!!!:P

- this might/maybe will get hard sometimes!!:)

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DAY TWO

- I have finished the Head of the collective -

No its filled /sanded-painted/ every switch is soldered - so I have theoretically don't open it again.

And you can see that I reworked almost every detail.

Things left to do:

- Axis box and bracket.

-wiring it up whit a Cyborg Pro-gamer Unit ( will arrive at Friday/Saturday at my place)

More pictures of today in loose order:

These pictures are not in the right order up to now and the explanation is also missing. I will edit this post next Sunday/Monday to give you all the information what I have done..

DAY FOUR

Small flash-light what I have done so far:

---the spring loaded collective-brake is working really satisfying and holds know always the assigned position. (...after lots of try'n'error ;) ) ...

-as you can see I also bought a saitek-throttle-quadrant to have all the axis controls mapped .

(And the extra throttle axis will sure come handy when DCS : P51 will hit the floors) - so buying it was a no-brainier for me.

I got also a notification from DHL that they will try again tomorrow to deliver the cyborg-pad.

And tomorrow I will make also a short stop at a music store to buy a second-hand Hi-Hat stand that I will use as a stand for the pitch/throttle control.

Than I should be able to make it functional and have a test-flight at Saturday evening. :)

Cheers!

More pictures of this day in lose order and without comment:

Wow nice work PeterP and congrats on your upcoming addition to your family. Hurry up and finish those projects while you still can as the proud father of a 19mo old girl I know how time becomes a limited commodity!

Hurry up and finish those projects while you still can as the proud father of a 19mo old girl I know how time becomes a limited commodity!

:DThat's exactly what I had in mind!

Getting my things done -there will be hardly time for it in the near future.

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DAY FIVE

DONE!:)

As you can see I will only have to turn this 180° if I switch to the A-10.

And when I will use the P-51 some day I can reach all 5 levers easily for the complex engine management. ... and there is also enough room left for a aileron/ruder trimwheel box under the dual-thrust.;)

Some photos about how the brake works now (tweaked once again):

I use "Grip Tape" - the same as on a skateboard - to get enough friction to hold the collective in place when the brake is released. and now it is rock solid - and I don't have the wobbly felling like I did before with the rubber ring.

More pictures with explanations/videos of the most important steps will follow early next week...

...Now I will reward myself with plenty of Grog! -I'm so damn happy!

WOW! This is too cool!

Hey, Peter, where can I get a form to place an order for one of these bad boys?

Hey, Peter, where can I get a form to place an order for one of these bad boys?

Post a request in this thread Black Shark Helisim .

I already PM'ed Rainman to encourage him to copy my solution.

Hi Peter

That is a true piece of art. Very well made. You sure earned that "Grog", LOL

Schön gemacht, Peter... Sieht äusserst stabil aus und macht sicher Spaß, damit zu fliegen.

Nicely done, Peter. Looks quite sturdy and must be a lot of fun to fly with.

Greets

Chris

PeterP

Now i need to know what will be cooked in your kitchen the next time your love will be "OOH" for another weekend !!! :thumbup:

DCS need to open Sim Topic on you name : "DCS-PeterPan Wonders" :notworthy:

what is your paypal address ?

Thanks for being with us !!!

Awesome work :thumbup:

PeterP, that is super nice. Well done!

I've been kicking around a plan to convert my old Saitek X-52 throttle into a collective control (generic though, not Ka-50 style). I picked up a bicycle brake (a long time ago) for the position holding of the collective arm... but your solution is much more elegant than what I was planning! I may have to appropriate that idea. ;)

Once again, well done! And congrats on the new addition to the family!

I picked up a bicycle brake (a long time ago) for the position holding of the collective arm... but your solution is much more elegant than what I was planning! I may have to appropriate that idea. ;)

I warped also my head around how I will solve the "brake-riddle" many hours/days.

I was also thinking to incorporate the whole bracket from the bicycle in first place .

Well,- until I bought a broken X52 on e-bay to get some parts for this -and other projects

- here you can see why I initially bought it , -I needed/wanted a full-metal gun trigger: DIY P-51D style grip for HOTAS Cougar

...

-whatever-

Than suddenly I realised that the spring of the X-52 is fitting perfectly on my aluminium pipe of the crouch...

...and the riddle was almost solved - just drilled a big hole on one of the "Gardena"-hose-pipe connectors and attached some parts from the bicycle bracket. :)

It will take some time to finish a complete description "what I have done" with annotations and update the first posting with it. -will do this if when I have more free time. - but here are some other of the important steps that I missed to post up to now:

I installed a spring-loaded switch into the brake handle - that will fire as soon I press the brake:

(I hope you can spot it)

And it really makes so much of a difference to control the Ka-50 wit AP-altitulde-hold ON always- while you have to press the collective brake all the time while moving the collective - much better altitude stabilisation!

-something I only did while in route-mode before.

And here for all the lunatics (like me:P) that think it's easier to use a Cyborg-pro-gamer unit (I got mine for 15€ -used) instead of a proper usb-controller board to wire everything up:

...Yes! :)

Sometimes you need a plan!

...here you can see the cyborg-board after I have soldered wires to every pin and fixated them with hot-glue - because when unprotected it's very delicate:

And the smart ones will notice that I don't using the X/Y axis on this board up to now...

but I'm already planing to build a aileron/pitch trim wheel box for upcoming P-51d... -but that is another story...:)

Looks great again PeterP you really outdid yourself!