Rebuilt FFB Cyclic and Collective Project

Back in 2013 I became enthusiastic about the idea of building my own controllers. I followed Peter P's thread on DCS Forums, and eventually built a version of his Frankenstick, using two MSFFB sticks and a CH Fighter stick acquired on Ebay.

This was my first venture into anything electronic, though I am used to making things from all kinds of materials. The stick build went well, and after a few teething issues, it has served me well for a couple of years.

In 2014 I set about building a matching collective for the full helo pilot experience. I used bits and pieces of pots and wiring leftover from the MSFFB strip-downs, the whole thing becoming an ongoing learning experience. With a Leo Bodnar board added, the whole project took on a new dimension. The first version was completed in 201? and served well also.

But there were a few niggles with both units. And so after New Year of 2015, I decided on a strip-down and rebuild of both units, reusing most of the components I had already built or customised.

I wanted to put the controller PCB's of the MSFFB into a smaller, redesigned box, for better leg clearance and neatness, and also to improve the overall appearance of the box. This would also tighten up the whole arrangement of the internal mechanisms. I decided to put all the PCBs in front of the FFB motors in a stacked arrangement, thus reducing the width and height of the housing. The box was made in 9mm MDF. The roof of the housing was made in 1mm Aluminium, thus reducing the gap between the ffb motor brackets and the external stick pivot ring. The whole assembly was secured to the 1mm ali roof with carriage bolts.

I changed the aluminium tube shape of the stick to be closer to straight vertical, moving aay from the right angled bend “walking stick” style. This improved the balance of the stick.The power socket and 3 USB cables were routed to the front right side of the housing at floor level. The box was secured to the cockpit floor in a drop in slot and its own weight stops it from moving.

The rebuild sorted out a few weird problems, like the stick not standing straight, and gave a better feel and more leg room.

Then the collective was taken apart. A new frame was made to increase the height of the axle pivot. The Bodnar board was moved to inside the frame and out of the switch box. Building the wiring matrix had been a nightmare, and left no great room in the switch box, so moving the board to the other end of the lever made sense. The potentiometers were changed for Hall sensors, and what a difference. The Collective break solution came in the form of kitchen cupboard flap-stays. Amazing result there too. They even look quite good....

The combination of the smooth control offered by the stay-flaps and the sensitivity of the Hall sensors, mean I can now hover at 6” above the tarmac with my hand off the collective, and tweak the position with little inputs from the cyclic. Transformative!

Anyway, here are a few pics and a diagram of the collective design. More info gladly given.

Very nice work Molevitch.

that collective makes me jelly.

Very nice work Molevitch.

Thanks Speckfire! Took a lot of thinking and a reasonable amount of time and some pennies too.... But very enjoyable and most rewarding when it comes to flying.

M

that collective makes me jelly.

Hi Karambiatos,

Do you mean "Jealous"? Jelly makes me a bit worried!

M

Loving the collective. What flap stays did you use and is there any particular reason you routed the switch cables externally rather than down the pipe?

Loving the collective. What flap stays did you use and is there any particular reason you routed the switch cables externally rather than down the pipe?

Hi 98abaile,

The flap-stays are Hafele brand, bought on eBay. The tension is adjustable with an allen key.

I routed the cables down the outside, because of the throttle mechanism inside the lever. Routing the cable through there interfered with the rotation of the throttle. I tried it, but it did not work smoothly. And most real collectives seem to adopt a similar solution....

M