How far do typical rudder and brake pedals move on GA aircraft?

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KJ7RRV

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KJ7RRV
On a typical GA airplane, how far do the rudder and brake pedals move when you push them? I'm building a set of rudder pedals for my flight simulator and want it to be as realistic as possible. I usually fly a Piper Cherokee, but I don't think this would vary much with different planes?
 
3393RP said:
You should use two gas cylinder springs with a 10" stroke and 5 to 10 lb compressive force that mimics the pressure needed to depress the airplane's rudder pedals. It would be much easier to build than a setup using a steel spring.

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Thank you! How would I use those without making the pedals move ten inches?
 
KJ7RRV said:
Thank you! How would I use those without making the pedals move ten inches?
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You don't need to use the entire stroke. If they're a little long, you'll have more mounting options.
 
3393RP said:
You don't need to use the entire stroke. If they're a little long, you'll have more mounting options.
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Okay, thank you! So those should be easier to use and a more accurate representation of real pedals?
 
3393RP said:
You should use two gas cylinder springs with a 10" stroke and 5 to 10 lb compressive force that mimics the pressure needed to depress the airplane's rudder pedals. It would be much easier to build than a setup using a steel spring.
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Gas springs often have damping that would be undesirable in a simulator. The typical lightplane has no restrictions on control movement speeds.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Gas springs often have damping that would be undesirable in a simulator. The typical lightplane has no restrictions on control movement speeds.
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So regular steel springs would be better? They seem to be quite a bit cheaper, too, which is important because I'm hoping to spend no more than $10-20.
 
i thought most modern pilots did not move these controls much, if at all?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
i thought most modern pilots did not move these controls much, if at all?
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How do you keep the plane in coordinated flight without the rudder pedals, and how do you stop after landing without the brakes?
 
Dan Thomas said:
Gas springs often have damping that would be undesirable in a simulator. The typical lightplane has no restrictions on control movement speeds.
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I must admit I have zero experience building a light airplane flight simulator.
 
3393RP said:
I must admit I have zero experience building a light airplane flight simulator.
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I built one maybe 13 or 14 years ago.

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It cost a lot more than $10 or $20, too.

Cessna rudder pedals on homemade rudder bars, homemade stick, homemade throttle/prop/mix stuff, and a helicopter collective out of sight on the left side of the seat. The seat came from a Chevy Cavalier in the junkyard. All the control potentiometers and circuit board came out of a desktop sim set, the plastic stuff most people end up with. It was a lot easier than creating it all myself. It had a decent sound system, real rumble. It had MSFS and X-Plane on it. The students were supposed to use it for free non-loggable IFR practice (see the Redbird behind it?) but most of them, and we instructors and mechanics, had a blast flying all sorts of stuff. I will say that the X-Plane helicopters were far more realistic than the MSFS. You really had your hands full.
 
KJ7RRV said:
So regular steel springs would be better? They seem to be quite a bit cheaper, too, which is important because I'm hoping to spend no more than $10-20.
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Bungees world work fine, too.
 
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