Next Level Racing- Flight Simulator Cockpit...in the MAN CAVE!

redtail

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Redtail
...project build is just about completed. After decades (started flightsim hobby in mid 80's) of flying a computer desktop with a joystick on top...and/or... several relatively cheap yokes (toys basically), I decided to splurge a little ;).

The seat and frame parts were shipped in several boxes via FedEx. There were no missing or damaged parts and assembly went well. It took a couple of weeks due to my work schedule. Now I just have to finish cable management (a ton of USB cables, HDMI, speakers, etc). The seat is very comfortable and it reclines, which is great. Especially useful when I'm getting into and out of the pit with my 6 foot frame and long legs.

The YOKO yoke and TQ6+ throttle quadrant by VirtualFly, were shipped from Spain. Expensive, but they feel closer to the real thing than any of my prior equipment (CH products, Saitek, GoFlight, etc). There is absolutely ZERO sticking/binding of any kind in the yoke, which makes for some very smooth control movements and fine input in all axes! Hand flying, including the round-out and flare, is an absolute joy now. No more jerky movements like you get from the cheaper yokes. They use a system of bungee cords for tension, which provides a fair amount of force in pitch and roll. Feels great!

They just came out with a YOKO plus, which has an 8 way hat switch and is made with Hall Effect transducers instead of potentiometers. Had I'd known they were coming out with it so soon, I would have waited before ordering mine last month. Oh well...at least the TQ6+ (which I bought last week) has Hall effect transducers. The advantage of Hall effect transducers are.....they are non-contact magnetic sensors, which significantly reduces wear and tear, resulting in a much much longer lifespan and no spiking (which is common with Pots).

My Thrustmaster Warthog stick and throttle (Hall Effect) have worked perfectly for years. I bought them almost ten years ago when they were initially released.

The TQ6+ is equally smooth and has adjustable tension knobs on both sides of the unit. So you can make the six levers as loose or as stiff as you prefer (collectively). Another great feature of this throttle quadrant is...in addition to Alpha and Beta ranges, REVERSE, FEATHER and FUEL CUTOFF.
All modes are supported and works flawlessly in X-Plane 11, using the recently released King Air 350 by Airfoillabs. An incredible payware airplane with detailed systems modeling, sounds and flight handling for a PC simulator!
https://www.airfoillabs.com/king-air-350


Back to the NextLevel pit. Another great feature is the center mount for a joystick, which I use when flying the A-10C.. Hornet.. Tomcat.. Huey and WW2 birds in DCS World. Within a minute you can remove the yoke clamp, slide the yoke forward out of the way and mount the stick. Very convenient compared to what I went through when I flew a desk, lol. It's also very easy to swap out the flight controls with my Logitech racing wheel and pedals (which I haven't tried yet). I have Dirt Rally and a couple of racing games, although the majority of what I use are flight simulators. X-Plane 11, DCS World and Aerofly FS2. Haven't touched FSX or P3D in a long time. The GoFlight gear that I bought more than a decade ago was primarily made to function in FSX and unfortunately doesn't work as well in X-plane. Therefore, it has limited and often buggy functionality at the moment.

The monitor stand can hold three monitors, but I no longer use three after getting an Oculus Rift HMD.
I only use the single monitor when I'm flying something in 2D. Some of the limitations of VR currently make it too cumbersome to use sometimes for serious practice, so I find myself back on the 2D monitor (good thing I didn't get rid of my TrackIR).

Overall, I am very pleased with this setup!
Good thing I didn't have something like this back during my school days. I probably would have played a lot of hooky :D.

Homebuilt PC: i7-7700k overclocked to 5GHz (liquid cooling), 32GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Nvidia GTX 1080Ti FTW3, Oculus Rift CV1, Pimax 5K+, Buttkicker Gamer2 and Gamtrix Jetseat vibrating pad (both powered by SimShaker software), Saitek Pro Combat rudder pedals, Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog and MFD Cougar, Virtualfly YOKO yoke and TQ6+ throttle quadrant, NextLevel V3 Motion platform.
IMG_5168.JPG gotta keep this side clear (blue side)...none of my crap in Mrs. Redtail's exercise room..haha IMG_5171.jpgIMG_5178.JPG IMG_5182.JPG IMG_5183.JPG Welcome to the Man Cave...eat, drink and be lazy.

IMG_5190.JPG IMG_5191.JPG IMG_5194.JPG

IMG_5205.JPG
IMG_5202.jpg Not really 13.8KV, but it added a nice touch. I'll have to get some 4160V stickers from one of my buddies at the airport.

What I really like about this setup is it's dual purpose functionality. I can use it for serious practice, shooting approaches, etc. When I'm in the mood for some fun, flying the Hornet, etc in DCS World, the transition to that configuration is a breeze.
 
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Update:
Just picked up the Reality XP GTN650/750 kit for X-Plane 11 (currently on sale until the end of the month).
http://www.reality-xp.com/

I've heard a lot of positive reviews and with a recent update, the ability to view the GPS moving map as well as charts in VR is what I've been looking forward to.

Here is a demo by retired airline Captain and flight sim developer, Russ Barlow.
 
Wow, the simulator tech is pretty amazing these days. I have not messed with ti that much. The few times I tried years ago, I could not get past the fact it was not real.
 
Wow, the simulator tech is pretty amazing these days. I have not messed with ti that much. The few times I tried years ago, I could not get past the fact it was not real.
Truly is amazing compared to what was available when I first started with my first computer, the Commodore-64.
I could only dream of where the tech would be decades later.

VR, although is still in it's infancy, wasn't even imaginable. VR is not only incredible fun, but is evolving into a serious training tool.
 
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