the cockpit plans
Research
When I decided to make an entire cockpit I spent ages doing internet research. This included finding as many detailed photos of the real A-10C cockpit as possible, as well as following other users home builds on various forums.
Some of the places I spent far too much time:
- The Eagle Dynamics Forums. Namely the home cockpit section. If you are on my website- it is highly likely you have already been here.
- Viperpits. You need to register an account, but it is absolutely worth it. Most of the members there are F-16 fanatics, but the manufacturing tips and ideas you will find here are fantastic. Some of the greatest home cockpits that have ever been made are found here. Some users have entire jets converted for sim use. One user has the entire front of a real RAF Tornado lowered into their indoor swimming pool! Not to mention there is also a download section with lots of free information.
- This flickr feed by photographer Keith LaFaille.
- Lynx.dk This is a web store selling lots of bits for A-10C, but there is some free to download templates with dimensions for instruments and the Main Instrument Panel.
- mysimpit.co.uk Another ED Forums user who is building an A-10C Home Cockpit. Detailed info in his YouTube Videos as well.
- Checksix Forums. French forum (use google translate) that has some great info and home builds to marvel at.
- Hempstick Website sharing free .STL files for knobs and buttons for various aircraft. The ones I didn't design myself I got from here.
Also- if you are committed to the Warthog I cannot recommend you purchase the book enough:
- The Modern Hog Guide: The A-10 Warthog Exposed. Every angle covered in photos, lots of detailed information, and worth every cent.
If anyone has any other good research material- let me know and ill add it to this list.
Where I got my plans and why I chose them
When I made the decision to go full Warthog and build an entire simulator cockpit I was looking for plans for an A-10C cockpit. I wanted something that had already been prepared and were ready to build, rather than me having to design it based on photos of the real thing while guessing dimensions.
There were not many out there at the time, but I found a set of plans that had already been designed by an ED forum member called Flim.
Flim used to have his own website dedicated to selling them, but it has since been taken down. They are now sold only via PM on the ED Forums, or via his email Flim.vrpits@outlook.com. Have a read of this thread for more info.
His files are reasonably priced at $75 USD and have everything you need to build the outside structure of an A-10C, including the Main Instrument Panel, the Left and Right Consoles, and a replica ACES Ejection Seat. He also sells those parts individually as well if you don't want the entire thing.
I paid full price for those plans, and they are not my intellectual property to share.
If you want them for yourself, please contact him on the links above.
Some of the 'pros' of the plans, and reasons why I chose to buy them:
- They were designed exactly how I wanted my cockpit to be, with the side consoles, ejection seat and MIP as separate pieces not joined together on a floor. I needed this because I wanted the parts to slide around my existing Obutto Ozone. The plan was for a full cockpit to be made eventually, but the seat was going to be built last. I wanted it flyable in between! I also didnt want it all attached to a floor.
- The Main Instrument Panel (MIP) was designed not to house real analog gauges. Early on I decided I wanted to keep using a large LCD screen for my MIP. That was because I didn't want to have two small separate (and expensive) LCD for the MFCD's. I also didn't want to have to design and build a very complex ADI and HSI. I also wanted the MIP to be as thin as possible, to allow me to push it as close to a screen as possible. I hadn't decided on projectors or screens yet, but I was planning ahead. Remember- commercial VR headsets didn't exist yet.
- The files were already in a format that was ready to be put straight into a CNC machine and cut.
Some of the 'cons' of the plans:
- They are not dimensionally accurate to an A-10C. Artistic licence has been used in some places, mostly that the MIP has been resized to fit on a 27 inch LCD. This is not really a 'con' for me- but you should be aware if you are seeking an EXACT dimensionally accurate replica.
- The seating position is wrong once you have it all together. It was for me anyway. I'm 6'4" and when seated as designed my knees fouled on the MIP. I fixed this later on down the track.
- The seat is not adjustable, its designed to bolt directly to the floor, which is attached to the MIP. Again, i fixed this later on down the track
Here is a view of the FreeCad file that came with the plans. Shows the Seat and the Front Console. Left and Rights consoles are also included.
FreeCad file of the ACES-2 Ejection Seat. This one was designed from measurements of the real thing. I confirmed this, as my real seat cushions fit like a glove.
FreeCad view of the front console. I made lots of changes to the front panel, but the rest stayed the same. My edited front is available in the downloads section.
Here is a view of the edits I made to the Main Instrument Panel. The stock one is on top, the edited one below. You can see I added a cutout where the AHCP sits to get it as close as possible to the monitor, and added individual cutouts for centre mounted instruments. The parts on the right of it are designed to be cut from thicker wood, then bolted on to to give it depth.
Here is a view of one of the typlical .DXF files (intentionally low res- not mine to share). They are ready to go straight into a CNC machine, and give you all the parts you would need to put the left console together. Multiple files come for each section of the cockpit.