Categories
Customer Examples

Using Thrustmaster TPR (pendular) Rudder Pedals with No Modifications to Volair Sim Cockpit

Using Thrustmaster TPR (pendular) Rudder Pedals with No Modifications to Volair Sim Cockpit
One of our customers, Charles, found a cleaver way to install the Thrustmaster TPR pedals with no modifications. Charles writes:
 
It’s possible to use the Thrustmaster TPR rudders with the VolairSim cockpit by removing the VolairSim rudder footplate . Tolerances are pretty tight, it needs to stay in the “sweet spot” in relation to the rest of the frame.
 
If you’re on carpet, the TPR’s rubber feet won’t keep it fixed enough. Use velcro strips (that came with the cockpit) along the axis of rudder travel on the parts that are in contact with the carpet.
 
Align the two rearmost holes on the footplate of the TPR to an imaginary line just touching the aft edge of the vertical tube of the monitor stands on the VolairSim rig (shown in red).
 
Test for travel – you should be able to get nearly full deflection. If you’re too far forward, the arms of the TPR will bite into the horizontal crossbar, if too far aft, the pedals will knock into the slanted tubes. Use the velcro or other fastening mechanism to stay in the “sweet spot”.
Categories
Reviews Volair Sim Updates

Volair Sim Triple Display Stand and MSFS Multi-View Support

Volair Sim Triple Display Stand and MSFS Multi-View Support
Check-out the quick overview of the newly re-released Volair Sim Triple Display Stand (V2). Also, see the changes to the MSFS2020 which recently introduced Multi Window feature making the nVidia Surround a thing of the past!
Categories
Customer Examples Reviews

Volair Sim Cockpit and Avionics Panel – Customer Story

Volair Sim Cockpit and Avionics Panel – Customer Story
A cool story from Jonathan, one of our customers:
 
“My wife and I were staying at my parents during COVID, as we closed on our very first home and were waiting for everything to go through. When MFS came out in July 2020, I bought my dad the Logitech yoke/rudder as a thanks for letting us stay at their house. He was a Cessna 172 pilot back in the ’70s and we were both stoked about MFS 2020. Sim flying became a nightly tradition after dinner. What became the most addicting was the landing challenges. We’d compete in a best-of-7 landing challenge every time. Lukla, Paro, St Barth’s, Saba, you name it. Once I moved into my house, I missed flying the sim a ton. I did my research and knew VolairSim was the way to go. I went all-in. Couldn’t help it.  Once I got everything, I put in over 300 hours of flying time. At that point, the itch to fly for real was too powerful. My wife got me a one-hour entry level flight lesson as an anniversary gift. I got to fly over the Hudson River and all around the beautiful NYC skyline on a perfect sunny day. My instructor was blown away by how I was handling the aircraft. He couldn’t believe it was my first time.  It was all thanks to the sim. I loved my lesson but haven’t flown for real again since. I now have a beautiful newborn at home, and for now, the sim is all I need. Thanks to online courses, I’m still committed to furthering my education from the comfort of my home, so I can eventually participate in VATSIM.”
 
Jonathan
Categories
Volair Sim Updates

Volair Sim Triple Display Stand – V2 is in-stock!

Volair Sim Triple Display Stand – V2 is in-stock!

We are pleased to announce that the newly re-designed Triple Display Stand is now in-stock available for immediate shipping and all back-orders have been fulfilled. 

The Triple Display Stand V2 offers the following improvements:

  • Added vertical supports under the Left and Right side displays to prevent drooping when very large displays are used.
  • Added support for displays up-to 50″ in size (diagonal)
  • Added adjustability options for perfect vertical and horizontal alignment including micro-adjustment options
  • Expanded VESA mounting pattern options to include (W X H): 100 x 100, 200 x 100, 200 x 200, 300 x 200, 300 x 300, 400 x 200, 400 x 300, 400 x 400
  • Reduced the overall weight of the stand without sacrificing stability or durability.

Please see the updated installation manual in the Support section or by clicking HERE.

Categories
Customer Examples Reviews

Volair Sim Cockpit and Avionics Panel – Customer Review

Volair Sim Cockpit and Avionics Panel – Customer Review
Review from Jeff K along with photos of his Volair Sim as completed:
 
“Bottom line up front: This is an amazing product, and if you are looking for a solid, very functional, inexpensive flight sim or racing chassis, you need look no further!
 
I had been researching flight sim chassis for over five years, and while there are some (much more expensive) options out there which offer motion and/or/enclosure, I kept coming back to Volair Sim. For the price, no other rig came close in terms of what it offered…It was almost too good to be true.
 
And you know the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true…
 
Regardless, about a year ago I took the plunge and purchased the chassis and the Avionics Panel. The products arrived in perfect order and I began assembling the rig. I was a little nervous about the assembly process as I am not mechanically inclined in any way, but the instructions provided were very clear and if I did run into an issue, there is a very helpful video on the company website which walks through the assembly process step by step. It took me about two hours to assemble the chassis. I then began installing my Logitech flight panels, radio panels, yoke, and rudder panels to the chassis. Again, installation was effortless and everything fit perfectly, with no adjustments necessary.
 
Now came the fun part…
 
I had purchased three 31″ monitors to use with the rig (the largest size the chassis will support). I was concerned about how well (or if) they would fit. I shouldn’t have worried as even these behemoths attached easily and with some minor adjustments, lined up with each other perfectly!
 
I have flown close to 1000 hours with my Volair Sim setup (Thanks, COVID-19), and I have to say that the chassis has performed beyond my expectations. It is very comfortable for long flights, very sturdy yet light weight, which makes moving it very easy. To top off this review, I also need to mention the outstanding customer support I have received from the folks at Volair Sim. Whenever I have had a question (invariably on a weekend), I have always received a reply email the same day, or at least within 12 hours. It is obvious to me that they are very proud of their products and want to ensure the best possible experience for their customers.
 
I cannot recommend this product enough. Volair Sim has a customer for life.”
Categories
Customer Examples

Fitting Thrustmaster TPR Rudder Pedals – Customer Modification

Fitting Thrustmaster TPR Rudder Pedals – Customer Modification

One of our customers, Mike made a pretty simple yet clever adaptation to fit the Thrustmaster TPR “pendular” rudder pedals. Mike writes,

“My friend and I came up with our own solution. We are both former AF pilots and current B-767 pilots and we felt the other method put the pedals way too high to be natural or comfortable. By putting them on the floor and just a little off the floor in this way there is just enough room for full movement and your feet. Now that I know it works I can cover with the black matting material to make it look better.”

Categories
Customer Examples

Combat Cockpit – Customer Example

Combat Cockpit – Customer Example

One of our customers, Charles, set us a current built of his ever-evolving cockpit.

Charles writes, “My VolairSim is still going strong, thinking about evolving my rig a bit more with a motion platform.

Current config here if you’re curious: https://flightsimguy.com/nimitz/

Thanks again for making such a great product.”

 

Categories
Customer Examples

Mounting Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant


Josh has provided an update on his cockpit build. As you can see, Josh has relocated the keyboard to the left and mounted Honeycomb Bravo to the Avionics Table so that he can use both the Thrustmaster HOTAS and the traditional yoke/throttle configuration. 

Josh writes,  

“I used 1” x 1” x 1/8” Aluminum Angle, 1” flat Aluminum for bracing on the backside,

M5 Bolts, nuts and spacers, and the factory screws on top of the Bravo.

(And a splash of black paint ^^)” 

We thank Josh for providing the photos and write-up of this very clever installation.


Categories
Customer Examples

Excellent Cable Management, iPad, and Avionics Panel – Customer Example

Excellent Cable Management, iPad, and Avionics Panel – Customer Example

Josh, one of our customers sent us this photo of his set-up. Note excellent cable management and overall very clean implementation. Cable management can be accomplished via black zip-ties and self-adhesive mounting pads that allow you to route cables along the metal brackets. The iPad is running FltPlanGo which is an excellent and free EFB.

Categories
Customer Examples

Volair Sim at Massey University – School of Aviation in New Zealand

Volair Sim cockpits have made it all the way to New Zealand!

Check out the photo of work in progress sent to us by Glenn Ross from School of Aviation at Massey University which is located in Palmerson North. 

Categories
Customer Examples

Honeycomb Alpha Yoke and Bravo Throttle Quadrant with Triple Curved 32″ Monitors

Honeycomb Alpha Yoke and Bravo Throttle Quadrant with Triple Curved 32″ Monitors

John, one of your customers writes,

“Thought you might like to see the latest updates to my volairsim cockpit.  Photos attached.

After my grandson discovered a nice 3 -monitor configuration on your website, I (or should I say, he…) decided it was time to ditch the 43″ TV I was using – even though it worked well overall – and go for the 3 monitor configuration.  I also purchased the 32″ curved ViewSonic monitors and they work very well.  I won’t go into the installation since that was more than adequately covered by the other person.  While side distortion is unavoidable, it’s something we can tolerate until such time, if ever, FS2020 supports multiple viewports.

I originally had my Bravo throttle quadrant mounted next to its sibling yoke but it never felt very comfortable there – always felt too high.  I had some pre-cut 3/4″ aluminum angle that was almost the exact lengths I needed – when does that ever happen?  I built a small platform under the right side and mounted the throttle about 6″ lower than it would otherwise sit.  Feels much better now.”

 
Great job John. We also think that the three 32″ curved monitors look especially cool. Given the small angle of the two side monitors the distortion caused by the nVidia Surround is quite manageable while having a benefit of small impact on frame-rates (the three independent views as implemented in X-Plane are a lot more demanding on the GPU causing much larger frame-rate drop). 
Categories
Volair Sim Updates

Volair Sim Receives FAA Approval

Volair Sim Receives FAA Approval

Volair Sim is pleased to announce obtaining FAA Approval for our model ATD-100 BATD (Basic Aviation Training Device). We are approved for the following aircraft: PA-28 (Piper Archer), PA-28R (Piper Arrow), and BE36 (Beechcraft A36 Bonanza). The log-able items are as follows:

•§ 61.51(b)(3) – Logbook entries;
•§ 61.51(h) – Logging training time;
•§ 61.57(c) – Instrument experience;
•§ 61.65(i) – Instrument rating: not more than 10 hours;
•§ 61.109(k)(1) – Private Pilot Certificate aeronautical experience: up to 2.5 hours; and
•§ 141.41(b) – Approved for use under the part 141 appendices as follows:Appendix B – Up to 15% towards the total Private Pilot training time requirements; and
Appendix C – Up to 25% toward the total Instrument training time requirements.

Our launch customer, Pilot Training Northwest, had the following comments about our system:

Our flight school is using an FAA-Certified Volair Sim, AD-100 BATD and we all are impressed with it.  Our CFIIs and CFIs all use the system for training private student pilots, instrument candidates and commercial candidates.  We also have instrument pilots who are using the system to maintain IFR currency or just to practice approaches and log simulated instrument time.  This trainer has become a revenue stream for us because student pilots and pilots alike are extremely impressed with it and they can log the simulated instrument time.  As a flight school owner/operator I too am impressed and highly recommend the Volair Sim AD-100 over any others on the market.

The system itself is far superior to other “simulators’ we have used in the past, including the PFC 12 Pro Panel.  Most BATDs and AATDs have the look and feel of a table-top computer system and they lack the feeling of being in a real airplane.  As such, the training experience is not as effective.  The Volair Sim system, however, with an actual instrument panel, an adjustable aircraft seat and the wide-angle monitors all built around a solid, heavy-duty mounting system provide realism not found in any other BATD or AATD I know of.

The professional construction of the mounting system, the instrument panel and the adjustable aircraft seat is solid, providing a stable platform with the feel of being in a real airplane.  The instrument panel alone is impressive with its realistic look and instrument layout. The flight controls are far more realistic than other systems we have used.  The Volair Sim AD-100 flies much more like the real airplane than others on the market.

Since we started using the Volair Sim AD-100 our CFIIs have noticed more rapid progress among our instrument students, especially when connected to a simulated Air Traffic Control program where the instrument candidates not only fly a very realistic platform, but are emerged in the realism of working with ATC.

Categories
How-to Articles

Volair Sim, MSFS 2020, and PilotEdge

Volair Sim, MSFS 2020, and PilotEdge

Check-out our new video on using the Volair Sim cockpit along with the Avionics Panel using Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 with PilotEdge.

Categories
Customer Examples

Triple Curved 32″ Monitors – Customer Example

Triple Curved 32″ Monitors – Customer Example
Ever wondered about mounting 3 curved monitors. See post from Bryan S. who writes, 
 
“I used (3) curved 32” Viewsonic HD monitors with thin bezel line.  In the back center monitor VESA mounting plate, I used (4) 22mm wall spacers to push the monitor forward a bit. Hardware kit bought from Amazon.  
 
With this, when the left and right monitors marry up to the center monitor, there is no Z distance depth discrepancy.  All 3 monitors mate up in perfect symmetrical alignment!  The 3 curved monitors then produce a complete 90” semi-circle.  
 
For all the USB connections, I bought (2) USB hubs. The 1st one goes directly under (hidden) the foot pedals plate area.  It connects the usb to my monitors, Keyboard, TrackIR, sound volume control. Then it runs and connects directly to another USB hub, hidden directly under the seat.  It connects my Thrustmaster HOTAS, and recharge for my headset. With this set up this way, I only have (1) usb wire that runs along the left side frame and is zip tied to the frame for concealment.  
 
The monitors have (3) 15’ HDMI cables that run over to the computer, so the computer is not on the floor and is out of the way.  I have a 15’ multi outlet surge protector that also runs over to the computer area.  
 
So in all, I have only 3 HDMI cables and 1 power cable running from the computer Cpu and wall area, over to the Volair seat.  I used some floor tracking cable management tubes to hide those along the floor.  Everything else is connected to usb hubs, and power strip hidden under the rudder pedals plate.  It’s quite nice.  I have Nvidia RTX 2070 and it supports the 3 monitors being seen as one large one using “surround span displays” feature they use.  The resolution turns out being a massive 7680 x 1440.
 
I can send photos of my cable management underneath layer on. Everything is still dry-hung right now until I get the seat adjusted to the optimal setting for me (still moving seat around to fit).
 
You CANT go any bigger than 3-32” curved with the model I purchased.  It’s at the very limit. This is the model: https://www.viewsonic.com/us/vx3268-2kpc-mhd.htm
Categories
Customer Examples

Cessna 172 with XPlane 11 Cockpit​

Cessna 172 with XPlane 11 Cockpit​

Rich S., one of our customers, just sent us an e-mail with his newly constructed cockpit based around the Volair Sim chassis and the Volair Sim Avionics Panel.

Rich writes, “I just completed the latest (but never last!) touches to my sim.  I started it in July with the Volair chassis and seat, avionics panel and triple monitor stand.  They’re awesome and form the basis for my system. I have the Logitech yoke, rudder pedals, radio, multi and switch panels.  The TPM (throttle, propeller and mixture) controls, as well as the compass and carb heat controls are from SimMax.It. 

I modified the lower right blank panel cover to provide a mount for the TPM and carb heat.  The flight instruments are displayed on a Neewer 11.6 in. touchscreen running Air Manager with a Knobster to control the rotary knobs, such as the heading bug.  I cut out the steel slats from the center of the avionics panel to fit the touchscreen in.  The lower left screen is an iPad running ForeFlight in simulator mode, which provides a moving map for situational awareness. 

The large monitors are 27 in. P2719H Dells.  The computer is a Dell 8960 desktop with an i9 9900 chip and NVIDIA 2080 graphics card.  I’m running X-Plane 11 with the Cessna 172SP Skyhawk, as it is the plane I have been flying as a private pilot (at least until COVID-19 hit!). 

I installed two Arduino Mega 2560 boards, one for the compass running MobiFlight, and the second using SimVim for the carb heat, primer and Avionics Master 2 switch, which is missing from the Logitech switch panel.  The display shows a flight over Philadelphia with the custom scenery I downloaded from X-Plane.org.  I’ve also been shooting ILS and GPS approaches with the X-Plane G530 GPS.”

 

We think that Rich’s build represent an excellent example of customer creativity and clever customization based on the foundation that is provided by the Volair Sim components. Well done!

Categories
How-to Articles

Improving Monitor View for Shorter Customers

Increasing View Over G1000 Panel

One of our customers, John, has installed the Garmin G1000 panel and wanted to improve the view over the panel.

Here is what John says,  “I have your flight sim cockpit – only problem I have is being too short!  The seat is too low overall for me (I have to sit on a pillow!) so I added a 22mm spacer under the seat.”

The 22mm spacer was not quite enough so John continued to experiment. 

John writes, “I modded the seat supports with 3″ aluminum spaces from McMaster-Carr (also kept the 22mm TV mount spacers just in case – didn’t want to have to disassemble the seat twice). Solid as a rock and much better for me than before the mod.”

Categories
How-to Articles

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 – Tips

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 – Tips

Many of you are contemplating migrating to MS2020. Here is a video of the current state of hardware compatibility that you may find helpful as you migrate the Volair Sim.

Categories
How-to Articles

Multiple Monitors – The DOs & DON’T when shopping for flight sim displays

Multiple Monitors – The DOs & DON’T when shopping for flight sim displays

We frequently receive e-mails asking us for tips with respect to monitor selection for the Volair Sim set-up. Below, we would like to summarize a few salient points for you to consider as you embark on the monitor shopping journey.

The first question that nearly everyone asks is, “Would I be better off with one large display (maybe curved) vs. three smaller ones?” Irrespective of the economics (one can often buy three smaller displays for less than one large, especially curved, display) the item to consider is the overall field of view. Put it plainly, with triple monitors, you will have a much wider horizontal field of view than with a single display (even ultra-wide one). This is especially important for VFR flying where, for example, you would be looking through your left window to judge the proper distance from runway end so you can begin your turn to base from downwind. With a single monitor, you would not have enough field of view to be able to see through the side-windows.

What about an ultra-wide or curved monitor?” We don’t recommend it because you will lose quite a bit of the vertical display which will limit the ability to view the cockpit instrumentation below. Note that, since the wide monitors are physically wider than standard 16×9 monitors, you may have size limitations when mounting it to the chassis. Lastly, they are expensive and we think money could be better spent elsewhere.

The next question is, “What is the best size of displays should I get?” As your significant other will eagerly tell you, larger is almost always better, but within reason. Within the standard Volair Sim chassis, we would not go below 27″ and we think three 27″-29″ 16×9 monitors is a good sweet-spot. If you want to go larger and prepared to get the independent large triple display stand, we think 40″-42″ are optimal; they will cover your entire field of peripheral vision and provide a stunningly immersive experience.

What about technical parameters? Resolution, refresh rates, pixel response time, viewing angles?

First, in the flight simulation world, things happen relatively slowly. Typically, your sim will run at 30-60 frames per second (fps). Therefore, having a 144Hz (144 fps) monitor is an overkill.

The 1ms pixel response time may be important in e-sports but does not matter much in flight sim since, even at 60fps (60Hz), any pixel would switch only at about 1/60Hz = 0.0167s = 16.7ms. Thus, a standard 5ms display will suffice.

The viewing angle is a bit of consideration since the left and right monitors will be mounted on an angle so you want a display with a good viewing angle. Therefore, an IPS (in-phase switching) displays are recommended as they offer very good viewing angles. Most regular computer and TVs are IPS, so we are OK here.

The display resolution should be at least HD (1920x1080p). Keep in-mind that the resolution stays the same as the size vary; 27″ HD monitor has the same 1920×1080 resolution as the 42″ HD TV. In other words, the pixels are farther apart on the large display than on a smaller one. That is why, going to an ultra-large display may not be a great idea in the flight sim application where you sit so close to the displays.

As to the HD vs 4k displays (1920×1080 vs 4096×2160), note that at time of this writing (Sept, 2020), running three displays in 4k is still a tough proposition given the state of graphics card (GTX 3080 JUST came out). Therefore, we recommend HD (1920×1080) displays, at least for now, until the graphics card horse-power can catch-up. This is especially taxing for triple displays where the pixel count grows by an order of magnitude as one transitions from HD to 4k.

To sum up, save your money – you will be better off investing the money into things that matter – controllers especially or maybe avionics.

Now, onto the DOs and DON’Ts of display shopping.

First, get a display with a VESA mount (some monitors do not have it so always check) and ensure that:

1. The back is flat (so that it will mount to the Volair Sim bracket easily).

2. The VESA mounting space has not been somehow blocked. Below is an example of what NOT to buy:

BAD IDEA! The HDMI and power ports will be completely obscured by the mounting VESA bracket. Also note raised ring which will make mounting difficult.

Here is an example of a good choice of a monitor with a flat back and easily-accessible HDMI and power ports:

GOOD IDEA! Flat back, connection ports are easily accessible.

Next, ensure that the display bezels are as thin as possible. This will create a seamless, uniform appearance. A bezel-less displays are especially attractive as you will be able to form a nearly-uniform display surface.

If shopping for large displays, where you will be essentially buying TVs, skip on the extra features (built-in apps, etc). You won’t be using any of this so why pay extra.

IMPORTANT: ALWAYS BUY 3 MONITORS FROM SAME SOURCE/LOT. This is important as often manufacturers switch between the panel substrates inside the displays. So, for examples, if you buy one display from BestBuy one month, then you wait a few months months and buy remaining two displays from elsewhere (because they are out of stock at BB), you may notice large color variant between the displays. That is because these monitors, even though the share same P/N, have different panel substrates which vary in color palette. Since the displays are adjacent, any color mismatch will be very noticeable.

For details on connecting the displays and configuring them, please see the following series of articles:

 

Flight Sims & Multiple Monitors – Part I

 

Flight Sims & Multiple Monitors – Part II

 

HAPPY FLIGHT SIMMING!

New Volair Sim Avionics Panel 2.0

New Volair Sim Avionics Panel 2.0

Volair Sim is pleased to announce immediate availability of the Volair Sim Avionics Panel V2.0. The updated version features the following changes:

Compatible with the following yokes:

Honeycomb Alpha Yoke

Yoko Yoke

Brunner Yoke

Logitech (Saitek) Yoke.

Volair Sim Avionics Panel V2 ships with trim pieces allowing to cover up yoke gaps depending on yoke used, 6 blanking plates allowing the user to cover-up the unused openings or to mount iPads, and 2 Flight Instrument Panel adapter panels allowing user to mount up-to 12 Logitech FIPs as shown below:

Using adapter plates (sold separately), the Volair Sim Avionics Panel will allow the user to mount the following GPS systems sold by RealSimGear:

GNS-530W

GTN-750

Honeycomb Alpha Yoke can be installed using the micro-suction mount included with the yoke:

The exterior dimensions and pricing will remain identical to the original version.

Download the assembly instructions here.

Categories
Customer Examples

Creative Use of Volair Sim Avionics Panel with Touch Displays

Creative Use of Volair Sim Avionics Panel with Touch Displays

Here is an example of creative adaptation of Volair Sim Avionics Panel by Sean, one of our customers. Sean used a 13.3″ TouchScreen monitor (right side on the panel) as an additional display while having enough room for one Logitech modules above. The center display on the panel is an iPad and to the left you see two Logitech modules.

Sean writes:

“I use that screen (connected as a fourth display) to fullscreen Pilot2ATC.  If I can figure out how to get a fifth display running on my machine, I’ll likely add another one on the left side and move the two control panels to the middle getting rid of the iPad that’s there.  The bezels holding the ipad on are ones I designed and printed on my 3D printer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RV9FYVG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Love the sim chassis. It’s very comfortable.”