We have a new video on attachment of Saitek X-55 HOTAS to Volair Sim cockpit:
Also, based on customer feedback, we now offer an additional avionics table for those who want to quickly swap out the sim from flight mode to racing mode. You can get it from Volair Sim store.
First, we would like to wish all of our current and prospective customers Happy New Year!
Due to overwhelming demand, we are running out of certain accessories for the Volair Sim (side mount kits and arm support kits). However, we will be making more and anticipate to have an ample inventory in-stock around mid-March time-frame. If you are interested, please just send us a note and we will make sure to reserve them for you.
Also we anticipate to open-up the accessory pre-order via PayPal around March 1st to speed up the process for getting the accessories to you so please check back and place your order around that time.
Until then, Happy Simming!
The Volair Sim team has been busy working on a bunch of exciting accessories for your Volair Sim cockpits:
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This side mount kit, mountable on right or left side (allowing you now to have double side mounts), is factory pre-drilled for the following controllers:
We have a new review of our system. This time is from Gaming Shogun. Check it out here.
We also felt like this is a good time to combine all of the reviews we’ve gotten thus far:
Here is an e-mail and photo from Lorne, one of our customers. Lorne writes,
“Thought you would like a picture of my (your) cockpit all setup. Thanks for the great product!(…) For the money nothing else compares.”
Squadron Ops Sim Center is a combat flight sim training center located at the Aurora, IL Municipal Airport (KARR). Greg Morris, a real-world pilot and instructor, opened the Flight Ops Sim Center with the goal of providing an immersive air combat experience combined with instruction from real-world combat pilots.
To our delight, Greg chose to use the Volair Sim flight sim chassis as a foundation of the simulators in order to provide the all-encopassing and adrenaline-pumping flight experience.
The Volair Sim systems are equipped with three monitor configurations, Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog controllers, MFDs, and TrackIR systems. Software-wise, Greg is running Digital Combat Simulator combined with add-on models and custom MDF programming.
Greg writes, “I have purchased nine Volar Sim seats for my company, Squadron Ops Sim Center […]. We run them with 3 27″ monitors, Thrustmaster Warthog stick and throttle, CH pedals, and Thrustmaster Cougar MFDs along with TrackIR. The Volair seat has been outstanding, incredibly durable even under commercial use, and the support from Volair is fantastic. Bart, the owner, is incredibly responsive and involved, even visiting our location personally to see how we were using the seats and get our input on new accessories being developed. The seat configuration itself is amazing and can be customized to any use. We do use the Thrustmaster Warthog stick with the moveable keyboard tray (they are compatible), and have adapted the center stick hardware to mount an MFD directly in front of the seat on the avionics tray. Prior to my purchase I evaluated all of the competitor seats, and Volair is by far the best. After thousands of hours of use I know I made the right decision. As we add new location we will continue to purchase Volair seats without hesitation or reservation.”
We, at Volair Sim, wish Greg and his operation continued success. If you are ever in Chicago area, take a trip to the Squadron Ops Sim Center and check out the Volair Sim cockpits installation there.
We are always amazed how creative our customers are with adapting the Volair Sim chassis to suit their particular needs and applications. See the adaptation of the Volair Sim cockpit to simulate racing and Boeing 777 cockpit by Phil. Note that Phil used the Avionics Tray to support the center monitor and has added the side monitors with some custom metal work. Impressive work Phil!
Phil writes, “I am so impressed with the Volaire system. It is a solid platform that can be expanded and customized. The materials used are first rate and can take enthusiastic use.”
Based on customer feedback, we are pleased to offer additional side mounting plates for our Volair Sim cockpits.
These mounting plates, universal for a left-hand or right-hand installation, allow you to quickly switch between flight and racing modes.
Each mounting plate is pre-drilled for:
You can order these directly from Volair Sim’s web site.
Today, couple of interesting examples of Volair Sim in action.
The first application is use of the cockpit with four monitors. The way to make it work is ingeniously simple (courtesy of Andy – one of customers). Flip the center avionics table support tubes180 degrees and voilà, the 4th monitor support is ready. Just drill 4 VESA holes in the table depending on the size, position, bolt pattern, and of the 4th monitor and you are done. Andy actually elected to make the 4th monitor removable (by using an inexpensive VESA mount) but this is purely an optional step. Great work!
As you know, both ATI and nVidia support four monitors (Eyefinity and nVidia Surround are the trade names for both companies). The trick is that the 4th monitor is not to be used for the sim as part of the 3 monitor “wrap-around” but rather as a 2D monitor (which is fine for gages, radios, GPS, etc). See Andy’s cockpit below with the 23″ Hannspree touch-enabled monitor.
The next logical question here is the software that would interface with the sim and would display the gages and interface the screen to the sim. For combat sims, you have at least two choices – Touch Buddy and Helios.
Andy writes, “Helios uses LUA export data from DCS and also Falcon 4 to export data from the game. Helios actually knows the correct positions of all of the switches, gauges, dials, ect.. In this way it is better than TB, but it is specific to certain sims that he has designed it for. Also, the Helios designer has pre-made switches and buttons built into it that you can use. Touchbuddy requires you to create (or borrow) your own graphical buttons and switchs. So that is another nice thing about Helios.”
The second example, courtesy of John – another customer of ours, is using our center stick mount with Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS. . As you know, we are factory pre-drilled for this very common HOTAS system (in addition to Saitek X-52). See a few photos of this in action and notice how John mounted dual throttle stack plus a trim wheel for multi-engine applications…
John writes, “I am still doing test runs with my sim pit cable management, and working on my entertainment center setup mods. I am using a 46″ Samsung Tv for viewing now without the momitor mount assembly (modified desk)….Thank you again my friend for this product and your friendly approach. You guys have confirmed your comments and others reviews!!! Voltaire Sim is the awesome!”
“First of all I would like to thank you for rushing me the support tube last week, I really appreciated your help and the great costumer support. I also want to thank you a million times for inventing and making this awesome cockpit, I am having a wonderful and great time with this project, without your cockpit none of this would be possible…. Thaaaaaank you. I thought I would send you some pictures of the work in progress and tell you about few modifications I did this weekend on the Volairsim cockpit and see what you think.”
I think you will all agree we have here one of the best-looking and most complete Volair Sim rigs we have seen to-date!
Volair Sim is proud to announce that we have been awarded the prestigious Gold Star award from AVSIM. As many of you know, this is the top award awarded by one of the most widely read and respected flight simulator web sites and communities. Click on the icon below on this link for a complete detailed review of our cockpit.
Today a review from our customer Robert who uses the Volair Sim with a 52″ (!) TV in a single monitor configuration. Below, the unedited review:
“I got my Volair Sim cockpit set up and wanted to show you a picture. I’m using one 52” plasma screen monitor. It works great! I love it.
The picture is showing the FJS Dash8 Q400 for X-Plane 10/64bit and my Saitek equipment. Also my Throttletek G737 throttle quadrant.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/I8bQiD48il4]
Volair Sim is proud to announce that it will be exhibiting at the 2013 FANCON in Wichita, Kansas at the Kansas Aviation Museum on May 3-5, 2013. “We are very excited to take part in this event. “AvSim and FANCON have teamed together to have one of the largest flight sim and flight cockpit conventions in the United States,” stated Bart Waclawik, Volair Sim President. Volair Sim will feature its Flight | Racing Sim cockpit which will be configured with Saitek Pro Flight avionics and will be flown by a PilotEdge.net pilot to showcase its capabilities as the world’s most affordable yet most capable VFR or IFR training platform.
We are very happy to announce that we have made some incremental improvements/changes with the next revision of our Flight Sim Cockpit (version 1.1). The next production run, scheduled to start shipping around end of April will have the following changes:
1. Factory pre-drilled mounting locations for Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS (left and right).
2. Factory pre-drill mounting for Fanatec Clubsport V1 and V2 racing pedals.
3. Factory pre-drill mounting for the Trustmaster 500RS steering wheel/pedals.
Many of you asked us whether the Saitek Pro Pedals fit the Volair Sim cockpit as they are wider than the CH Products ones. Here is a photo from one of our customers showing the Volair Sim system in action including the Pro Flight Pedals along with the Yoke, Throttle Quadrant and the Saitek X52 Pro HOTAS. As you see, the Saitek pedals fit great and there is adequate clearance on both sides of the support tubes. This is also true for the combat or Saitek Cessna pedals. Just use the provided velcro strips to mount them to the base.
So many of you asked us whether the Volair Sim is suitable for HOTAS set-up. Below, a review from one of our customers who has set-up the Volair Sim with a Saitek X52 HOTAS configuration and Saitek Pro Pedals using X-Plane.
