www.strandedduckling.com

My A-10A Thunderbolt II “Warthog” cockpit flightsimulator building site

Ongoing tasks: CMSP Remade

Hi there and thanks for your visit

This site is about my looooong time project of pit building and flightsim. The target is a A-10A Thunderbolt II (or a “Warthog”) cockpit.

The pit is planned to be a look-alike of the real thing with a “few” deviation, both in appearance and functionality to integrate with the Sim software. Main goal is compatibility with Lock-On (Eagle Dynamics) and MS Flighsim (2004 due to available add-on for the Hog). A you will see, there are several deviations from the real stuff due to software, cash and mostly my abilities.

Information found here is (as far as I know) available in non-classified form. All “artwork” by me are free to use in any private, nonprofit and nonbusiness situations. Acquire my permission BEFORE using them for other reasons. See Contact-page

- This site is maintained with only best effort, good grammar and spelling are such (best) effort, you might find some bloops here and there but please ignore that. If you find some info that truly is wrong or shouldn’t be here at all, drop me a note with an explanation and I’ll correct the error. (see “contact”-page)

Activities:

2013-05-05: CMSP panel in place with an Arduino controlled VFD. using Gremmlins CMSP script. Amazing little piece of software based on Tacno’s OCR read of a viewport export.Replaced the earlier OC LCD card.

2013-03-02: Front lower leftside starting to come together. SAI and AoA remain to be interfaced. DigitalClock now a 3” LCD.

2013-01-12: OC Servo card connected and a made a test config for Flap gauge

2012-01-06: Successfully exported Flight instrument data from DCS into SIOC

2013-01-03: HELIOS installed and DCS integration with SIOC via Oakes scripts works 

2012-12-17: Added a few additional pics of the new CDU pieces during build.

2012-12-11. The CDU made at last. Paintjob and knobs leaves much to be desired but it seems to work ok. Connected to one mastercard through two I/O-Breakup boards

2012-08-15. SoftTH installed to current test config of 3 monitors + a small LCD for CDU display. CDU plates back from cutter :-) . An 8-Relay board arrived intended to swap out the home-brewed interface for the Mag-Held switched on SAS and LASTE quads. Needed more juice then available causing intermittent release of the switches 

2012-07-22. Added links to Engine Instrument Panel (the front) and Engine Gauges faceplate

2012-04-28. A real step forward. Added a three screen setup so finally there’s something viewable :-) . A HSI in place, not the real thing but close enough (form a C7 Corsair). A QnD tutorial to mod a Thrustmaster RS with wheels breaks

2012-04-15: Got some of the missing parallel cables (to connect the new mastercards to USB expansion card on right side panel. Far from finished as seen. CDU (still missing) , top right side “quad” and fillers on the rear also missing. TFT display on CMCP decided to lay to rest. Waiting for a 7 Segm display card for the ISL and TACAN but switches etc now operational an interfaced with the SIM.

2012-03-29: A “few” glitches remain on the SIOC vs Panel configs on leftside panels. Started the interfacing of Rightside panel

2012-03-10: Connection of Leftpane to the Sim using Oakes scripts ongoing, More than halfway though the leftpanel, with some glitches remains both in scripts and physical connectivity. VHF radios works “almost” ok but needs some additional actions and same for the UHF.

2012-02-23: Added a “Downloads” section on demand. *.dxf files and some others added. .. Cabling started on LeftSide panel Quads. Got the warning panel operational. Output from IOCard and SIOC together with Oakes scripts now work (A big thank you to “SuberBus”). UHF and COM panel added but a few quirks remain (no 7 segm yet though) Pics inbound “soon” ;-)

2011-08-07:CMSP - Counter Measure Set Control Quad. A “few” things could be better but it works though :-)

2011-03-31: ‘Modified’ TM warthog throttle to frame and drilled leftside frame to fasten the Quads

2011-03-20: added some pics of A-10A instrument panel dimensions

2011-02-03: Warning Quad finally ready.

2010-12-17: Added a few pics of Comm panel and update of Base,Light pan.

2010-12-01: Added a few pics of interior of real ILS quad

2010-10-30: RL impact on building severe but here is my version of the AAP quad. Auxilary Avionics Panel.

2010-08-29: Right side panels starting to come together. EW (still white) at the bottom waits for a VFD before assembled

2010-08-01: Working on several of right side quads (EGI,TACAN,ILS,EMWU,COMP and Warning panels) and PCBs for these. Not much to show yet. Have been joggling the idea of switching over to the C model due to upcoming SIM from DCS, Either stay with current setup and add a “free” leftside MFD or remake the inst panel again :-/ 

2010-06-19: Finally, after years of waiting, I got a room dedicated for the Pit. Couldn’t resist putting some of the pieces together even if nothing is interconnected yet. Still a long road ahead :-)

2010-04-08: SAS Quad and its Solenoid held (in one pos) toggle switches hocked up to IOCard and tested.

2010-04-01: Once again stumbled into much of real life. IFF panel finished. At least until fully tested :-)

2010-03-18: Added pic of real ILS and OXY panel to QuadRef page.

2010-02-23: Verif of the Quads against leftpanel frame, Throttle quad and top leftmost missing

2010-02-14: Update TACAN QuadRef with some new pics of the real panel

2010-02-06. Panel making tutorial added, Download tutorial.pdf file

2010-01-30. “Tape” quad. CTVS/AVTR head made.

2010-01-22. Eagle CAD file and pic for UHF Quad added under QuadRef section

2010-01-20. COMM2 panel “ready”, connected to COMM1 and tested

2010-01-08. INFO For you who download the panels I made from “QuadRef”. Notice that the printout may differ from “true” size when printed. Orginal size of baseplate width of are 5” 3/4 (or 146.05 mm) You may need to adjust for that. There are some other considerations also, check QuadRef heaf for more info.

2010-01-04: UHF Quad, ARC-164. Not the most beautiful work but it will do :-)

2009-12-26: Finally :-) Got the COMM panel interfaced and tested.Pin numbering is a hell when mirrored ROFL . Added some more pics to the COMM panels Quad ref. Merry Christmas to all of you out there

2009-11-03: COMM panel, I/F boards and knobs missing still. Semitransparent film over 7segm digits also await I/F boards.

2009-10-27: ThrustMasters MFD arrived. Fits like a glove. See Instrument panel pics...

2009-10-22: Instrument panel and some others back from cutter finally. Need some polishing before presentable. Added some pics of the EngineInstrument panel under that subsection.

2009-09-16: Been while since last update. Front instrument panel reworked and sent to cutter. PCB made to leftside qauds 7 Segm displays.

2009-06-14: FUEL Quad for leftside inner panel

2009-06-05: KY58 ready (beside the knobs and interface boards :-) Working on COMM panels. .Started on the Fuel panel

2009-05-10: Intercom, Stall, Antenna, LASTE, and TV panel made. Leftmost row of quadrant panelheads (allmost) ready. Knobs, I/O cards etc still missing.

2009-05-07. Emergency Flight Quadrant. Missing Hatswitch

2009-05-05. AUX LGT Quad made. Still remain to be cut to fit lower angle of left side frame (that will take some time before started :-)

2009-04-27. SAS Quad made. Missing PCB

2009-04-25. Baseplates painted, some of lightpanels cut. 

2009-04-01. Just fetched a batch of sidepanel baseplates from lasercut

2009-03-31. Added pic of prototype layout of weapon panel.

2009-03-29. Prototype layout for frontpanel instrument gauges panel. To be Air-core based.

2009-03-14. Removed some reference pics that shouldn’t have been there. Sorry for that.

Sent most of side panelheads to be cut. Rework on front panel ongoing. Work on a air-core based engine instrument panel begun

2009-02-07. Caution/warning quad update. Reworking front instrument panel ongoing.

2009-02-04. Front instrument panel checked versus real gauges etc and found “not” perfect”. Start adjusting measurements to fit real world. Added pics from the check (before changes).

2009-01-26. Added CDU panel info.

2009-01-24. Added this frame and updated the link-page

2009-01-23: Added more of right side panel graphics

2009-01-21: Added leftside panel graphics