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The V-PIT
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Updated 01/21/08 |
| This site was constructed to show my Sim Cockpit. The cockpit I built is fairly simple and cheap, it's of the generic type and very versatile, hence V-Pit, it can be used for military or civilian aircraft simulation as well as racing simulations. There's nothing complicated about the project, it's fun and has given me hours and hours of enjoyment, although it's never really finished. There's always something to be added or modified along with the flying and repairing. The cockpit has been through several evolutions and just keeps changing. As I look back on the project this site chronicles just about every modification, change or thought I've had about the project. All photos and changes are here even though some are outdated, I hope someone may find an idea useful in starting a cockpit of their own. |
| I'm not a hard core 8 hour a day simmer, but I do have a few flight sims . My fleet consists of Microsoft CFSI, CFS2, ADF-22, Falcon 4.0, EF2000, FU3, FS2002, FS2004, IL2, EECH, and a few others. As you can see I have a lot of older sims and games. I enjoy them so much I really haven't added many of the latest sims. I'll be expanding to newer programs as I upgrade my computer. I have a couple of the Mech Warrior series and Independence Wars which is a space simulator. My collection also includes Nascar 3 and Nascar 4. The V-Pit is a good platform for all of these type games. I play only 3 to 4 hours a week, but I just got tired of setting up my stick , throttle and pedals to play a sim then having to take it back down again. I looked at what other simmers had done and finally decided to take the plunge! |
| My system started out powered by an AMD XP 1900 cpu, a Biostar motherboard, 256 MB of Ram, a Voodoo 5 5500 and a SoundBlaster Live. These older games ran great on this machine and are more than enough to keep me happy. I have upgraded to a AMD Barton XP3000+ processor as well as 512MB of Dual Channel Ram and a Biostar M7NCD Ultra NVIDIA nForce2 400FSB motherboard. This is still 32 bit technology and costs about $250.00 total to upgrade. This is still a very powerful system for the sims I run. I now also have two 40 Gig hard drives, one with XP and one with Windows 98 for a dual boot system, I refuse to give up my old sims. More details on the upgrade can be found on the Updates page. My cockpit doesn't have any working gauges or switches but I will probably add a few switches in the future. Wiring is mainly audio cables and HOTAS cables. You don't really need to get complicated, it's the atmosphere of the cockpit, the Visuals, HOTAS, and Sound System that create the suspension and put you in the simulation. |
| There were no exact measurements or plans for the project, it started with an office chair, a HOTAS, a yardstick and a 6-pack. Basic construction is mostly pressed board, it is also known as particle board. For the enthusiast it is known as cheap wood, allowing us to fulfill our dreams on a reasonable budget. "Budget", the term we use for the money that we hide from the spouse. The total cost of my project was approximately $475 including my original Celeron 400 MHZ system and surplus 20" monitor bought from a computer liquidation store. The computer which was built from components had a basic cost is approximately $700, I upgraded the MB and processor to a XP 1900 cpu. Some of the components were laying around just waiting to become part of a cockpit. Even the addition of the projector and screen were fairly cheap, old projectors are fairly cheap on Ebay although most only offer 800x600 resolution they work great. My projection screen is home made and extremely cheap, check the site for details. |
| Home Construction
Pics 09/01
Pics 01/02
Pics 04/02 Pics
08/04 Pics 03/05 Pics 09/06 Pics 06/07 Pics 01/08 Updates Tips Links |
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