Yokeman's Yoke

[yokeman]

Just completed the prototype. This is the simplest design I could make with stuff in the workshop. A rack with gear arrangement would be more elegant, but I didn't have the parts. Also I freely use contact adhesive and hot glue. The yoke is cut from plywood and bolted to a dowl that just fits the plastic water pipe. The unit is secured to the underside of my drafting table with 2 home brew clamps.

Allowing the shaft to move in and out while at the same time rotating was a problem. The aileron pot is coupled to the end of the shaft. A bracket on the pot body is linked to a stationary rod which allows it to move in and out with the shaft, but not rotate.

The elevator pot is secured to the chassis with a bracket. A wood pulley is coupled to the pot shaft. Radio dial cord runs from the pulley to the aileron pot bracket. A light coil spring attached to the pot bracket and the pulley adapter provides just enough torque to rewind the cord and rotate the pot when the shaft is pulled outward. It works very well. The throttle is a slide pot. The connector goes to the pedal assembly (not shown). I haven't connected the buttons on the yoke yet. Coffee break's over, back to the salt mine.

Yokeman

http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d26a8b4614ca45d.jpg
http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d26a968616ca532.jpg
http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d26a9d36185a153.jpg

[Indo_FS]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-02 AT 07:25AM (EDT)[p]Great idea !


IndoFS
http://indofs.com/images/indofs.jpg

[sewells]

very nice. Nice use of rubber bands and springs to get the yoke to return to center. I noticed you used linear "slider" pots. I've not had a chance to try using them before, did they work ok for you?

Also, why the fixed resistor across the pot in the last photo?

http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c9384874916530e.jpg

[yokeman]

Thanks for the kudos, guys. No rubber bands - just string and a spring. The aileron mechanical centering is set with the coupling which has set screws on each end. The elevator centering is done only with the software calibration. When the yoke is pulled back the spring rotates the pot and keeps the string taut. The next revision will probably have a jar lid in place of the wood pulley or better still, a rack and gear assembly. Do you know if Legos supplies a gear rack and a 3 or 3.5 inch matching gear?

My original system has a control column that mounts on the floor board with the rudder pedals. I used slide pots exclusively as they were easier to link to moveable wood parts than rotary pots. I still use them on my rudder pedals. The throttle pot is 200K so I bridged it with a resistor to bring it down to 100k. Works fine.


Yokeman