FiremistSLK Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Hello All! Let me open with this... I have a PPL and aquired it in 1972 in a Piper Cherokee PA-28. I also have my A&P licence from East Coast Arero Tech in MA. Not having flown since 1985 and being retired now I thought I might want to build a simualtor to entertain myself. So, a few questions. I know I have the ability to build one and also have the funds. Ideally I would like to build a sim for a Piper Cherokee or the newer version of this aircraft. I do not have an instrument rating, so i'll be flying VFR. Where do I start? Are there tutorials for buying and assembling the panel, instruments and hardware? What about the computor and software recommendations? I'd like my simualtor to look as much like the newer Piper trainer as possible. I have a small hobby room in my basement to set everything up. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated.... JOHN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrzippy Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Welcome, John! :D Now to get everyone together and find the "initiation paddles". ("Thank-you, sir! May I have another?");) A great place to ask about cockpit building would be here: https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/forumdisplay.php?12-Cockpit-Builders Have you decided on a Sim yet, or waiting on the new one coming from Microsoft? Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremistSLK Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 Welcome, John! :D Now to get everyone together and find the "initiation paddles". ("Thank-you, sir! May I have another?");) A great place to ask about cockpit building would be here: https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/forumdisplay.php?12-Cockpit-Builders Have you decided on a Sim yet, or waiting on the new one coming from Microsoft? I think I'll wait for the new one from MS. In the meantime, I'll keep doing my research and start building the cockpit, I'll save getting the computer until nearly last. By then the new MS Sim might have been released. Thank you for the reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
il88pp Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 No point buying hardware if you have no idea what these pc games are like. Buy fsx steam edition. Install it on your current pc. Learn to use it, get to know the various game settings and aircraft. See if you like it. Once you have gotten to know the game in and out you will know how the computer holds up, and if you like the game enough to get extra hardware like a yoke or a better computer. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mallcott Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 No point buying hardware if you have no idea what these pc games are like. Buy fsx steam edition. Install it on your current pc. Learn to use it, get to know the various game settings and aircraft. See if you like it. Once you have gotten to know the game in and out you will know how the computer holds up, and if you like the game enough to get extra hardware like a yoke or a better computer. No matter what you purchase (P3D/FSX/XP) you are not restricted to VFR... I would get a firm handle on the choice, and put a few hundred hours on it before deciding where to go next... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremistSLK Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 Hi Top Gun.. Thanks for the reply. You make a lot of sense advising me to buy the software first. I will do that and take the time to learn how it operates as you suggest before I purchase the many pieces of hardware to make a flight sim. Maybe just a yoke and some rudder pedals to get started :-). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mallcott Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Hi Top Gun.. Thanks for the reply. You make a lot of sense advising me to buy the software first. I will do that and take the time to learn how it operates as you suggest before I purchase the many pieces of hardware to make a flight sim. Maybe just a yoke and some rudder pedals to get started :-). Yoke and Pedals as a minimum. You don't fly with a keyboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
il88pp Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Or a cheap joystick with a throttle built in, like the "logitech 3d pro" for example. Welcome to the forum btw, and Happy flights!:D il. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnuss Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Hi Top Gun.. Just a quick note about this board: That "Top Gun" designation is something the software puts up after 5000 (I think) posts, in the same place that you are shown as "Junior Member." So that poster was actually "il88pp" -- this seems to be a common mistake for people new to this style of forum. Larry N. As Skylab would say: Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremistSLK Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 Oh.... Got it! Thanks.... I'll remember that. On most of the other forums I frequent, the poster's screen name appears in that space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremistSLK Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 Yoke and Pedals as a minimum. You don't fly with a keyboard! Agreed... I'm looking at my options for a flight system hardware. Leaning toward Logitech Flight Yoke and Throttle Quadrant with the Logitech rudder pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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