Building A Flight Sim With Real Cessna 172 Controls!!!

[@eimaisack6603]

the dexterity and precison of an experienced fabricator mated with the feverishness of a child (it's a compliment, Fran)

Keeping your inner child alive is what allows us to create and innovate, and not to always take life too seriously. Enjoyed watching this.

[@mattwillis3219]

having that physical awareness of your controls is such a huge advantage when piloting anything, i can totally see how training in this way give such an advantage to pilots, excellent result for your simulator Fran.

[@leonzantvoort6201]

I'm glad you're making something again. It makes me sad when everything goes wrong for you. This is what this channel is for.

[@DaliwolfBacon]

The build, and the flight, were so cool Fran! Thanks for taking us along and showing us the process!

[@SteveMallison]

A "good" landing is one you walk away from. A "great" landing is when the aircraft can be used again! Good to see you actually making stuff, Fran. I wish I had more woodworking tools!

[@mikefochtman7164]

I worked for many years in training simulators used for another field (power plant control rooms). Getting the location and 'feel' for the genuine controls is a key part. Then you can run the student through all sorts of scenarios, with variations from time to time so the student doesn't get too comfortable with everything going exactly the same way each time. They're a great way to learn.

[@nezbrun872]

IRL Cessna & Cherokee pilot here, and a simmer. The yoke feel and the elevator trim tab control are probably the most important controls that need working on for me in a sim. The yoke needs to have the right amount of forward and back pressure, which as I'm sure you know you compensate with using the trim tab. The trim tab is regularly adjusted throughout any flight to maintain steady altitude. So I would like to see any trim tab solution you come up with! 2nd hand Saitek Cessna trim wheels go for $$$$ on eBay as sine Logitech bought Saitek, they dropped the trim wheel.

[@Canyonsplitter]

I'm blown away by the ingenuity! Thanks for making this, I have so many ideas now. Flight sim is quite the rabbit hole... 😁

[@Rick_Foley]

Perfect timing. I just reloaded my FSX and I have some unscheduled time off to start building a home sim setup.

[@Armc31416]

Nice job with the Cessna controls! I used to play Flight Simulator a lot in the 90s, using a CH Virtual Pilot yoke and Thrustmaster rudder pedals. It helped me on learning to fly for real. Just a tip, don't chase the runway on final by banking, keep the wings level and use rudder only, it's much easier and smoother!

[@RobRiggenv5]

At 20:45 be careful about adding flaps when your airspeed is outside of the white arc on your airspeed indicator! I am a flight instructor. You are right you should have trimmed the plane as that would have helped check your speed on downwind. Keep up the great work!

[@marsgal42]

The white arc (85 knots) on a 172P or later is for flaps 20 or more. Flaps 10 is OK up to 110 knots...and a handy way to slow down on approach.

[@ignusa749]

nut zert or nut sert works well on wood with a bit of epoxy. that way you have metal threads. also use stainless steel nylock nuts work well to hold those little screws so they can be serviced at a later date.

[@louielinux]

Fran, I've been watching your videos for a few years and at first I wasn't so sure I wanted to come along on this pilot journey with you. HOWEVER, this video was really cool and I'm digging it!

[@Canyonsplitter]

Thanks!

[@theelmonk]

I don't think I've seen you build mechanical stuff before - it's all been electronics. I'd like to see more - you've got some really good expertise and ideas.

[@FranLab]

You can binge-watch the builds here - kzbin.info/aero/PLLEGuAEYBk-3eS6l4sL_Pht3k-FvKWvyC

[@pomonabill220]

AND she has a Shaper Origin CNC router! She inspired me to buy one as well!

[@AnimationGoneWrong]

Cool mod to the throttle quadrant! Nice little test flight and a great landing! "Keep the blue side up!" (by the way, a bad landing you can't walk away from, a good landing, you walk away from, a great landing is when you can use the plane again!)

[@RobRiggenv5]

One more tip: never use full flaps until power off landing is assured. If you find yourself adding power on final when you have already added full flaps, you have not managed your energy properly. But that is what the simulator is for! Great work!

[@schreds8882]

Flight Simulator has gotten so much better. I really haven't messed with it since the middle '90s. I trained in Pipers so the Logitech configuration would work for me. 😁

[@nezbrun872]

The Logitech yoke lacks proper forward and back pressure so it's a bit meh, the Alpha yoke is far better in this respect. You're right, the Logitech ex Saitek quadrant is fine for a Cherokee, I owned a PA28-140 but trained on Cessnas. TBH, not really much practical difference when difference training between push rods and levers on the throttle quadrant. What's missing IMHO is the trim wheel!

[@larrysouthern5098]

Nice build and workmanship I built my first sim out of plywood nd duct tape back in 1980 Attarii II flight sim... I had just got my PPL and I wanted to stay current... Cessna 152 Rental was $20 per hour... $30 per hour for dual Gas was $2.10 for Avgas...Yeah it was nice...Cya!!

[@AlanCanon2222]

Ladies and gentleman, the hands of a master builder. Wow.

[@FishMH]

Fine job... no derbis on the runway.. Amazing to build your own, gives another dimension to learning the plane and learning to fly NEXT PROJECT: Space Ship Flight Simulator

[@synchro-dentally1965]

Very nice! Not sure what thickness you used for the acrylic but I learned from Robert Murray Smith's channel that you can source some from discarded flat screen displays.

[@SprocketN]

I did my apprenticeship at a small regional airport in the UK, airport maintenance, not the aeroplanes. Airfield lighting and building electrics. There was a really old simulator that simulated the propeller driven planes the main airline at the airport used. It was a huge bank of cabinets with relays and small motors, nothing digital in it at all. The thing took up half a hangar. Towards the end of my time there another airline started to use it as their base of operations. Their simulator was in a Porta-cabin, all ‘new and digital’. Unfortunately I was never allowed to try and ‘fly’ either. I did ask several times, but always got a definite ‘No. This simulator is not a toy!’. (This was before PC’s were even conceived, even the ‘new simulator’ had no screens to ‘see’ through the windows)

[@toddboothbee1361]

I admire your perseverance in continuing with your pilot training. Just a damned cool setup.

[@stevejohnson1685]

Love the acrylic / foam / adhesive construction trick! I learn something every time I watch one of your videos, Fran! At one point in my checkered past, I interviewed for a job with one of the big U.S. aircraft companies who wanted to update a flight simulator for one of their products. It had been hand-written in some obscure machine code for some obscure processor. I asked if they had a C compiler ("No"), a symbolic assembler ("No") or a linker ("No"). I asked if the schedule was critical ("Yes"). I asked if they'd considered interfacing their own particular controls, as Fran has done here, and customizing flight dynamics with Microsoft Flight Simulator ("No - what's Microsoft Flight Simulator?"). I thanked them and left the interview. :-)

[@ElectricGears]

I really like that way of creating threads in wood. I have used a tip from Keith Appleton before about cutting the threads and then soaking them with thin CA glue to reinforce them. The paper towel does have the advantage of not risking splitting a small piece with the force of the tap, and you get threads all the way to the bottom of the hole.

[@RCPMK]

I have used that technique on RC airplanes for years. Surprisingly durable

[@paulcresswell2279]

Ahhh keith appleton reaches franlab. Hes an amazing craftsman

[@dr.zarkhov9753]

@@paulcresswell2279 The AI rules us all Paul doesn't it?🤔 Many of us are all watching many of the same channels. All great stuff.😀

[@thebeatles1548]

😀

[@mattwietlispach7606]

Excellent work Fran! There is nothing like the feel of the "real thing"! Very elegant mechanics to be sure. I don't work with general aviation avionics or private aircraft parts, but if you feel that you want to make a military simulator, or airliner cockpit simulator, using real parts, you know I'm there to help. From real throttle quadrants and controls to instrumentation and 400Hz power sources, no question you ask will be new to me. The materials and craftsmanship that goes into military aircraft and airliner parts have a "feel" that can't be replicated by plastic. I'm sure you'll work your way up to business jets and beyond. Keep it small and portable! Me and my other flight sim cronies went way off the rails when we bought the actual noses and flight decks from 737s to 747s. Luckily a ton of the "magical" mechanical interlinks in these cockpits are usually intact. But you can make your own, obviously. Reminds me of my humble beginnings. I had to interface the mechanics of a real A-10 throttle quadrant to potentiometers and there's many ways to do that. It's a very addictive hobby!

[@vite1968]

Hi there.. could you pls direct me to some 400Hz / 27V 3 phase inverter design? I'm buuilding a soviet mig.. i have almost all the instrumentation and now i'm going for frame work and the physical stuff, next thing power and then programming.

[@mattwietlispach7606]

Vit, I don't know of any 3 phase 400Hz plans or schematics out there. To do it properly requires a lot of custom magnetics or very high power FETs to generate a 3 phase 400Hz power source. There are two ways I know of to acquire 3 Phase 400Hz. The first is to buy a used surplus aircraft 28VDC to 115V 3 Phase 400Hz inverter and they show up on eBay from time to time. The other option is to find a power converter that can take 115V 50/60Hz in and output 3 Phase 400Hz at whatever voltage you want up to a few hundred volts. An example of one of these is at the following link: www.ebay.com/itm/383864716794?hash=item59601ebdfa:g:r0wAAOSw8vJf3MiO

[@qqnqqpart]

Nice! Are any of you folks working with VR, with the headset and hand tracking!? That has been a pipe dream of mine for ages, one which I'll enact when I have the resources (time, money) to do so! Cheers for your message, it's heartening to know there's other folks out there who go to such lengths! (There always are but usually it's difficult to find them!)

[@roysmith5902]

Really nice project and video. But, putting on my instructor's hat for a moment, don't retract the flaps until you come to a full stop off the runway. You probably won't hurt anything if you do that in a 172, but you don't want to build the muscle memory because one day, you're going to upgrade to a retractable and when you automatically reach out to grab the flap lever, you're going to grab the gear lever by accident and that will ruin your whole day.

[@dr.zarkhov9753]

Wow! It's a far cry from that very first version isn't it? I'll never forget flying that sim for the first time with a mix of borrowed equipment and a slapped together 286 running at 4mhz I built. Nice job Fran.

[@MrEndoftheRoadRC]

Suggest binding pitch trim on the thumb toggle just below the top hat. Makes a diffrence.

[@mal2ksc]

Broken drumsticks make good raw materials for exposed parts, if you can get them cheap/free (or you broke them yourself). They'll be hard, from a defect-free piece of wood, and tend to have grain that is pleasant to the touch even after cutting and sanding. The limit, of course, is that you can only make individual parts up to the diameter of the stick.

[@craign8ca]

You'll get better. I flew both 150's and 172's. I preferred the 172 since it was a bit more stable when I was training.

[@FranLab]

I can't fit in a 150 - I'm all leg.

[@marsgal42]

@@FranLab I'm a leggy 6'1" and have poured myself in to a 152. It took some doing and I ended up with my knees in odd places. Fun little plane, though: easy to fly, hard to fly well.

[@BRMBug]

That is so cool. I never would’ve thought of using foam board to attach the 2 pieces of acrylic together.

[@zooblestyx]

Gotta say I really love the timelapse aesthetic as opposed to simply sped up video.

[@JWSmythe]

I haven't been watching your videos lately, but I just came to look for people doing flight controls. I clicked the video and didn't pay attention to who made it. I was like "That sounds like Fran!" We have a lot of interests in common. It's a shame we're so far apart, I'm sure we could have some fun working on stuff together. I still love your content, KZbin just hasn't been offering it up recently. I'll have to make more of a point of coming straight to your channel.

[@VeganAtheistWeirdo]

Since I've never really been into flight sims, the only videos of people operating them that I've seen tended to be ones about how realistic--and therefore, bloody difficult--they are, and I've never seen anyone successfully land in one... until now. 😁😅 I can't wait for your move to be over so you can get back in the saddle, as it were, but in the meantime, you've put together what looks like a pretty effective simulator station to keep yourself from getting rusty, and I think that's awesome. Much appreciation!

[@billcosgrave6232]

Wow - you are a serious builder, inventor, artist!!

[@sasgeek888]

Love the in flight audio treatment. Attention to detail as always!

[@peteranderson037]

Idea for your next project: a trim wheel. I don't think I saw you adjust the trim once. Also, sims aren't the greatest at practicing pattern work. I always mess up that turn from base to final as well because I can't see the runway in my peripheral vision. I'm also not a big fan of the Logitech yoke, it just doesn't feel right. I understand why they're so popular, but there are better options out there now.

[@lawrence5117]

What a great project Fran.

[@Red_Proton]

I love the ingenuity and requirement to be as realistic as possible.

[@mewintle]

Nice flight for a student. Thanks for sharing your impressive scratch-build. Fantastic!

[@steventhehistorian]

You are...so freaking cool. Much respect, Fran!

[@UpLateGeek]

Reminds me of my former work colleague who was big into flight simulation. Dave interviewed him in a video a few years back, it was in one of those full-scale, hydraulic motion platform type simulators. I feel like your little custom panel is how you end up like that guy, flying a real-time round trip from Sydney to LA or London to New York. It's a good start, but I'm sure you'll have your own motion platform simulator in no time!

[@brookestephen]

Vomit Comet!! You so lucky!!! I haven't piloted since the 80s so your flight sim looks really amazing!!! Looks like a lot of fun. Nice wobbly circuit haha that takes me back!!

[@marsgal42]

Nice work. Have fun! As part of rebuilding my plane's engine last winter I had to buy new throttle and mixture controls. The plane is a Beechcraft but since the controls were made by the same company that make them for Cessna, they look exactly like what you would find in a 172.

[@deltatango5765]

This is beautiful. I have been working on a home cockpit for 2 years and you have everything you need on a wooden block. I'm seriously thinking of doing something like this to use in the meantime. Because I love realism, I have tried getting a real mixture and throttle knob, but found that even old used ones are incredibly expensive! Did you get a special deal on these?

[@thunderstruck5484]

That’s great thanks Fran for sharing that with us I used to fly with the old flight sim I need to upgrade

[@markissboi3583]

good build fran Now watching the California floods

[@wudimusic]

Great work! Ii am having a lot of fun in msfs and IL-2 .. since i love those old birds. In VR i really have the feeling of sitting in a Spitfire, now all i need is this :D

[@mrmorphic]

that is so cool. I used the saitek set for a sim, but the real controls are next level.

[@clintonscott9623]

I've been wanting to do this for a long, long time.. kudos to you

[@JoedeLange]

This is great. Loved to watch you bring it all together

[@CrimFerret]

I love that you used a controller that many flight sim flyers likely have to do this.

[@pablohernandezf]

Compliments! Great upgrade.

[@Digital-Dan]

Time lapse voice-over is definitely the way to go.

[@mattj65816]

Awesome. Just needs a trim wheel. Your hand is always subconsciously popping over to the trim in flight, buttons don’t do it justice. Even if I have electric trim in a real airplane, if I have a manual wheel in good ergonomic position, I use that instead. Those vernier mixture and prop controls in Cessnas are great, and I don’t think any of the “toy” controllers you can purchase have that function. I wish I’d had these skills when I was building my simulator for initial training.

[@janmenzinga]

Nice, but complex i.m.o. I 3D printed a box and knobs and used some slider potmeters, metal rods and bearing blocks and it works very nice.

[@tanzanos]

Excellent work Fran. Greetings from Sunny Greece💙

[@NZHippie]

Great Job Fran, keep up the good work...

[@austinformedude]

Never too old to learn to fly! I wish I started sooner. If you are ever in Austin, I will take you flying around the City :)

[@reynaldolunajr.6909]

Way to adapt a prefabricated sim tool to fit your needs. Very cool finished product.

[@fredfred2363]

Hey Fran, if you have outputs from the artificial horizon, you could use the signals to make a gymballed chair... with simple pneumatics.

[@ojkolsrud1]

I've only watched 1/3 for now, but this is an excellent video. You're so skilled!

[@HandyL]

Nail polish as threadlocker, interesting! I will have to try that!

[@MrAnderson4509]

well there you go, any landing is a good landing. Nice job Fran, that was fun, way to go👍🦅⭐️

[@mattparker9726]

This is why I watch Fran! She's awesome!

[@richard-hawley]

Fantastic work on the Vernier style controls. Those must be pretty hard to come by.

[@thecatofnineswords]

This is beautiful and wonderful

[@KeritechElectronics]

What a nice lil project, I like the way you dealt with levers. Bowden cables to the rescue! :) Fran-kly, I thought you were going for a realistic full cockpit build, but hey - these are hella expensive and take a loooooot of time to build.

[@frankowalker4662]

Great build, Fran. The last Cessna Sim I flew was Flight Simulator, on the 48K ZX Spectrum. I still play it. LOL.

[@Theoobovril]

Nice work, Fran, all very interesting..

[@alandaters8547]

Great job of design and fabrication. I like the swing arm sandwich construction. I bet it "flies" much more realistically than the plastic quadrant!

[@smallbee1234]

That’s the best flight sim landing I have seen. I usually just auger in.

[@MekazaBitrusty]

Very smooth landing. I like the idea with the controls. 👍

[@Petertronic]

Good luck with your move.

[@billjamison2877]

Fran, that was pretty dang cool! Great job!

[@farmerbobross]

Great build and good flying. Keep at it and soon you will have your license and maybe your own plane!

[@GeorgeWMays]

Fun. Super good video. Thanks, Fran.

[@mikemallano2484]

That's a pretty cool setup, and you landed not too bad. I use a lot of flight sims, and I still suck at landings waaay worse than you.

[@takingbytes1265]

Nice! I'm not quite sure why you'd use wood instead of metal, but hey, you built it for you not me! I'd love to see you make the whole dashboard!

[@FloydBunsen]

It’s easier to work with. If the wood causes problems, then she can try a few other options, and settle on a metal part if it’s absolutely necessary.

[@ColinJonesPonder]

The one time I flew a C172 I couldn't adjust the seat to allow me to use the rudder pedals. The worst bit was on approach to landing I managed to stall the starboard wing (and beat the instructor to the throttle for a go-around) ;)

[@RCPMK]

Very nice. I did a similar build a few years ago. I pulled apart a logitech joystick and used all the pots, switches, and board to fabricate complete helicopter controls. I love MDF for these projects. Doesn’t take screws that well but super cheap and no wood grain. Ever try head tracking?

[@rene0]

And to think she learned how to fly flight sim by taking actual flying lessons, and now just knows what to do.. Very good, i'll step in a plane in you as soon you got your license :)

[@RyanHeaney42]

Fantastic work! Really enjoy this type of video!

[@gigglesseven]

Pair that with fs2020 and a mixed reality headset and the only thing missing is movement. I will say, after 300 hours, it's absolutely worth it.

[@boredgrass]

Clearly you HAVE to finish your pilot license! A nice good old FranLab project! 🤗

[@BenStrano]

That was too stinking cool. Heading over to Patreon now.

[@willstearns3603]

THRUSTMASTER makes some very cool airplane controls

[@KentuckyRanger]

If you can't find proper controls, make them! Awesome job!

[@yuglesstube]

Damn Fran! This is so cool.

[@butstough]

Check out X-Plane 11, it uses blade element physics and is trustworthy for actual sim training. It would be a worthy addition to your sim setup. XP12 is coming out soon too, so maybe wait as it will include the preceding titles

[@scottpycik]

Another great video Fran. Have you soloed yet? Your neighbor across the river. I learned back in the day out of VAY.

[@Eugensdiet]

The construction part was excellent. Your knowledge of flying could be vastly improved if you went to a local airport and took a couple of lessons. For example when you climb out you are primarily looking for best rate of climb. The rate of climb is secondary. When you are on down wind in a light plane the distance from the the runway is the same as your altitude. Which is easily checked because the runway as you look down should be 45 degrees. You were way out there. This would be bad for two reasons , one, all planes in the pattern should be flying the same pattern for safety. the second reason is in the event of engine failure on downwind you should be able to glide to the runway. Any time you are making power changes you are more likely to have an engine problem. There is a sequence of events beginning on downwind where you start flying by airspeed and allow altitude to change. (starting at the abeam point) It is best you that you experience this in a real plane. You will love it. Nice video.

[@johnsykesiii1629]

She was taking flying lessons at North Philadelphia Airport, but the move threw a monkey wrench into it. Fran -- If you were learning on a Piper, the unmodified throttle quadrant looks about right for a Piper Arrow (also has the prop lever - GUMPS). Also, larger airplanes do not use the Cessna-style pull out throttle so I think it is a good idea to get use to the quadrant. I learned on a Piper Archer and had no trouble picking up the Cessna throttle when I checked out in a 172 later.

[@allys537]

Ok, this is awesome work!!!

[@GadgetUK164]

Great job =D Lovely flying too!

[@nilo70]

Thank you for making this happen

[@ve3krp]

This kind of fabrication is what i like to see... keep up the good work !

[@quadspawn2436]

Awesome video. I played the hell out of FSX.

[@TheBuffaloEstate]

Yay! Something more to watch while I draft! :)