Building a Real Life Flight Simulator. Pt 3

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[HerraTohtori]

I don't know how exactly the motion rig is programmed, but it looks like the seat is trying to "follow" the pitch and roll attitude of the "target aircraft". If I'm wrong about that, ignore the following :D

As a suggestion, I would say it's better to not map the movements to "directly" follow the pitch and roll of the aircraft, but rather use the seat to approximate the direction of acceleration applied to the pilot.

For example, in level flight, the acceleration vector points directly downwards, so the seat would stay in upright vertical position. But in a coordinated turn, the acceleration also points directly down, so the seat shouldn't tilt to the side.

However, if you are slipping in a turn, then the pilot would experience a sideways acceleration, and in that situation the net acceleration points down and to one side - therefore, if the plane is slipping in a turn, in that situation the seat should be leaning to one side.

Similarly, if the plane is accelerating (or in a steady climb), the seat should tilt backwards so the pilot feels like they're being pushed towards the back of the seat, and while decelerating (or in a constant speed descent), the seat should tilt forwards. There's no way to model negative g's or actually increased g-forces, but that's just a limitation of reality we have to accept.

This is how real flight simulators use - they change the direction of the enclosed cockpit module to cause the pilots to feel the change in the direction of acceleration, and that essentially causes a very convincing somatogravic illusion of movement.

Rapid movements on pitch and roll axis could be modeled by an initial "jerk" to the direction of movement, tapering off smoothly and then slowly returning the chair to the position required for acceleration vectoring. This works because human brain is really bad at feeling angular position accurately, we mostly just feel acceleration and sudden changes in movement.

[JerryAgenyi]

This Geeez!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Just add a VR Goggle 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Neue-Werkstatt-BM]

This chair is worthy of all praise👍! It's particularly noteworthy that the blueprints and control software are accessible to everyone👍.
I do have one criticism, however: The chair moves relatively hard to its stops, while the aircraft continues its movements. Therefore, it only remains realistic if you fly "tamely."🤔
How about an aerobatic simulator, where the chair is gimballed and can perform every flight attitude, including real rolls and loops? That will be a mechanical challenge...💪

[removechan]

9:32 this is a huge amount of effort to smuggle a prostate massager into your life... most people just buy a loud motorcycle and drive it around the suburbs in a loop between 12pm and 3pm on a Sunday until they are spent.

[larswillsen]

Amazing, I was more worried about the 4 screws on the cone holding everything + his weight :)

[Hellsparkt]

i see you are mapping angle of aircraft to the chair. Wouldnt taking the acceleration values and map them to chair angles help more with motion sickness?

[nuclearsu]

Imagine if it had full 360 degree rotations in all axis, so that you could literally hang upside down in your seat. I think that's the next huge step lol.

[flyboykfpr]

Use a VR headset and make it even more realistic. Professional simulators are enclosed to keep outside things from effecting your senses. Very cool build.

[removechan]

Very cool!! Next step is also VR flight sim mode - GREAT WORK

[dimitris]

This is an awesome project and thank you for sharing with us. This is not the way it should work, though. What you simulate with a moving platform is the acceleration force that you feel when flying the real thing. It shouldn't just follow roll and bank angle. This is unnatural, definitely not immersive and will also cause motion sickness. Imagine being in an airplane in a turn. You still drop to your chair, not to the side facing the earth.
The platform should instead move in a way that the force of gravity is parallel to the acceleration force you would actually feel. For example, when you accelerate to the runway the platform should roll upwards. When you decelerate it should roll downwards. It may seem counterintuitive, but your body is not able to distinguish between the real force of gravity and the force you would actually feel, so it becomes very realistic.
As of bank, the platform should not move at all if correct rudder is applied (coordinated turn), because the force you feel is still facing down. It should bank left or right though, during side-slipping, even if you don't bank the same way, because what you feel is your body moving to the side like fast turning in a car.
That is also the way commercial simulators work, where real pilots are trained.
Your project is awesome. But please take some time to dive into these things and feed the system with the correct variables from the simulator and even your rc planes (accelerometer). It would be a shame if all that work you put in there goes into nothing.
Keep up the good work 💪🏻

[JonathanTamm]

During a coordinated turn you are not thrown sideways in your seat the aircraft is at an angle to the ground but centripetal force balances the tilt. the turn and slip indicator is a ball in a slightly curved tube. from Wikipedia When an aircraft is flying with zero sideslip a turn and bank indicator installed on the aircraft's instrument panel usually shows the ball in the center of the spirit level. The occupants perceive no lateral acceleration of the aircraft and their weight to be acting straight downward into their seats.

[JamesTenniswood]

Amazing, i hope some can change to for racing too.

[christiandelaespriella]

You are Great . I ve been simming for decades but your Innovation would take flight sim DIY to another level . I would buy the chair

[leehudson]

You should mount transducers around the seat and flight controls so you could feel the vibrations as well as hear the sounds and engine noise. Nothing like the drone of jet engines. Puts me to sleep like a baby every time lol

[llamacrafting]

Now you need to add a seat belt tensioner and/or pneumatic g-seat !

[_spartan]

Been dreaming of making one for years!

[ShrimplyAquascaping]

Thanks for making this open source! its truely an amazing project for anyone. Im so excited to try to build one of these in the future

[dave_s_vids]

Amazing work! Looks like you might want some chains or something to prevent the entire thing tipping totally in one direction if one of the control rods fails!

[glennianuale]

Maybe some limiting straps to keep from falling over and dumping the operator. If you break an actuator linkage or something similar.

[fangthewarrior]

You are now a certified Ryan Air pilot!