This is an exploded assembly view of the Harrier UFC that I have been working on. I designed all of this. This is about 2+ months of work, with more to do.
AV-8B cockpit build
Moderator: RLG MGMT Team
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Still a work on progress on the UFC. This is a raytraced render. Still learning how to do the renders, so lighting and colors are not entirely correct.
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Since I am out of commision for a bit, thought I would do a quick update on my Harrier project. First, I have released the CAD model to ny OpenHarrier group. It is far from done, but now available publicly, free of charge. I have several modelers that will also be contributing part designs to the project. I have worked out a preliminary certification process for certifying parts made by others as being compatible with my model. In some cases these parts will be made with other CAD packages but exported from those packages and imported into FreeCAD as an external assembly. Certification is needes to make parts fit with other parts and that they are not out of scale.
In other news, there is a guy in Oregon that is making 30+ replica Harrier throttles made from machined aluminum. I out a deposit down and am currently build #23. It is going to take some time get my throttle but should be worth the wait. It won't be cheap, either. He is a member of my OpenHarrier community. I could not convince him to share his plans as he does not want others to profit from his hard work. I will probably still design my own version at some point but with some 3d printed parts instead of machined aluminum. Attaching a photo of the start of assembly for one of the paid throttles. This is the prototype.
My UFC is still in progress. I have decided I need a better 3d printer and plan to buy one soon. I decided to guve the Two Trees SK1 a try. Supposed to be fairly impressive and comparable to Bambu Labs but significantly less expensive and does not use cloud services.
In other news, there is a guy in Oregon that is making 30+ replica Harrier throttles made from machined aluminum. I out a deposit down and am currently build #23. It is going to take some time get my throttle but should be worth the wait. It won't be cheap, either. He is a member of my OpenHarrier community. I could not convince him to share his plans as he does not want others to profit from his hard work. I will probably still design my own version at some point but with some 3d printed parts instead of machined aluminum. Attaching a photo of the start of assembly for one of the paid throttles. This is the prototype.
My UFC is still in progress. I have decided I need a better 3d printer and plan to buy one soon. I decided to guve the Two Trees SK1 a try. Supposed to be fairly impressive and comparable to Bambu Labs but significantly less expensive and does not use cloud services.
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
The Harrier throttle (the guy making them is calling this the HSI Mk.1) is coming along. He's supposed to be delivering the first 3 finished throttles to his first customers in the next month. Mine will be somewhere in mid-to-late Fall. I'm #22 on the list. I'm a bit nervous because I still don't know exactly what the final price tag will be. I suspect somewhere between $500-$800, but it's got to be part of my cockpit. It's all metal construction. Even the grip is a metal!
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Wow. Thats some heavy duty construction. Necessary costs....
I took a plunge on an airbus autopilot controller through kickstarter and it paid off. Some have had issues but mine has worked great. I was in the 1100 range and they sold out all 2000 they made. No regrets. They're starting to make other panels but what I have is good for me and secure to on top of my honeycomb bravo throttle. I'd like to get a helo simpit some day but that'll be $1500 or more.
I took a plunge on an airbus autopilot controller through kickstarter and it paid off. Some have had issues but mine has worked great. I was in the 1100 range and they sold out all 2000 they made. No regrets. They're starting to make other panels but what I have is good for me and secure to on top of my honeycomb bravo throttle. I'd like to get a helo simpit some day but that'll be $1500 or more.
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
I would love to build a collective for helicopters. It really isn't very hard (well, maybe for me!) The key I think is to have a solid, heavy base that is on the floor, and a strong friction adjustment. I might try to design one that can be built without too much trouble.
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Yeah I saw a nice one and a guy in Switzerland makes them but $1800 or something like that. I did find a collective on Etsy and then could add a Thrustmaster stick. I'm not ready to give up my yoke and throttle quadrants though and seems strange to keep adding hardware. I'd have to somehow weld a plate to the bottom of my chair that sticks out the front and side for the additional hardware. A bit beyond my capabilities but something I still thnk of creating.
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Some serious dough for sure!
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
I've started 3D printing parts for the UFC...
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
The UFC is starting to come together. The parts shown here equate to more than 120 hours of 3d printing time!
part 1 - 40 hours
part 2 - 30 hours
part 3 - 20 hours
part 4 - 16 hours
part 5 - 9 hours
display parts - ???
Still need to print the keys, knobs, and laser cut the panels. And design and print the left and right annunciation banks. And design and print the HUD projector assembly. And finish designing the circuit board.
part 1 - 40 hours
part 2 - 30 hours
part 3 - 20 hours
part 4 - 16 hours
part 5 - 9 hours
display parts - ???
Still need to print the keys, knobs, and laser cut the panels. And design and print the left and right annunciation banks. And design and print the HUD projector assembly. And finish designing the circuit board.
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Xpen, this is amazing. So wild to see it come together.
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PanzerMeyer
- Posts: 4816
- Joined: 10 Feb 2004, 08:54
- Location: Miami, Florida
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
That is some serious talent there!
I have learned from experience that a modicum of snuff can be most efficacious - Baron Munchausen
Re: AV-8B cockpit build
I finally started laser cutting some panels from acrylic. Each panel requires 3 separate plates. The bottom plate has additional 3mm holes in it to take little LED lights for the backlighting. The middle layer has these same holes, but also has wider holes for each switch and knob so that they can accommodate the nut that screws down onto the shaft. The top plate has smaller holes for the switches and knobs so that it hides the nuts from the layer below it.
I have to cut 2 more panels for the keypad (middle and bottom plates) but didn't have time today. The 3 smaller plates are for the HUD controls. I have them temporarily taped together with blue painters tape for a dry fitting on the UFC. I will have to paint these and then take the top plates back to the laser cutter to engrave the text. This allow the text to be back lit. This acrylic is 35% transparent.
I have to cut 2 more panels for the keypad (middle and bottom plates) but didn't have time today. The 3 smaller plates are for the HUD controls. I have them temporarily taped together with blue painters tape for a dry fitting on the UFC. I will have to paint these and then take the top plates back to the laser cutter to engrave the text. This allow the text to be back lit. This acrylic is 35% transparent.
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
I have started modeling the annunciators and master caution and master warn lights / buttons that get installed on either side of the UFC.
Work in progress and not done!
Work in progress and not done!
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Finally making some physical progress on my UFC. I bought a 3mm thick sheet of semi-transparent acrylic, spray painted 1 side of it with 3 coats of matt black paint. Then I took it to the Makerplace we have in town (run by the local library) and laser engraved then laser cut the lenses for the indicators that go on either side of the UFC. The Master Warning is shown lit up green - that's just a test... I'll need red LED's for that, and yellow LED's for the Master Caution. Everything else will light up green.
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Re: AV-8B cockpit build
Had to break this out into 2 posts. I designed pockets into the 3d printed parts to accommodate the lenses, and those pockets are actually angled 15 degrees in the real plane. This is because the UFC gets mounted parallel with the main instrument panel, which is angled away from the pilot. So the 15 degree tilt on the indicator lenses angles them back towards the pilot's eyes. This is how they are in the real plane.
The white panels are laser cut acrylic, and a work in progress. Those will get painted and engraved - just haven't gotten to that step yet. I also haven't done the finishing of the 3d parts to make them smooth and painted so they look like they are the real thing. That takes some effort.
The white panels are laser cut acrylic, and a work in progress. Those will get painted and engraved - just haven't gotten to that step yet. I also haven't done the finishing of the 3d parts to make them smooth and painted so they look like they are the real thing. That takes some effort.
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