Flight Simulator Rudder pedals

[A_Camera]

the gas struts I've got for the brake feedback are too high pressure being 100N which is the lowest pressure ones I've been able to find.

Attachment 29104
Attachment 29105
Attachment 29106

Rob

I forgot to answer to this earlier and not sure you are interested to hear this, but my pedals were connected simply by using a bike brake cable like this:



It was of course as short as necessary (about one meter) to avoid sharp bends, and in the middle, between the pedals I added a spiral sprint to provide tension and to pull the pedals back to the centre. This gave a very realistic feeling, similar to the PA28 and C172 I was flying for real most of the time. In a real plane the pressure on the pedals increase the more you push, just like when tension is increasing in the spiral sprints, but that's not the case for the gas struts you added. If you want, you could just replace the struts with appropriate springs, or if you just want to reduce the pressure you could remove one of them. The pedals are interconnected, so if one pedal is pushed, the other is pulled automatically, so you don't actually need two struts.

[RobC]

A little extra progress achieved the past few days. Far too much time spent at the lathe but I've got all what I need I think now turned down albeit not in their polished state yet. Waiting on my 5082 plate to arrive and then I can start on the final bits and do away with the test pieces I've currently got cut out. The track rods I may change slightly to taper in towards the carbon fibre rod for a sleeker look but I'll wait till they are epoxied and pinned to do that stage. Electronics wise thankyou for all the comments, I'm still yet to properly go into it further but likely going to go with the leo board. I have joined the discord suggested and I will contact you Washout for a little more advice when I get to it. The gas struts I only envisaged to provide a positive feedback and no more but to return the pedal to its state prior to compression with the track rods providing the motion to both left and right side.

I fly 152's/150s (well did up until we all got grounded) so I am familiar with how a realistic toe break system should be but I'm trying to keep this one a little more simple and if possible easier to replicate as I've had some interest from other people for price of a built one but I did look at a sprung version with compression springs within a cylinder which I may do if these don't work too well.

Modelling/rendering wise it was all done within Fusion360, spent quite a little too much time faffing around with the settings

[RobC]

It's been a while since I last posted any updates on this project. I've practically very closely finished them and are currently in a working test position, there is still a few things such as the foot rests below the pedals and also to add the brake sensor and return to centre springs for the left/right motion. There has been some changes to the design such as printing the internal white section as I found the holes very uncomfortable while using them, also the addition of the huge wood base which is there for two purposes. It adds weight as these pedals are not bolted to a frame and also tidies the Ali base up, this still needs finishing as it's not been totally machined down. I had used springs for the brake feedback but after use I returned back to the gas struts and changed the linkages a little to add extra mechanical aid. The leo bodnar board works amazing, super simple and after numerous revisions on where and how to place the hall sensor I finally managed to get a great location which works, thank the lord!

[Washout]

Very nice work Rob.

Am I guessing from the embossing on the pedals, you'll be flying the up coming AH64D module in DCS when its released?

[RobC]

I don't know yet, depends on the price! Mainly did that embossing because I'm a big fan of them and regularly work around the apaches at work. Cracking machines!