What does your working area look like?

[Robbie]

Dang Anna! Nice setup!

You must tell me abou this EvenStrain modification...because if it fixes the HOTAS Cougar's inability to maintain center axis, I am VERY interested. I have a Saitek X52 at home and it flies like a champ, but the Navy isn't interested in it because it doesn't FEEL like a real flight stick. We were looking at the FSSB R2 Force sensor modification but because it comes from spain and they can't run our govt credit card without going through paypal, which we're not authorized to use, we can't order any.

That 30" monitor is stunning. I cant wait till I get my Cintiq though! I'd like to talk to ya off-site about your flight sim interests sometime...but in the meantime, I'd like to invite you to try x-plane if you haven't already. In my opinion its THE most superior commercial hobbyist level flight sim in the industry...and at a mere 40 bucks for the entire United States (or your region) and 60 bucks for the ENTIRE WORLD to fly in, and given the fact that it uses real physics instead of data-tables a-la microsoft flight sim, I'd say its pretty impressive. I also like the fact that its 100% open content. You can make a working airplane of your own design in under 1 hour if you know what you're doing. http://www.x-plane.com (official) and http://www.x-plane.org (community)

[Duvik]

heh... me workshop looks a bit different from ye all... I hide in me garage with laptop on lap so's i can smoke cigarettes while working... no smokin' in the house of course. if ye look closely... ye can even see me boots kicked up on the chair in front of me. Picture was taken with me cell phone from exact position you'll find me in more often than not.

[ravells]

Wow, it's really weird to see a picture of my workstation on someone else's computer screen!

Anna / Arcana - back in the time when I was an online ww2 flightsim junkie (Aces High and IL2) I used a Saitek X5x (the older one with the rudder rocker on the throttle), rudder pedals and Track IR. I had a HOTAS but never used it - the handle just seemed too big for me. The addiction ran its course and now everything sits in a cupboard gathering dust.

Question for you Arcana, I've always found a 'twisty joystick' far more intuitive to use than rudder pedals on flight sims, do you reckon that future aircraft controls are going to go that way?

Ravs

[Robbie]

Definitely not...I DARE you to attempt to use the twisty joystick method as an anti-torque solution for a helicopter...There's no way...But for airplanes...with the rising popularity of UAV technology, and given the fact they have UAV's delivering ordnance now, I think the future of rudder pedals is kinda moot. I dunno tho.

[Anna]

Well pilots are a very conservative kind of people and if you have invested so much energy to learn something you will demand it will be there for you. Just think of the QWERTY keyboard we still use after 100 years, and it has never been any good.

Yep the EvenStrain fixes the cougar and makes it feel like a real stick. I’m amazed that you make such a fine piece of hardware and then screw up the mechanical workings and pots. My modified stick doesn’t have the “2 distinct axis” feel to it any more. With the hall sensors it is as sensitive as a real stick. I think I paid over $500 for the conversion and shipping, but I got the titanium version!

Here is a link to a page with pics and notes: http://home.columbus.rr.com/zach/sim.../sim_gear.html

It uses ordinary springs so you can easily put in stronger ones if you want a stiffer stick.

Anna

[Robbie]

You may have just gotten me a promotion!!!

[ravells]

Definitely not...I DARE you to attempt to use the twisty joystick method as an anti-torque solution for a helicopter...There's no way...But for airplanes...with the rising popularity of UAV technology, and given the fact they have UAV's delivering ordnance now, I think the future of rudder pedals is kinda moot. I dunno tho.

Heh, I was thinking of ballistic aircraft, not helicopters. With the amount of thrust they have, hydraulically powered control surfaces and fly by wire, modern fighters seem to be able to defy the laws of aerodynics. I was just thinking that it would be quite sweet if in it's own little way, Flight sim games had an effect on real life.

In the WW1 and WW2 flight sim games I played (never liked the modern ones too fast and there's no proper dog-fighting - (fastest plane with the better weapons and countermeasures will always win, IMHO) they simulated control surfaces seizing up in a dive (the spitfire was famous for this) by gradually cutting off any joystick respose after your speed went past about 400 mph IAS.

BTW, through my work I'm a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society if you would like to get in touch I'd be happy to arrange an introduction via email with the them (coincedentally I'm having a drink with the Deputy CEO tonight), or if you would like notes on any of the lectures, I'd be happy to help there as well: you may find this one interesting. Same for you Anna - if you find any of the lectures of interest, tell me and I'll try and get hold of the notes for you.

Anyway, this is getting way off topic, so we can continue this via PM if you like.

Ravs

[Ishmayl]

Did you guys all pay top dollar for those nice flat screen (and widescreen) monitors, or did you find deals on them? And if you answer yes to the second part, can you please send me links? I'm still using a 60 pound Dell 15-incher

[Arkkeeper]

amongst these mighty people, I am but a humble homeschooler in the back woods of Maryland.

I don't have much experience with flightsims but I have to say that the Ace Combat series is amazing, because it's not a simulator, You can't simulate what never happened or what can't happened (Ace Combat is set on a fictional earth with real Planes and then Flying Aircraft Carrier) The Story hands down makes it awesome. Also it's probably the best looking flight game ever.

anyways

@Ravells: You know whats funny, I make Masks! or my parents do, they make a living as Artisans here's a link to there site though it hasn't been updated in a while- Mythical Masks

And Of Course My Desk: Now Yes I had to do an artistic shot so I also did a shot of how it looks normally and one of the whole setup, and then one of the best parts of all, the bookcase which if you look the entire top row is D&D, no scratch that even better, AD&D.

[Turgenev]

Ohhh, nice thread. I'll have to take some pictures of my work space once I cheat and clean it up a bit. At the moment, a sizeable portion of my desk is covered with RPG & Japanese language books but the area in front of me is clean except for my keyboard and my scrap paper for notes/doodles.