"The Kiwi" is born...

[Jay Honeck]

Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
"The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!

See it here:

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm

Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.
Without plans he is able to think and "see" 3-dimensionally, and was
thus able to cut and weld an ergonomically-correct "cockpit" that
incorporated our CH-brand rudder pedals and yoke, along with an
electrically adjustable seat, height-adjustable yoke mount, and wheels
(so that the whole contraption can be moved about easily. Being made
from steel, it is HEAVY) in just a matter of hours!

Most amazing of all -- he refused to take any money for creating it,
saying that he just "threw it together" from "old parts laying around
the hangar"... THAT is true friendship.

We're not doing Movie Night tonight, due to Halloween, so I can't WAIT
until the formal "unveiling" of our flightless bird at next Tuesday's
showing!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Beckman]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>

<Envy Mode On>

Sweet Rig!

<Envy Mode Off>

Jay B

[Jim Burns[_1_]]

Cool!
Did I notice an empty panel leaning up against the back wall of the theatre?
Perhaps a dual screen option still in the works? Cockpit panel on a monitor
mounted just beyond the yoke with the outside world playing on the big
screen?

Jim

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>
> Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.
> Without plans he is able to think and "see" 3-dimensionally, and was
> thus able to cut and weld an ergonomically-correct "cockpit" that
> incorporated our CH-brand rudder pedals and yoke, along with an
> electrically adjustable seat, height-adjustable yoke mount, and wheels
> (so that the whole contraption can be moved about easily. Being made
> from steel, it is HEAVY) in just a matter of hours!
>
> Most amazing of all -- he refused to take any money for creating it,
> saying that he just "threw it together" from "old parts laying around
> the hangar"... THAT is true friendship.
>
> We're not doing Movie Night tonight, due to Halloween, so I can't WAIT
> until the formal "unveiling" of our flightless bird at next Tuesday's
> showing!
>
> :-)
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[Jay Honeck]

> Did I notice an empty panel leaning up against the back wall of the theatre?
> Perhaps a dual screen option still in the works? Cockpit panel on a monitor
> mounted just beyond the yoke with the outside world playing on the big
> screen?

That's an idea whose time hasn't quite come, but is a very possible
future upgrade...

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jim Logajan]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>
> Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.

What, no seatbelts? :-)

I haven't tried it, but I understand the other gizmo some people claim
works great and enhances realism is the TrackIR product from NaturalPoint
(http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/).

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>

I can see the competitions at next year's Pre-OSH pool party already.

[Jay Honeck]

> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>
> I can see the competitions at next year's Pre-OSH pool party already.

And with each beer, performance will...change...

;-)

All kidding aside, I think we'll create a "Oshkosh Landing Scenario"
and let guys practice the Oshkosh Arrival Procedure. I'll bet it
wouldn't be too hard to create a scenario that starts folks just
outside of Ripon.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jim Burns[_1_]]

Oh then it would need a cup, er, bottle holder!
Jim

"Gig 601XL Builder" <wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net> wrote in message
...
>
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> > "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
> >
> > See it here:
> >
> > http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
> >
>
> I can see the competitions at next year's Pre-OSH pool party already.
>
>

[Jim Burns[_1_]]

When they finally say that the airport is closed, everybody will just get up
and grab another beer.
Jim

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> > http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>>
>> I can see the competitions at next year's Pre-OSH pool party already.
>
> And with each beer, performance will...change...
>
> ;-)
>
> All kidding aside, I think we'll create a "Oshkosh Landing Scenario"
> and let guys practice the Oshkosh Arrival Procedure. I'll bet it
> wouldn't be too hard to create a scenario that starts folks just
> outside of Ripon.
> --

Excellent idea and it shouldn't hard at all and to add to the fun have
somebody over in the corner playing ATC and everybody else yelling radio
calls that shouldn't be needed.

I've got dibs on being the guy calling in without ever reading the NOTAM.

[john smith]

In article m>,
"Jay Honeck" > wrote:

> All kidding aside, I think we'll create a "Oshkosh Landing Scenario"
> and let guys practice the Oshkosh Arrival Procedure. I'll bet it
> wouldn't be too hard to create a scenario that starts folks just
> outside of Ripon.

Complete with replays of deviations.
Does the program included extra traffic?

[Jay Honeck]

> Complete with replays of deviations.
> Does the program included extra traffic?

I don't know. FS 2004 has traffic, all right, but I don't know if I
can program it. I'll have to play with that a bit.

Also, can Oshkosh traffic be depicted on anything short of a Cray
Supercomputer?

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Mxsmanic]

Jay Honeck writes:

> I don't know. FS 2004 has traffic, all right, but I don't know if I
> can program it. I'll have to play with that a bit.

You can control the amount of traffic, and the presence or absence of
airline vs. GA traffic, but that's all. The actual character of the
aircraft movements is hardwired into the program.

You would conceivably use multiplayer mode and a virtual flight
network to provide actual interaction with other pilots and ATC, but I
think all the virtual flight networks require that each pilot have his
own identification (you couldn't use the same ID for anyone who wants
to fly the sim). Also, the virtual flight networks don't have as much
traffic as FS 2004 can generate internally (but the virtual network
traffic is more realistic and unpredictable).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

[Grumman-581[_3_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I don't know. FS 2004 has traffic, all right, but I don't know if I
> can program it. I'll have to play with that a bit.

Just make the weather as crappy as it was the first time I flew into OSH and
you won't need to depict the other traffic since you can't see it anyway...
You *hear* a lot on the radio, but other than right below you, you don't
*see* much of anything...

[Grumman-581[_3_]]

Now you just need to mount the device on some sort of large turntable or
merry-go-round and have it spin for flight training while experiencing
vertigo...

If the simulator can't make you puke, it's not a true simulation... <grin>

[Mxsmanic]

"Grumman-581" > writes:

> If the simulator can't make you puke, it's not a true simulation... <grin>

The simulator has given me motion sickness in slew mode.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

[B A R R Y[_2_]]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!

Now that you have a kiwi and a giant grape, are you abandoning the
aviation theme in favor of a more fruity theme? <G>

"2007 Bananafest @ The Alexis Park Inn"?

I really don't know about that one... <G>

[Jay Honeck]

> Now that you have a kiwi and a giant grape, are you abandoning the
> aviation theme in favor of a more fruity theme? <G>

Hey -- our fuel truck is "The Mighty Grape".

And the sim is named for the BIRD kiwi, not the fruit. (Although they
*are* both flightless, unless tossed...)

Geez...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Andrey Serbinenko]

Looks pretty cool, Jay. You are going to have some fun with it, I'm sure.
I'd been using a similar setup for some time a while ago, and I think it does
have some degree of realism to it. From what I've seen, no sim maker comes even
close to msfs when it comes to visuals and terrain rendering. I wish it could
be incorporated into sims that do well on their flight models. But this doesn't
seem to be happenning any time soon. Among pc sims, elite does pretty well
simulating the aircraft and flight dynamics, but they don't really have any
visual presentation. It is an IFR sim, though. Even such monsters as
frasca suck when it comes to simulating "the window".
What I kept thinking about is making a cross: msfs has an open interface, so the
idea was to -- somehow -- pick the position and orientation information out of
elite engine, and then use that interface to drive msfs visual display. In the
end, you'll be flying elite's flight model -- quite accurate and all -- but
you'll have msfs-generated outside picture on your projected screen. I haven't
had time to actually start looking into it, but it seems doable.
Anyway, happy flying in this thing: it's fun, at least for the first couple
of weeks.

Andrey


Jay Honeck > wrote:
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>
> Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.
> Without plans he is able to think and "see" 3-dimensionally, and was
> thus able to cut and weld an ergonomically-correct "cockpit" that
> incorporated our CH-brand rudder pedals and yoke, along with an
> electrically adjustable seat, height-adjustable yoke mount, and wheels
> (so that the whole contraption can be moved about easily. Being made
> from steel, it is HEAVY) in just a matter of hours!
>
> Most amazing of all -- he refused to take any money for creating it,
> saying that he just "threw it together" from "old parts laying around
> the hangar"... THAT is true friendship.
>
> We're not doing Movie Night tonight, due to Halloween, so I can't WAIT
> until the formal "unveiling" of our flightless bird at next Tuesday's
> showing!
>
> :-)
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[NW_Pilot]

Verry Cool Jay,

Now all you need is one of them radio stacks to add to it! Search them on
fleabay
http://www.flyelite.com/product_images/132.jpg

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>
> See it here:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>
> Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.
> Without plans he is able to think and "see" 3-dimensionally, and was
> thus able to cut and weld an ergonomically-correct "cockpit" that
> incorporated our CH-brand rudder pedals and yoke, along with an
> electrically adjustable seat, height-adjustable yoke mount, and wheels
> (so that the whole contraption can be moved about easily. Being made
> from steel, it is HEAVY) in just a matter of hours!
>
> Most amazing of all -- he refused to take any money for creating it,
> saying that he just "threw it together" from "old parts laying around
> the hangar"... THAT is true friendship.
>
> We're not doing Movie Night tonight, due to Halloween, so I can't WAIT
> until the formal "unveiling" of our flightless bird at next Tuesday's
> showing!
>
> :-)
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[Jay Honeck]

> Verry Cool Jay,
>
> Now all you need is one of them radio stacks to add to it! Search them on
> fleabay
> http://www.flyelite.com/product_images/132.jpg

Yeah, I'm quickly learning that there is NO limit to the amount of
time, money, and detail one can put into a flight simulator set up.
Everything is possible and available, from panels, to radios, to
multiple throttles, to "side" view monitors.

Right now I just want to upgrade the ground detail in the Oshkosh area,
in order to make the approach more realistic. One of these days I'll
find some time to search for that...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Mike[_11_]]

Jim Logajan wrote:
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
>> Yes, our new flight simulator cockpit at the hotel -- quickly dubbed
>> "The Kiwi" by its creator -- has arrived!
>>
>> See it here:
>>
>> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/the_kiwi_is_born.htm
>>
>> Keith, our A&P (and designer of The Kiwi) is simply remarkable.
>
> What, no seatbelts? :-)
>
> I haven't tried it, but I understand the other gizmo some people claim
> works great and enhances realism is the TrackIR product from NaturalPoint
> (http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/).

I think the TrackIR head tracking device would be a good investment for
this rig (Nice rig, Jay!). It allows the screen to pan along with your
head giving the player (...or pilot :) ) the sensation they are in a
real aircraft. You can look out side windows, up, down, and basically in
any direction (of course, it's limited within the area of the camera).

One way it works is by placing a metal clip to a hat and the sensor can
calculate various vectors that give you three dimensions of motion. I
have the TrackIR 4. The only downside is the configuration. If you have
many different people using it, they may want to customize their
settings to pan at certain speeds in the various axes (for example, one
inch of left head movement corresponds to three inches of head movement
on screen). Other than that it's great.

--
Mike

[john smith]

In article . com>,
"Jay Honeck" > wrote:

> > Verry Cool Jay,
> >
> > Now all you need is one of them radio stacks to add to it! Search them on
> > fleabay
> > http://www.flyelite.com/product_images/132.jpg
>
> Yeah, I'm quickly learning that there is NO limit to the amount of
> time, money, and detail one can put into a flight simulator set up.
> Everything is possible and available, from panels, to radios, to
> multiple throttles, to "side" view monitors.
>
> Right now I just want to upgrade the ground detail in the Oshkosh area,
> in order to make the approach more realistic. One of these days I'll
> find some time to search for that...

As soon as Google fixes the 3-D model in Google Earth, we will be able
to tie in with the flight sim. THEN... we will really be flying!