Materials

As mentioned on the Collective page, materials mostly come from home building supplies stores like Home Depot, etc. I've used 1" thin wall electrical conduit ("EMT") not because the strength is needed, but because it looks and feels neat. (Okay, it's cheap, too.) The fact that pre-formed 90 degree bends are available is extremely helpful. 

I had originally thought to make a flight grip from scratch (and may yet), but after some advice Leo posted on HoverControl, I took a look at Ebay. I bought a Thrustmaster mark I flight control system for 99 cents (plus $10 S&H). The grip is modeled on a military B-8 grip. Not exactly Bell 206B standard, but too slick (and cheap) to pass up. 

The Cyclic Pivot Mechanism 

I haven't tried to do anything fancy with the pivot mechanism. I just wanted a solid assembly that was easy to build. Because I wasn't terribly worried about size, I was able to use commonly available items. The cyclic rotates in the roll axis about a  1/4 by 3-1/2 inch bolt. The wood blocks just below each hinge act as stops for the stick roll motion. Pitch rotation is handled with a pair of salvaged ($=0) door hinges. The hinges mount to the bottom of the sim deck so the cyclic shaft sticks up through a rectangular hole. The stops for stick pitch movement are mounted to the bottom of the sim deck.

Note that I haven't had to make an intricate universal joint, but I got a very robust joystick for next to no dollars.

The cyclic shaft is glued into a wood block using the same fiberglass filled polyester body filler I used to form the collective switch box. The wood block was built up from scraps and has a channel down the middle where the cyclic shaft resides. 

The Cyclic Pivot Mechanism - Version 2

I tightened up the dimensions a bit, and moved the pitch stops onto the mechanism itself. Version 1 required stops on the Simple Sim base. I got extra mileage from the revised stops as they act as cams for the cable system that activates the pitch motion potentiometer. The picture below shows the new mechanism just above the older one.

This next picture shows the new mechanism partially installed. The pitch motion potentiometer has its cable in place, but the roll motion pot is missing as yet.

Here's another view of the new cyclic pivot mechanism. This picture better shows the way the pitch motion pot is turned by fore and aft movements of the cyclic. 

The white "pulleys" are actually replacement wheels for bedroom closet doors. A pack of two costs a little more than four dollars at the local ACE Hardware store. They have a rather sloppy tolerance metal radial ball bearing and a molded nylon(?) outer edge, but for two bucks, who's complaining? They conveniently have a 1/4 inch inner diameter so I mount them using standard 1/4 inch bolts and nuts. 

I used a spring in series with the cord to keep tension on it. The potentiometer has a wood knob pressed onto its shaft. I sized the knob to provide about 200 degrees of rotation for full motion on the cyclic. I will probably clamp the cord to knob eventually, though I've not noticed any slippage.

Mounting the Flight Grip 

I removed the grip from the Thrust Master base and carved a larger hole in the bottom so I could epoxy a "short-bend 90" electrical conduit fitting. 

The lower end of the 90 degree coupling is threaded, something I do not need. I loaded the threads with epoxy, then sanded the cured epoxy to get a tight fit on the conduit. I drilled two holes for screws. I epoxied a pair of nuts to the inside of the conduit.

The (more or less) Finished Cyclic

One thing you can't really see here is that the grip is not vertical or aligned straight. It's about 15 or 20 degrees from vertical, and twisted 10 or 15 degrees to the left. This orientation straightens my wrist when the cyclic is in its neutral position.

  since 11 October 2004

It's possible that I'm not as smart as I think I am. (Occasionally, I have moments when I know this to be true. Fortunately the feeling passes quickly.) Although I have tried to make this information as accurate as I can, it is not only possible, but also quite likely, that errors lurk within. I cannot and do not warrant these pages to be error free and correct. Further I accept no liability for the use of this information (or misinformation). If, after reading this, you are still interested, please be aware that the contents of this site are protected by copyright (copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 by John M. Powell). Nonetheless, you may copy this material subject to these three conditions: (1) the copyright notice is copied and presented along with the material, (2) the copy is used for non-commercial purposes, and (3) the source of the material is properly credited. And of course, you may link to this page.