Thank you for the kind words, Lets hope it continues! It always hard to know if something is going to work, and this was just one of those occasions it did. Kind regards, Karl

Thank You! I dont either! but thought id give it a go!

Hi Charles, Thank you for the kind words, very humbled. There seems to be a lot of intrest in this and i need to get on and finish it! Kidn regards, Karl.

Thank you and humbled! I really look forward to taking this design a whole lot further.

I was really pleased with how these turned out. I still use them every day!

Chuckle, I think so! It's such a basic design that seems to work well. Thank you

Thank you! Cheers!

Glad it was helpful! Hopefully this will be something everyone can create at home easily!

Thanks! This should be a great base design for many different joysticks all adapted from the base design. Kind Regards Karl.

Hello Karl, Thank you. This is something i spent a lot of time thinking about, but never actually got around to doing it.

Hello, ideally this would be mounted under the floor of a real sim, but i opted for floor mounted in this version as i dont want to build a sub floor just for controls right now. Space is really tight here. Glad that i can help. Kind Regards, Karl

Thank you and I too look forward to seeing how this turns out.

Thank you! Slowly expanding now across different sims.

You and me both! I cant belive the intreast in this one! Thank you as always! Kind Regards, karl

Thank you and humbled.

Thank you and humbled! Kind Regards, Karl

Many thanks!

Hi Daniel, I think this was a eureka moment when i relaised stepper motors could be used as mag brakes, parallel and series actuators all in one. Do not think i have seen any others go that way right now. So i think thats why i was so suprised, as i actually never thought it would truely work.

Good morning and thank you!

All good points, and thank you. As for centering, most helicopters us a linear spring system. Being a helicopter engineer, i reckon this perfoms exactly as the real aircraft. Or at least as close as im going to get with out using control rods and linkages, while keeping the soave used to a minimum. Kind Regards, Karl

Hello Guy, Dont be disheartened. I try to make my designs availble to all and as low as possible. But you would rewuire a 3d printer. Dont bother with a printing service as that usually costs more than going out and buying the real thing. Got any friends that can print it for you? This is just a side project right now, but there does seem to be a lot intrest in this design. But as i say this is only version 1. Version 2 is already printed and waiting! Kind Regards Karl.

@@helimech8152 Thanks for the reply Karl, but I'm a software engineer, 20 years at GEC Avionics (now BAE SYSTEMS) writing the code for HUDs for C-17, F-5, F-16, EuroFighter and the fly-by-wire for B777, so hardware is not my forte (LOL). I've never been any good with my hands, didn't like woodwork or metalwork at school, jeez I've not even ever hung a picture!!! I find your videos quite amazing, with the ability to create prototypes and final products with the power and freedom a 3D Printer provides - it really is quite incredible seeing how far things have progressed in just a handful of years. I would love to give it a go as I do have 3D modelling experience from using Maxon Cinema 4D for home-made CGI. Maybe one day eh 😉

Thank you!

Thank you! some serious thought went into this!

Thank you so much 😀

Thanks Dale!

Cheers Old bean! catch up soon at the FSweekend!

Thank you, I certainly have a queue of videos lined up, so all should be good for a little while yet!

Hi Kevin, thank you for the kind words!

Hello and thank you. The 737 doesn't really exist right now, and soon will be completely disassembled ready for a much smaller single seat 737.

@@helimech8152 wish you all the best 🙏

Thank you! Cheers!

Sure i make sure a video is released when the final version is done! Thank you!

Hello, Big plans for this project, but i have few more i need to get out of the way first. Next update for the cyclic in a couple of weeks. The collective is already done, just the pedals to go ready for the release of helis on MSFS. Kind Regards, Karl

Thank you!

Thank you and feeling humbled!

Thank you! Files in the webshop.

Hello, That would probably be good for an aircraft control stick, but if you let go of a helicopter cyclic with force trim on, it will bounce until it finds equalibrum as most aircraft use linear spring feel units. The only change i have made since this video is to use stronger springs.

@@helimech8152 Air tension spring is a good choice However, the force calculation is more troublesome. It is convenient to increase and decrease the ordinary spring

Thank you!

Thank you, I imagine there will be a lot of revisions to go before the final version.

Hello and fantastic news that i manganged to give you some ideads to help create yopur own design. Afterall that was the purpose of my website and channel. To help those in the sim world and prove it dosnt cost a fortune to achieve pretty good results. Kind Regards, Karl

Thank you

Thank you, it's been a fun build so far and I have already made lots of new parts. Our return to Blighty has been pretty epic so far!

Hell o and thank you, Once my patreons have tested the design and MSFS releases its helicopters, i will place the design on the sebsite for download. Kind Regards, Karl

@@helimech8152 Thanks Karl. If you like helicopters you'd LOVE DCS. You really should give it a try. I'd guarantee the helicopters are far more realistic than anything MSFS will bring out.. IMHO...

Thank you!

Working on this project in the background, I didnt expect this mucgh intrest in the project. But it should be complete soon. Kidn regards, Karl

Thanks Mark, as you can probably tell, I was so happy this sort of worked first time around. Now the idea is proven, it's time now to make it better. Kind regards, Karl

@@helimech8152 I’m an ex helicopter pilot, so I’m glad you have actual experience worth the real thing. That’s going to make a huge difference. I mostly flew Hughes 300s so no hydraulics or fancy trim, but this looks like it’s going to be fantastic. Amazing first go mate!!

Hello, for the cessna, not yet as I always wanted a quick setup and for myself, I always planned on using my honeycomb alpha yoke

Hello, Collective done already, just the pedals to go!

There coming hopefully, Some guys great me some great ideas on how to improve certain parts, which i want to create before the next video!

Hi Mike, I was thinking about the series actuator. As you are quite right, that would be the third advantage of using a stepper. But autopilot output on MSFS is already quite tricky to read on some models, and I'm not sure how this will be when the helicopters come in on Nov 11th. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Kind Regards, Karl

@@helimech8152 Karl…..why limit this to MSFS?…..there are some very good Helo models available for P3D and both, I believe, use same type of offsets (never used MSFS) so guessing only. Also just a thought……is there any possibility that the stepper motors could overheat if the control is pushed and held there against the motor resistance without pressing the trim feel to neutralise the trim force??? Cheers!

Hi Mike, I only intend to use it with MSFS right now, but after all it's just a joystick and can be used on any platform. I was worried about stepper motor overheating, but I did actually leave it plugged in and on accidentally over the weekend. They were exceptionally hot when I realised. Still it was a good test, however, I have ordered some fans to help cool them for prolonged use.

Thank Mick! Lets hope those ideas keep coming! Kind regards, Karl

Hello, this system is completely independent of the sim. The force trim and all their operations are separate from the sim. It replicates the force feel of the helicopter. In a future update I will add autopilot input, but I have no idea how this would work in dcs

Hello Nick well spoted! I missed the postion take offs on purpose for version 1 as i didnt know if this desig waould work. Those steppers are now doing a job hey were never really designed for. A bit of lateral thinking and in all honesty I never expected it to work. V2 is now printed with Stick position transmitters included. Kind Regards, Karl

Hi Dennis, This was the purpose of the lkiner actuators in the 737 yoke. Instead this time i used steppers as the force is a lot lower.

Chuckle, I'm quite liking the UK right now, it makes things really easy to get hold of.

They are now out and done. Available on the website. Just this second uploaded the programming section.

Chuckle! No fluids in the cockpit!

Hello, it should work in all sims, as there is currently no sim interface. It's just a self powered joystick operated by mobiflight software. Thank you and kind regards Karl

Anything you can connect to your PC and is able to communicate with it would do the job. So why not? Add some sensors (pots, Halls) wire them to Arduino and you are done. Plenty of the codes for the joysticks for the Arduino boards are available.

Hello and thats a good technical question. the force is usually from a set point on the cyclic grip. but for sim building a tywrap arount the mid position of the grip will suffice. The 1 Kg force is from any point in the range with mag brake off. with trim engaged, the force in then icreased protptionaly to distance moved away from the datum (force feel). I hope that helps, Kind Regards, Karl.

@@helimech8152 Hey, would you mind sharing the dimensions of the springs you are using? I bought a cheap little box off amazon with a fairly great number of springs, but there isn't one single one (or even in a pair or quadruple) quite strong enough at zero deflection to even move the unconnected motors in a smooth manner, thus making the screws on the arms quite large, with 6 springs on each cyclic axis, and so far 4 on the pedals. I wouldn't necessarily buy just by your dimensions, but before ordering some stronger (and more expensive than that 10€ box) springs I would really like to know some real world tested values for their dimensions. Kind Regards, Julius.

@@helimech8152 Additionally, how much do you feel the steps of the stepper motor when moving the stick when force trim is released?

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I am currently trying to finish my cessna build. But the parts have already been printed for revision 2.

@@helimech8152 Excellent!

Hello, if you don't have a printer then this build is not for you. It would be cheaper to buy a printer than pay a 3rd party to produce it for you. The plans come from my website in the description. Kind regards, Karl

Head over to the GA build guides on the website. It's under the downloads menu. Kind regards karl

@@helimech8152 thank you for the response. I just found that part of the website last night.

Hello! Currently its the Creality CR10 v2.

@@helimech8152 thanks

Hello, collective already done. I modelled in on the 139. So it has no throttles. Creating a huey style would be a little more work getting the twist grips onto the new shaft.

Hello, Steppers are for a mag clutch and beep trim. The pots or Halls sensors are position reading devices.

Hi, Im working on it, But with current energy prices are printers are costing a fortune and thats just running them for protoyping. I need to invest in more solar panels to help keep costs down first i think. Kind regards, Karl

Hello, I have been thinking about the centre spot for a couple of ddays now, and yes its posible, but im not sure its needed. At the moment you would move the controls to the centre using the trim release. As a heli doesnt normally have self righting controls. But i do see the advantage of this method. It would be very simple to add a microswitch for self centring regardless if it's used it or not. As for dampers, they are fitted to some aircraft. and the steppers do act as dampers when in the off/unpowered mode as they do indeed self generate electricty. So the faster you move them, the more resistance is felt. If i was to apply hydraluics in a real aircraft and moved the cyclic away from neutral, and let go. The controls would bounce horrendously until they settled down. I have done this a few times during autopilot functionals, but you must remember that you have complete control systems, Swashplates and rotors that then move at above normally speeds and the sounds that come from the aircraft as they bounce are a little worrying! As for EMF, i have had no problems yet as generally when you move them, you un couple the steppers via the drivers which do have opto couplers in them. That said as people test the design, valuble feedback will be gained. The parts are currently in PLA for the steppers, they absoultey must be made from ABS to withstand the stepper hold current heat. I hope that helps answer some questions, Very intelliginat ones at that, hence the rather large reply back. Kind Regards, Karl

Hello, Head over to my website and the chat window. Link in the description. Kind regards, Karl

Thank you

Thank you!