You Can 3D Print This Fighter Jet Joystick - Century Series B-8 Grip Assembly DCS F-4 Phantom
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2023
- A year in the making, released for free to the community under CC Attribution. Please Subscribe for more cool stuff!
This is a functional 3D print for a PC Joystick Grip compatible with the Thrustmaster Warthog Base and Virpil Mongoose/WarBRD Base. It is a highly accurate replica of the real grip used in many "Century Series" aircraft and Helicopters from the F-4 Phantom to the F-5 Tiger to the UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Cobra and many, many more!
Wiring guide: • Free 3D Printed F-4 Ph...
I began working on this project a year ago when Heatblur Simulations announced they are working on an F-4 Phantom module in DCS World, a high fidelity combat flight simulator. I scanned a real B-8 grip and built a 3D model in Blender. Over the last year I have printed about 30 grips in different configurations to ensure a model that is easy to print, easy to assemble, and finally, easy to build!
More projects are on the way - I am also working on an F-5E Throttle, and other F-4 Phantom (Late) Grips for the F-4E and F-4J. Future files may be put up on cults for a small charge as this does take a lot of my time! Keep in touch with me on social @TheSimNet.
Questions? Email me at questions@thesimnet.com
Files and full BOM available here: www.thingiverse.com/thing:576...
A year (at least) of painstaking accuracy in CAD, watching grainy old videos to pick out details, printing and wasting filament through failures, soldering and desoldering and rewiring and sanding and spraying and testing....
TO GIVE THIS AWAY FOR FREE.
You are an awesome person, genuinely wanting us all to enjoy this habit. Thank you!
Too many people charge for STL files, every design I've ever made, I've made free..you get people taking free STL files and printing and selling simple prints on eBay etc at silly prices..IMO *ALL* STL files should be free 🤷♂️..it boosts the 3D printing community.. as this guy demonstrates there are other ways to bring revenue .
Fantastic stuff. An A4 Skyhawk variant would be great too.
nice i have to finish my F18 throtle here....
Great job
Nice! ...Thanks, you rock!
Awesome work, well done. Thank you for sharing. I've been looking for ideas on how to get the Alps into a hat and I like your approach.
Great abnd nice job
Thank you very much!
Very nicely done. Thanks for making the model available!
It's my pleasure! Can't wait to see what people make!
Amazing work, thanks for sharing
My pleasure, thank you for subscribing! Plenty more to come soon. Cheers!
Neat
Good job! 😀
Absolutely love it! I think it'll go great with my open source big stick project! Looking forward to printing it!
That's awesome! Just checked out your video on that - looks great! I think you and I have a lot in common haha
@@thesimnet You should also checkout openhornet. The F/A-18 grip is one of the very last pieces of the cockpit not yet really done ( I photoscanned a TM grip years ago for it) and now it's just a solid body but I am wondering if you could transfer some of your work on the B-8 grip into it
@@TomCHall-ifm I can absolutely give that a try!
Excellent work and thanks for sharing!
I can really appreciate the time, effort, research, (and PLA) that went into this having just completed a similar project myself (Spitfire rudder pedals).
Your work is really first rate!
Means a lot Phil, thank you! Authentikit was and is a huge inspiration for this whole project - you and your whole team have put in countless thoughtful hours into bringing truly magical immersive experiences to the community. I would have reached out sooner to collaborate, but since I don't use CAD (I freehand model in blender) I wasn't sure if the models would be up to the standard of quality that I have seen from your end!
@@thesimnet Phil Hulme is the true genius behind Authentikit! I am very pleased to play a small role in his project.
Great work!
You are a legend good sir!
@@thesimnet It is great to see that this PCB design is still used.
I was looking for some older grip on Thingiverse, but this project overwritten it for me.
Just a historical note - as Korean and Vietnam war gave fairly solid supply of these types of grips to the communist block, I guess that Soviet Union did not have to rely on pictures to model their own variety
This is awesome. The B-8 grip is a classic, and it's great to see someone reproduce it accurately. I may print one just to compare it to my B-8 grips. It looks damn near perfect, though.
I think the wiring is a pretty key part of the assembly, and I'm interested to know more about how this all works together. I assume you solder on leads long enough to come out the bottom, and then you just plug them into the board and stuff it all back in?
I have a few real "dual header" grip versions (couple of S-61 grips and an H-53 grip). Note that on these, the mounting boss for the hat switch protrudes out of the stick to a greater extent than the B-8/MC-2 grips, so unfortunately, it's not as easy as simply mirroring the top of a B-8 grip. I can get you pics if you want them. That said, your version is probably actually more comfortable than the real thing (because the hat protrudes out more, it's more awkward to use) and an ambidextrous one is always a plus. Absolutely fantastic option for people.
Have you determined the maximum force and bending moment the grip can take? I have a Virpil CM2 (original version) with the stiffest springs to better emulate the real thing. It broke the tail piece in my TM warthog grip (though that was also old and fatigued). I ended up having to turn and mill an aluminum replacement. I suppose a custom metal tailpiece is an option for this grip as well (for those who have the required tools).
Thank you so much! Always open to feedback, it is very much a "living" design with many changes over the last few months.
I would absolutely love pics of grips, my email is questions@thesimnet.com if you want to send them that way!
I have not tested the maximum force, mostly because I have not wanted to damage my Virpil Mongoose base - I haven't had any issues so far but at the end of the day nothing beats a metal tail piece, to be sure.
@@thesimnetcheck out Erik’s YT shorts to see a gimbal what would eat TM pot metal for breakfast
@@rightrudderleftstick Wow that's a beast!
Thank you again for uploading the F-5 variant of STL files. An F-5 specific question: did you intend some specific 3 way switch for the dogfight FWD / AFT function of F-5? I've noticed you did in fact include a 3D hat model specifically for that location.
Btw., as you talked about other versions - would you consider to change shaft on the left side for i.e. 4-way+push switch? (not the one left to the HAT already there but below it).
In that case it would be fairly easy to choose configuration - either simple button or multifunctional one.
Good job man! I wonder if you can export the files for solidworks or a left hand design? Thank you very much in advance!
I 3D printed your masterpiece and it looks amazing! the grip pattern had trouble printing however on the sides of the joystick. how did you manage to print it so perfectly! printer settings?
Since this is compatible with virpil. I would assume we can also make heads for the collective like a Uh1
Sorry for being a cheap ass, but right after accepting the price of that 4-way ALPS switch I've noticed the momentary switches are $10 EACH. I need to find some cheaper equivalent. Hell, looking at the prices of various other switches I need I WILL look into actually making some switches from scratch.
Almost completed first build :) Got a little issue with the trim hat and the ALPS RKJXT1F42001. The trim hat is not holding onthe 4-way alps switch. On the 3D part it's a full circle while on the alps it's half one, did i do something wrong ? Printed the wrong file or ordered the wrong alps 4-way ?
Thank you for this great project.
Would have preferred a split body, like ghe original, so I could make a cast to make a metal version..a split would also better allow to work inside and could more easily invert to make a left hand stick
Hi Rob, I'm working on a revised version of the grip with more consistent wall thickness. Once that is complete I can certainly include a split version like the old thrustmaster B-8 version. Great idea - thank you for the suggestion. A metal version would be very very cool!
@@thesimnet thanks pal 👍
Awesome work, just one thing i cant understand is why you exporting stl files in so small resolution when you spending so much time on modeling and then it looks litle bit ugly becose of it
One question: What springs did you use for the trigger, I can't find any the right size.
How difficult would it be to add a paddle switch lever to this?
I have tried twice to print the grip, but doesnt work. I have check de STL with other programs and 3d printing vendors, and it seems that the STL has issues on walls. Is it possible for you to check if the STL is ok? Thanks.
On the 4 way switch: the BOM lists ALPS RKJXT1F42001 which has a built-in rotary encoder. Doesn't it get in the way, by rotating unintendedly for example?
I have not had any issues with unintentional rotation using the round trim hat, however I can imagine if that were swapped out there may be some rotation. I have also uploaded an alternative Hat assembly based on tact switches
is there an easy way to increase wall thickness? My 3d printer can't handle the stl files from thingiverse. Might it be because of detail level settings during model export to stl?
Hi there! I have heard the thickness feedback from a few folks now - I am working on a revised model which will maintain a consistent wall thickness going forward. I am still testing but I am aiming to release this summer along with an updated video.
@@thesimnet awesome. Thank you
Where can I buy one assembled?
I know this likely wont be seen but will you ever make a control panel for the F4?
My intention is to (eventually) build and release plans for an entire front and rear seat F-4 pit mounted on a 6-DOF platform.
It will probably take a couple of years! But in the near term, my intention is to make simpit versions of all of the major controls for the F-4E. So that includes stick, throttle, front panel, sidestick controller, and many of the WSO controls for the back.
I am so hyped - Phantoms Phorever!
@thesimnet oh sweet! I've put thought intto a pilot and WSO station but I hag enough one to be my WSO and also I'm way too broke and stupid to know how to make a Phantom set up
id buy one if you were selling
I'm about to submit the model to a printing service. Is there any chance you'll be uploading the F-5E version of the grip soon?
Hello, the files have been uploaded with the new grip! Cheers!
I myself recently sat in an Phantom at a airforce hanger in Greece. Im busting my University's balls to use their 3D printer just so i have a reminder of that moment xD. I couldn’t have done it without you, can’t thank you enough.
Quick question, how long does it take to print? Im new to 3D printing, and my first print will be this piece of art.
Hey my pleasure, that's what this is all about, a piece of history! It usually takes about 8-9 hours on my Voxelab Aries printer, so it's mostly an overnight job!
What would its overall dimensions be?@@thesimnet
@@Not_Avalible0 Roughly 16cm x 10cm x 6cm
Waitin for u f14 grip if u wanna made
This is a great one from Active Media! th-cam.com/video/2TEIpgcZW-w/w-d-xo.html
Could i put this in my car?
Voce poderia me enviar o arquivo mestre? pois eu nao preciso de tantos botões...
Theres zero chance of getting that custom pcb outside the USA as I am, so couldn't I just use an arduino micro ?
I'm outside the USA as well, but generally speaking yes you can use an arduino! I use one flashed with the RR joystick code for a version that I have put on top of a MSFFB II base, and I just run a separate cord out. As for interfacing an arduino directly with a thrustmaster/Virpil base, I have not personally tried that.
@@thesimnet thanks, good to know 👍
I’m also interested in a fully assembled F-15E joystick I’m not on discord…..
Hello, please send me an email at questions@thesimnet.com
Walls are very thin, especially at the top
You can modify the STL and re-share it providing credits for the creator of the original project.
Thank you for the feedback - I will revise the build in the future to ensure consistent thickness. For what it is worth, as-is I have not had any issues even with daily use
@@thesimnet you should try and keep the interior of the model as solid as possible, only space for the wires/buttons and let the infill do the rest strength wise
I had some middle school Tech Ed students print this in ABS. They are pretty bright and trouble shot the printer to make it work. Yes, there are thin places in the thumb and pinkie button housings as well as the trigger housing that cracked. Their solution is to fix with CA glue. I’m not sure they understand how to adjust the model to thicken the walls in specific places. I’m not fluent enough to adjust myself. Crash course time for me. Otherwise this is a great stick.