Turn Your Desktop into a 172!

(Please Subscribe!). Flight sims have a come a long way and Dan and Christy find out from Alex Bykov how to turn a desktop into a flight simulator (using either Microsoft Flight Sim or X-Plane) and what it would take to get credit for training from the FAA on a home built sim.
Desktop Pilot: www.desktoppil...
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[@oleksandrbykov5480]

Great interview, thank you for having me and kudos to all considering building their own flight simulator at home!

[@TakingOff]

Our pleasure!

[@sky173]

I've been into flight sim since the late 80's. At this point, I couldn't live without it :). Great interview. Thanks for sharing.

[@gary5481]

Christy, as of today Monday 10 June, you have 4 days to go. I'm sure you're going to have a great time & won't be able to stop talking about the experience, once you've landed. Best wishes & I look forward to seeing the video of your jump.

[@glennwatson]

The reason why X-Plane is certifiable and MSFS (at least here in Australia) is partly due to the instructor console. A instructor console in X-Plane allows a instructor to simulate errors, move plane position, track the students approach and see how they are doing with glide slope and much more. I know here in Australia for certification CASA cares more about the training environment more than the graphics. Also those getting in flight sim, there are communities like VATSIM where real pilot train towards controller ratings so gives extra realism.

[@KevinSmithAviation]

Excellent episode Dan and Christy. I remember playing the original flight sim on the comador. I am blown away by the graphics of the new sims. I might have to look into a setup someday. Thank you for another very interesting topic. Keep up the excellent work. Safe skies my friends 🇺🇸🛩️

[@clarencewiles963]

They have a bundle for $854 that is amazing

[@iamthundermug]

This is awesome! I stopped the video when I heard him say who made this. I saw the price for different setups. Not cheap, but well worth it! Even flight sim enthusiasts can probably afford it.

[@oleksandrbykov5480]

That's the whole idea - get yourself into it and enjoy simming without need to use keyboard and mouse!

[@CessSim]

Great video guys, and makes me proud of having a fully enclosed setup.

[@pilotdesktop]

Thanks, Dan, Alex, and Christy! Great interview 👏. This episode was fantastic and very informative. Great job! 😃

[@skippychurch2965]

Ordered today from desktop pilot, and sm excited to start piecing these all together 😊. I wish there was some sort of thing you could install these INTO

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Nice video, i have seen several of my students benefit from home sim training. Thanks for exploring the topic!

[@paratyshow]

👍✅Christy fell in love 🤣Fantastic products👏

[@GaryMCurran]

Christy,
You were on the low side for what might be considered an Advanced FTD for home use. Now, I’m not the FAA, nor have I downloaded the circular, but to do it up right for a home sim, you’re going to be in the neighborhood of about $10,000.
Alright, the bundle for a Cessna 172 or 182 from Desktop Pilot is $854, and includes vernier Throttle/Prop/Mixture or vernier Carb Heat/Throttle/Mixture. I will also include the ignition panel, Flaps panel, Trim Wheet, Parking Brake and a Fuel Tank Selector panel.
The computer is going to require the Ryzen 7 CPU, that’s $340, you’ll probably want 64 gigs of RAM, that’s $250-300, $220 for an ASUS B650-A motherboard. You’ll need TWO video cards, figure $700 for two AMD Radeon RX6800 cards. You’ll need a power supply. I would recommend a MINIMUM of a 1000 watt unit. Make sure you get an 80+ Gold and personally, I like Seasonic. You can get that for $170. Get a no-frills Lian-Li case. You can get a non-illuminated one for $100. You’ll need some storage, so I would recommend a couple of SATA interface SSDs. You can get two 4TB Western Digital Blue SSDs for about $270 each, or a couple of Samsung 870 QVO for $330 each.
The mother board should have sound built in, but I would recommend a 5.1 surround speaker system for better immersion. Logitech has one for $425.
Monitors. You’ll want three, a larger 34” for the front view, and then two smaller one for the side view. Gigabyte offers a 34” curved 3440x1440 curved gaming monitor for $320. You can get two 27” Gigabyte monitors for $220 each, which are 2560x1440.
Now, here’s the real expense comes in. A RealSimGear G1000 suite is (on sale) for $2,200. That will give you both G1000 screens and the Autopilot control panel in the center.
Next, you need something to put it in. Stay Level Avionix provides the panel. Steve Thorne (FlightChops) uses Stay Level With the stuff you would have from DeskTopPilot, you probably would need to have a custom panel made, which I believe they will do. Expect that to run you $1,500+ (for a custom panel).
You need a Yoke. FliteSim.com has just released a force feedback yoke. I think the introductory price is $800, but the reviews I’ve seen on it so far have been very positive. Again, you would need to work with Stay Level to build the panel with that.
You’ll need rudder pedals. Thrustmaster has you coverd and you can spend anywhere from $140 to $600 or so, depending on how realistic you want to go.
This just covers the basics, I’m sure you’d want to add some other stuff to it as well.
Total price of ‘the basics’ to build what would amount to an ‘Advanced Level Flight Training Device’ for home use (and again, I’m not the FAA) will run you about $9,700 plus tax and shipping. Then, of course, you’ll need to add all the software, I didn’t include that, any add-ons for MSFS if that’s the way you go, scenery, airplanes, etc. On top of all of that, you need to build the system, furniture, etc.
Dan, as to a Motion Base, DOF Reality makes one, but I don’t think you’d be able to integrate the Stay Level panel and other stuff into it. Price is under $7,000 before add-ons.

[@oleksandrbykov5480]

Nice comment and good numbers, except - single GPU such as 7900/XTX or 4080 would suffice, paired with 7800X3D, 32RAM would do, B650 given, monitors - to each their own, avionics - good point you have, Desktoppilot bundle at $854 covers all required controls except yoke and rudder which come soon as well, amount invested is considerable and in return brings very effective trainer for all kinds of scenarios

[@GaryMCurran]

@@oleksandrbykov5480 Insofar as I'm aware, for three monitors and the G1000 suite, you need FIVE monitor ports. You might be able to use monitor ports of the motherboard, but I don't know if you can get five. That's why I recommended two video cards. If you're using the same manufacturer, you're going to get the same quality.
Also, will the yoke be a force-feed back yoke? Honeycomb Alpha, so I'm told, is a nice yoke, but there's just something about having a force feedback yoke for realistic feel, especially in trimming the airplane.

[@glennwatson]

@@GaryMCurran There is iPad based G1000 solutions that don't up your GPU.

[@gfar4964]

Embraer 175 by X-crafts for Xplane 12

[@lynwoodjones]

🤘

[@casstephens3124]

False. Msfs is multi threaded and multi cpu. He still references 2010 feelings that xplane flight dynamics are better. But! The way way msfs interacts with the wind. Xplane never made me feel the way I felt departing 1d2 in a real Cherokee, like MSFS.,
And remember all. Neither xplane or msfs are loggable hours for ifr training. Certified xplane or not, the controls for home use aren't. Though they are great for scans, and procedure practice.

[@oleksandrbykov5480]

AC 61-136B disagrees with you - once you have FAA Letter of Approval - either Basic or Advanced Aviation Training Device allows you to log up to 20hrs towards you Instrument rating and keep your IR currency, MSFS unfortunately doesnt meet FAA requiremnts, but Xplane Professional - does

[@casstephens3124]

@@oleksandrbykov5480 Ive seen that list. and Im sure Logitech, Honeycomb, and CHProducts arent on that list. After you get approval, isnt the same as many out here in Sim world, assuming because Xplane is certified, their entire home Simpit is approved to log those SIM hours.