OFF THE DRAWING BOARD UP-DATE  

  SPITFIRE 

   SIMULATOR 

    PROJECT

         THIS BULLETIN LATEST UP-DATE October 2008

click to see flight test report

ALL DEVELOPMENT WORK AND PRODUCTION TOOLING FOR THE PRIMARY CONTROLS IS COMPLETE AND WE HAVE NOW SUPPLIED SEVERAL CONTROL SYSTEMS TO OUR CUSTOMERS  

 

WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP COCKPIT COMPONENTS AND ADDITIONS  

  PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN READY FOR THE FIRST DISPLAY AT THE  

  LONDON AIR SHOW APRIL 2006

 

The above photos show the control system in it’s almost completed format. Ready for display at the London Air Show   (April 21st – 23rd). All the electronics interfacing has yet to be added, together with the undercarriage lever control module 

 

THIS IS THE MOST REALISTIC AND, AVAILABLE TO YOU, SET OF SPITFIRE CONTROLS EVER PRODUCED TO COMPLIMENT THE ADVANCED PC SOFTWARE THAT IS CONSTANTLY BEING UPDATED AND IMPROVED TOWARDS EVER GREATER DEGREES OF REALISM.    

 
 
 

IN THE BACKGROUND, THE PICTURE SHOWS THE FIRST OPERATIONAL  SET OF PROTOTYPE CONTROLS THAT WERE DEMONSTRATED AT THE 2005 PFA RALLY AND ALSO WENT ON DISPLAY AT THE 2005 BRISTOL FLIGHT SIMULATION SHOW. 

THESE CONTROLS HAD ALL THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS WORKING, BUT NO TRIM OR UNDERCARRIAGE FACILITY  WAS INSTALLED. THIS UNIT IS STILL BEING USED AS PART OF THE ONGOING TEST AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

IN THE FOREGROUND OF THE PICTURE IS A VIEW OF THE LATER VERSION INCORPORATING PART OF THE OPTIONAL LIVE TRIM MECHANISM. THIS HAS HAS YET TO HAVE THE OIL DISPLACEMENT AND ELECTRONICS COMPONENTS FITTED.  

UNDERCARRIAGE CONTROLS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AS AN ADDITIONAL OPTION
THIS IS A VIEW FROM DIRECTLY ABOVE THE PARTLY ASSEMBLED CONTROL COLUMN AND LIVE TRIM MECHANISM SHOWING THE AUTHENTICALLY DIMENSIONED AND POSITIONED TRIM WHEEL THAT HAS BEEN CAST IN ALUMINUM FROM OUR OWN MOULD. 

THE PICTURE ALSO SHOWS THE TOP SPROCKET THAT CONNECTS THE AILERON CONTROLS SPADE GRIP VIA A ROLLER LINK CHAIN AS IN THE ORIGINAL AIRCRAFT.  

A FULLY FUNCTIONAL THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND PROP PITCH LEVER QUADRANT FITS DIRECTLY INTO THE PEDESTAL TUBE IN FRONT OF THE TRIM WHEEL MOUNT.

TOP OF CONTROL COLUMN SHOWING CHAIN SPROCKET MOUNTED ON BALL ROLLER BEARING EXACTLY AS FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION SPITFIRE 

SAME BEARING WITH ALL PARTS FITTED, INCLUDING SPADE GRIP AND CHAIN GUARDS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THAT THE CONTROLS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT AND IS THE PRIME REASON FOR THE INCREDIBLY REALISTIC FEEL THAT WILL BE EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT DURING A SIMULATED FLIGHT

 

 PROGRESS UP-DATE FOR JANUARY 2006

During the last month of 2005 we made steady progress in constructing the many individual parts, including the major castings and fabrications for the TRIM and UNDERCARRIAGE controls  The project has  now moved forward from our prototype and test mock-ups, to the actual manufacturing of the main component parts that will go together to make up the full set of cockpit controls.  

Below is a, yet to be finished, full size trim wheel as produced from the final casting process together with some of the other parts that go with the trim and column  mechanisms.  

 

 

PROGRESS UP-DATE FOR APRIL 2006

Since the last up-date, much time has been spent on perfecting the trim system together with it's interconnecting linkages and mechanisms. REAL LOAD RELIEF TRIMMING is one of the most difficult elements to build into flight simulation controls, and is usually avoided by most builders. Ironically, trimming an aircraft in real world flight only involves a relatively simple mechanical system. Achieving this in the virtual world generated by your computer is far more complicated and involves some special innovative engineering. 

  Although we intend to offer the REAL FEEL TRIM CONTROL facility as an option to anyone ordering the control system, It is important to understand and appreciate that the ability to trim flight controls is an essential and integrated part of flying any real aircraft and is a function that is constantly in need of adjustment by the pilot during the duration of any flight. 

  Gaining an advantage over the enemy aircraft prior to engagement often involved flying the Spitfire up to an attack altitude that could take in excess of twenty minutes or more to achieve. This is one of the many occasions when trimming off the load produced back through the controls to the pilots arms becomes essential in helping to reduce the high workload experienced by the pilot when flying a fighter aircraft.   

The two photos below show the trim system just prior to final adjustment

 
The above photo shows all primary function assembles fitted together. Since these photos were taken the undercarriage control lever box has been added and many of the smaller parts have also been finished and installed.

Below is a view of the pedal carrier frame ready to have the authentically reproduced pedals fitted. The pedals have full oil displacement resistance built in    
Like just about every part of this project, you can't go out and easily find or buy a pair of authentic Spitfire pedals, and even if you could they would only fit into the original real Spit. The only way is to just get down to lots of painstaking hours hand crafting work and make your own casting plugs and patterns  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
In order to get the pedals to be part of the total unique simulation experience they, along with all the original controls have had to be faithfully replicated in physically accurate form and feel, along with interrelated and original positioning  so that the wow element is immediately felt when the pilot places hands and feet on them. 

Achieving this credible first experience is difficult enough, but it is only half of the total task.  In order to bring it all to life, all this once state of the art, but now aging control system has to sit on top of today's state of the art mechanics and interfacing technology so that it can mate with your PC and enable the virtual pilot to get as close to what it must have been like to fly this real legend of the sky.  

Having been lucky enough to spend some time sitting in the cock pit of a real Spitfire, I can tell you without any reservations that we have created the nearest you are ever likely to get to being there.  Unless of course you happen to have access to a real one. 

 

Below is the latest addition to the main cockpit controls, So what can you say about a landing gear control? Well, see for your self, it is exactly like the real thing and  it's built to the same quality as the rest of the controls we provide.

 

 

         CLICK TO SEE PRICE LIST OPTIONS 

THE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED, AND IS BEING BUILT BY BILL TREZISE AND JON FELLOWS, TWO ENGINEERS WHO ARE 

UNRESERVEDLY PROUD OF THEIR COUNTRY'S ENGINEERING HISTORY, AND OF ALL THE GREAT ENGINEERS WHO 

PIONEERED THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW, AND INNOVATIVE  WAYS TO MAKE THINGS WORK. THIS PROJECT IS OUR 

CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS KEEPING THAT HISTORY IN THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY.    

VISIT THIS PAGE REGULARLY TO SEE FURTHER PROGRESS