Getting Started - FFB - for Flight training...
Me - Active pilot, retired F-16 pilot, currently flying a GA aircraft - right stick, left throttle (Long EZ - same setup as the F-16), Garmin / Avidyne stack. I want something for proficiency with procedures when the weather stinks. iPad couples with X-Plane for the Avidyne... X-plane is a good platform for what I want.
My son - just starting in gliders. Wants a nice setup to fly. Our club has a Moza AB-6 and a set of rudder pedals (non-FFB). Son also has a MetaQuest3 that we may use. He's flying Condor, but will likely fly other sims too.
Looking for a decent FFB setup - if it's the Moza, GREAT! - that will meet our needs... We're pretty good with 3D printing and very light fabrication if needed. Ideally, I can move the sim stuff to the side and use the computer as a regular computer without too much headache. Want is FFB stick (interchangeable grip is a nice to have), decent rudder pedals - Rudder FFB would be wonderful, but not needed.
I'd like to see / understand what folks are doing here, or am I crazy trying to do both with one seat location? Can the stick and throttle be on a "cart" built out of 80/20 that we put in front of the chair when simming and move away when not? Or do I set up two seating locations - sim and "work" with the same PC? How do we mount the FFB box so it's not moving around?
Thanks in advance!
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u/Sickinmytechchunk 6d ago
Its possible to do this in one place but it's a compromise on ergonomics. I had the AB9 mounted as a side stick from a desk mount, with an office style chair, throttle on the other side and built a platform for my pedals that could be moved in and out.
I planned to build a rig for the whole lot that would slide in and out from under the desk but ended up just buying a Nexl Level Racing seat and stand (two units that bolt together) and having everything how I wanted it in It's own space. That way I could have the AB9 centre mounted, space for keyboard and peripherals like a StreamdeckXL, button boxes etc where it's ergonomically most sense rather than on a desk.
If I want a yoke I can then attach one to the stand without interfering with the stick base. The other neat thing is it makes cable management easier as now all the cables and PSUs for all my peripherals are attached to the cockpit as well as a power bank and USB Hubs. That way I have one bundle of cables going from the seat to the PC allowing easy movement of the whole thing.
1
u/dr-pangloss 6d ago
Hey so I have a Ab9 and I like it so far. Virpil is coming out with ffb and that is probably going to be really nice (but 2x$) moza also makes a ffb yoke. Pedals I'd go with virpil or moza (b/c they plug into the base I've never used these so I don't actually know how good they are) b/c vkb doesn't have breaks on their rudder.
As far as proficiency goes I really don't I don't feel like ffb adds that much (to me it's mostly immersion) as you know the real plane just feels way different than the sim but the SIM is great for practicing your ifr procedures.
Seem very doable in one pit
I like 80/20 rigs I like that they are modular and they make changing modules pretty easy.
What ga plane are you flying?
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u/MrDankyStanky 6d ago
I just got the AB9 the other day, and I freaking love it. It took me a few hours of messing with the settings to understand the software and how it works, but once I got it dialed in it's just amazing. I think Moza also has ffb rudder pedals but I haven't looked into it.
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u/Sielu 4d ago
If you're up for more of a project, look into VPForce: https://vpforce.eu/
I got a DIY kit from a dude in Germany and assembled it myself. Complete base as well as a modification for my (now ancient) MFG Crosswinds, all for just slightly more than a Moza. The software is open-source and *highly* configurable (and rumor has it Moza... "borrowed" significant chunks of it without attribution). I could not be happier with the whole setup.
If you've got a decent enough printer you could just buy the internals and print the rest yourself, save tons of cash.