FlightSim Three — the VR PortaSim — is shown here set up next to the FlightSim One pod. We created the VR PortaSim in response to a request to present our flight simulators at an Experimental Aircraft Association chapter meeting at an airport about sixty miles from our chapter’s location. We decided to fly the equipment there in a Vans RV-10 aircraft, so needed to make all of the pieces easily transportable in an aircraft baggage compartment. In the above picture, Sim Team member Anthony Duran Moreno is explaining its design and function to a “teach the teachers” class in May of 2023.
FlightSim Three has components we have used before: a gaming laptop computer, a gaming joystick and throttle quadrant, and rudder pedals, with the ability to either use the laptop screen or the HP Reverb G2 virtual reality headset. A wooden laptop stand with a pull-out shelf holding the joystick and throttle quadrant attaches to a 34 inch fold-in-half card table, and the card table legs hold a piece of plywood with the rudder pedals screwed to it to keep them from moving.
Our decision to create a minimalist VR flight simulator followed from our accumulated experience with the full motion FlightSim Two VR design. The motorized moving platform has proved to be a powerful sensory experience, but also has some drawbacks:
- The platform and its associated machinery is very heavy; nearly 350 pounds with computer, motors, platform drive and suspension components, and controls.
- With a gaming computer that itself draws nearly 1000 watts, the motors and associated power supplies combined to create a current draw of about 18 amps at 120 volts, enough to trip the circuit breakers of a normal 15 amp home lighting circuit. We had to rewire the EAA chapter hangar to provide more electrical capacity after having Sim sessions interrupted by tripped breakers.
- The footwell of the motion platform is not large enough to accommodate rudder pedals, and it cannot be enlarged without interfering with the pitch motor actuator at the front of the unit.
- The sequence of having users familiarize themselves with the flight controls before “losing sight of their hands” in the VR headset, combined with the need to suspend VR viewing while launching the BFF platform control app, proved to be a lot of hardware and software complexity for volunteers who staffed the platform during our chapter events. We had to use a detailed step by step checklist to ensure each step was done in the proper sequence.
- The parking rails which were essential to having a stable platform for users to get on and off of the platform had to be fully lowered before starting the platform motors, or mechanical overload of the platform would occur and this would stretch the actuator chains, requiring ‘heavy maintenance’ to be done readjusting the hold-down bolts.
- We discovered that when users crashed a plane in the Microsoft flight simulator (either by accident or on purpose), the FSUIPC software and BFF control software would sometimes develop unpredictable platform control responses after the crash that required rebooting all of the involved software programs.
- Most importantly, as we knew when beginning the full motion simulator construction, about 85% of the experience of a VR full motion simulator comes from the eyes, not the “seat of the pants”. So VR goggles alone are enough to make an impressive flight experience. Thus a portable, lightweight VR equipped laptop is a winning combination for both novice and expert users.
Last update: May 23, 2023
The Sim Project 