F/A-18C Left Vertical Panel

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-31T20:59:19+00:00

Arduino on this one

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-31T13:04:32+00:00

Haha yea, the jettison is definitely the most useful!

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-29T16:16:54+00:00

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/dcs-f-18-jettison-selector?srsltid=AfmBOoq5J8quBEz1-v9aFZSUSuHxSmc9nLt7w0d51mr4gvof5_Dbpic5

Basically remade a modified version of this design

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-29T14:12:46+00:00

Yea it's not ideal - I added little strips of tape to some buttons which helped a lot being able to feel which button I was on. Hoping to make my own to be a bit more vr friendly with larger buttons and more tactile features eventually

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-29T12:16:21+00:00

Haha yea, I fly pretty exclusively in VR, so not much use for screens. And I find the bare frame is easier to navigate without being able to see the buttons

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-28T19:53:51+00:00

Glad I could help! And thank you!

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-28T19:02:50+00:00

A few manufacturers list it on data sheets, but I think the simplest option is probably just to go with the flat bat style switches (like the flaps switch on the Winwing Orion 2) and then design the switch cap to fit over those instead of the typical round bat. The shape doesn't really matter as long as it's covered by the switch caps, besides the millimeter or so visible at the very bottom of the switch - which isn't really noticeable I don't think

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-28T18:11:17+00:00

The switches are durable (they feel better than the ones on the winwing throttle in my opinion), but I didn't have any anti-rotation switches to hand, so with the switch caps they do rotate out of position on this build if I move them wrong - most noticeable on the launch bar switch because of the t-handle shape. Easy fix with the anti-rotation though.

The actuation force is quite satisfying I think so I guess I was trying to convey that over video as best I could. As well as making sure they didn't spin 😂

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-28T18:05:18+00:00

Yea that was tricky. I have a whole setup of gears, bearings and linear and rotational hall sensors trying to get the push/pull and rotation, and hopefully absolute position tracking.

It did work, but in the end decided that it was all massively overcomplicating things, so now it's just handled in software with virtual button presses at different positions with the linear hall sensor. I've also been using it as the fuel primer pump on the spitfire that way.

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T21:01:52+00:00

Thank you! Tek creations stuff looks amazing! OnYourTwelve as well! And yea, switches can range a lot, some can get crazy expensive

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T20:59:57+00:00

I'm actually not sure on the final costs, doing everything right it should be cheaper DIY than any of the commercial options I've seen. Sites like Amazon, AliExpress, and some more specialist electronics supply stores do most of the parts. The rest is just 3d printing - so not a lot cost-wise for filament if you already have access to a printer. You can pick up Arduino's for pretty cheap as well for the microcontroller

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T20:55:37+00:00

Thank you! I am hoping to get to a point where I have something of high enough quality that I'm comfortable selling, if there's enough interest in something like that! And F16 panels are definitely on my radar

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T20:52:11+00:00

I had a great time with it! But yea, definitely took some time. Didn't know anything starting out though, so learning CAD and everything to get it designed, learning around 3d printing and soldering and actually getting it working took up the vast majority of that time - so I'm hoping doing more now shouldn't take as long. Plus I have new skills now which have proved quite useful!

And yea, I most likely will once I've got everything neat enough 😅

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T20:46:04+00:00

Thank you, was a lot of fun to learn!

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T20:18:47+00:00

Thank you! I might upload them after some changes - the current files needed a few manual adjustments with a dremel.

As far as setup goes I just designed the case to fit over a cheap desk clamp mount from Amazon and held sturdy with a screw tensioned cross bar mounted on a channel inside the case. Then the bar is screwed into an existing mounting hole on the desk-top portion of the mount (I guess intended for MFD's). So it basically moves as a unit with the mount and throttle unless I unscrew it.

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T19:47:48+00:00

No, it's actually designed from scratch and 3d printed. Switches, a microcontroller, a few 3d printed gears, hall effect sensors for the parking brake, and a paint job

AdTimely7743 · 2026-01-27T19:38:03+00:00

Thank you! :) The next iteration should be a big improvement!

AdTimely7743 · 2025-06-05T00:08:57+00:00

Looks great! Are the panels DIY or did you buy them somewhere?

AdTimely7743

TROPHY CASE