747 Captain's Column Yoke

[David Anderson]

Hi Hardy, or anyone who may be able to help me,

I am a newcomer to the PSX10 and also posting online, but had been using the old flight simulator PS 1.2 for a number of years a while back. Just getting reacquainted back into things again now.

What I am looking for to enhance the flight simulation experience amongst other things is, a 747 Captain's Column Yoke with motorized auto pilot following. A tall order you might say.

I have looked almost exhaustively online and although there seems to be plenty of 737 Yokes, mainly non motorized versions, the 747 version's are extremely rare, and it seemed that ACE was really the only supplier which I don't think trade anymore, a company which has also acquired some bad reviews in recent times.

I have contacted one or two other companies just recently, and there just doesn't seem to be a market for the 747 Yokes anymore, probably due to lack of demand.

However, I have recently been in contact with a firm that could do a 737 Yoke fully motorized with autopilot following, but the product is specifically designed for compatibility with the 737NG software, and I have been advised that compatibility with 747 software may be limited.

In the absence of being able to obtain a 747 Yoke, motorized or not, (unless someone out there knows otherwise) I may consider the 737 Yoke with the full autopilot movement, but the question really is: What would need to be done to change and adapt it from the 737 format so that it would operate efficiently and effectively  on the 747 program? I know very little about this side of things.

Would the PSX10 even support this type of accessory? What would need to be done or included in the setting up arrangement for this Yoke to be compatible specifically with the 747 PSX software? 

I am still continuing to look around at the moment, but as I can see, the options seem to be very limited.

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions that anyone might have on the forum

Many thanks

David

     

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

It is a hard fact that nothing on the planet works like PSX in terms of controlling the accessories. PSX, although it has limited USB support, has been constructed from the start with integration with hardware cockpits in mind. This means that it has significantly more, but also different, networking capabilities than anything else out there.

Your best bet would be if the 737 yoke manufacturer would release the technical specs of their motor control unit so that one of our resident PSX-aware programmers can write the necessary software to adapt it to PSX.

Since the yokes of Boeing aircraft are quite compatible at the look-and-feel level, if the result is passable as a 747 yoke, then the market may be just big enough (for PSX owners looking for a motorized yoke) to offset the manufacturer's efforts in getting it supported.

We have seen cases in the past where a manufacturer donated or loaned a product to a PSX developer to get it supported on PSX. It all depends on their idea of their market.

Hoppie

[David Anderson]

Thank you for your response on this, Hoppie.

That could very well be a possibility as regards writing the necessary software to adapt it to PSX.

as you say, I would have to ask them to release the technical spec, but I'm sure that wouldn't be too much of a problem for them if they think it will result in a sale.

I would also have to be sure that the new software to adapt it to PSX could definitely be written because of the expense involved in the purchase of a piece of equipment such as this.

I shall hold off for a short while to see if anyone else responds with any other ideas before I make any definite decisions.  Like the suggestion though.

David