2023/05/30 – Building a Flight Simulator: Monty’s Instrument Panel

• by Blog Bot
• June 1, 2023

Are you ready for takeoff? Monty certainly is. At House4Hack’s Tuesday evening meetup, he’s been hard at work building an instrument panel for his flight simulator. And the centerpiece of his project is an altimeter, which he’s 3D printed and integrated with a stepper driver to adjust the altitude.

Monty has been working on this project for a few weeks now and it’s really starting to come together. He’s got the cockpit built out of wood and is wiring everything up with various electronic components. But the most exciting part is the altimeter, which is mounted directly onto the instrument panel.

To build the altimeter, Monty started by designing a 3D model of it on his computer. He used a combination of free and paid software to create the design and tweak it until it was just right. Once he was happy with the design, he sent it to his 3D printer to create a physical version.

But the altimeter wasn’t just a simple print. Monty also added a stepper driver to control the altitude reading. With this feature, he can set the altitude to match the conditions of his flight simulator and get real-time feedback during his virtual flight. And with the help of Robz, he was able to wire everything up correctly.

Robz, a fellow member of House4Hack who has experience with electronics, helped Monty with the wiring and electronics. Together, they tested the stepper driver and made sure everything was working correctly. It’s great to see the House4Hack community coming together to help each other with their projects.

And Monty wasn’t satisfied with just building the altimeter – he also made sure it was functional. During the meetup, he gave a demonstration of the altimeter in action, adjusting the altitude to match the height of a nearby mountain. It was impressive to see the stepper driver accurately setting the altitude reading, just like a real airplane.

Monty’s project is a great example of the amazing things that can happen when a community of makers comes together. Through collaboration and the sharing of skills and knowledge, incredible projects like this can be built.

We’re excited to see what Monty will work on next, and we can’t wait to see other members of House4Hack follow in his footsteps and take on their own ambitious projects.

Are you ready for takeoff? Monty certainly is. At House4Hack’s Tuesday evening meetup, he’s been hard at work building an instrument panel for his flight simulator. And the centerpiece of his project is an altimeter, which he’s 3D printed and integrated with a stepper driver to adjust the altitude. Monty has been working on this…