July 11, 2013

Make a physical autopilot control for Flight Simulator

 For all the budding pilots out there who are hooked on Microsoft Flight Simulator X, this next project may add a touch of realism to your flying experience. Created by Andrea Giudici, the device is easy to construct - being an Arduino, LCD module and a few buttons and so on. Using this you can alter and display the settings for speed, heading, altitude, vertical speed, tracking and with some effort perhaps other functions. The controls are demonstrated in the following video:


Although it's a simple version, with some imagination you could build this into a console and emulate a rendition of the real thing. Nevertheless the code and also the Windows driver to interface between the Arduino and FSX have been provided, so visit the project page to get started. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well. 

If you're new to Arduino and want to join the fun, the first step is a solid board for your projects - our Freetronics Eleven - the Arduino-Uno compatible with low-profile USB socket, onboard prototyping space and easy to view LEDs:



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