Every model has started with a picture in my mind. I then sketches and models before cutting up any aluminum. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  When I finally do start cutting I'm pretty sure I have a workable design.

This is the story of one of my latest attempts, the "Cloudwalker." An engineer showed me a design for a pedestal unit that really impressed me. I had tried to think of a way to do a pedestal and not found a solution to that point. The idea was very basic and not developed, but I saw the brilliance in using it for large powered simulator rooms rather than the hydraulics presently in use. I tinkered with the idea for a few days, but I found it far too complex for a home unit. My thoughts drifted in different directions and while driving from Calgary the idea for the first "Cloudwalker" materialized. By the time I was in Kelowna I had the whole thing worked out in my mind

Working with another engineer friend, we drew up hundreds of permutations, eventually settling on a design that offered a smaller foot print, simplified construction and possibly yaw and a yoke. Engineering drawings were taken to a machine, fabrication shop and after paying out more than  $5,000 I had a prototype... full of problems and glitches.

None of them were deal breakers, but the solutions added to the complexity and the cost. Back to the drawing board. One afternoon the team was staring at it, thinking the design was a total mistake when I had an epiphany...all became clear. We took the cutting torch to the prototype and completely redesigned the support system. 150 lbs of trim weight convinced us that this might be a workable design. As it turned out I missed the mark again.

 Hundreds of hours are spent on the computer refining, redesigning and correcting. Anyone that looks at one of these simulators and figures, "Hell, I can built that in my basement for $200!" is in for a real shock.

Getting the my old design  to a point where I figured it was ready to produce cost me about $40,000, plus what was defrayed by selling the test units. The company claims to have spent another $100,000 getting it into production.

The my old design was very good in many ways, yet when The company took the prototype and redesigned it for production they made several changes without my approval diverging further from perfection. After several months of playing with a production unit I have realized that it could easily be improved by simply moving one pivot. The linkage flips over center and locks the unit because the pivot is too low. Moving the pivot on the control stick up 2" would mean it would rotate the starting point for the linkage to a point where pulling back would give it 2" more pitch travel, no lock up problem plus the distance the top of the control stick would have to move would be drastically reduced making it more realistic.

Each one of these designs cost me thousands of dollars and countless hours of time... expensive lessons eventually leading to a workable products. Many of the parts are piled in the back of my shop. Material too light, pivots in the wrong position, too much flex or it just plain locks up, you cannot imagine the problems that develop. I learn from the mistakes.

 Eventually I will have a perfect unit. I hoped the "Cloudwalker" was it, but here it is, complete with 300 lbs of lead!

For those who don't want to heed my warnings here is a collection of my mistakes for you to analyze.

I recently came across a cool site for a helicopter simulator, no motion but a connection to a RC model this is really special, give it a look... heli-chair

http://www.heli-chair.com/index.html

One of the inventors that I have been corresponding with is Matt Thomas. Matt is one of the most creative people in the flight simulator industry. Put him, Ken Hill and myself together in a room and miracles would happen. Matt has some of the coolest add-on for your flying hobby that I have ever seen and I even bought one myself. Check out his website. 

Matt has some videos that give you an idea off what can be accomplished on a reasonable budget.

My BIGGEST Mistakes

These are things I have learned by personal experience with my flight simulator and previous inventions. I don’t know how all mentors, partners, key employees and lawyers work, only the ones I have dealt with.

Mentors

A mentor is someone who offers to help you do it right. I've discovered it means doing it right for them. They are usually successful because they have found ways to use other people. Mentoring allows them to manipulate a creative person so the mentors will be in position to take full advantage of any potentially successful project.

Partners

One or more persons who want a share of what you have created by giving up as little as possible, for as much of your project as possible.

Handshakes are very common, but of no importance. Those papers that are put in front of you to sign without understanding are what really count. They can be used against you at a future date.

The promises of what they will do for you have no value even if they are mentioned on these little papers. Some have little intention of honoring what they offer and may have back doors to cover their asses.

I was under the impression that all partners were people I could trust…WRONG!

Lawyers

Yours
Scrupulous - A group of informed individuals working to protect your interests, very rare. My patent attorney, Tony Edwards fits this description. Great guy, great lawyer and a friend.
Unscrupulous - A group of informed individuals working to obtain as much of your product as they can by manipulating the rules in their favor. See partners!

Theirs - A group of informed individuals working to obtain as much of your product as they can by manipulating the rules in their favor.
e.g. I gave a law firm 100,000 founders shares (value $.25 ea) for work helping set up the company. To make it legal a price had to be paid for the shares and it was set at $.0001 per share. They credited my account with $100 for the shares that an investor would have paid $25,000. It is people like this that give the legal profession the bad reputation.

Shares and Royalties

Royalties- This is payment for each product sold so you are compensated as the company progresses. A 5 to 6% royalty is common. I was given none even though I asked and was still the owner. I was told the only way I can profit is to sell my shares. You are entitled to and deserve royalties. They offered to buy my shares at a low price, paying me out over a period of time.  Chances are I would never see a nickel.

Shares – This is a part of the company that you are given as your ownership. You will receive nothing until the company succeeds and is sold. At the start you will own more than 50% of the company and what you say should count. If you have the misfortune, as I did of having a mentor who tells you politely to shut up and do it their way, you will soon feel misused and walk away from the whole thing in disgust, as I did. If at some point the company starts to look like it might be a winner, partners and directors will start whittling away at your ownership. They will force you into a corner demanding shares for things they can do or refrain from doing that could cripple your company. These threats usually turn out to be empty because they don’t have the power or ability they claim.
If you get so upset with what is happening and walk away from the board, as I did, you are in real trouble. They can now do things like, change the date of the annual shareholders meeting to a time when you cannot possibly attend, even if you are lucky enough to have someone inform you of the change. They can offer huge numbers of cheap shares to dilute your ownership selling far more than all the shares in circulation at a fraction of the current value. The directors can take ownership for virtually nothing unless you are prepared to chase bad money with good.

Advice to Inventors

If everyone tell you how great your invention is and someone who you have just met, but you respect their credentials tells you to forget it, listen, but don't walk away from your idea as I did with wheels for a suitcase. They may see the brilliance of your idea, hoping you will leave it for them.

Every document, no matter what you're told must be totally understood before you sign. A simple little document called an assignment, I was told meant nothing and had to be signed, transferred total ownership of my product to the company for one dollar. This was brought out later to force me to sign over the patents. These documents, if  really important will be signed with a lawyer sitting quietly in the background so he can officially notarize them later giving you no recourse

Do not trust someone else to pick your key people. Check them out thoroughly yourself. I was given a glowing report on two CEOs neither of whom was known by the recommender.

Always have a 90 day clause for employees and don’t think that it is degrading for the prospect. If he is good, it is no problem, if he isn’t be thankful you have the clause.

Make sure that any shares are vested requiring performance before you have to deliver.

Be aware that they may use legal action against you to stop your future work as well.