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 had 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 an 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 Dreamflyer  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 Dreamflyer 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 from perfection. After several months of playing with a production unit I have realized that it could easily be improved by simply moving pivots. 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. Moving the pitch pivot further to the front would reduce the amount of trim weight required, but would mean moving the control pivot forward as well. Minor changes for a major improvement.

Each one of these designs cost me thousands of dollars and countless hours of time... expensive lessons usually leading to a workable product. 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.

My advice is "if all your friends tell you that you have a winner, don't give up! But don't spend the mortgage money." I have gone through eleven different designs, all of which seemed perfect. My last model really is perfect, but too expensive. Using all the info I had accumulated I decided to see what I could build if I had unlimited resources. Roto molding plastic opens a whole new area of cost saving and cool design. I need at least a hundred thousand dollars to go down this path, but the design is proven and partners are materializing that will finance the venture

 Eventually I will have the 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.