Viper Pilot Cockpit Gaming Setup: BSG Fan Endorsed

Looking through the past few entries, we’ve covered Legos, Star Wars, Steampunk, and SEPTA. Yes I know that these are the money-topics but let’s be honest here… It’s Friday! There is a new episode of the Final Season of Battlestar Galactica tonight at 10 est and we @ Geekadelphia couldn’t be more excited! I’m sure a couple of you are pumped too, so here’s a little something to whet your whistle while you sit at work counting down the hours.

Chuck Cage’s custom Viper cockpit looks like a great ride.  I’ve never been one for flight sims but this is so much more than that.  For just about $850, a bit of technical know-how and the help of some friends, this digg-worthy rig is one of the best ways to celebrate the new season of BSG.

Eric, it’s on.  This weekend we’re making a Cylon Raider cockpit and fighting these neeeerds.  Toasters for life!

How It Works
Cost: $850 | Time: 2 weeks

Structure: Cage and his team welded pieces of one-inch-square tubing to form the three boxes that make up the sim’s shape, connecting the narrower top box with angle steel. The plywood shell is attached with screws, and fiberglass-laced body filler closes up any gaps.

Controllers: Cage used PPJoy, an open-source application, to mix multiple controls—Saitek’s X52 joystick, throttle and Pro Flight pedal set—into what appears to the game as a single input device. The joystick controls roll and pitch, while the pedals control yaw, just like a real aircraft.

Buttons: The flight controller’s more than 30 buttons and switches map to the Viper’s guns, missiles, afterburners and various navigation options. The joystick buttons let you target enemies, look side to side and backward, and fire thrusters to move the Viper sideways or vertically.

Source: PopSci
Link: Photo Gallery