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Rudder Pedals

My goals for designing rudder pedals:

  • True linear motion - forward/backward 'plunger' style motion

    I have been in a real plane, and the pedals in that plane moved in a straight line forward and backward, and didn't swing in a big curve.  The real thing feels like you are pushing on two plungers, similar to what you would see on a leg exercise machine.  Follow the "Action" link for more info.
  • Programmable toe brakes

    This requires a keyboard emulator, which I have already included in my cockpit project.  Non-programmable toe brakes usually mean they are assigned to a specific joystick button and aren't that useful in most flight sims.
  • Rudder trim

    Too many hours of EF2000 convinced me that this is not an option.  My cockpit project will include a rudder trim setting, but I have not completed testing of this feature.
  • Price

    The less I spend on rudder pedals, the more I can spend on switches and other items. 

I have hit these goals with my pedals.  I have constructed them as a part of my cockpit project, but they can be easily adapted to a more conventional desktop computer environment.

Revision 1

I have redesigned the mechanics with some different parts and I have made a 100% improvement in the rudder pedals' performance.

I tried originally to replicate the plunger action with two PVC tubes nested together to provide the motion in a telescopic manner.  This provided the motion, but the tolerance was too high and caused mechanical issues.

My new revision completely replaced the PVC pipe with desk drawer slides (also known as drawer glides) mounted to the frame.  The desk drawer slides are very precise in movement, and are very smooth since they have a ball-bearing action.  

Assembly pics are forthcoming....

 

 

Old prototype pics:

Here's what I have so far (prototype):

I started out with a wood frame and two PVC tubes - one .75 inch OD and one .5 inch OD.  Using some scraps of aluminum channel from the side assemblies, I was able to lay out the basic design.  From there it was a trip a day to Builder's Square until I had all the right parts!

I am going to make a very short video that details the motion.

The rest of the pics will be up here shortly.