Force feedback for rudder

[Azimech]

If it's not implemented, I'd like to request a way to have force feedback on the rudder pedals as well as on the stick. Some manufacturers might be interested to build such pedals. I don't know how it is in real life, but it might be a good way to feel side slip or skid.

[Letum]

I have a pair of FFB pedals (more ww1 style bar than pedals). I built them a few years ago based on a MSFFB1 stick. They work ok, but there are issues.

The biggest issue is that you need a chunky motor to run FFB pedals. They must take much more of a beating than a FFB stick. The second issue is software support. AFAIK, most (all?) sims don't provide FFB data for the rudder. I had to run mine of the ailerons.

The work ok, but I'm not using them atm, until I find some better solutions.

[Azimech]

That's why I request software support for CoD

A very large motor may not be necessary, it depends on the transmission ratio; a relatively small motor spinning 10K rpm starts a car or truck engine. Although a higher ratio means more friction and inertia this might not be a problem, since real rudders and their control mechanisms have mass, thus inertia, and I can imagine that even when the plane is parked the moving of the rudder displaces a lot of air.

I'm interested in your design, do you have any pictures and a description? I'm building my own pedals, currently without force feedback in the design but I might alter it if I like the idea and support appears.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by Azimech

If it's not implemented, I'd like to request a way to have force feedback on the rudder pedals as well as on the stick. Some manufacturers might be interested to build such pedals. I don't know how it is in real life, but it might be a good way to feel side slip or skid.

Well, slip and skid is not felt in the rudder, and is very hard to feel at all without looking at "the ball". They only time something funny happens in the rudder is while doing a Hammerhead or while tail gliding Otherwise it just gets stiffer as the speed increases but to a lesser extent than the other controls imo.

[Letum]

Originally Posted by Azimech

I'm interested in your design, do you have any pictures and a description? I'm building my own pedals, currently without force feedback in the design but I might alter it if I like the idea and support appears.

I don't have any pictures, but I can describe it a little.

The main construction is from the mechano-like office shelving supports. The construction is simple with a single pivot on a bearing stack salvaged from some industrial machinery.
Feet go into some simple straps, ww1 style.
There is a small grove on the pivot's bearing stack with a flexible bit of plastic that gives the rudder a small 'click' that you can feel with your feet when the rudder is centered. It also gives a kind of physical dead zone, which I like.

The whole thing is bolted to the floor as that's the only way I can get it to stop moving about.

The bare-bones of the MSSFFB1 sit behind the rudder construction.
There are no sensors on the pivot or any other part of the main construction, instead there are two wires that are attached to the MSSFFB1's aileron axis. So when the rudder bar is moved, the MSSFFB1's aileron axis is pulled left/right by the wires.

The MSSFFB1's FFB system is disconnected from it's stick and simply reconnected to the rudder bar quite close to the pivot.


It was a super simple build, mostly done to test things, rather than as a thing to use for long, although I did use it for a few months.