What Does Your Cockpit Look Like?

[FastCargo 412]

Okay, Kowalski, had a clown for breakfast, eyh? Well then:

1. craft type?

2. max. speed?

3. cost?

(You may find it hard, to outturn a Fokker in one of these.)

 

Well, since you asked:

 

1. FedEx A300 Airbus - Northrop T-38C Talon

2. 0.82 Mach - 1.2+ Mach

3. Way more than I make - Seen one for sale for $1 million USD

 

Can't out turn a Fokker, but can out climb one...and/or the Airbus will simply eat one with the engine and spit it out the back...

 

FC

[+hgbn 91]

Can't out turn a Fokker, but can out climb one...and/or the Airbus will simply eat one with the engine and spit it out the back...

 

FC

 

Fried Fritz with gemüse

[Olham 164]

Well parried, Kowalski - officer, eyh? Well - I'll have the "Talon" then.

I'll use it to shoot that grin out of hqbn's b*m.

[CaptSopwith 18]

Here's my current set up, at least it is for the next few weeks until I relocate to grad school. It's nothing fancy, but it's easy to drop the blinds and fly OFF for a few hours without looking up. What more do you need than that?

[Check Six 2]

I'm sure we all know Homeboy is a "Lefty", but have you noticed how many others are (or suspected to be)?

 

Homeboy and Condor 44 both have lefty joysticks. Capt Sopwith has his Joystick on the left hand side. Olham and Rabu have their mouse on the left hand side. Is that only because their joystick is on the right?

 

And now I'm annoyed I chucked my "Remove Before Flight" flags. That made it look authentic.

[CaptSopwith 18]

I'm sure we all know Homeboy is a "Lefty", but have you noticed how many others are (or suspected to be)?

 

Homeboy and Condor 44 both have lefty joysticks. Capt Sopwith has his Joystick on the left hand side. Olham and Rabu have their mouse on the left hand side. Is that only because their joystick is on the right?

 

And now I'm annoyed I chucked my "Remove Before Flight" flags. That made it look authentic.

 

Well spotted Drew! I was getting a chuckle out of your reply and then saw my name pop up. I am indeed a southpaw but I actually fly right handed. The Sidewinder 2 joystick is molded for a right hand and oddly enough, though I bat, pitch, write, cut, etc. left handed, I've always flown with my right. Go figure...

[CaptSopwith 18]

Here's my setup.

Home built computer.

I do graphics work so I need desk space. The pull out drawer hold my keyboard, mouse, stick and my Wacom tablet. On the left is my HP wide format printer. The 22" monitor is on an arm so I can turn it around to face the drafting table back to back to the computer desk. Below the monitor is an old Nakamichi ZX7 that I've been using to slowly get my hundreds of cassettes transferred over to digital files. On the right is an Epson scanner and the speakers are Klipsch THX 2.5

 

Rabu, I had to post a reply to this picture. That is an absolutely beautiful room for your computer set up. I think my only problem would be that I would never get anything done on the PC, I'd be too busy looking out the window or taking in the scenery inside. You've given me some ideas for the future... once I get the PhD, marry the girlfriend, and actually start earning a salary! I just had to say, well done sir, well done indeed!

[Condor44 0]

I'm sure we all know Homeboy is a "Lefty", but have you noticed how many others are (or suspected to be)?

 

Homeboy and Condor 44 both have lefty joysticks. Capt Sopwith has his Joystick on the left hand side. Olham and Rabu have their mouse on the left hand side. Is that only because their joystick is on the right?

 

And now I'm annoyed I chucked my "Remove Before Flight" flags. That made it look authentic.

 

Why the surprise?; we make up about 10% of the population. Unfortunatley, the only joystick than can be purchased for left hand use is the Saitek Evo. The head is configurable for use with either hand. But it's too limited and the throttle position is akward. If you want a HOTAS and lots of buttons it's either adapt to right handed flying (didn't work for me) or customize. You probably noticed not only that Homeboy and I have Lefty sticks but that our sticks and throttles are virtually identical. I had Honmeboy do the conversion for me because it's not a simple task. There's a lot of wiring and soldering as well as reconfiguration of the handles involved. If you zoom in you may be able to tell that his finish work is outstanding. There has been a lot of reworking of both the throttle and stick handles but they looked like they came from the CH factory when I got them. I've used them for at least two years and they are not falling apart. He's a class act when it comes to this. I recommend him to any other lefties who are tired of struggling with a right handed stick.

 

Now I'm waiting for someone to say that we shouldn't use left handed sticks with right hadled throttles because it's not realistic. I've run into that in every other forum at some time. My squad commander in Aces high told me it wasn't right. I always just laugh it off because complete realism in a computer flight sim is unatainable anyway and I would hate to have my wife be required to bury me the first time I got shot down in a game.

[Olham 164]

Hey, hello all "southpaws" ! I am one too! But I fly with the right hand (it's like cutting with

scissors - doesn't work with the left).

[CaptSopwith 18]

Now I'm waiting for someone to say that we shouldn't use left handed sticks with right hadled throttles because it's not realistic. I've run into that in every other forum at some time. My squad commander in Aces high told me it wasn't right. I always just laugh it off because complete realism in a computer flight sim is unatainable anyway and I would hate to have my wife be required to bury me the first time I got shot down in a game.

 

Wow, really? I've never come across that, though I have seen some anal retentiveness in my time. There comes a point when people become so "hardcore" that perhaps it's time to put the joystick down, step outside, get some sunshine, and put things back in perspective.

[CaptSopwith 18]

Hey, hello all "southpaws" ! I am one too! But I fly with the right hand (it's like cutting with

scissors - doesn't work with the left).

 

Funny how that works, isn't it Olham? I cut left handed, but yeah, I fly with my right.

 

Ten years ago I was in a horrible car wreck and broke my left wrist. My comment after getting it cast was, "Well, at least I can still fly Red Baron II!"

[Condor44 0]

Hey, hello all "southpaws" ! I am one too! But I fly with the right hand (it's like cutting with

scissors - doesn't work with the left).

 

 

Good for you All of us lefties need to learn to do a lot of things right handed in this world. Flying just didn't work well for me. I've never learned to cut well with a scissors using my right hand either. I just put up with the slight discomfort from using them in the left hand. Other than that they work fine.

[Condor44 0]

Funny how that works, isn't it Olham? I cut left handed, but yeah, I fly with my right.

 

Ten years ago I was in a horrible car wreck and broke my left wrist. My comment after getting it cast was, "Well, at least I can still fly Red Baron II!"

 

This is a little off track but kind of interesting (to me anyway). My son is left handed and is a pretty good baseball player. But he plays right handed. I never could convince him to switch since baseball is one activity where lefties have a definite advantage. He just didn't want to seem different from the other kids I guess. He flies right handed also and does it better than me. It's humiliating when your kid shoots you down.

[Olham 164]

It's humiliating when your kid shoots you down.

 

You see that absolutely wrong, Condor. It is great, when he is good - he is YOUR kid!

[Check Six 2]

Condor 44,

 

I have seen Homeboy's signature with the little Lefty HOTAS picture down the bottom, hence the quip that we all knew Homeboy was a lefty. But a short while ago he posted a link to his photo gallery to show off his holiday snaps (jealous me), but it also showcases his work on a lefty joystick, how he moulds the casing, rewires them etc.

 

Impressed the hell outta me, I got to say.

 

I was a radio tradesman and a Technical Oficer for the Dept of Defence (NAVY) in the electronics field, and I know good work when I sees it.

 

(Australian Dept of Defence BTW).

 

The reason I commented on the proliferation of leftys here is that while you mention that 10% of the population are leftys, a high percentage of the cockpits posted are occupied by leftys. And I know it must be difficult for you guys to adapt everything (unless you live near Springfield and can visit Flander's Leftorium).

 

I used to be ambidextrous, but the nuns beat it out of me. Every time I picked up a pen with my left hand, I got a whack. It was pretty good as I could write left and right handed simultaneously. Worked brilliantly when you had to write out lines when you were a bad boy. In 1984 I had a pretty severe motorcycle accident and wrenched the main nerve root for my right arm out of my spine. My right arm just sorta "hung" there for a few years, and I had to re-learn everything left handed, but it felt weird, so when I started gaining use of it again, I had to re-learn to use my right. Still feels weird not being able to feel it, but it's more comfortable. Mostly why I'm a lousy pilot.

[Creaghorn 10]

interesting. i'm a southpaw, too.

 

besides sports, there i'm righthanded. interesting how many lefties are around

[Condor44 0]

It's humiliating when your kid shoots you down.

 

You see that absolutely wrong, Condor. It is great, when he is good - he is YOUR kid!

 

 

Your right and I was just joking. My kid, who is now 32, has exceeded me in many ways. I couldn't be happier about that. I just did't like being shot down by him. He was new to Aces High and I was the veteran.

[Dej 17]

Just to extend the OTness. I'm also a Lefty, as was my mother, as are both of my sisters, as is my ex-wife and my wife. The latter wasn't a conscious choice either. However, both my sons are right-handed. I do all 'right-hand biased' computer-related things right-handedly though, e.g. mouse, joystick and throttle... too much hassle not to.

 

As to the percentage being 'off' in flight sims, well, left-handers have better spatial awareness, don't they.

Edited July 14, 2009 by Dej

[Rugbyfan1972 1]

I am also a lefty, although when I started using a computer with a mouse (it was 1994 and the first time I encountered windows) I did'nt realise that you could set a mouse up for either left or right handedness, I guess I had just got used to the right handed bias in the UK, also both my parents who were also using the computer are right handed (in fact my dad is the only male on his side of the family who is right handed)

 

The result is I use the mouse in my left hand but with a right handed button configuration, the few times I have tried using one set up for a left hander it has annoyed me so much I switch back to the right handed configuration.

 

Thanks

Rugbyfan1972

[shredward 12]

This is the War Room.

shredder

[Rickitycrate 10]

That's some war room Shredder! I like it a lot, especially the observers seat you got set up. I could sit there and watch you fly and read your great books and your issues of Over the Front. Small wonder you have so much knowledge.

 

To Uncleal:

Thankfully you had that helmet on Uncleal and that you are here with us to enjoy OFF BH&H.

[DerMo 0]

This is the War Room.

shredder

Shred,is your library WWI related??I thought I have a good amount of books(mostly from 1930´s)..

[CaptSopwith 18]

This is the War Room.

shredder

 

Another fantastic room! Man Shred, I think you're giving Rabu's den some competition. The historian in me is busy oogling over your book collection.

[Cameljockey 3]

I spotted one of my favorites on the next to the bottom shelf. "No Parachute". Nice collection there Shredder!

 

CJ

[shredward 12]

Yeah, it's all Great War stuff - well, nearly all. And it's a work in progress - there's always the next book I just have to have. Actually, I know there are several librairies in our little community that outstrip mine, and that I would just love to sit in for a few days, or weeks.

Cheers,

shredward