OMG, as a machinist, I've been waiting for this! I've always been curious as to how this works, but they're just too expensive to purchase. This will be so helpful when building some new hardware. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I never imagined the gubbins that goes with the stick would be quite like that, you really have to be in awe of the engineers who came up with it! This will be a fascinating project to follow.
It really is an awesome bit of mechanical engineering that i find very clever but also so simple. Creating the mechanisms in CAD and creating 3d print versions has ben so much fun!
The locking actuator, switched by solenoids doesn't lock the stick but makes movements harder when autopilot is active to prevent unwanted overriding. There are centering locking pins for maintenance and adjustments. The rods go to identical transducer units which converts the input into electrical signals for the flight control computers. The sidestick unit should always be handled vertical to prevent leakage of skydrol from the dampers which is normal.
Note that it’s a different tension spring for each direction in roll. That’s because it’s easier to pull the stick towards you than it is to push it away.
Good luck Carl. I don't expect a complete copy as it looks very complex, but something that has the same feel will be great. I never knew about stick lock, that will be a cool feature with AP engaged.
Interesting to see! The design of the sidestick was changed slightly at some point (I think around A380 release) where there is an indent around the AP disconnect button. I could sometimes tell when the sidestick had been changed on an older MSN if there was an indent on the sidestick by the AP disconnect button. Be interesting to know if any of the internals were changed during the slight update. The sidestick transducer fault is one of the few uninhibited faults that would appear to the flight crew on the takeoff roll for a good reason! From other research, the force also varies in outboard and inboard roll. Apparently in development they found the arm is naturally stronger moving inboard than outboard so made the resistance higher for an inboard movement. Good luck with the project 👍
I've measured the springs in the pitch lane, but I haven't done the roll lane yet. That's currently what I am reverse engineering now. Both lanes have dual feel where the pressure applied to a certain point is at one force, then it is increased as you move further in that direction. I guess you probably knew that already, but I find it ingenious how they designed the whole thing and how every aspect of each part can be adjusted to an infinite amount. Best regards, Karl
Just one of the two leaked. I can see why they need to be kept upright. This unit is very old, and the seals were worn during disassembly. I will have to find an 'o' ring kit that fits to rebuild them. This is a fantastic and clever bit of engineering.
Hello, quite the opposite, I moved to a much bigger shop! It is a place where I now have space to build the sims and the machines I've always dreamt of.
I hope they emptied the dampers before shipping. The dampers are filled with Skydrol (phosphate ester based hydraulic fluid) and it will spill when the unit is tilted above a certain amount.
They did a fantastic job! No Skydrol in them. When I opened them up, there was nothing but a light spray coating of mineral oil to keep the o-rings lubricated. Best regards, Karl
So his channel is based on rebuilding and using REAL aircraft gear for the flight sim? If that’s the case you gained a loyal follower and a subscriber right here sir😎
Interesting video and i can imagine it must be fun to replicate this hardware. But, its also much easier to replicate the feel and behavior with a force feedback stick, like the Rhino or Moza FFB. All you need is a good profile which produces the same damping and centering feel, and AP Lockout. Thanks for showing us the insides of the Airbus Sidestick.
You may be right, but as both a mechanical and avionic engineer that wouldn't be very exciting! The plan that has been requested from the A320 pilots to reproduce an exact replica, Its mechanisms that the dual limit feel is all about and something i didn't even know existed until i took this apart.
Just a tip when you are adjusting the feel and forces maybe you should try to find a way to try the sidestick on a newer airbus aircraft. I suggest this because I have flown older buses and the stick seems way more easy to move and lose than on a relatively new one. There is also a clear separation in the pitch and roll movement like a "barrier" (I don't know how to explain it) and on the older buses that are already used this barrier is not evident, it's very easy to accidently roll a bit when pitching full down for example. I am saying this since you said in a comment yours was from 1992, so probably already went through it's full service life and is already pretty "lose"
You will see how they achieve that dual limit in the pitch in the next video, another very clever bit of engineering that i could feel in operation, but not figure out how it was done until i took one of the Pitch Artificial Feel Units (PAFU) apart and filmed how is was achieved. I would also guess that the springs after all those years have lost some tension, but as each one can be tensioned to increase the feel, its just a matter adjusting them to a set force. All very clever.
saw one in a museum , exposed in a sort of transparent glass so you could play with it and see all the engineering as you move it . i can tell you its a real one
I will do a consolidated youtube build and tour once its complete. At the moment we have lots a separate Patreon videos that i will edit to create the full version.
Could you please make a mesurment of the distance between the pivot (cetenr of rotation) and the hand rest of the stick, can't find this info anywhere. Very curious to know if I need an extention for my stick.
Great question! The reason for the number of wires is likely due to the need for multiple transducers in each channel. These transducers ensure the signal is compared, matched, and verified to maintain 100% reliability before being sent to the control surface. Each unit probably has its own duplicate set of wiring as a fail-safe in case one wire fails. Hope this helps, Karl
Hello Karl Just found your channel today by chance. My name is Robert Cassidy from Manchester UK and I’m a Commercial Pilot flying the A320 for the last 14 years. Can I ask, are you located in the UK ? Would love to see you build an A320 sim. Do you have a Facebook page ?
Hello and a big welcome from me. I usually stay away from airbus stuff as it has been done so many times. This is just one item that is cost inhibiting for most people. In Fact it was a group of pilots (A320) who asked me to do this as they cant find a good replica that feels the same. My facebook page is: facebook.com/Boeing738v2
It's not visible here because they are removed, but I would speculate that sophisticated and reliable multiple transducers are in place. These transducers ensure the signal is matched, compared, and verified before being transmitted to the control surfaces.
i honestly thought the sidestick was fully electric with hall effect sensors ? I think those sensors are missing in this case, which is a shame if you paid lots for it.
I thought the same, But i don't need the stick position transducers as i always planned to use hall sensors for simplicity and to allow others to copy exactly.
I was surprised at how much mechanical engineering rather than electrical. I thought it would have been all force feed back motors etc. The mechanical engineering is so clever but also very simple.
That was my exact conclusion too. They are sat here waiting to be incorporated into the new design. Although they are bigger than the genuine airbus ones, they do match the same specs.
Well, if that video was from August, did the large "huge damper" cylinders have sensors in them, two complete sets for redundancy? The connecting rods are no doubt to transmit torque back to the stick for feedback. I would speculate the DB connectors likely all have the same pinout, for cost efficiency. I am surprised that those DB connectors and the pigtails are both present. That implies the DB connectors are for modules that do some sort of conditioning of the input signals before sending them out the pigtails. I wonder what sensors might be hiding up at the top end inside the cabinet. Thanks for the video!
There were no electronics really in this unit. All the electronics are mounted on the baseplate, which has been removed. They would have been dual stick opposition transmitters, which the rods connected to. However, there is enough there to build a replica unit, and it should hopefully be quite easy to put hall sensors or pots at the end of the rods for position takeoff instead. Those large cylinders in the pitch were PAFU's (Pitch Artificial Feel Units), and that's the following video. Kind Regards, Karl
@@helimech8152 There are 2 dual channel transducers ( roll and pitch ) mounted to the bottom of the side stick assy., each channel connects through one of the 'D' connectors. They are a bit fiddly to change ;) The transducers are LRU's ( line replaceable units ), but in the event of a failure, most airlines would replace the entire side stick assy.
Hi Karl, I've sent you a private message on Facebook. Let me know once you've received it. Keep up the good work. Hopefully, a lot more will come from a possible A320 build. Thanks, Karl.
Amazing to see into this unit and see the mechanics of the sidestick, Thanks Karl
Thank you it's one of the most amazing engineering designs I've invested to date
OMG, as a machinist, I've been waiting for this! I've always been curious as to how this works, but they're just too expensive to purchase. This will be so helpful when building some new hardware. Thanks for sharing!
You will see much more and how every part works in the next video.
Airbus? Now you're talking!!! 😄😁
This one is for the Airbus guys! Some of my Patrons felt left out, but this is a great bit of engineering!
@@helimech8152 time for a Airbus a320 build 😉
Aircraft for girls
Wow, I never imagined the gubbins that goes with the stick would be quite like that, you really have to be in awe of the engineers who came up with it! This will be a fascinating project to follow.
It really is an awesome bit of mechanical engineering that i find very clever but also so simple. Creating the mechanisms in CAD and creating 3d print versions has ben so much fun!
The locking actuator, switched by solenoids doesn't lock the stick but makes movements harder when autopilot is active to prevent unwanted overriding. There are centering locking pins for maintenance and adjustments. The rods go to identical transducer units which converts the input into electrical signals for the flight control computers.
The sidestick unit should always be handled vertical to prevent leakage of skydrol from the dampers which is normal.
Looking fwd to this new project! 😎 Good luck for reengineering, Karl! 💪
Thanks Dude! Its already looking pretty aweome!
Nice one Karl, Airbus I can’t wait to see your reverse engineering build
Its coming and what we have done already is pretty epic i think!
What an absolute treat. A challenge to utilise the stick, fascinating.
Its been great fun designing this in Fusion, ordering the hardware to make my own version from the design.
i always like watching your videos. I can tell you enjoy doing these projects.
Having a genuine unit to work with makes things much more straightforward, accessible and quicker!
Note that it’s a different tension spring for each direction in roll. That’s because it’s easier to pull the stick towards you than it is to push it away.
Thank you, i will measure each one with a spring balance and order the closest i can find.
Finally, Airbus stuff !!!!
Just a smidge into the aircus world. Something you don't normally see due to the cost of the units.
God! in those parts you can buy absolutely everything online, great idea! :)
I would also like to see the mechanics of the trolley please :D
Thank you, its coming!
Good luck Carl. I don't expect a complete copy as it looks very complex, but something that has the same feel will be great.
I never knew about stick lock, that will be a cool feature with AP engaged.
The parts we have reproduced so far are beyond my expectation. This might just work!
Interesting to see! The design of the sidestick was changed slightly at some point (I think around A380 release) where there is an indent around the AP disconnect button. I could sometimes tell when the sidestick had been changed on an older MSN if there was an indent on the sidestick by the AP disconnect button. Be interesting to know if any of the internals were changed during the slight update. The sidestick transducer fault is one of the few uninhibited faults that would appear to the flight crew on the takeoff roll for a good reason!
From other research, the force also varies in outboard and inboard roll. Apparently in development they found the arm is naturally stronger moving inboard than outboard so made the resistance higher for an inboard movement.
Good luck with the project 👍
I've measured the springs in the pitch lane, but I haven't done the roll lane yet. That's currently what I am reverse engineering now. Both lanes have dual feel where the pressure applied to a certain point is at one force, then it is increased as you move further in that direction. I guess you probably knew that already, but I find it ingenious how they designed the whole thing and how every aspect of each part can be adjusted to an infinite amount.
Best regards, Karl
you are lucky that there was no more oil spilage from the dampers. Usually they must be store and transported in the upright position to avoid it.
Just one of the two leaked. I can see why they need to be kept upright. This unit is very old, and the seals were worn during disassembly. I will have to find an 'o' ring kit that fits to rebuild them. This is a fantastic and clever bit of engineering.
Glad to see yr back again thought you had closed up shop
Hello, quite the opposite, I moved to a much bigger shop! It is a place where I now have space to build the sims and the machines I've always dreamt of.
@@helimech8152 Ever thought about starting a sim centre where people pay to fly with you for the experience ?
great i was waiting for a new video. this gives me inspiration to continue building my gfc500
That's awesome to hear! Good luck with your build!
I hope they emptied the dampers before shipping. The dampers are filled with Skydrol (phosphate ester based hydraulic fluid) and it will spill when the unit is tilted above a certain amount.
They did a fantastic job! No Skydrol in them. When I opened them up, there was nothing but a light spray coating of mineral oil to keep the o-rings lubricated.
Best regards, Karl
@@helimech8152 Mineral oil will destroy the o-rings used for phoshate ester fluid and vice versa.
Nice S24 Ultra! It's a great phone! Is that a Galaxy watch 4 Classic or 6 Classic?
So his channel is based on rebuilding and using REAL aircraft gear for the flight sim? If that’s the case you gained a loyal follower and a subscriber right here sir😎
Nice, Away to watch this now. I'm starting to build a airbus a320 homecock pit :) Getting my omtech laser this month to help with the process :)
I have a couple of Omtech lasers, great machines for the price and essential for cockpit building to a higher level of realism. Good Luck!
@ thankyou.
Interesting video and i can imagine it must be fun to replicate this hardware. But, its also much easier to replicate the feel and behavior with a force feedback stick, like the Rhino or Moza FFB. All you need is a good profile which produces the same damping and centering feel, and AP Lockout. Thanks for showing us the insides of the Airbus Sidestick.
You may be right, but as both a mechanical and avionic engineer that wouldn't be very exciting! The plan that has been requested from the A320 pilots to reproduce an exact replica, Its mechanisms that the dual limit feel is all about and something i didn't even know existed until i took this apart.
I think the rods lead to the transducers. Looks like you have all the feel and damping mechanisms.
Yes you are correct, we finally got them figured out, but will replace them with simpler hall sensors.
Just a tip when you are adjusting the feel and forces maybe you should try to find a way to try the sidestick on a newer airbus aircraft. I suggest this because I have flown older buses and the stick seems way more easy to move and lose than on a relatively new one. There is also a clear separation in the pitch and roll movement like a "barrier" (I don't know how to explain it) and on the older buses that are already used this barrier is not evident, it's very easy to accidently roll a bit when pitching full down for example. I am saying this since you said in a comment yours was from 1992, so probably already went through it's full service life and is already pretty "lose"
You will see how they achieve that dual limit in the pitch in the next video, another very clever bit of engineering that i could feel in operation, but not figure out how it was done until i took one of the Pitch Artificial Feel Units (PAFU) apart and filmed how is was achieved. I would also guess that the springs after all those years have lost some tension, but as each one can be tensioned to increase the feel, its just a matter adjusting them to a set force. All very clever.
@@helimech8152 perfect 😀
saw one in a museum , exposed in a sort of transparent glass so you could play with it and see all the engineering as you move it . i can tell you its a real one
@theseventhplane7 One of the coolest bits of reverse engineering is have done to date
@@helimech8152 yeah , this truly is amazing , at first i just thought it was wired to a computer , i would've never thaught it was this complicated .
We’re going to get a shop tour and watch the build progress, right? Thanks
I will do a consolidated youtube build and tour once its complete. At the moment we have lots a separate Patreon videos that i will edit to create the full version.
Nice! What is the manufacturing date of the sidestick?
I did look at one point, If i remember right it was 1992.
Hi Karl, where would you recommend looking for genuine Airbus parts like this? Thanks!
These guys are awesome: www.avoemparts.com/
Should be an interesting project Karl. BR PD.
Thank you, i'm loving it so far!
Could you please make a mesurment of the distance between the pivot (cetenr of rotation) and the hand rest of the stick, can't find this info anywhere.
Very curious to know if I need an extention for my stick.
Im at work right now, you might want to message me later on the website or discord to remind me!
How does it need that many wires to send back 2 axes and 2 buttons states worth of data ?
Great question! The reason for the number of wires is likely due to the need for multiple transducers in each channel. These transducers ensure the signal is compared, matched, and verified to maintain 100% reliability before being sent to the control surface. Each unit probably has its own duplicate set of wiring as a fail-safe in case one wire fails.
Hope this helps, Karl
Any idea of what was the S/N of the donor aircraft?
Hello and i have no idea at all.
The stick is a lot easier to use when it’s mounted, you’re fighting against it because it’s not ridged.
Indeed! that will come later!
Hello Karl
Just found your channel today by chance. My name is Robert Cassidy from Manchester UK and I’m a Commercial Pilot flying the A320 for the last 14 years. Can I ask, are you located in the UK ? Would love to see you build an A320 sim. Do you have a Facebook page ?
Hello and a big welcome from me. I usually stay away from airbus stuff as it has been done so many times. This is just one item that is cost inhibiting for most people. In Fact it was a group of pilots (A320) who asked me to do this as they cant find a good replica that feels the same. My facebook page is: facebook.com/Boeing738v2
Perranporth, cornwall is our location.
@ you tempted to start building and A320 sim
The stick lock, locks the sidestick in flight when the autopilot is engaged. It unlocks when you press the red button on the sidestick
Thank you!
Airbus considers this “fly by wire”?
It's not visible here because they are removed, but I would speculate that sophisticated and reliable multiple transducers are in place. These transducers ensure the signal is matched, compared, and verified before being transmitted to the control surfaces.
i honestly thought the sidestick was fully electric with hall effect sensors ? I think those sensors are missing in this case, which is a shame if you paid lots for it.
I thought the same, But i don't need the stick position transducers as i always planned to use hall sensors for simplicity and to allow others to copy exactly.
@@helimech8152 great ! good luck
Are you going to do A320 builds?
Im not sure, but there does seem to be a huge demand for me to do one! But there are so many out there already!
@@helimech8152 But your builds are simply better xD
I didn’t expect so much plastic in the real version and with it being FBW no control arms.
I was surprised at how much mechanical engineering rather than electrical. I thought it would have been all force feed back motors etc. The mechanical engineering is so clever but also very simple.
@@helimech815280s design a bit too far forward for such.. Only 35 years from WWII 😅
Use adjustable motorcycle dampers
That was my exact conclusion too. They are sat here waiting to be incorporated into the new design. Although they are bigger than the genuine airbus ones, they do match the same specs.
👍👍👍
Thank you!
What do you do with the part once you've reversed engineered it and printed it?
I will use it in my sim!
Were you after a First Officer’s side stick specifically?
Nope, whatever was going, but once you have one, hopefully its just a mirror image of the other?
@ Gotcha! And yes!
Airbus?? Niceeeee
Just one little part!
@@helimech8152we will see 😉😀
Well see. Here's the thing. You have Boeing and you have Airbus. One of them actually still makes jets.
Huh??
Can I please finish my 737 DU first! Jeez! 😂
They just keep coming! (hopefully) I dont want to run out of designs!
Well, if that video was from August, did the large "huge damper" cylinders have sensors in them, two complete sets for redundancy? The connecting rods are no doubt to transmit torque back to the stick for feedback. I would speculate the DB connectors likely all have the same pinout, for cost efficiency. I am surprised that those DB connectors and the pigtails are both present. That implies the DB connectors are for modules that do some sort of conditioning of the input signals before sending them out the pigtails. I wonder what sensors might be hiding up at the top end inside the cabinet. Thanks for the video!
There were no electronics really in this unit. All the electronics are mounted on the baseplate, which has been removed. They would have been dual stick opposition transmitters, which the rods connected to. However, there is enough there to build a replica unit, and it should hopefully be quite easy to put hall sensors or pots at the end of the rods for position takeoff instead. Those large cylinders in the pitch were PAFU's (Pitch Artificial Feel Units), and that's the following video.
Kind Regards, Karl
@@helimech8152 There are 2 dual channel transducers ( roll and pitch ) mounted to the bottom of the side stick assy., each channel connects through one of the 'D' connectors. They are a bit fiddly to change ;) The transducers are LRU's ( line replaceable units ), but in the event of a failure, most airlines would replace the entire side stick assy.
Hi Karl, I've sent you a private message on Facebook. Let me know once you've received it. Keep up the good work. Hopefully, a lot more will come from a possible A320 build. Thanks, Karl.
Hello Karl, Not seen the facebook message, but we got your email and hopefully Helen returned the answer. I rarely use facebook these days.
Can you do something for q400? 🙏
I have projects lined up sitting here in the new workshop, but unfortunately the Q400 is not one of them (yet)
Let the man do the Great Airbus now
Absolutely over engineered 😂