C172 on Three Hounds Design

Current State of the Build

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:00:20 -0700

Simulator Build Log: Progress So Far

What started as a basic simulator setup has grown into a much more involved project. The goal has always been to build something that goes beyond simply adding controls to a simulator and instead recreates the layout, feel, and interaction of an actual aircraft cockpit.

The project has evolved through a series of individual components, with each build providing an opportunity to experiment with different mechanical and electrical approaches. At this point, the basic functionality of the full simulator is working, and the focus is beginning to shift from proving the concepts to refining the designs into the final product.

Prototype HID Controller

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:25:04 -0700

Custom HID Controller

With the basic functionality of the simulator now working, the focus can start shifting from simply getting controls operational to refining the designs into the final system. The early development used readily available development boards and simple interfaces to get the different components working quickly. That approach was useful during prototyping, but the TPM console has now grown beyond what those original controllers were intended to support.

GNS530 PCB

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:22:22 -0700

Building the GNS 530 Control PCB

The first GNS 530 prototype used a touchscreen and an Arduino Mega 2560 Pro Mini to provide the controls and interface. That approach was useful for getting the basic functionality working, but it didn’t provide the physical interaction of an actual avionics unit.

The next step was to move the controls onto a dedicated PCB that could become part of a physical GNS 530 overlay.

Avionics Stack

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:21:01 -0700

Building the Initial Avionics Stack

Project Journal — Initial Avionics Stack

As the physical cockpit controls continued to develop, I reached the point where I needed a practical way to add the avionics without committing to a final hardware design.

The solution was to build an initial avionics stack around a touchscreen. This gave me a way to match the layout of the current panel while keeping the avionics flexible as the rest of the simulator evolved.

TPM Console

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:25:27 -0700

Refining the TPM Console: Current Configuration

With the basic throttle, mixture, and trim controls established, the next step was to develop the TPM console into a more complete representation of the center console found in a Cessna 172.

Using the C172 in X-Plane as the primary reference, the goal was to keep the controls located around the throttle and mixture in the physical center console. The result is a more complete assembly that combines the primary engine controls with the surrounding aircraft controls.

Fuel Selector

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:16:35 -0700

Building the Fuel Selector: Cam-Driven Detent Mechanism

The fuel selector was another opportunity to build a cockpit control from scratch rather than adapting an off-the-shelf component. The goal was to create a selector with three distinct positions, a positive mechanical click between positions, and a simple electrical interface.

The solution ended up being intentionally simple: three limit switches actuated by a custom cam with integrated detents.

Flap Control Module

Wed, 20 May 2026 14:12:22 -0700

Designing the Flap Control: Integrated Position Sensing and Mechanical Detents

The flap control was another opportunity to approach the simulator hardware from first principles rather than simply reproducing an existing design.

Most of the flap controls I had seen for flight simulators use a fairly conventional approach: a lever moves through a set of positions, while the position is detected using a rotary encoder, potentiometer, microswitches, or similar electronic component.

Vernier Control

Fri, 15 May 2026 14:11:36 -0700

Refining the Vernier Controls in the TPM Assembly

Project Journal / Engineering Build Log

The vernier controls are an important part of the TPM (Throttle, Propeller, Mixture) assembly. They provide the combination of coarse and fine adjustment found on many aircraft engine controls, allowing the pilot to quickly move a control through its range and then make precise adjustments.

The first version of the TPM assembly established the basic mechanism, but continued use revealed a weakness in the material used for the control shafts. This iteration focused on making the shafts more robust while retaining the existing vernier mechanism.

Switch Panel Updates

Tue, 05 May 2026 13:59:13 -0700

Refining the Switch Box: Panel Labels and Two-Color 3D Printing

Project Journal / Engineering Build Log

Project: Cessna 172 Flight Simulator Subsystem: Aircraft-Style Switch Box Focus: Panel labeling, text sizing, and two-color 3D printing Status: Iterative refinement

Refining the Switch Box

With the switch box taking shape mechanically and electronically, the next area that needed attention was the panel itself.

The switches were in place, but the panel still needed clear labeling to make it feel like a finished cockpit component rather than a collection of prototype parts.

Parking Brake

Sun, 03 May 2026 13:56:55 -0700

Adding an Aircraft-Style Parking Brake to the Switch Box

Flight Simulator Build Journal — Switch Box

The switch box started as a way to bring the basic aircraft switches into the simulator cockpit, but as the project has progressed, I have been paying more attention to something that is easy to overlook: how the controls feel.

A parking brake is a good example.

In a simulator, it would be easy to implement the parking brake as a simple toggle switch. Pull it up, the brake is set. Push it down, the brake is released.

Magneto Disassembly

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:33:09 -0700

Disassembling an Aircraft Magneto Switch: Studying the Real Mechanism

Flight Simulator Project Journal — Engineering Build Log

Build Log Entry: September 2026 Project: Cessna 172 Flight Simulator Controls Focus: Aircraft Magneto Switch Mechanical Investigation

Why Take Apart a Real Magneto Switch?

One of the goals of this simulator project is to reproduce more than the appearance of a Cessna 172 cockpit. The controls should also feel familiar to someone who has spent time in an actual aircraft.

Throttle Propeller Mixture & Trim

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:01:39 -0700

Building the Throttle, Prop, Mixture (TPM) / Trim Controller

Extending the Switch Box Firmware with Analog Inputs and Magnetic Position Sensing

Project: Cessna 172 Flight Simulator Build Stage: Initial TPM / Trim Controller Prototype Hardware: ATmega32U4, AS5134 magnetic encoder Firmware: Extension of the Switch Box codebase Date: September 2026

Project Journal

With the switch box prototype established, the next piece of cockpit hardware was the Throttle, Prop, Mixture (TPM) / Trim Controller.

GNS 530 BreadBoard

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:50:18 -0700

GNS 530 Prototype: First Steps on the Breadboard

Project: Cessna 172 Flight Simulator Component: Garmin GNS 530 Prototype: Mega 2560 Pro Mini + Air Manager Stage: Initial Electronics Prototype

Project Journal

The next step in building the simulator was moving beyond the physical panel and starting to experiment with the electronics behind the controls.

For this stage, I wanted to build an initial prototype of the Garmin GNS 530 using a Mega 2560 Pro Mini and Air Manager.

Making the G5 Panel

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:22:05 -0700

1st Iteration of the G5 Panel.

Project Journal — Febuary 2026 Project: Cessna 172 Flight Simulator Iteration: Main Panel Prototype Update

The first version of the panel was built to answer a fairly simple question: could I use a monitor, Air Manager, and a physical overlay to create a convincing Cessna 172 instrument panel?

The answer was yes.

Once that prototype was assembled, though, a few things became apparent. The six-pack layout was useful for proving the concept, but it didn’t represent the type of modernized training aircraft panel I wanted to build. The physical overlay also needed refinement, and the wiring behind the panel needed to be rearranged so everything would fit properly over the monitor.

The 6-Pack Panel

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 21:27:55 -0700

Cessna 172 Six-Pack: Building a Physical Panel Overlay

As part of my Cessna 172 flight simulator project, I wanted to start with something relatively contained: recreating the C172 instrument panel around a physical overlay.

The idea sounds straightforward. Put the instruments on a monitor, build a panel around them, and add the physical controls needed to interact with them.

In practice, the display isn’t the difficult part.

The difficult part is figuring out how to turn a flat computer monitor into something that actually feels like an instrument panel.

Switch Panel Initial Prototype

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:20:15 -0700

Building a Cessna 172 Switch Panel

One of the first things I wanted to tackle in building my custom Cessna 172 simulator was the switch panel.

At first, this might seem like a relatively simple part of the project. There are plenty of simulator switch panels available, and electrically, most of the controls are not particularly complicated. But I wasn’t just looking for a collection of switches that could send commands to X-Plane.

The C172 Project Overview

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 18:29:17 -0700

Building the Flight Simulator:

Scope, Goals, & Project Roadmap

I’ve wanted to build a flight simulator for a while, but I don’t want this to be a project where I spend years building a cockpit before I can actually use it.

The goal is to approach the simulator as an engineering project that happens to be a flight simulator.

It will combine embedded software, electronics, PCB design, computer software, aviation, and flight simulation into one larger project. At the same time, it should be useful as a simulator from the very beginning.

C172 on Three Hounds Design

Current State of the Build

Simulator Build Log: Progress So Far

Prototype HID Controller

Custom HID Controller

GNS530 PCB

Building the GNS 530 Control PCB

Avionics Stack

Building the Initial Avionics Stack

TPM Console

Refining the TPM Console: Current Configuration

Fuel Selector

Building the Fuel Selector: Cam-Driven Detent Mechanism

Flap Control Module

Designing the Flap Control: Integrated Position Sensing and Mechanical Detents

Vernier Control

Refining the Vernier Controls in the TPM Assembly

Switch Panel Updates

Refining the Switch Box: Panel Labels and Two-Color 3D Printing

Refining the Switch Box

Parking Brake

Adding an Aircraft-Style Parking Brake to the Switch Box

Magneto Disassembly

Disassembling an Aircraft Magneto Switch: Studying the Real Mechanism

Why Take Apart a Real Magneto Switch?

Throttle Propeller Mixture & Trim

Building the Throttle, Prop, Mixture (TPM) / Trim Controller

Project Journal

GNS 530 BreadBoard

GNS 530 Prototype: First Steps on the Breadboard

Project Journal

Making the G5 Panel

1st Iteration of the G5 Panel.

C172 Panel Update: Dual G5s, Overlay Refinement, and Wiring

The 6-Pack Panel

Cessna 172 Six-Pack: Building a Physical Panel Overlay

Switch Panel Initial Prototype

Building a Cessna 172 Switch Panel

The C172 Project Overview

Building the Flight Simulator:

Scope, Goals, & Project Roadmap