Logitech/Saitek Flight Instrument Panels - once more

  • There was a thread on these so long ago, I though it's better to start a new one.

    I own a fully equipped Saitek-based Hardware Panel (Cessna Yoke, Pedals, TrimWheel, TPM), three Saitek Penals (Radio, Multi, Switch) and 9 Flight Instrument Panels. It has been my dream to see all these working under AeroflyFS2. My initial expectation was in SPAD.neXt which I use for the others Sims but I lost hope this will materialize during the rest of my life (65 now).

    All the Controls do work fine indeed. Radio and Multi Panel, too. The Switch Panel does nothing. When I switch buttons or turn the magneto knob, the AeroflyFS2 control screen reflects this with the proper assignments. However, they do nothing in the planes, at least not in the C172 and the Baron, i.e., the magneto switch does not turn in the virtual cockpit.

    The more annoying matter concerns the 9 FIPs just sitting idle. Using them, I could get rid of any cockpit on display and have full screen scenery - that's what I enjoy in the other Sims (i.e. Prepar3d, FSW, and XP) using SPAD.neXt.

    Is there any way to get the FIPs to work under AeroflyFS2? This would be Heaven on Earth.

    Thanks and kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • Hello Michael,

    I have a very similar setup and also miss the FIPs. The only thing that works on my Multi Panel is the Heading knob but the degrees readout doesn't work. My landing gear 3 greens work on the Switch Panel.

    There is a slim hope the iPad can be used for active instruments sometime soon. I have been talking to the developer about adding AF2. It works great as a center Panel with user assigned instruments. I use it with the Saitek gear with FSW, FSX SE, and P3D.

    I talk with the SPAD.neXt developer and he says if enough paying customers ask for Aerofly FS 2 support he will take a look at it. I understand he is reluctance to developing support while AF2 is still in beta.

    Regards,

    Ray

  • Thanks for the quick reply, Ray. Happy to see I am not alone.

    While I would prefer the FIPs to work, I'd even think about buying a Pad (hopefully Android devices would be supported as well...) to have proper gauges on display.

    Kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • I think o broader view is needed and the whole interface question needs to be adressed one day and not just a particular hardware. I have 13 GoFlight modules and only one (TQ-6) can be used as it is recognised as a joystick by AFFS 2. I also work with different other pieces of hardware like LeoBodnar UK and the german board Arcaze (extremely interesting) but also with the Arduino board. I used to have a homebuilt cockpit with MSFS but I lost the interest a couple of years ago until I encountered Aerofly FS2. Now I am back and fully enthusiastic. The goal is to fly in VR but I also would like to have a cockpit again and use all these buttons, switches and encoders again. The Aerfoly approach regarding settings is great, however some do obviously not work as intended and most of the functionality in the Dash 8 do not have any offsets. Maybe a AFUIPC is needed. Hence again: interfacing is a project itself.

    Regards,

    Thomas

    Regards,

    Thomas

    i7-14700KF @ 5.6 GHz, Geforce RTX 4090, 32MB RAM, 1TB SSD M.2, 1TB SSD M.2, 2TB SSD M.2, 32" Monitor 4K, Pimax Crystal

  • While I see your point, I don't expect this to be realized by the core team til, say, the end of this year. Keep in mind they are more than 100 % occupied with finalizing the user contents tools like Geoconvert and Cultivation til then. While these are major endeavours, they only serve a limited number of users, namy those being able and willing to use them given Geoconvert created contents cannot be redistribited.

    The rest - which is the majority, if you ask me - is just looking upon the UI and asking why elementary functions like basic hardware support are not working properly and when they will be added or fixed.

    This would indeed be a perfect project to outsource, e.g. in the form of an AFUIPC, as you write. However, in view of the limited user base of AeroflyFS2 this seems to be neither attractive to, say Logitech, not SPAD.neXt (which btw. already has or will have GoFlight support soon), as Ray writes, nor anyone else.

    Kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • Here is my most recent review concerning Saitek gauges and panels. Sim Innovation and their Air Manager iPad application is shown.

    https://www.avsim.com/home/reviews/h…y-volair-r3904/

    Regards,

    Ray

  • It is sad that the more sophisticated the flight sim, the more expensive the time is and the more demanding the instruction gets so that little attention gets paid to how nice the hardware is. One highlight of a course I did was free unattended use of a Franca simulator.

    Physical moving needles and rising and tilting horizon plates in an attitude indicator hold one's attention enormously more than pixels on a monitor. Perhaps in the distant future we will have 16K8K display VR headsets and we will be able to adjust Aero OBS knobs but until then a real cockpit depicted on a monitor or even using banks of mini monitor units will lack convincing immersion.

    If I had a lottery win I'd be looking up a Frasca for personal fun.

    Frasca 142.

  • Hi Jan, the magnetos do work in the settings screen, i.e. when I turn the knob on the Saitek Switch Panel the corresponding buttons on the AeroflyFS2 settings screen (off, start etc. from head) are lit. However, the knob in the virtual cockpit does not turn and there is no action (or I am doing something wrong.)

    Ray, I know that review. I have a similar setup like the one by Volair based on a X-TOP panel:

    https://www.aerosoft.com/de/fsxp3d/hard…ht-planel-black

    Kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • Where did you find a setting for magnetos in Aerofly? To my knowledge as an aircraft programmer the magnetos are not implemented currently.

    I didn't. The review is for FSX, FSX-SE, and P3D which all have full support for the Saitek gear, including mags

    IPACS/Aerofly FS2 support for the Saitek gear is almost non-existent, which is a real shame. The only Aerofly AF 2 settings that work day in and day out on my Saitek gear is the Landing Gear lights and the Heading Knob on the Multi panel.

    Regards,

    Ray