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Flight Simulator 2002 With 13 Monitors And 9 PCs

Posted by timothy on from the that's-a-lot-of-lead-and-glass dept.

Ant points to Steve Ferris' site demonstrating what Ferris has done "using Wideview software, Multi Monitors and Fs2002 Panel Interior view Bitmaps. 9 PC's & 13 monitors. Server PC is a 2.0ghz AMD and has 1 Asus 4800se G4 AGP and when Motor flying 4 PCI graphic cards for the instrument panels.. All 8 Clients have AGP cards and are AMD 800 to 1.5ghz... My Ask21 Glider with 3 Asus 4800se G4 cards on the front 6 monitors, giving great downward landing view. When you sit in front, all screens line up reasonably well ... Windows XP on the 3 front PC's and 98se on the rest."

38 of 392 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Uh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why don't you take some real flying lessons, and maybe buy a plane?

    1. Re:Uh by sahonen · · Score: 5, Informative

      My father's a pilot, I've seen him go plane shopping. For a 30 year old 4-seater it usually costs a bit more than a new luxury car, so they'd have to all be HD plasma displays before they'd even approach the cost of a new plane. Oh, and before you ask... A 30 year old plane is quite flyable. Heck, we have military planes that are over 50 years old and still flying into enemy air. Pilots pay much more attention to aircraft maintenance than most drivers, 'cause when your engine goes out at 7,500 feet, it's a little bit more serious than when it goes out at 0.

      --
      Make me a friend and I'll mod you up
    2. Re:Uh by The+Clockwork+Troll · · Score: 5, Funny
      Why don't you take some real flying lessons, and maybe buy a plane?
      Totally agree with your careful conclusion.

      For the same reason, although we think Halo would be fun as fuck running on 16+ monitor screens, my friends and I have opted instead to take real sniping lessons, and buy a warthog.

      --

      There are no karma whores, only moderation johns
  3. When you sit in front... by dynoman7 · · Score: 4, Funny

    When you sit in front, all screens line up reasonably well ...

    WHERE ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO SIT?!?!

    --
    Blarf.
  4. That'll do wonders for pr0n by kaltkalt · · Score: 5, Funny

    seriously...wow.

    --

    Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
  5. Flight simulator har har by rkz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Flight simulator my arse, hes only saying that because of his wife!!! the real reason is his DVD porn collection!

    --
    There is no god
  6. Realism by sk3tch · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...incredible crash realism thanks to our friend Windows 98. :)

    1. Re:Realism by msgmonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Probably sounds like a plane too with all those Case/CPU fans :)

    2. Re:Realism by JDWTopGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

      When he gets tired of this setup, that can be his next project: an ultralite plane made from computer cases and using case/CPU fans for power.

      --
      Ron Paul 2012
  7. Go for realism? by secolactico · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nice, nice. But, isn't that seatbelt on the chair taking things a bit too far?

    --
    No sig
    1. Re:Go for realism? by msgmonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Thats for his own safety, just incase all those monitors come crashing down on him :)

    2. Re:Go for realism? by BladeMelbourne · · Score: 3, Funny

      After increasing the GAMMA Correction, I saw his speakers under the lower/center monitor. They look rather small, and their seperation is not good for locating other aircraft by listening to where the sound is coming from.

      If he wants extra realism, he should have a 4 speaker system FL + FR + BL + BR with a sub-woofer to annoy the neighbours at 3AM.

      For the price of all those monitors, I would rather purchase a 23" CRT, if I had the money.

    3. Re:Go for realism? by Unoriginal+Nick · · Score: 4, Funny
      After increasing the GAMMA Correction, I saw his speakers under the lower/center monitor. They look rather small, and their seperation is not good for locating other aircraft by listening to where the sound is coming from.

      Uh, those are rudder pedals, not speakers. ;-)

    4. Re:Go for realism? by mog · · Score: 5, Funny

      I fail to see how being strapped down below 13 falling monitors adds to your safety.

  8. Not sure how he'd manage to snag a 747 by dynoman7 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ebay

    --
    Blarf.
  9. speakers by Frostalicious · · Score: 4, Funny


    Cool, but where are his speakers?

  10. There's a flaw in the simulation by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    With all them PCs running under his desk, the guy must be wondering why he still hears the wind roars when his plane is parked.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  11. So... by Spoticus · · Score: 5, Funny

    when the win98 machines BSOD in succession, do the wings fall off?

  12. Hot Dog by Scot+Seese · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..I've always wondered what it feels like to be a hotdog inside a microwave oven.. There's a guy that knows!

    --
    THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.
  13. Gah! by drudd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    *wipes drool off of floor*

    Does anyone remember battletech? It was kind of like an arcade, but just with the one game, a Mech type battle simulator, complete with cockpit, joystick, and multiple screens for views just like this. I remember playing at the Navy Pier in Chicago many years ago....

    It's amazing how much multiple screens increases the realism. You look left, right, and there's still more game!

    Doug

    --
    Venn ist das nurnstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ya! Beigerhund das oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
  14. Re:yikes... by welthqa · · Score: 5, Funny

    No. Having a computer to simulate any aircraft. as well as the awesome bragging rights is and will continue to be better than anything you can ever put up, save 14+ monitors. This man is godlike and should be treated as such. Can you even imagine how much better he is than us? millions of times better. godlike, man. GODLIKE.

    --


    100% Pure Evil With The Look And Feel Of Wholesome Goodness
  15. As a sailplane pilot... by InsaneCreator · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...I can tell you, that all flight simulators are missing two most important instruments - a piece of string and your butt. No, seriously. You don't look at instruments at all, you just check the piece of string stuck to the outside of the canopy to see if you are not flying slightly sideways. And when you find lifting air currents, you feel you're being pushed into the seat, even before instruments register anything. Other that that, you just enjoy the view (and fly in circles a lot :) ).

  16. I wonder if using WidevieW for other games.... by antdude · · Score: 3, Interesting

    like Battlefield 1942, RTCW, etc. would be possible. :)

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  17. Removing the Gaps Between the Monitors by barureddy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How would one go about removing the gaps between the monitors?

    The display is great, but The gaps between the monitors is not very attractive and could be destracting.

  18. dB Hell. by achilstone · · Score: 4, Funny

    How can he stand the noise?

    What with all those psu, cpu, video and case fans blowing it must sound like a jet taking ...oh wait.

  19. Licensing ... by BillsPetMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Windows XP on the 3 front pc's and 98se on the rest

    That's a total of 13 licenses needed. Are you inviting the BSA into your home or is 13 your lucky number?

    --
    "It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
  20. MS product activation by dtfinch · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Notice that only 3 of the computers are running XP. I suspect that he installed it 3 times and couldn't get it activated the 4th time. This reminds me of an article interviewing some Microsoft executive regarding their product activation, which was new and contraversial at the time, where they said that they did not intend for it to prevent casual copying, because that would hurt regular customers, but rather they would only disable a product key after several hundred installs.

    One of my bosses is a pilot on the side. Our current and previous offices have both been adjacent to an airport.

  21. Re:yikes... by seanadams.com · · Score: 5, Informative

    Rough guess

    CRTs: 10 x $250 = 2500
    TFTs: 3 x $650 = 1950
    Vid cards: 13 x $250 = 3250
    PCs: 9 x $500 = 4500

    So about $15K altogether, give or take a couple K.

  22. Not that bad by Stonent1 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Compared to the multi-screen Air Traffic Control systems that are commercially available. Screens
    Assembled

    Some of the smaller models such as what are used at the FAA Academy use 3 27" displays. Of course the resolution is different. The big screens use $15,000 projectors and custom mounting hardware. And commercially available 3D image generation systems. But you can scale it down to a p4 and a Geforce card per screen.

  23. Re:But... by Graff · · Score: 5, Funny
    You can seriously crash a RL airplane once, with a lot of luck twice. And with this one you can crash over and over!

    Especially since most of those computers are running Windows 98...
    --
    Sapere aude!
  24. So? X-Plane does this natively by dustoffx · · Score: 5, Informative

    X-plane does this sort of thing natively using TCP/IP,
    costs less, and has a more accurate flight model.

    Other info at theX-plane UDP networking information site.
    -----

    --
    Receive Heaven's Punishment!
  25. Re:yikes... by Quarters · · Score: 4, Informative

    A pilot's license will run you, on average, about $5,000.00. That can vary depending on how many hours you need before you're cleared for your checkride, but $5k is a pretty decent round estimate. That leaves $10k. Most places charge (again on average), about $80 - $85 per hour for a rental Cessna 172. Even using the $85 number that equals about 118 hours of pilot-in-command time. Figure abot 40 hrs to get the license and that means $15k will get you a real life pilot's license and about 160 hours of flight time. That's a far better value, with some tangible returns for the money invested, than a bunch of PCs that will be obsolete in 3 years and just simulated stick time.

  26. 40 hours is the FAA MINIMUM by Beatlebum · · Score: 4, Informative

    The average length of time taken to get a PPSEL (Private Pilot Single Engine Land) is around 70 hours. I got mine in 72. The FAA requires at least 40 hours of training. Most beginner pilots focus on the number 40, but soon realise that 40 is a pipe dream. If you're lucky you will solo in about 15 hours. At 40 hours you will have good allround experience and will be ready to plan the require 2 short and 1 long cross-country flights. If you're really good you will be ready for the check-ride at 60.

  27. *IF* you read the site, the cost is WAY less by noahbagels · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I actually read this site just yesterday - He's using far cheaper gear.

    10 CRTs (currently my company is selling off surplus for $50 a piece) = $500

    TFTs - currently, 17" CRTs are about $400 = $1200 He said that they are mostly cheap-o video cards such as the nVidia GF4MX = $40 each ==> $520

    PCs - most are of the 800mhz variety - can be had for $200/piece at an auction. --> $1800

    Price Total: $4020.

    Now, I don't know where this guy lives, but my Private Pilot Certificate PP-ASEL cost me approx $8000 in the SF-Bay Area.


    I love flying - read: LOVE flying - nothing comes close.
    However, let this guy have his kicks... if he got deals on the gear, it's only 33% more expensive than your high performance gaming PC setup listed on arstechnica and other hobbyist sites.

    At least it's better and far cooler than having neon fans and powered liquid coolant systems overclocking by 10% to get 500,000 fps in quake.


  28. Re:Yeah but... by 24-bit+Voxel · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Betcha didn't know the your fancy 3D card and just about all modern computer graphics in general are a direct result of an Navy (ARPA) project with the University of Utah to create... you guessed it, a simulation machine that gives pilots a virtual view so that they have some training before flying. So they could get used to it before they actually flew a real airplane.

    Some basic background: Here

    Ever heard of a phong shader? I belive Phong himself was involved in this project at one point. PDF on Phong at Utah

    Vox

  29. Re:So how much... by mnemonic_ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Al Qaeda probably doesn't even need a simulator. Flying is easier than most people think-- people with no flying experience have landed aircraft under the coaching of another. Flying into a building does not require as much precision.

  30. Re:TERRORIST! by shadowbearer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Terrorist training at camp of your choice: Free if you're a fanatic

    Pilot training: ~$5000

    Simulator cost (monitors, PCs, etc) ~$15000

    Getting to fly planes into buildings over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over

    PRICELESS

    *ducks*

    SB

    --
    It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.