HotSeat Chassis' plane and helicopter flight simulators

When we hit up a press event, we're looking for two things (besides free refreshments): unannounced products and unreleased devices that we can get you some hands-on shots of. Well save for the snazzy MX Air that we picked up from Logitech, last night's Digital Life preview in New York was a total bust -- nothing but Foleos and non-working robots as far as the eye could see -- so instead of schmoozing with our colleagues or getting our egos stroked by publicity-happy vendors, we watched uncoordinated journalists attempt to master the controls of HotSeat Chassis' latest immersive simulators. While the company also makes a full line of driving rigs, the demo machines were both of the flying variety: the $6,000 Combat Sim and $7,000+ Heli Sim. The former contraption features two monitors and traditional "dogfight" controls that work with most any software, while the latter offers just a single control stick to help you live out those Airwolf fantasies. If you're interested in checking out gaming equipment that costs more than a used car (and even some new ones), hit the gallery below...

Gallery: HotSeat Chassis' plane and helicopter flight simulators

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[Mile @ Jul 13th 2007 10:48AM]

What new car costs less than $7K?

[apeguero @ Jul 13th 2007 10:54AM]

So what is so wonderful about this? And them there are some ugly pictures. BTW, I think the absolute, bottom of the list, most crappy Kia goes for about $7000.00 here in the US.

[Jordan Job @ Jul 13th 2007 11:08AM]

This isn't anything new. Go to the EAA fly in at Oshkosh this year and you'll see all kinds of multi-thousand dollar flight simulators.

[Boynamedsue @ Jul 13th 2007 11:18AM]

off topic, but has anyone ever flown in one of those full motion simulators before? Where no matter whatw you do, loop de loops, barrel rolls, whatever, the cockpit fully carries out the motion with you inside?

I did one of those on the USS Midway, best video game experience ever.

[Mile @ Jul 13th 2007 11:35AM]

That wallpaper is HORRIBLE!

[granny down east @ Jul 13th 2007 11:50AM]

@boynamedsue
Having some experience with the C-130J simulator, I can say the flight sim is very true to life. You are dealing with a $23 mil piece of equipment, not a $6-7k one. The C-130J cockpit sim imitates the G-forces you'd expect in maneuvering an aircraft (not that you would expect to complete a roll or loop in the C-130J). The cockpit does not rotate or invert, but the G-forces are "similar". That is all I can say. It has to be experienced rather than described.
Any other mil pilots out there, chime in.

[Marek @ Jul 13th 2007 12:58PM]

7k?? Man, I'm pretty sure I have a better setup at home, and that cost me less than $200. I'm really not impressed - for that kind of money I'd at least expect to see way better instrumentation, or a more immersive cockpit. At that price, they must be making a killing off of these things.

[Korsakow @ Jul 13th 2007 1:06PM]

I used to dream of a setup like that when I played Gunship on my Commodore 64. I was so sure flight sims would be the future of gaming, lol. But nowadays its all MMOs and Wii Sports... :-)

[Constable Odo @ Jul 13th 2007 1:49PM]

How about adding some Asian gals to your collection? Otherwise keep your spam outta my face, nerdbrain.

[justageek @ Jul 13th 2007 3:19PM]

The helo simulator is not a single-controller sim. The photographs rather clearly show a Flight Link Cyclic/Collective controller on the left hand side. (The gizmo that looks like a car's emergency brake)

[Randomness @ Jul 13th 2007 8:50PM]

Let's see:
-Olevia LCDTV - $500
-2nd LCD - $200
-PVC pipe & misc bolts - $75
-Chair - $100
-Cockpit controls - $300-400?
-Speakers & Sub - $300
-Computer to run it - $2000 (+/- $1000)

Total DIY cost: about $3,500