u/Delos20

One of the most valuable parts of building this CJ4 home cockpit has been getting hands-on time with the real aircraft. I recently captured some reference video moving the actual throttle levers, and it really reinforced how much detail goes into the feel of the system — not just visually, but mechanically as well.

The smoothness, resistance, detents, spacing, and movement all play a huge role in what makes the aircraft feel authentic. That’s the level of fidelity I’m working toward with the throttle quadrant project for the simulator build.

It’s pretty motivating seeing and feeling the real thing while designing the CAD models and planning the mechanical side of the build. Still a long road ahead, but the throttle project is officially underway and starting to feel very real.

If anyone wants to follow along with the CJ4 cockpit build, design process, prototyping, and future hardware development: 525charlie.com

#CJ4 #CitationCJ4 #HomeCockpit #FlightSimulator #MSFS #CockpitBuilder #ThrottleQuadrant #AvGeek #3DPrinting #CADDesign #FlightSim #BusinessJet #SimulatorBuild

One of the coolest parts of this CJ4 cockpit project is seeing an idea go from a rough concept to something you can actually hold in your hands.

Recently wrapped up designing the landing gear panel, and getting the first prototype off the 3D printer was one of those moments where the hours of measuring, modeling, scaling, and redesigning finally pay off. Seeing the panel physically fit into the growing cockpit ecosystem exactly the way it was planned is such a satisfying feeling.

A lot of this project has been about designing every panel and component to work together as one complete system instead of individual standalone pieces. The more parts that come together successfully, the more the whole cockpit starts to feel real.

Still a long road ahead, but moments like this are what make the process so much fun.

If anyone is interested in following the CJ4 build journey, progress updates, and future hardware development, check out 525charlie.com