Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Misc. Forums > Aviation History and Nostalgia
Reload this Page >

Vista Flightmatic 204-FP

Aviation History and Nostalgia Whether working in aviation, retired, wannabee or just plain fascinated this forum welcomes all with a love of flight.

Vista Flightmatic 204-FP

Old 23rd Nov 2021, 19:12
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Subsealevel mudland
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Vista Flightmatic 204-FP

Recently I got hold of a Vista Flightmatic 204-FP flight simulator, or rather an IFR trainer for my mancave. Much better than a pinball or a snooker table ;-). As most pilots I was tortured on this rack for many hours as my first introduction to IFR flying.

It is an interesting piece of equipment that has a mechanically simulated environment and the flight characteristics are all analog. Two VORs and an NDB are synchros on the board, connected with nylon strings to the aircraft position to create the indications. After a lot of cleaning and lube work, most of it is working again.

So now is the time to start flying the beast and I am looking for the charts. There is a VOR in the northwestern corner on frequency 108.25. In the southeasterly corner we find a VOR on frequency 112.25. Between it on the radial 309 from one and radial 129 from the other is an NDB that is always on and an ILS on frequency 110.05. All this is mechanically represented on a panel behind a white screen.

Does anybody recognise this environment and have a clue where I could find the charts? I am looking for SIDs, STARS, approach plates, anything.

Last edited by CaptainSquelch; 27th Nov 2021 at 19:32.
CaptainSquelch is offline  
Old 23rd Nov 2021, 21:48
  #2 (permalink)  
25F
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by DirtyProp
Any pics of said contraption? I'm rather curious myself, goggle did not show anything.
Try this?
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...atic-133159614
25F is offline  
Old 23rd Nov 2021, 22:48
  #3 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Subsealevel mudland
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

CaptainSquelch is offline  
Old 23rd Nov 2021, 22:52
  #4 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Subsealevel mudland
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

the panel


The "world" where the black knob represents the aircraft position. The block with the two small nylon wheels represents the NDB. The string to the aircraft pulls the synchro to generate the ADF indication.

the rear of the "world" with the synchro in the left lower corner for the southwest VOR and the synchro in the center again the NDB. The potmeter generates the DME reading and the ILS G/S indication.

All pretty ingenious.



Last edited by CaptainSquelch; 23rd Nov 2021 at 23:02.
CaptainSquelch is offline  
Old 24th Nov 2021, 11:07
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: near an airplane
Posts: 2,764
Received 46 Likes on 37 Posts
Somewhere to the north-west of Heathrow? Garston (GAR) is shown on a 1968 plate as using 112.3 as a frequency, that is pretty close to your 112.25 VOR. There is more about this beacon on this page: https://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-490432.html. If this is a US built contraption, it is more likely to be a setting somewhere on that continent of course. It may well be a fictional combination that was cooked up to suit most training scenarios of course.
That's a nice DAF you've got there by the way!
Jhieminga is offline  
Old 24th Nov 2021, 14:55
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,789
Received 196 Likes on 90 Posts
Originally Posted by CaptainSquelch
Recently I got hold of a Vista Flightmatic 204-FP flight simulator, or rather an IFR trainer for my mancave. Much better than a pinball or a snooker table ;-). As most pilots I was tortured on this rack for many hours as my first introduction to IFR flying.

It is an interesting piece of equipment that has a mechanically simulated environment and the flight characteristics are all analog. Two VORs and an NDB are synchros on the board, connected with nylon strings to the aircraft position to create the indications. After a lot of cleaning and lube work, most of it is working again.

So now is the time to start flying the beast and I am looking for the charts. There is a VOR in the northwestern corner on frequency 108.25. In the southeasterly corner we find a VOR on frequency 112.25. Between it on the radial 309 from ONE and radial 129 from the other is an NDB that is always on and an ILS on frequency 110.05. All this is mechanically represented on a panel behind a white screen.

Does anybody recognise this environment and have a clue where I could find the charts? I am looking for SIDs, STARS, approach plates, anything.
I'm assuming those VORs aren't marked with designators, otherwise you would have said so. If, as suggested, the SE one is Garston, I'm struggling to think what other VOR is northwest of that, and with an NDB in between.

Presumably there's a scale on the chart - roughly how far apart are the two VORs ?
DaveReidUK is offline  
Old 24th Nov 2021, 16:30
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: England
Age: 76
Posts: 1,194
Likes: 0
Received 26 Likes on 16 Posts
If this is a US built contraption, it is more likely to be a setting somewhere on that continent of course. It may well be a fictional combination that was cooked up to suit most training scenarios of course.
Noteworthy that the NAVCOM has .05 MHz spacing for VOR/ILS, suggesting a (relatively) recent set-up. How old is this kit? The DME readout format looks ancient!

Edit: further research shows that .05 Mhz NAVCOM spacing dates back to at least the 1970s, although very few VORs and LOCs (if any) seemed to use these freqs in those days.

Last edited by Discorde; 24th Nov 2021 at 16:54.
Discorde is offline  
Old 24th Nov 2021, 22:56
  #8 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Subsealevel mudland
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
I'm assuming those VORs aren't marked with designators, otherwise you would have said so. If, as suggested, the SE one is Garston, I'm struggling to think what other VOR is northwest of that, and with an NDB in between.

Presumably there's a scale on the chart - roughly how far apart are the two VORs ?
Unfortunately there is no scale anywhere indicated. Tomorrow I'll time the flight from overhead one of the VORs to the other and see if I can figure out the distance.

As for the frequencies, the selected frequency they work on can be changed by rotating the wheel with the numbers relative to the wheel with the contacts. There are just three working contacts on the Mhz wheel (now set at 108, 110 and 112) and two on the decimals (now at .05 and .25). So if I'd change the 108.25 VOR to 108.40 the other VOR changes with it from 112.25 to 112.40 and the ILS from 110.05 to 110.20. The same goes for the Mhz selector.

All in all I am not sure that it is a copy from the real world. It could well be a 'just for the simulator world'.

Last edited by CaptainSquelch; 24th Nov 2021 at 23:10.
CaptainSquelch is offline  
Old 25th Nov 2021, 03:08
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: East of Suez
Posts: 168
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Check your PMs
Soddit is offline  
Old 25th Nov 2021, 08:19
  #10 (permalink)  

"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: England
Age: 77
Posts: 4,131
Received 215 Likes on 62 Posts
Probably too late, but have you looked into the flight sim world? I run FSX on a desktop, and get endless enjoyment/challenge from it. There are other options such as P3D or Xplane. Add peripherals as and when the budget allows. A useful start point is the magazine "PC Pilot"
Herod is offline  
Old 25th Nov 2021, 17:10
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Subsealevel mudland
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Herod
Probably too late, but have you looked into the flight sim world? I run FSX on a desktop, and get endless enjoyment/challenge from it. There are other options such as P3D or Xplane. Add peripherals as and when the budget allows. A useful start point is the magazine "PC Pilot"
Herod,

Thanks but that is not what this is about. It is the fun of getting this old piece of machinery, mechanical and analog, running again. It is better than a pinball machine or a snooker table and fits in nicely between my classic cars. Nine years into retirement from the airlines I sometimes still work as a flight instructor on a full motion 737 sim so I do get my challenges.
CaptainSquelch is offline  
Old 25th Nov 2021, 21:51
  #12 (permalink)  

"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: England
Age: 77
Posts: 4,131
Received 215 Likes on 62 Posts
OK Captain. Point taken. Enjoy the challenge.
Herod is offline  
Old 16th Jul 2023, 12:14
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: at the edge of the alps
Posts: 445
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry, no clue about the maps either, but fond memories of IFR training on this electromechanical marvel. I still remember how the sounds changed when turning to different headings as the gears that moved the aircraft at the Center of the spider web of wires picked up speed. It also had a mechanical protrusion to the right which would track your progress with a china pen on a Perspex plate covering a map.

I am sure the geography is fictional, the mechanical constraints required navaids in the corners.

(Found this googling for Vista as I just found a small sales brochure.
Alpine Flyer is offline  
Old 17th Jul 2023, 12:17
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 788
Received 32 Likes on 10 Posts
Two VORs and an NDB are synchros on the board, connected with nylon strings to the aircraft position to create the indications.
Anyone from a Coastal Command / 18 Group R.A.F. background will remember the Stage 2 trainer, which worked on the same system
oxenos is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.