[NTLUG:Discuss] Flight Sims and Linux- was: Will work for free !!!

[Kevin E. Ivey]

Steve Baker wrote:
> 
> Michael Collins wrote:
> >
> >         Hey. You prolly know someone from Simtek in Hurst.
> 
> Probably - there are very few flightsim companies in the world and
> nearly everyone knows nearly everyone else.
> 

Yeah, I've flown a few of them.  Link became CAE, which became McDonnel
Douglas and Raytheon.....

  I used to work there
> > in a past life making Flight Simulator instruments.  Link is the
> > original Simulator company i believe.
> 
> It was once!  There have been so many takeovers, mergers, divestments
> and other deals over the years that it's hard to tell which part is which
> anymore.
> 
> We'll tackle anything though - in the past, we've built Air Traffic
> Control simulators, Space Shuttle sims, Railroad locomotive simulators
> Tanks, Cars, Helicopters. Hovercraft ... and even a RollerCoaster sim
> for Busch Gardens!
> 
> Just *too* much fun...and increasingly using Linux. (Just to stray back
> in the general direction of the topic of the list!)

Speaking of which... Are there Linux based motion- and Digital imagery-
systems out there now?

The cost of maintaining/upgrading the software for the advanced aircraft
simulators has bitten a big chunk out of the STRICOM (simulator people)
budget.  At a million bucks per upgrade, that adds up to some real
money.

About ten years ago,  The motion control system for my aircraft's sim
was replaced with a small box the size of a suitcase.  In order to make
the ancient software work, the Army asked the guy who wrote most of the
code to update to the new hardware.  He said "sure, for a million bucks"
and they refused to pay him (or his company).

Instead, the original monster sized tapes(!) of the ancient code was
used and it didn't work at all.  The many years worth of incremental
updates were not included and it could not be made to work.  Finally,
some bright person decided to pay whatever it took to get the software
ported no matter what the cost.  By this time the guy's price had
doubled to two million bucks and that is what was paid to make the stuff
work.

You can see the moral to this story and maybe the implications of free
software for this type of application.

This same system is undergoing a major upgrade right now and the cost is
way high.  The motion and visual boxes take up a table top instead of a
whole room and are actually smaller than the power conditioner closet. 

All this power can be replicated with a PC of modest speed and some well
written code for near nothing....

Our taxpayer Dollars at work.

keVIn