Has anyone built a racing/flight simulator chair?

[Taz]

I mean the full-blown arcade-like chair with controls, pedals, screen(s) that you sit in? The idea intrigues as a longer-term project. Next Level Racing produce some ready-built ones at a price, although they weren't as expensive as I imagined them to be.

Something like this:



On a budget I suppose one could be put together with a used sports car seat and some woodwork/metalwork skills.

[Ttaskmaster]

I've seen various pre-made commercial simpit products, but they always looked far too flimsy. I'd want something at least as solid as my desktop on which to rest my arms and my HOTAS.

To that end, I have a BMW (E60 or E90, I think) seat that I will use for just such a build, when I finally get enough free time. I got that on the basis that a daily driver car seat would be far more comfortable and suited to long flights than that of a sports car... it also has more adjustment and heating controls!

Also, my mate's girlfriend's cousin is a precision machinist with a large workshop. Half of it was partitioned off and he installed the front end of an actual Cessna, which he surrounded by rear projection screens and swapped the intrumentation for digital displays. The result is MS Flight Sim (or whatever he wants to run) which runs perfectly in (part of) a real life plane. It's absolutely stunning.
He's also in the process of building a helicopter simpit that runs VR. I got to test-fly it once, as I built him the PC for it.

[Taz]

I agree about the flimsiness and comfort factor. The pic I posted was one the cheapest ones and resembles a deck chair. There are other seats available as options at a hefty price.

Like you, I'm still favouring a car seat option - perhaps a Volvo seat for some laid-back flight simming!

[Spud1]

I tried to build my own out of a cannibalised char & adjustable tables etc, but eventually gave up and just bought a playseat challenge - one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playseat-Ch.../dp/B009ZELZDS - although I only paid £125 for it from Argos.

It's actually really comfortable, quite adjustable and the racing wheel mount is sturdier than you'd think - it holds my G25 firmly enough and copes with the force feedback rather well. It's quite a neat solution too - once done you can leave the wheel & pedals mounted and just fold it up and put it in a (large) cupboard. I have had to MacGyver a gear stick mount for it as I didn't want to pay £50 for a bit of metal with some holes in it, but I had a cheap desk laptop mount spare that I was able to clamp to the side and it works surprisingly well. The fact it folds away easily for storage is a benefit you cant under-estimate imo, it would never have passed the OH approval if I had to leave it setup somewhere, and I would never use it if I had to take 20 min to set it up each time.

It is a bucket seat though, so keep that in mind - and depending on your size it could be uncomfortable as they are not made for the larger gentleman If you are average size or below you should be fine though - I am 5'4 and was able to adjust to to be nice and comfy for some longer F1 sessions

[AC81]

I have the pre cursor to the chair in the OP.
Single most uncomfortable seat there is.
When folded up, it's not secure. And, as it's really heavy with the stuff bolted on, as soon as you try and pick it up it's all trying to unfold itself. (not sure if this has been improved)
With a load cell and you'll soon find the seat wants to pitch back when you hit the breaks. (honestly, if it's not strong enough to take a load cell (15KG setting on a CSL elite pedel set [ lowerest setting] ) what's the point in buying a racing chaor at all???
Honestly, it's a horrible heavy design that doesn't fold up anything like it should.
I've managed by taking the wheel off, not screwing in the bar holding the wheel, and lifting that off and detatching the pedals everytime.
But, that was 12 - 15 mins of getting the chair and assembling anytime i want to race. And the same when i want to put it away.

I've since skipped the chair long before it should have been. And, i'm now left with CSL elite load cell pedals i can't use is they're not designed and don't work on carpet.
If you're gonna go down the road of a proper chair, get a solid one. not a foldaway.

[Taz]

I'm starting out small just to see if this concept is worth the eventual outlay. I've always wanted a flightsim cockpit of some kind. There's significant expenditure involved in (eventually) buying a new high-spec PC given the prices of hardware these days. I'm looking at some kind of frame with a comfortable seat, stand/rests for a HOTAS on either side of the seat, a shelf for rudder pedals and a mount for a screen (probably a medium to largish curved screen).

[OliversArmy]

I bought myself a chair similar to that one for racing, called the Playseat Challenge. Fits my Thrustmaster TX wheel and pedals nicely and is overall very sturdy for my weight. Would've loved to have the space to place a static one with its own screens etc but alas I do not, so I went for what I perceived to be the next best thing. Would definitely recommend if you need to fold away/move the seat every time you use it.