Dedicated cockpit or a setup that can fly everything? ✈️
When it comes to flight sim cockpits, I’ve always preferred a more universal setup rather than recreating one specific aircraft.
I love the incredibly detailed 737, A320 and GA cockpits people build — they’re amazing — but personally I like being able to jump from a small prop to a business jet, an airliner or something completely different without the hardware suddenly feeling completely wrong.
That’s also one of the reasons I like using screens and configurable instruments alongside physical controls. The hardware can stay relatively general while the information around it changes depending on what I’m flying.
The cockpit in the picture is still very much a work in progress.
I’m currently working on connecting the stepper motor and servo for the analog needles. I’ve already tested the setup with MobiFlight and it works really well — now I just need to finish integrating everything properly.
I also combined the Master Warning into the yellow illuminated button above the PFD, with the LEDs integrated there as well. The ignition key on the right still needs to be wired up.
One thing that already works surprisingly well is using the rotary encoders to zoom in and out on the MFD. It feels much more natural than reaching for a mouse while flying.
And the Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo are just amazing as usual. They’re probably the perfect foundation for this kind of universal cockpit because I can move between very different aircraft without rebuilding the whole setup.
There’s still quite a bit I want to finish, but I seem to go through phases with this cockpit. 😄
I genuinely enjoy just flying, recording flights and testing Avionics Buddy. But then there are phases where I start a flight, look at the cockpit and immediately think of something new I could add. Before I know it, I’m researching, planning, constructing, soldering and testing instead of actually flying.
Right now, though, I’m firmly back in my fly and enjoy phase — which is also why I wanted to share the setup as it is today.
Of course, there’s a trade-off: a universal cockpit will never feel as authentic as sitting in a setup built specifically around one aircraft.
What do you prefer?
A highly realistic cockpit dedicated to your favorite aircraft?
Or a more flexible setup that lets you fly almost anything?
And if you’ve built your own cockpit, show us your setup! I’d genuinely love to see what everyone is flying with. 👀✈️
