Modular Flight Simulator: C-47d Skytrain

Project

The Modular Flight Simulator: C-47D Skytrain is a custom physical cockpit designed to provide tactile flight input and instrument output for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

Objectives:

• Traditional desktop flight controls do little to teach cockpit layout or switch location.
• Commercial physical simulators are expensive, heavy, and difficult to customize.
• This project creates a modular, mobile simulator that combines physical controls, wireless subsystem communication, and live instrument feedback.
• The goal was to build an affordable platform that can be demonstrated, transported, repaired, and expanded.

Methods

• Built a modular cockpit frame with custom yoke, rudder, throttle, switch, and instrument subsystems.
• Tested several sensor types and selected the most stable options for each control.
• Used ESP-NOW to connect distributed ESP32-S3 boards to a central hub.
• Developed a SimConnect bridge to link the cockpit with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
• Used an Arduino Mega to drive the pilot instruments after separating motor power from logic control.
• Validated each subsystem individually, then integrated the full simulator.

Conclusion

• The project successfully produced a working modular C-47D cockpit simulator with physical inputs and instrument outputs.
• The final system demonstrated reliable communication between ESP32-S3 boards, the SimConnect bridge, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.The throttle, joystick, switches, and pilot instruments all operated as functional subsystems in the completed build.
• The project showed that a vintage-aircraft simulator can be built with accessible components and custom firmware rather than expensive commercial hardware.
• The largest engineering lessons were the importance of sensor reliability, power management, and modular subsystem design.
• Future work includes adding more cockpit stations, refining control feel, and expanding the instrument panel.