Built by a pilot. Engineered by an aerospace engineer.
Coldstart Cockpits started with a problem I knew all too well.
After years of flying DCS with a keyboard, I finally bought a joystick and immediately wondered how I had managed to even take-off without one! Flying the aircraft became easier, but there was still a major problem: a joystick gives you controls, not a cockpit.
Modern combat aircraft are operated through an enormous number of switches, buttons and systems, and a generic joystick simply cannot replicate it. Even with a HOTAS, I was still reaching for the keyboard to manage weapons, avionics and aircraft systems.
I knew there had to be a better way.
As an aerospace engineer with a passion for aviation and hands-on experience in CAD, electronics and digital manufacturing, I started building my own panels. What began as a solution for my own cockpit quickly became something bigger: the idea that realistic flight-sim hardware should be engineered properly, look the part and be accessible to the people building their own cockpits at home.
Flight simulation, without the compromises
There are already some excellent flight-sim hardware manufacturers out there. But I noticed a gap.
There are plenty of generic controls and specialist cockpit products available, but recreating an aircraft accurately means bringing together a huge number of individual components. Building a convincing cockpit shouldn't mean compromising on the panels that sit between the major controls.
That's where Coldstart comes in.
We build highly accurate cockpit hardware for enthusiasts who want to take their simulator beyond a collection of generic controls and create something that genuinely feels like the aircraft they're flying.
Our products are designed for home cockpit builders, enthusiasts who want a professional finish without having to manufacture everything themselves, and technically minded people who have the electronics skills but not the equipment or specialist knowledge required to produce accurate physical panels.
Initially focused on DCS and the aircraft we know best, Coldstart will expand into other platforms and applications as the product range grows.
Engineered properly
Every Coldstart product is designed from the ground up with engineering, reliability and accuracy in mind.
The electronics are custom designed in-house, with protection built into the hardware to protect both the panel and the customer's PC. The mechanical components are designed using professional CAD and engineering principles before being manufactured and assembled in-house.
The panels themselves are designed as Type VII integrally illuminated panels, using a dedicated LED PCB between the faceplate and aluminium backplate. Backlighting is carefully designed to provide even, controllable illumination, while high-frequency PWM dimming eliminates the visible flicker when panels are filmed or photographed.
Accuracy matters just as much as the electronics. Components are designed around the real aircraft, with precisely manufactured faceplates, correctly proportioned geometry and attention to the small details that make a cockpit feel authentic.
Every product is also designed to be straightforward to install and use, with clear documentation, wiring information and installation guidance provided as standard.
The goal isn't simply to make something that looks like a cockpit panel.
It is to engineer something that feels like it belongs in one.
Who's behind Coldstart?
I'm the founder of Coldstart Cockpits and, for now, I'm also the person behind every part of the process.
I've been flying DCS for around seven years, primarily in the F-16, with the A-10 occasionally making an appearance. Aviation has always been a major interest of mine, and my aerospace engineering background naturally led me towards designing and building the hardware I wanted to use myself.
My background covers aerospace design, CAD, FEA, CAM, electronic design and design for manufacture. I design the mechanical components, the PCBs, the electronics and manufacture and assemble the products myself in my own workshop.
That means there isn't a gap between the person who designs the product and the person who uses it.
Every panel starts with the same question:
Would I be happy putting this in my own cockpit?
If the answer isn't yes, it isn't finished!