Introducing Pi Commander: The Raspberry Pi Flight Simulator

Looking for a Raspberry Pi project that can take you to the skies? This handheld flight simulator project by Adrien Castel definitely comes close!

Castel's handheld began when he found a Sky Fighter F-16 tabletop game from a company called Dival. Castel was able to fit a Raspberry Pi 3 A+ module inside the unit along with a new TFT LCD screen. 

The original Sky Fighter F-16 device came with a red joystick. Unfortunately, the unit picked up by Castel was missing this critical component. However, this piece was easy to replace and fit nicely with the help of a custom 3D printed jig for the inside.

Castel also had to 3D print a custom frame for the TFT LCD display. In addition to these upgrades, he changed out the microswitches for newer ones with increased sensitivity.

RecalBox, an emulation platform based on both Emulation Station and RetroArch, made it possible for Castel to create a custom front end that resembles a jet fighter. The rig is perfect for playing with open-source flight simulators like FlightGear.

If you want to read more about the project, you can check out the full feature from MagPi magazine.