Cockpit Collection

An example Cockpit Collection keyboard overlay shown in its entirety.

One of the difficulties in any flight sim is managing all the controls. Sure, you do most of your flying with the yoke/joystick, throttle, pedals, etc. but that leaves many, many less used but no less important controls to deal with. One partial solution has been presented by the joystick/yoke makers by adding additional buttons there, but this still leaves the need to use the keyboard or mouse for many controls. Besides, those joysticks/yokes can be quite expensive.

Close-up view of a portion of the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator overlay.

The Cockpit Collection provides a simpler and less expensive approach. Many simmers, especially relative beginners, use the keyboard for all the lesser used controls. The sims all provide keys for doing this and it's a no extra cost way of getting flying, requiring only the use of the sim manual or reference card--at least until you get used to the required keys. The Cockpit Collection doesn't change this, other than eliminating the need for the manual or reference card. What you get is a nicely printed sturdy flexible plastic overlay that goes right over your standard keyboard and relabels everything with its proper sim functions.

In addition to labels actually located on the proper keys there are additional references around the edge of the overlays for actions requiring more complex keystrokes. For example, the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator overlay has a section for the slewing controls. The Microsoft FS98 overlay has sections for special helicopter controls, plus engine controls, panels and autopilot.

Close-up view of a portion of the Microsoft Flight Simulator overlay.

The plastic is surprisingly thin and flexible. You can almost touch type with the overlay in place (not quite though) and using the single and double key presses required to control a sim works easily and well. The printing is both clear and colorful, actually better than our pictures here show as it was difficult to properly scan the overlay since it's not truely flat.

There are currently five overlays available, for the following sims: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator, Jane's Longbow series, DID's F22-ADF/Total Air War, and Novalogic's Comanche series.

In conclusion, the Cockpit Collection keyboard overlays are a nice solution to the problem of aircraft control, a solution that's simple yet elegant. Adding a Cockpit Collection overlay to your favorite sim will certainly make controlling it simpler and better.