Founded by two real-life Airbus pilots, miniCOCKPIT has been hard at work in recent years transforming home simulator setups into mini-scale replicas of Airbus cockpits. Released last year, the miniFCU and miniEFIS home-cockpit hardware modeled the controls associated with the Airbus A3x series glareshield, albeit at a slightly smaller scale than the real-world version. In its most recent product roadmap, miniCOCKPIT revealed upcoming hardware, including its condensed, “mini” version of the Airbus overhead panel. Now, from a recent post on the hardware manufacturer’s social media, we’ve learned the scaled-down overhead panel will be the next in the series to be released.
The miniOVHD is a small-footprint replica of the overhead panel found in Airbus A3xx aircraft. Designed to enhance the realism of home cockpit users at an affordable price, the panel features switches and button controls for the most commonly used operations of an Airbus cockpit. miniCOCKPIT says the hardware will feature high-resolution, injection-molded switches and rotary knobs that replicate the feel of the real aircraft’s controls.
Functions of the miniOVHD include aircraft lighting, anti-ice, GPWS landing flap 3 push-button, APU operation, seatbelt signs, and windscreen wiper controls. According to miniCOCKPIT, Airbus’s distinct Korry push-button switches will be replicated using custom-designed, dual-color LED buttons with 2mm of travel. While the visual layout of the miniOVHD is authentic, users will have the option to customize the functions of the buttons and switches to suit their needs and flight simulation software.
The miniOVHD is designed to be modular and will work stand-alone or seamlessly integrated with the miniFCU and miniEFIS. This allows users to build an integrated home cockpit operated through miniCOCKPIT’s Data Link Software plugin. The unit will also ship with a free mounting frame, enabling users of the miniFCU to mount the miniOVHD alongside.
Prospective miniOVHD customers can expect sales to begin in September 2025, with the unit’s price starting at $189 US. The miniOVHD will be offered via the manufacturer’s website, and a discount will be provided for the early backers of the initial miniFCU Kickstarter campaign, which sold out in a matter of minutes back in 2023.
miniCOCKPIT has also teased its versions of the Airbus ECAM panel and radio management panel (RMP), though no further timelines have been provided outside of the product roadmap. Stay tuned for FSElite as more details emerge.
