Introducing 525Charlie — CJ4 Home Cockpit Build

Discussion Hub Home Cockpit Builders
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Hi everyone,

I wanted to introduce a project I’ve been working on: 525Charlie — a full two-seat Cessna Citation CJ4 home cockpit build for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The goal is to create a highly accurate, fully integrated cockpit that bridges the gap between real-world aircraft design and the home sim environment. I’ve been working panel by panel — using real reference materials, CAD, and PCB design — to recreate the look, feel, and functionality of the CJ4 as closely as possible.

In this post, I’m sharing some of my latest screenshots, including:

  • Panel designs in progress

  • Reference materials from the real aircraft

  • Examples of how I translate those references into digital and physical panels

A big focus of the project has been building a consistent design system so each panel fits together as part of a larger ecosystem — making the overall build more streamlined and scalable.

I’m also looking to connect with other business jet builders (CJ4 or otherwise). If you’re working on something similar, I’d love to hear about your setup, approach, and any challenges you’ve run into along the way.

You can follow the full build, deeper dives, and progress updates at 525charlie.com, and if you’re interested in more real-time discussion, feel free to join the Discord as well.

Looking forward to connecting with others in the home cockpit community!

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After accidentally nuking my website, I decided to rebuild it with a completely different vision.

Over the past month, I rebuilt 525Charlie from the ground up.

Originally, it was simply a place to document my Citation CJ4 home cockpit build.

As I worked on the project over the past year, I realized something.

There was no point in spending hundreds of hours designing panels, developing PCBs, creating CAD models, writing firmware, and solving engineering problems just to let all of those files collect digital dust on my hard drive.

So I changed directions.

The new 525Charlie is built around openly sharing the journey.

As projects mature, I’ll be publishing CAD files, PCB designs, firmware, MobiFlight profiles, wiring guides, reference material, engineering notes, and the lessons learned throughout the process.

I also replaced Discord with a true community forum where build logs, discussions, and technical resources can be organized and searched instead of disappearing in a chat feed.

While my current project is a full-scale Citation CJ4 cockpit, the techniques, workflows, and engineering behind it apply to just about anyone interested in home cockpit building, CAD, 3D printing, electronics, or manufacturing.

If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d love for you to create a free account, explore the Tech Library, and help shape the community as it grows.

This isn’t just a relaunch of the website.

It’s a new direction for the entire project.

:airplane: https://525charlie.com