I was wondering what peoples views and opinions were on the Cockpit Master CDU.
Is it too expensive?
Would you consider purchasing it?
Is there another piece of hardware you would prefer to spend money on?
I’ve decided to invest most of my time in the PMDG 737 so took the plunge on purchasing the Cockpit Master CDU. It has recently got support for FS2020 and I’ve seem steamers on YouTube say good things about it. It basically mimics exactly the CDU in the cockpit without having to use the mouse. I didn’t even know this existed until a few days ago.
I know it’s expensive at €630 but a streamer made a good point saying that you are also paying for the software that goes with it. Also the fact that most people would use the CDU more often than the yoke in a typical flight! For me the time I’m going to spend learning and using the 737 makes this worth it, especially as I could be using it for the next 10 years.
That certainly looks pretty cool, but for about 10 Euros you can get the same functionality with a tablet running Aviaworx CDU (aviaCDU - aviaworx), which has the flexibility of buying other similarly priced modules for other aircraft without being stuck with a single physical button layout.
I had one and loved it! Used it every day in my P3D flying the PMDG 737. I got impatient and sold it to buy a yoke and throttle quadrant thinking the 737 would be further delayed. I really wish I kept it.
Because- through Spad.Next you can also use it with the CRJ and A320. The screen will show up but obviously the buttons need to be remapped.
Anyway I though it was worth the price. It doesn’t take an extra hdmi. Just one usb plug and play.
Yes I agree you can get the same functionality for a fraction of the cost but the more realistic you want the sim, the higher the cost. This is unfortunately the way it goes with flight sim. Using a touchscreen as a CDU would obviously not be “realistic” but still gets the job done. I suppose the same could be said for using a PC with just a keyboard and joystick to a full size cockpit. They both get the job done but obviously one is more realistic than the other.
I guess it’s personal preference at the end of the day and whether realism is important to you. That’s the good thing about flight simming, you can customise your setup to suit your preferences.
I probably would have done the same to be honest especially as the PMDG took a long time to be released for FS2020. What yoke and throttle did you decide to go with after you sold the CDU?
You can always buy it again I suppose. I always seem to be discovering new things which probably isn’t a good thing for the wallet. Even though this device has been out for a while I’ve only just heard about it.
The best thing about the cockpit masters CDU is it only requires one connection via usb. Other CDU’s I have found require you to connect it also to your video card which for me is a big negative. Have you received yours already? I’m looking into getting one as well. Next is a 737 MCP and EFIS probably from Sismo (just waiting for their bridge software to be released) Then I found a full replica 737 yoke from Opencockpits. This hobby of ours gets expensive real fast. As you said the more realism you want the more expensive it gets. Sismo and other companies alike sell replica plug and play 737 modules. Its incredible the stuff that these companies make. Me too I had no idea that this stuff ever existed!
I haven’t received mine yet but it’s due to be delivered tomorrow. Super excited to try it out, I’ll definitely be checking out Sismo that you mentioned. I would love to have an MCP which would eliminate the use of a mouse considerably.
Are you looking at building a full size cockpit?
Do you know if there are any MCPs which are compatible with the PMDG737 in FS2020? I can’t seem to find any.
Gents lack of documentation but I was able to run the 3 pmdg,cj4 and bae 163 and crj but so far impossible to have it running with FBW anyone manage to get it work i am not sure if it is compatible even with spad.next
When I go to Cockpit Masters website, my Anti-Virus/Malware prevents it loading do to a Trojan. More research and nobody seems to know when/if Cockpit Masters will come back to life? Shame, looked like a good FMC option.
Website is working fine for me on Google Chrome. No they definitely haven’t gone under. They’ve actually released a set of new products recently, an MCP and EFIS which looks very nice but expensive.
I got mine yesterday - and sent it straight back. 2 buttons were crooked and the resistance faulty, and one was not completely black (light was showing through). This is absolutely not the quality you would expect at €800. Apparently not good quality control, if any.
