When off-the-shelf isn't an option.
Whether the device is out of reach, needs modification for a specialized mission, or doesn’t exist at all, FDS engineers it to your requirements.
Off-the-shelf training devices are built for the aircraft everyone flies. Plenty of requirements sit outside that. A full flight simulator may exist for the type but be unrealistic to source for the project. A device may exist but need modification for a mission no commercial simulator replicates. Or the aircraft may be rare, modified, still in development, or not built yet at all.
When the standard options do not fit, you need a partner who engineers to the requirements rather than one who adapts a stock product to approximate it.
What does FDS build for training needs that have no off-the-shelf solution?
FDS engineers custom training hardware built to a specific aircraft, mission, and operating environment. That includes exact-cockpit replicas of rare or modified aircraft, mission-specific flight deck hardware, cockpit sections and demonstrators for aircraft developers, and development chassis for testing instrument and control placement. Simulation and mission software is provided by specialist partners or by the customer, and FDS builds the hardware to integrate with it.
Everything is designed and manufactured in-house, so the build can be tailored, iterated, and validated against the customer’s actual requirements rather than adapted from a stock product. Customers work directly with the team building the hardware, which matters most when the requirement is novel and the design evolves through the project.
How FDS Helps
FDS builds custom hardware engineered to integrate into advanced training environments, including networked and mixed-reality setups, so a device works within the wider simulation ecosystem a customer already runs.
Build what isn't available
off the shelf
FDS engineers devices for rare, modified, or in-development aircraft and for missions no commercial simulator covers, built to your exact cockpit and operating environment.
Work directly
with the engineers
In-house design and manufacturing means you collaborate with the team building your device, so a novel requirement can be iterated and validated through the project rather than fixed at the outset.
Mission-specific
fidelity
Training systems can replicate the scenarios, environments, and procedures a specialized operation depends on, not a generic flight profile.
Test and demonstrate
before you commit
For aircraft developers and agencies, FDS builds cockpit sections and demonstrators to evaluate layouts, test design changes, and support development programs.
Build what isn't available off the shelf
FDS engineers devices for rare, modified, or in-development aircraft and for missions no commercial simulator covers, built to your exact cockpit and operating environment.
Work directly with the engineers
In-house design and manufacturing means you collaborate with the team building your device, so a novel requirement can be iterated and validated through the project rather than fixed at the outset.
Mission-specific fidelity
Training systems can replicate the scenarios, environments, and procedures a specialized operation depends on, not a generic flight profile.
Test and demonstrate before you commit
For aircraft developers and agencies, FDS builds cockpit sections and demonstrators to evaluate layouts, test design changes, and support development programs.
Engineered To Your Requirements
Custom Aircraft and Type Replicas
EXAMPLES:
RJ85 | TC690 | AT802
Exact-cockpit training devices for rare, modified, or in-development aircraft that no off-the-shelf simulator covers
Mission-Specific Hardware
EXAMPLES:
AERIAL FIREFIGHTING | DEFENCE
Flight deck and mission hardware for specialized operations, engineered to integrate with your chosen simulation software.
Development Hardware, Cockpit Sections, and Demonstrators
EXAMPLES:
COCKPIT MODERNIZATION INITIATIVES
KC-46 DEMONSTRATOR
Sections, mock-ups, and demonstrators for aircraft makers and agencies, including reconfigurable chassis for control and instrument placement testing.
Test and
Research Training
EXAMPLES:
B787 HEAVY TRANSPORT | DEFENCE
Purpose-built devices for test pilot schools and research programs with specialized, evolving requirements.
What specialized operators say about FDS
ITPS uses its FDS B787 and multiple FDS-engineered defence trainers in its Advanced Aircraft Simulation Centre, one of only eight test pilot schools recognized globally by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
Description of Conair’s use of FDS devices
Why FDS
Fits Your Existing Space
Modular, all-metal devices assemble on site and pass through standard doorways, so most facilities install without building modifications.
Built In-House
Engineering and manufacturing under one roof means tight quality control and the flexibility to accommodate custom requirements.
Built To Last
Steel and aluminum construction stands up to high-use training environments that wear out MDF and fibreglass.
Professional-Grade Components
Line replaceable units, commercial control loading, and lockable server racks deliver aircraft realism with equipment-room reliability.
Comprehensive
Manufacturer Support
North American technical headquarters with direct engineering access, remote diagnostics, and international support through regional partners.
FAQs
Can FDS build a training device for an aircraft that isn't in production?
Yes. FDS engineers exact-cockpit devices for rare, modified, and in-development aircraft, designed and manufactured in-house to the customer’s specific configuration.
Does FDS provide the software as well as the hardware?
FDS designs and builds the physical training hardware. Simulation and mission software is provided by specialist software partners or by the customer, and FDS engineers the hardware to integrate with it. On Conair’s aerial firefighting training system, for example, FDS built the flight deck hardware and Presagis provided the simulation software.
Can FDS support aircraft development and cockpit design work?
Yes. FDS builds cockpit sections, mock-ups, and demonstrators that let developers and agencies test layouts, evaluate design changes, and support development and marketing programs.
How does a custom project work?
Because engineering and manufacturing are in-house, customers work directly with the build team, so requirements can be defined, iterated, and validated through the project.
Can custom builds be certified?
Certification applies to a completed training system, which combines hardware and software, and depends on the mission and the governing authority. FDS has supplied hardware for certified systems, including Conair’s aerial firefighting training system, which holds Transport Canada Level 4 certification, and offers certification services where required.
Let's engineer what you need.
Tell us about your aircraft, your mission, and your requirements, and we’ll discuss how FDS can build it.