Over the past few months, I’ve spent quite a bit of time diving deep into the A320 and its operation. Since turning and pushing knobs in the virtual cockpit isn’t always the most convenient thing, I decided it was time to invest in a hardware FCU.
After doing some research across different hardware manufacturers and reading various A320 cockpit build blogs, I eventually ended up with Skalarki. What convinced me was the simple installation process and the apparent build quality — at least as far as you can tell from the product photos on their website.
Just before Christmas 2021, Skalarki released a 10% discount code for their shop, which finally tipped the scales for me. I ordered my first set of Skalarki hardware — the Desktop Line bundle consisting of the FCU, MCDU, and ABRK-LDG modules.
Before placing the order, I confirmed with Skalarki that the Desktop Line uses the same panels as the regular Home Line, meaning I could later reuse them if I ever decided to go for a full cockpit build. I deliberately skipped the Desktop Line TQ box, as it unfortunately comes with a non-motorized throttle quadrant that isn’t particularly easy to upgrade afterward.
About two weeks later, the friendly DHL courier showed up with three packages from the UK. And since anticipation is half the fun, the boxes had to stay sealed until Christmas Eve.
The hardware more than lived up to my expectations. Everything feels high-quality, solidly built, and sturdy. The replica Korry switches look fantastic, and the backlighting creates a really pleasant atmosphere.
If I had to name one minor downside, it would be that the keys on the MCDU keypad click a little louder than I’d prefer. But that’s really just a small detail — overall, the positives clearly outweigh it.
Setting up the Skalarki Profiler is quick and easy. Once installed, you just connect each panel to power and plug in a USB cable to your PC — and you’re ready to go.
At the end of 2021, only the FCU (and even that only partially) was working properly with the FBW A320 in MSFS, so I switched over to X-Plane 11 with the Toliss A320. There, everything works flawlessly — all panels perform exactly as they should.
