Let's Unbox: Rowsfire A107 V3 A320 MAX Light Overhead Panel

I grew up in a time when you could get onto a plane and have the pilot invite you into the cockpit for a look around. If you were very lucky, you might even sit in the jump seat for takeoff and leave with a pair of plastic wings as a Jr. Pilot. I still have my wings, and I have no doubt that it's a major factor in why I ultimately joined the Air Force, why I got deep into flight simulation, why I own a motion simulator, and why I chase the realism dragon at every possible opportunity. Recently I got to check out a new piece of tech from Rowsfire that brings the Airbus A320 narrow-body jet airliner to life, consolidating the major components of the primary overhead panel into an easy-to-use system that not only provides tactile response, but even lighting, switches, and so much more. There's realism, and then there's THIS.

Yes, there are other panels that Rowsfire has to help further bring that A320 to life like the ATC panel, landing gear indicator & ECAM panel, and even a D105 G1000 NXi multifunction display for your Garmin needs. Frankly, you could build a near 1:1 representation of this platform to be able to practice flight from cold and dark, takeoff, landing, and everything in between.

The Rowsfire A107 V3 A320 MAX Light Overhead Panel is the third iteration on this panel, shipping with a new compact all-metal construction, more tactile buttons, better lighting, improved switch and button feedback, better compatibility, improved functionality, and all without raising the price. It even has a VESA mount so you can place it overhead. Check out the video above and you'll see it come to life in a demonstration of all of the indicators, lights, and switches coming to life in a takeoff sequence.

For sim-pilots building a home cockpit, this panel is exactly what you need. It's more than pressing a virtual button in the simulator, giving you real feedback you simply can't get anywhere else other than the real time. It snared me, giving me that same feeling I had as a kid. Hopefully it does the same for you, even if we can't get those plastic wings like we used to.

Big thanks to Rowsfire for the opportunity and support – let us know in the comments if you've jumped in with sticks, motion simulators, panels, and other enhancements, or if you're a crazy person flying an A320 with a controller.