In 2006, a military veteran, along with his mechanical engineer friend, established a business that brought aircraft pilot training to the desktop.
Jason McAlister, founder and CEO of Wraith Systems, had flown AV-8B Harriers during his military career and later joined Lockheed Martin, where he helped to develop a Pilot Training Aid for F-35 pilots. At this time, the system utilised the Thrustmaster F-16 stick and throttle system, and therefore did not deliver the most adequate training.
Wraith Systems sought to address that and did so in much the same way for more than 15 years.
As demand for its Hands-On Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) systems increased in 2023, however, a change was needed. The volumes wouldn’t quite make injection moulding viable, and while machining might have proved effective, developments in the 3D printing world caught McAlister’s eye. Having made the switch to additive, costs have come down considerably.
