By Flight Streamer, private pilot and flight simulation creator. Published . Updated .
Review at a glance
The WINCTRL RMP 32 and TCAS 32 bring radio, transponder and traffic controls into a compact modular Airbus cockpit. At $85 USD each at the time of review, they reduced mouse interaction in my setup, particularly for online flying. Their compact format suits a desktop more than a full-scale replica.
These observations describe the setup tested in this review. For the rest of my cockpit, see my flight simulator setup.
The further you take an Airbus simulator, the more noticeable the missing panels become.
An FCU gives you the autopilot controls. An MCDU handles flight-management input. A throttle quadrant covers the power levers.
Then you reach for the radios or transponder and end up back on the mouse.
The WINCTRL RMP 32 and TCAS 32 are designed to fill that gap without requiring a full center pedestal.
Both are compact physical panels aimed at Airbus-style simulator setups, and at $85 USD each they sit in a very different price category from large professional cockpit modules.
I have used the panels as part of my modular Airbus setup, where compact size and easy reconfiguration matter just as much as realism.
Quick verdict
The RMP 32 and TCAS 32 make sense because they solve two very specific cockpit interactions without taking over the desk.
The RMP gives you physical radio-management controls, while the TCAS panel moves transponder and traffic-related functions off the screen.
At $85 USD per panel, they are relatively accessible compared with full-size cockpit hardware.
For a modular Airbus setup, I like the balance. They add useful physical controls without forcing me to build a permanent pedestal around them.
What are the WINCTRL RMP 32 and TCAS 32?
The two panels are separate products.
The RMP 32 recreates the Airbus Radio Management Panel concept, giving the user physical controls for radio-frequency management.
The TCAS 32 provides a dedicated interface for transponder and TCAS-related selections.
The goal is not to replace every function of a full pedestal.
The goal is to move two frequently used groups of controls into compact dedicated hardware.
Why these panels matter in an Airbus setup
Radio and transponder controls are easy to ignore when building a home simulator.
They are not as visually dramatic as an FCU, throttle quadrant or overhead panel.
But during actual online flying, especially on VATSIM, they are used constantly.
Changing frequencies, managing the active and standby radios, setting the transponder and adjusting TCAS modes are routine tasks.
Using the mouse for those functions works, but once the rest of the cockpit becomes physical, reaching back into the virtual pedestal starts to feel increasingly out of place.
That is the problem these panels solve.
The RMP 32: physical radio management
The RMP 32 gives you a dedicated physical interface for Airbus-style radio operation.
The practical benefit is speed.
When ATC assigns a new frequency, I can reach for a physical control instead of changing views, zooming into the pedestal and clicking the correct area of the virtual RMP.
That is especially useful during busy phases of flight when several things are happening at once.
The hardware does not make radio tuning more technically capable. It makes it more immediate.
That distinction is important.
The TCAS 32: a small panel with a useful job
The TCAS 32 performs a similarly focused role.
It brings transponder and TCAS-related controls into the physical cockpit.
Those controls are not touched every minute, but when they are needed, they are usually part of a larger flow: preflight setup, departure, online ATC operation, arrival or abnormal configuration.
Having them physically available means one less reason to open or zoom into the virtual center pedestal.
Compact size is a feature, not a compromise
The "32" format is intentionally compact.
For a permanent full-scale cockpit, some users may prefer larger one-to-one replicas.
My simulator is different.
I switch between aircraft types and reconfigure the hardware depending on what I am flying.
That makes smaller dedicated modules genuinely useful.
I can add Airbus-specific functionality without turning the entire simulator into an Airbus-only structure.
For me, that is the right tradeoff.
How they fit with other Airbus hardware
The RMP 32 and TCAS 32 make the most sense as part of a larger physical-control setup.
On their own, they are useful but specialized.
Combined with an FCU, EFIS, MCDU, throttle quadrant or overhead hardware, they start to fill the gaps between the major panels.
This is also why I would not evaluate them only by asking, "Can I tune a radio without them?"
Of course you can.
The better question is whether you want the virtual pedestal to remain part of your normal workflow after investing in physical Airbus hardware elsewhere.
Build and control feel
The panels are compact, but they do not feel like novelty accessories.
The controls are intended to be operated repeatedly during normal flight-sim use, and in my setup they have held up well to that kind of interaction so far.
I also like that the hardware follows WINCTRL's broader modular approach.
Instead of forcing the buyer into one large integrated pedestal, the panels can be added individually.
That makes more sense for desktop and hybrid simulator setups.
Setup philosophy
One of the things I value in modern flight-sim hardware is avoiding unnecessary configuration work.
A physical panel is much less useful if every simulator update turns it into a troubleshooting project.
My experience with the WINCTRL panels has been focused on using them as dedicated Airbus controls rather than treating them as generic button boxes.
That is exactly how I think hardware like this should behave.
The point is to reach for the labeled Airbus control and have the simulator respond without thinking about the underlying mapping.
Value at $85 per panel
At $85 USD each, the RMP 32 and TCAS 32 are interesting because they let users expand a cockpit gradually.
You do not need to buy a full pedestal.
You can start with the panel that removes the most mouse interaction from your own workflow.
For someone who flies online frequently, the RMP may have the most immediate value because radio changes happen constantly.
For someone building out the center pedestal more completely, the TCAS panel fills another obvious gap.
Buying both still keeps the total cost far below many large integrated cockpit assemblies.
What I like about the RMP 32
The RMP 32 solves a function I use regularly.
During VATSIM flights, frequency changes are part of the normal workload. A physical radio-management panel means I do not need to interrupt the visual flow of the flight just to interact with the virtual pedestal.
That is exactly the type of upgrade I appreciate: not dramatic, but useful every time I fly.
What I like about the TCAS 32
The TCAS 32 is used less frequently, but it helps complete the Airbus center-pedestal workflow.
Transponder and traffic selections feel more natural when they are handled through a dedicated labeled panel rather than a mouse.
It is the kind of product that becomes more valuable as the rest of the simulator becomes more physical.
What I would keep in mind before buying
These are specialized panels.
If you still fly primarily with a mouse and only have one or two generic controllers, they may not be the best place to spend your budget first.
An FCU, throttle quadrant or good flight controls will normally change the experience more dramatically.
The RMP 32 and TCAS 32 become more compelling when you are already filling in the smaller gaps of an Airbus cockpit.
Their compact format is also a deliberate compromise. Someone building a fixed full-scale replica may prefer larger hardware.
Who should buy the WINCTRL RMP 32 and TCAS 32?
These panels make the most sense for someone who:
- Flies Airbus aircraft regularly
- Uses VATSIM or other online ATC
- Already has other physical Airbus controls
- Wants fewer mouse interactions
- Has a modular or desktop cockpit
- Wants to expand gradually
- Does not need a permanent full-size center pedestal
They make less sense if you rarely touch the virtual radio or transponder controls, or if you are still building the more fundamental parts of your simulator.
Should you buy both?
Not necessarily.
The modular approach means you can prioritize the panel that matches your own flying.
If you fly online frequently, the RMP 32 is likely to be used more often.
If your goal is to build out a more complete Airbus pedestal, adding the TCAS 32 alongside it makes the overall setup feel more cohesive.
For my type of simulator, using both makes sense because I want the Airbus configuration to be physical without becoming permanent.
Are the WINCTRL RMP 32 and TCAS 32 worth it?
For a modular Airbus setup, I think they make a strong case.
They do not transform the simulator in the way a motorized throttle or motion platform does.
Instead, they remove small but repeated interruptions.
Every time I can tune a radio or change a transponder setting without reaching for the virtual cockpit, the simulator feels a little more complete.
At $85 USD each, that is the right way to think about them.
They are not centerpiece products. They are the kind of panels that make the rest of the cockpit work better together.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WINCTRL RMP 32 cost?
The RMP 32 was priced at $85 USD at the time of my review.
How much does the WINCTRL TCAS 32 cost?
The TCAS 32 was also priced at $85 USD at the time of my review.
What does the RMP 32 do?
It provides a physical Airbus-style radio-management interface so radio functions can be controlled without relying on the virtual pedestal.
What does the TCAS 32 do?
It provides physical access to transponder and TCAS-related controls.
Are these full-size Airbus panels?
They are compact modules designed around WINCTRL's smaller "32" format rather than large full-scale pedestal hardware.
Are they useful for VATSIM?
The RMP 32 is particularly useful during online ATC flying because radio-frequency changes are part of normal VATSIM operations.
Do I need both panels?
No. They are separate modules, so you can add whichever one better matches your setup and workflow.
Disclosure
WINCTRL has provided hardware for my testing and coverage. The observations in this article are based on how the RMP 32 and TCAS 32 fit into and operate within my own modular Airbus simulator setup.