I don't know if you're familiar with the Phoenix FanJet - it's a combination of clockwork simplicity and what is current technology. The standard aircraft is equipped with Primus 1000, and primary analog instrumentation - VOR/DME etc. co-located. Control input is cable and pulley, although FBW is under consideration for one carrier. Other than that, the primary difference is the immediate introduction of the trainee to high-bypass ops in a primary category trainer designed to emulate as closely as possible airliner flight profiles and speeds .
Most of this has been a result of increasing requests for some way to "speed up" ab-initio training, and deliver a candidate who is already "EFIS'd", and has the "jet reflex". Do you think that a combination of clockwork coupled with current technology would shorten the timeline without compromising the basics?