Hi John
The hydraulic movement platform was a home brew similar to the last picky on this page.
尚清实业（上海）有限公司-模拟高尔夫/高尔夫模拟器/室内高尔夫
Electric Sat dish actuators can be substituted but weight needs to be supported with a central universal joint.
Sim kits are the most popular for instruments
SIMKITS - Flight Simulator Hardware
You can always substitute photographed period instrument dials for the sim kits modern equivalents reusing the drive gubbins.
Easiest way to tell a D4 type is by the canopy. If it slides back and forwards you have a D4 or US equivalent from the 1950s. They come in piston and jet flavours.
If the canopy lifts up, hinged on the starboard side then it is an earlier mark from the 1940s. Piston flavour only.
The Link was designed as a radio aids trainer with instrument flight simulation as a secondary function. If you take away the radio aid training feature then the flight simulation that is left is fairly crude by modern computer standards.
The general public will need and expect visual display to accept the experience as a "flight simulator" and the Link was just not set up for this.
I have seen static D4 cockpits that fitted out with a glass cockpit (flat screen) and used as gunnery simulators. Very popular with the kids (small and big).
Oh and the problem with unattended crabs is that they wander off and throw themselves lemming like at the floor given any unwatched moment!.
Everything is possible just needs the first step and trial error experimentation.
D4s are the most common type in the UK in public hands. The early types went to museums but the D4s were released to flying clubs and ATC units before being sold on. Hence the predominance of this type in the stripped down format being used as sim chairs.
This is my D4 fuselage, the desk, base and octagon are elsewhere in the workshop.
Link Trainer D4-030 Restoration Thread
If you PM me an email address I'll dig out the D2 type (Hinged canopy) manual when I'm next in the workshop and email a copy over.
Regards
Ross