I think if you get a nice working prototype manufactured... take some nice pics from all angles... You will get many orders for the units.
Many Starwars cabs are still out there that could use a new yoke... as well as so many mame'rs that have played starwars in the arcade and want a perfect yoke.
The only thing Id do is to have all the buttons seperately wired. That way, you'd be able to have 4 buttons instead of 2. Arcade installers could just wire the extra's together.
Once you get the website up... then start taking pre-orders. If for some reason you can not get the stuff produced... just refund the pre-order.
As for the comment about 'Oscar or Slickstick or Andy' doing this... well that is not really nessessary.
Oscar had not shown much interest in making the yokes... or if memmory serves right... didnt attempt due to high costs. This is a valid reason... however... If anyone can effeciently and effectively build a flight yoke...its a yoke manufacturist! Nice call.
You may need to get a loan to start the process though. And it couldnt hurt to get help from various sources of information.
Btw - he said arround 200$... but at what quantity? Make sure low quantities will stay the same costs...as well as if high quantities are able to be realized.
Obviously, you should go to other manufacturers to ask for comparison pricing quotes. Quality is not compromisable though.