Tomcat control stick 3d files

[DanPDX]

I am trying to make a tomcat stick from scratch and had a few questions. First of all, what is HB's stance on extracting 3d files for strictly personal uses like DIY projects (I'm pretty sure that this falls under fair use)? And second, if it is an acceptable use, does anyone know of any freeware tools too extract .edm 3d files from DCS into a usable form?