Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog: to buy or not buy, info wanted pls

[TOX 0]

Hi guys

 

I am interested in buying a Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog flight stick system but i need to know if the Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog is compatible with FSX and where can i find ready profiles (mappings) for it?

Also can users of this system inform me about the + & - points of this stick.

 

It looks great in the stores but will i be able to use it as an all rounder joystick setup with FSX, H.A.W.S and similar simulators?

If not what would be a good stick with quality materials?

 

kind regards

[Luc Brusselmans 1]

This is a no-brainer.

 

This stick is worth every penny (and you have to have quite a lot of those because, if this stick is one thing, it is expensive)

I have the stick for about two years now. Using it for the dodosim bell and a number of warplanes and it works like a charm.

It is compatible with all normal simulators but beware.... I see you mention H.AW.K.S... and that is more of an arcadelike simulator and

when I tried it, I didn't like the way it handled in thge game. Other games, like rise of flight, the combined DCS series, FSX, X-plane, they all benefit of

this great stick.

Still, when you really want to use the stick to its full capacity, you need to master the software that comes with it. Not something to tackle lightly and it takes some time to create the profiles you really want.

When used in FSX however, you can use 'LINDA' to program the stick (not quite true because you will not use the inbuild ROM) and that is fairly easy to master. And quite a number of modules can be found on the forum here at avsim.

 

Luc Brusselmans

Belgium

[Rocky_53 1,579]

I've had this stick for just under a year now and I can say, as Luc has already mentioned, it is a no brainer. This is simply an awesome controller. I had a Saitek X52 pro and it was OK, but compared to the Hotas Warthog it's not even in the same ballpark! The stick comes with a disc and software but I just ditched that and use LINDA for the buttons and FSUIPC for all the slider controls, it works like a dream. Here is a short vid which I made earlier this year to show guys the amount of possibilities when assigninbg buttons. It truly is a superb bit of kit...

 

http://youtu.be/P-4SKr41mLM

[Ramasurinen 0]

Absolutely agreed on the quality of this stick and throttle combo. I've had the warthog for over a year now and it's the best setup I've ever used. Lovely precision and durability.

 

There is however one potential problem lurking in all of them. They are *very* sensitive to static discharge. I bricked the stick in my first my set accidentally by touching it after walking across some carpet. The shock from my finger killed it instantly and it would no longer be recognized on any computer I plugged it into. I now ground myself on my computer case every time before working with the stick and I've had no problems since. That shiny metal ring at the base of the stick in particular is a real lightning rod, hehe.

 

Other than that, they're awesome in every way, and totally worth the cost. Highly recommended!

 

-Mike

[zmak 331]

Tox, the TM worthog is overkill unless you plan on doing evasive maneuvers in the 747 ;-)

 

Its the pmdg of joysticks and would be outstanding in the worthog sim but you are going to feel a bit strange in the Cub lol

[zmak 331]

I've had this stick for just under a year now and I can say, as Luc has already mentioned, it is a no brainer. This is simply an awesome controller. I had a Saitek X52 pro and it was OK, but compared to the Hotas Warthog it's not even in the same ballpark! The stick comes with a disc and software but I just ditched that and use LINDA for the buttons and FSUIPC for all the slider controls, it works like a dream. Here is a short vid which I made earlier this year to show guys the amount of possibilities when assigninbg buttons. It truly is a superb bit of kit...

 

http://youtu.be/P-4SKr41mLM

 

excellent presentation Howard, really shows off the stick nice. Are you flying the A10? I am but working through it slowly and thourouhly the A10 is more complexed than the pmdg ,having to kill and navigate

[ZachLW 37]

I've been saving for this stick for a couple of months now. I'm torn between the PFC 737 Yoke and this hardware. Decisions, decisions. Nice video, Howard.

 

 

This topic has been moved from "MOBO, RAM, CPU's & Other Hardware" to "Hardware Controllers & Drivers".

[Swofford 155]

That stick is crazy awesome looking. But I wouldn't fly with it enough. But cool to see companies are still making great flight sim hardware.

[acmech 2]

You will not regret the purchase :rolleyes: well I sure don't.

[Rocky_53 1,579]

Tox, the TM worthog is overkill unless you plan on doing evasive maneuvers in the 747 ;-)

 

Its the pmdg of joysticks and would be outstanding in the worthog sim but you are going to feel a bit strange in the Cub lol

Hi Zoran, after owning the stick for quite some time now, I can say quite categorically that it feels perfect for any aircraft. OK, in an ideal world I would like to fly aircraft with yokes with a yoke and vice versa, but unfortunately I can only afford one hi quality controller and I decided on a stick rather than a yoke. BTW to make it more 'Cub friendly' I have replaced four small springs on the inside of the controller that reduces the pressure needed for comfortable use. Otherwise it is a bit of a brute, which would be at home with the NGX and 'biggies' but not quite so at home with the likes of the Cub, Bird Dog, Katana etc.

 

Are you flying the A10?

Ironically Zoran, I have the A10 Warthog installed, but I have only flown it a couple of times! I'm not that interested in Warbirds. Civvy flying is my thing...

 

I've been saving for this stick for a couple of months now. I'm torn between the PFC 737 Yoke and this hardware. Decisions, decisions. Nice video, Howard.

Hi Zach, decisions indeed... and it is a decision not to take too lightly when considering a controller of such cost. I guess it is purely a personal thing. The only thing I would say is, make up your own mind and don't be swayed by those on the forums who have never owned a quality stick. As I said earlier, in a perfect world it would be great to own a stick like the Warthog and then a quality yoke like the PFC or Elite. Then it would be cool to simply swap over as and when a particular aircraft was being flown. But that is in a perfect world... :wink: BTW Zach, one question you need to ask yourself... would you prefer to fly the Duke or NGX with a stick, or fly a glider, the Cub, the Bird Dog, the Katana, Realair Legacy, Orbx Lancair, etc etc, with a yoke?

[Samson 1]

To add my 2 penneth.

 

The thing you'll immediately notice is the precision the stick is capable of. Like an earlier poster mentioned if you're mainly flying heavy aircraft you probably won't appreciate the difference. How long does one actually spend flying hands on when you have a full authority autopilot!

 

But if you are flying aerobatics, military aircraft or anything a bit twitchy you'll immediately notice the difference.

 

The other important thing to note is the quality of the controller. It's all metal construction and realistic switches do go a long way to add to the immersion.

 

I have a g940 and a saitek yoke. I'd use the yoke for airliners but for everything else the warthog's the girl for me.

 

If you're flying airliners of something with lots of button/screen manipulation i'd spend the money on a touchscreen but if you want the best looking tactile controller, get the warthog.

 

 

[zmak 331]

samson I have the top of the line hardware but use logitech pro for FSX ,its rock solid and super comfy hand support but Im also exposing myself to military and can see myself owning this stick at some stage.

[BartEnder 2]

I use it for choppers, warplanes and RoF 1WW simulator. It does handle the job pretty good. If You fly "hands on" You may consider removing the "big spring" to have a lot less tension on the centering force.

The hardware is outstanding, the software is powerful, but far from perfect.

[TOX 0]

Absolutely agreed on the quality of this stick and throttle combo. I've had the warthog for over a year now and it's the best setup I've ever used. Lovely precision and durability.

 

There is however one potential problem lurking in all of them. They are *very* sensitive to static discharge. I bricked the stick in my first my set accidentally by touching it after walking across some carpet. The shock from my finger killed it instantly and it would no longer be recognized on any computer I plugged it into. I now ground myself on my computer case every time before working with the stick and I've had no problems since. That shiny metal ring at the base of the stick in particular is a real lightning rod, hehe.

 

Other than that, they're awesome in every way, and totally worth the cost. Highly recommended!

 

-Mike

 

well thank you guys for such great feedbacks.

Keep them coming i'd like to hear all types of experiences on this warthog.

 

- has anybody else experienced static problems like mike has? what do you have to do to stop the static? Any ideas.

 

- is there any kind of ready made profiles (mappings) for this stick?

 

thanks

[ZachLW 37]

Hi Zach, decisions indeed... and it is a decision not to take too lightly when considering a controller of such cost. I guess it is purely a personal thing. The only thing I would say is, make up your own mind and don't be swayed by those on the forums who have never owned a quality stick. As I said earlier, in a perfect world it would be great to own a stick like the Warthog and then a quality yoke like the PFC or Elite. Then it would be cool to simply swap over as and when a particular aircraft was being flown. But that is in a perfect world... :wink: BTW Zach, one question you need to ask yourself... would you prefer to fly the Duke or NGX with a stick, or fly a glider, the Cub, the Bird Dog, the Katana, Realair Legacy, Orbx Lancair, etc etc, with a yoke?

 

That's exactly the way I'm approaching it. I'll continue to use this Saitek Yoke with appropriate aircraft should I buy the Warthog. One hang up I do have is using the yoke to fly aircraft with sticks. The opposite isn't so bad. At any rate, any hardware over the $200 gives me great buyer's remorse. A feeling I hate to deal with.