I guess I will have to try it out. I hope Aviationmegastore has it on display so I can actually see and touch them

The Hog!

Has anyone posting here actually owned or used both?

Has anyone posting here actually owned or used both?

Yup! I've owned a Saitek X52 pro and now fly with the Warthog, to compare the two is like comparing a Ferrari with a Ford, I'll let you guess which one is the Ford :biggrin: BTW, I have the Saitek combat rudder pedals and find them OK...

Yup! I've owned a Saitek X52 pro and now fly with the Warthog, to compare the two is like comparing a Ferrari with a Ford, I'll let you guess which one is the Ford :biggrin: BTW, I have the Saitek combat rudder pedals and find them OK...

 

Sorry I think you misunderstood. I'm talking about the X-65F and the HOTAS Warthog, not the X52 Pro. I can understand that the Warthog is much better than the X52 Pro. However, I read on multiple other forums that X-65F and HOTAS Warthog is a matter of pure preference

Sorry I think you misunderstood. I'm talking about the X-65F and the HOTAS Warthog, not the X52 Pro. I can understand that the Warthog is much better than the X52 Pro. However, I read on multiple other forums that X-65F and HOTAS Warthog is a matter of pure preference

 

Sorry, I misunderstood...

I have the X-65F and I can thoroughly recommend it. The pressure sensing feels very odd for a while but you quickly get used to it. The joystick is great quality made mostly of metal and therefore pretty heavy. The throttles are quite stiff which is not ideal unless you can attach them to something first by either Velcro or by screws.

Using it it feels like the most accurate stick you could ever want and you can quickly adjust the force required to four preset buttons on the throttle. You will never need to calibrate again either.

I've had mine for about two years, I think and not had any problems. I currently do all my flying with the stick. I would like to get myself a yoke to fly airliners, but to surpass the X-65F it would have to be a very expensive one indeed. I'm glad FSL's A320 is coming soon so I can continue using the joystick without it feeling wrong. :-)

 

I have not tried the Warthog though, so unfortunately I can't compare the two.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I'm glad FSL's A320 is coming soon so I can continue using the joystick without it feeling wrong. :-)

Is the X-65F really that stiff? The side stick I felt in a fixed-base A320 simulator was extremely stiff, far more so than the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro that I have.

Actually, HOTAS Warthog is not the best joystick for fighter jets for the simple reason that the throttle is not from a fighter plane and doesn't have any rotaries that are needed to control radar antenna elevation, gain, or gunsight target distance (like in P-51 or any other post-WWII fighter plane).

 

It won't be an issue in the simulators you've mentioned, because none of them can use it anyway. Even Superbug has simplified hotas controls. But for Falcon 4.0 or LockOn FC I'd go for a different throttle.

 

I have both Warthog and x65f, although I received x65 not so long ago and used it only briefly. Warthog is much heavier, looks and feels much more "serious". But Saitek is not bad, it's all metal too and all controls are precise, though buttons and hats could be a bit stiffer and ergonomics could be improved. I wouldn't use force sensing stick for WWI or WWII airplanes, where you have to constantly apply force to the stick in order to fly straght. But for modern jets, which are very stable in the air, it's quite usable, and may even be equal or better than conventional stick if you get used to force sensing.

 

To my knowledge, Saitek combat pedals and normal Saitek pedals are internally identical, only look differently.

Is the X-65F really that stiff? The side stick I felt in a fixed-base A320 simulator was extremely stiff, far more so than the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro that I have.

 

Well, the X-65F stick doesn't move at all, it only senses the amount of pressure you apply on it. You can set it to need a lot of pressure to move even a little bit though if you want. Also, like most hotas controllers it is right hand only, so it's not the most authentic possible for flying airbus.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Actually, HOTAS Warthog is not the best joystick for fighter jets for the simple reason that the throttle is not from a fighter plane and doesn't have any rotaries that are needed to control radar antenna elevation, gain, or gunsight target distance (like in P-51 or any other post-WWII fighter plane).

 

Actually, yes it does, it's an actual replica of an A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) HOTAS and has all the roteries you will ever need to fly "any" fighter or (as is) groundpounder

Actually, yes it does, it's an actual replica of an A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) HOTAS and has all the roteries you will ever need to fly "any" fighter or (as is) groundpounder

 

I guess it's the HOTAS Warthog then

Actually, HOTAS Warthog is not the best joystick for fighter jets for the simple reason that the throttle is not from a fighter plane and doesn't have any rotaries that are needed to control radar antenna elevation, gain, or gunsight target distance (like in P-51 or any other post-WWII fighter plane).

 

It won't be an issue in the simulators you've mentioned, because none of them can use it anyway. Even Superbug has simplified hotas controls. But for Falcon 4.0 or LockOn FC I'd go for a different throttle.

 

I have both Warthog and x65f, although I received x65 not so long ago and used it only briefly. Warthog is much heavier, looks and feels much more "serious". But Saitek is not bad, it's all metal too and all controls are precise, though buttons and hats could be a bit stiffer and ergonomics could be improved. I wouldn't use force sensing stick for WWI or WWII airplanes, where you have to constantly apply force to the stick in order to fly straght. But for modern jets, which are very stable in the air, it's quite usable, and may even be equal or better than conventional stick if you get used to force sensing.

 

To my knowledge, Saitek combat pedals and normal Saitek pedals are internally identical, only look differently.

 

Hmmmm, the Warthog is an exact replica of the HOTAS in the A-10. It isn't a replica of the F-16 hotas, which from your comments regarding controlling the radar with rotaries seems to be what you're familiar with.

 

On the subject of the best stick for fighters, I gotta give it to the 'Hog. It has an amazingly smooth movement to it, and a really great feel. It's even been available on Amazon recently for $160 off.

If the stick does not move , do not buy it !

 

The real F-16 was originally designed with a fixed stick that sensed pressure forces applied to it.

Pilots rejected the concept and the F-16 stick was changed to have movement.

 

Our minds and senses operate at several levels , and some levels are sub concious , basically it's getting a feedback on the stick position that represents a meaningful value relative to our intended input.

 

Do a google search for reviews of the products before you make your final choice , you are right to

agonize over your choice as the controllers are our primary interface with the aircraft.

 

Cheers

Karol

 

 

Actually, yes it does, it's an actual replica of an A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) HOTAS and has all the roteries you will ever need to fly "any" fighter or (as is) groundpounder

 

Hint: A-10C is not a fighter plane, it's a ground attack plane. The grip is from F-16, the throttle from F-15, but only half of it, the other half is from the old A-10A. And Hotas Warthog DOES NOT have any additional analog axes (rotaries) besides the wheel located at the throttle base, which is impossible to reach when you hold the throttle at the same time. So no convenient control for radar antenna elevation and gain in say, F-16.

You don't have to explain to me what HOTAS Warthog is, I have that thing on my desk.

 

But for the OP, none of the titles that he mentioned would benefit from additional axes on the throttle, because they are either simplified or does not include combat. For something more advanced, like Falcon 4.0, there are better choices than Warthog.I'm not bashing it, it a very good hardware and my primary stick, just not suitable for everything.