Honeycomb Yoke and Throttle news

[vortex681 806]

2 hours ago, Mazo said:

New update on their Facebook site.

https://www.facebook.com/FlyHoneycomb/

Lyn

Seems like the cost-cutting is continuing.

[mickatmian 52]

On 10/13/2017 at 4:36 PM, Ray Proudfoot said:

Surely it depends if the travel is contained within the yoke enclosure?

Don't see how that's possible, unless there are 6" outside the enclosure then surely its not possible to move forward 6" is it?

I like the look of the yoke and what it offers (hopefully)plenty of switches  for flying in VR, but I will have difficulty fitting it to my existing cockpit.

Mick

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

3 hours ago, mickatmian said:

Don't see how that's possible, unless there are 6" outside the enclosure then surely its not possible to move forward 6" is it?

I like the look of the yoke and what it offers (hopefully)plenty of switches  for flying in VR, but I will have difficulty fitting it to my existing cockpit.

Mick

That quote was 9 months ago. No wonder I have no recollection of it. I think it’s 6 inches of overall travel so three inches in each direction. Still twice that of the Saitek.

[mickatmian 52]

15 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

That quote was 9 months ago. No wonder I have no recollection of it. I think it’s 6 inches of overall travel so three inches in each direction. Still twice that of the Saitek.

Good grief have I been following this thread since last October? 

I'm sure your right about the travel Ray.

Not sure if my CH yoke will last until a working model of this yoke is manufactured at the current rate of progress. It seems two steps forward and one back at every turn.

Hope its worth the wait.

Mick

 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

Honeycomb Aeronautical have announced on Facebook that there will be a working yoke to see on the Aerosoft stand at the flight sim show at RAF Cosford, England in early October. No news about the throttle quadrant.

[Gabe777 132]

Ray, you are our man.

We expect photos and a full report !

BTW, I think you gave me clearance to land yesterday, at Trondheim.... ! (Yes, still using it)

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

Gabe, I can and will take some photos but the feature that is probably the most important is how the yoke feels to the person using it. Too little resistance or too much? That’s a very personal thing and what might suit one person may not suit another.

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to be wired up to a working sim so opinions will be of limited value.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

Honeycomb Aeronautical posted this video on YouTube earlier today and also confirmed the yoke and throttle would be available early 2019.

 

[MarkDH 234]

9 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

this video

Well it confirms the action of the rocker switches :)  Looking good, but I worry about the 'soft touch surface', which inevitably deteriorates into a sticky mess after a few years and will need removing.

[oemlegoem 29]

In earlier pictures on flyhoneycomb facebook, it could be seen that the pitch travel is measured by a linear slide potentiometer. This is certainly an easier design than a rotary potentiometer with gear racks. However, linear slide potentiometers are normally available with a max travel of 100mm 4". The flyhoneycomb yoke is advertised as having a travel of 6" 150mm. It is strange that this important parameter is "forgotten" in the video. 

Question is then if the yoke still has a travel of 6" 150mm. If yes, and if they still use a slide potentiometer, then they have a special design or at least a unit which is difficult to source in case a replacement is needed, which I expect will happen.

Another question is the friction force, which will be higher than with a rotary potentiometer. Maybe the force is low enough so that the movement will still be reasonably smooth. But I wonder about the accuracy in the centre position: the difference in position when releasing from yoke handle pushed in or pulled out.
Ray: when you are going to Cosford, could you test this and ask for some details? Thanks.  

Edited September 13, 2018 by oemlegoem

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

@oemlegoem, Unless the yoke is connected to a sim (which it won't be at Cosford) it's difficult if not impossible to gauge accuracy. I'll see where the yoke ends up after releasing at various positions. If you want to ask Nicki Repenning questions write to him at  nr at flyhoneycomb.com.

[TechguyMaxC 516]

I'm catching up on old issues of PC Pilot, currently reading the Mar-Apr 2017 issue and on page 9 there's a nice little blurb about this fantastic yoke. Says they expect units to ship in the Summer!

 

Of 2017.

 

😂

 

Oh flight sim add-on industry, never change!

[shivers9 1,174]

I guess if these things turn out to be good I will end up buying but honestly, after 2 years of a lot of cheap talk and dreams and computer drafts and pictures of airline tickets to china and now Ray tells us that they will have a yoke at an upcoming show but.....and that is a very large and loud but.....it won't be connected to a flight sim....you have just got to be kidding me!! LOL that is not what I really want to say.....but really give me a break!! Sometimes I think we simmers (including me) have got to be the dumbest and most gullible people in the world. It reminds me of Nvidia trying to peddal a 1200 dollar GPU that might.....might be really fun someday maybe.

[mickatmian 52]

9 hours ago, shivers9 said:

I guess if these things turn out to be good I will end up buying but honestly, after 2 years of a lot of cheap talk and dreams and computer drafts and pictures of airline tickets to china and now Ray tells us that they will have a yoke at an upcoming show but.....and that is a very large and loud but.....it won't be connected to a flight sim....you have just got to be kidding me!! LOL that is not what I really want to say.....but really give me a break!! Sometimes I think we simmers (including me) have got to be the dumbest and most gullible people in the world. It reminds me of Nvidia trying to peddal a 1200 dollar GPU that might.....might be really fun someday maybe.

I agree.

I have given up waiting and bought a Saitek yoke to replace my worn out CH yoke.

Could not believe how sticky the Saitek was, so opened it up, removed the springs and levers fitted two bungee cords as per someones youtube video and it is now more than acceptable.

Mick

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

A brief report following my visit to the show at RAF Cosford yesterday. The hangar holding the show was very busy and the Aerosoft stand was packed. Subsequently it wasn't possible to spend much time trying the yoke or speaking to the only available rep - an Aerosoft employee with no-one from Honeycomb there.

The yoke did not have its sticky membrane and was just placed on the desk. So trying to assess its capabilities was difficult. The lateral axis was smooth enough with reasonable friction but the pitch axis was extremely stiff and required another person to forcibly hold down the yoke case so the yoke could be pulled and pushed to its limits. In my opinion (and shared by others) that axis is far too stiff and needs loosening up.

It wasn't connected to any simulator at all. There is a USB-style cable running from the yoke body to the handle presumably holding the cables for the buttons that would otherwise run through a hollow steel shaft. I personally thought it detracted from its appearance but others may not be bothered by it.

My concerns about attaching to a desk remain as the system could not be demonstrated. Still plenty of work to do it seems before a Q1 2019 release.