Having a Hard Time Choosing New Flight Sticks

[vortex681 806]

On 9/13/2018 at 12:35 AM, Hansaspeed said:

What do you guys think I should do?

If you want the ultimate in immersion, you can't beat the MS Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 joystick. Heavy, bomb-proof construction and excellent forces if you team it up with with FS Force software (default FSX/P3D forces are generally poor). No problems with sloppy centring as the motors hold it in position. With FS Force you even get things like "real" stick trim (you really trim out the stick forces with the trimmer) and all of the forces are fully customisable. No drivers required as it's plug and play with Windows 7 through to 10. You can usually pick up a good, low use example for well under $100 on eBay but make sure to get the FF2 and not the older FF Pro.

Edited September 18, 2018 by vortex681

[KL Oo 700]

On 9/13/2018 at 9:27 PM, TopGun33 said:

Hi! Here are my two cents :

About 3 years ago, I decided to bite the bullet and treat myself with a Warthog for Christmas. I was using a Saitek Yoke at that time and before that, a HOTAS Afterburner.

I mostly fly Boeing and Maddog aircraft so at first it seemed like a step away from realism. That's until the first time I plugged the thing and started to fly patterns. The wow factor was not only the sturdiness of the built : metallic, big, well just like a real thing ; it was also about the precision of the flight controls. It's like you've added an implant to your brain because the thing is so precise you never overcontrol again your aircraft, landings become dead precise, even with liners. The twin engine throttle is perfect for 737s. For example, entering reverse is not a lever that presses a button pressed in the sim, the actual axis once properly configured is a reverse axis, so that means you are able to control precisely what amount of reverse you want for landing. It adds a lot of realism to your operations.

And this, my friend, gives an uncomparable immersion to the sim. So getting a Warthog is a heavy investment, but it is one of the best hardware I have bought so far, worth every hard earned dime.

If you can afford it, it is a no brainer here.

 

I find this really interesting. I always fly either the 737 or 777 and have for years now used the Saitek yoke and throttles. Have a bit of time in a major airlines 737 sim I know how unrealistic the feel of the flight controls are (far too light and free floating). That said, I always thought moving to a ‘stick’ would be more unrealistic given the aircraft use a yoke.

 

how much heavier is the Warthog? Is it possible to get any element of force feedback in it? Where do you set your trim wheels? I presume the stick itself has buttons that are easy to flick?

 

[TopGun33 124]

 

2 hours ago, KL Oo said:

I find this really interesting. I always fly either the 737 or 777 and have for years now used the Saitek yoke and throttles. Have a bit of time in a major airlines 737 sim I know how unrealistic the feel of the flight controls are (far too light and free floating). That said, I always thought moving to a ‘stick’ would be more unrealistic given the aircraft use a yoke.

 

how much heavier is the Warthog? Is it possible to get any element of force feedback in it? Where do you set your trim wheels? I presume the stick itself has buttons that are easy to flick?

 

I don't have the numbers but you could easily find them over the internet. The weight adds a lot of stability however I had to add some double sided tape to have the throttle not moving when entering reverse thrust. This is about the only moment it moves, unless you are crazy about aerobatics.

I am unsure about the force-fed back, there are however several mods for the Warthog among the internet, maybe you can find something that suits you. It may however be quite expensive, and it would require an update software, so I am really not sure about the feasibility anyway.

As for the trim wheel there are several buttons on the stick that I use for this matter, but also some axis on the throttle you could use as trim axis. I use one of them as a nose wheel tiller though.

There are so many buttons that I don't even have them all mapped, but I'm pretty sure you can find something that suits you in that matter. For example I have the red top button of the stick and the right side grey one as autopilot and auto throttle disconnect) and the bottom trigger as a radio transmission switch for when flying on IVAO. The switches are all well thought and reachable, but not so easy to press and flick because of the sturdiness.

 

 

 

[KL Oo 700]

Thanks for the reply mate

 

you prefer the handling in airliners to the saitek yoke?

[vortex681 806]

On 9/23/2018 at 6:53 AM, KL Oo said:

Is it possible to get any element of force feedback in it?

Only fixed spring pressure. If you want force feedback, you have to get a powered unit with internal electric motors (like the MS FFB2 joystick).

[TopGun33 124]

On 9/23/2018 at 10:33 AM, KL Oo said:

Thanks for the reply mate

 

you prefer the handling in airliners to the saitek yoke?

Yes definitely. Much more precise and realistic feeling. That's what I care about over the way it looks. Also it frees up space on the desktop lol.