Just upgraded my yoke to a Redbird YK1

[cobrakev1526 6]

So I just came from a Saitek Cessna yoke.  I've had 2 of them over the years. The first was a proflight yoke that failed after about  2 years. Then I upgraded or rather cross graded to a Cessna proflight yoke.  Actually it was more of a downgrade. I like the thicker handle of the pro flight yoke but the Cessna yoke hade the look of the Cessna 172 that I grew use to when flying IRL. However both yoke had very little elevator travel, only 3 inches and vary week and sketchy feel. Not to mention the awful detent both in pitch and roll.  I can't understand why the manufacturer thought it would be a good idea to have a detent. But I paid the $170 for each of then and you get what you pay for so I wasn't complaining. 

Last week I bit the bullet and bought a Redbird YK1 yoke. I was really struggling with this decision because I was thinking of going the Yoko yoke route.  I had saved up $1800 over the last few months for a RTX 3090 but I was so discouraged by the low supply and scalping going on that I needed to look at plan B.  So I ordered a Redbird YK1 instead of a Yoko because it was sticking in my head to go that way. They are used i FAA approved simulators so ill bite. I tried to find any reviews and the very few I read were mixed at best. I figured I would return it if it was not to my liking when I arrived. 

Well I am very impressed with it. The elevator/pitch travel is 6 inches and the roll is 65 degrees both directions. There is no detent on pitch or roll (thank god). Its very smooth and accurate. But the best thing is the feel. The feel of the force needed to push the nose down and keep the nose up during flare to touchdown is exactly how i remember when i was flying IRL. Its not force feedback but the spring mechanics built in are very realistic to real flying. 

I've only tested this out for 2 days in MSFS2020. I'm not using any of the in dim controls but I am using FSUIPC7 and using curves to get the twitchy pitch thing under control. I'm using a slope of between 7 and 10 in FSUIPC calibration. This yoke within MSFS2020 using FSUIPC feels authentic and makes flying so much more fun and enjoyable especially in VR. Also with the money I saved not getting a Yoko I've got some other goodies shipping now too!

[ncngrr 8]

I have no experience or insight into the Redbird YK1, but I did upgrade from the Saitek Proflight yoke to the Virtual Fly Yoko + yoke.  I really like the Yoko+... for some of the same reason you mention (no detents, pitch and roll travel, feel, etc).  Now I’m saving for their Ruddo pedals.  I’m tired of the Saitek Combat Rudder pedals, especially the toe brakes which I almost always over-apply on one side, making it difficult (for me anyway) to smoothly and accurately taxi.  Thanks for the post.

[cobrakev1526 6]

My recommendation is to get the thrustmaster pendulum peddels. They are rhe best I've seen and used. They are fully adjustable and don't rotate around the center. I own them in my simpit and couldn't be happier with them. here is a quick video I just uploaded

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by cobrakev1526