Flight Sticks

[TSR2]

Hi chaps. I know I've asked about flight sticks before, but does anyone have strong views as to Siatek or CH products? The CH stuff looks very good, but the flight sticks don't seem to have rudder control.

[PaulC]

I've never had a CH product, but I've used an X52 and an X52 pro. I like them. They seem pretty robust to me and I've never had a problem. I wouldn't buy a Pro if it was coming out of my own pocket, the standard is good enough.

[dodger]

Hi Ben,

Well i have had the same CH Yoke for 14 years and the Saitek Cyborg3D Flight Stick for about 10 years i suppose, the Yoke i use for GA and the Heavies and the Cyborg for Helecopters as it has the twist for rudders,

I don't know about the new stuff but i have been really pleased with these i only wish i had bought another Cyborg 3D as they stopped making them quite a while back although Saitek do make something similar now i think,

I hope this is of help to you.

Roger.

[DaveG]

I had a Saitek X-52 (non-pro) for a number of years before I got the Warthog, and found it very good, although I did have a hardware/firmware issue which caused it to stop working occasionally. Saitek support was very good, they replaced the throttle part and it was fine ever since.

[Airspeed]

Hi Ben!
For many years I used a CH Flightstick Pro, and under the table was an ancient cheap joystick connected to wooden pedals for the rudder. I think I got around 16 years out of that set up.

I had the Saitek gear on my wish list for months, but finished up getting CH Yoke & Pedals with ACOF as a second hand bundle on ebay.
The CH gear works fine with all my sims, the only annoyance being that in FSX I have to use the same action for u/c up and u/c down. IIRC, this is an FSX limitation, rather than CH.
I don't know how the Saitek yoke returns to neutral, but CH tends to stick a bit. You're looking at sticks, not yokes, but I think the quality of CH is reliable.

[emfrat]

Mike - I have a CH Yoke/Pedals/Quad setup. Except for the hat switch, everything is mapped through FSUIPC (payware). On the yoke, on the first switch up = gear up and down = gear down. The second switch is flaps up incremental, and flaps down incremental. I use it for my FSX and my Classic FS9, installed on the same machine.
Cheers (too damn cold for a beer, have a good red instead)
MikeW

[Airspeed]

Thanks Mike

PAYWARE????
You want me to PAY?
My flap switch is incremental up (5), incremental down (6) for FS9 and FSX.
In FS9, I have switch 7=up, 8=down, but the list of FSX key commands doesn't seem to give that option. Sounds like FSUIPC gives us something extra...
Might have to check the price. A pensioner discount would be handy.

[TSR2]

Many thanks for the input guys. Much as I'd like a yoke, because it takes up too much room on the desk and needs to be anchored, it makes it difficult to use the sim and then jump onto the other screen if I need to do some work. So not an option.
The CH stuff seems to be mechanically superb, certainly backed up by your comments mike. The thing that puts me off is that their sticks don't have a twist rudder.

So, X52 ( pro or standard) does it work without having to use FSUIPC to configure it? How do you find it for flying heavies, or airliners?

[emfrat]

Thanks Mike
Might have to check the price. A pensioner discount would be handy.

AU $33.40 for the download (no VAT or GST) at Friday's rates - you wouldn't get a slab for that. And the updates have always been free, to registered purchases.

ATB
MikeW

[petermcleland]

Many thanks for the input guys. Much as I'd like a yoke, because it takes up too much room on the desk and needs to be anchored, it makes it difficult to use the sim and then jump onto the other screen if I need to do some work. So not an option.
The CH stuff seems to be mechanically superb, certainly backed up by your comments mike. The thing that puts me off is that their sticks don't have a twist rudder.

So, X52 ( pro or standard) does it work without having to use FSUIPC to configure it? How do you find it for flying heavies, or airliners?

I would not have a yoke either, for the same reasons you quoted...I have my stick mounted as a Side Stick and have used it for many years. It is a CH F-16 Combat Stick and I love it...However, like you, I wish it had a Twist for Rudder. I have had to make do with programming the left and right of the second hat switch for rudder. One day I might actually buy a set of pedals!

I also do not use FSUIPC for controls programming and would not allow it near that task. I find no problems with allocating button etc using the Flight Sim itself.