I am fairly new to this particular game and I use a Logitech Extreme 3d Pro (same stick you were talking about?).
I am not happy with my joystick settings as they are a little "touchy". It's not a stick problem, it's a user problem in that I have not hit on the right values yet
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The throttle seems to work fine for me to 100% thrust but I need to use the keyboard to "bump up" to 110%. I find myself using the keyboard for throttle adjustments anyway. In reality, I love the stick because it fits my oversized paw and won't be upgrading that particular device.
A suggestion I have for you, and one that I am going to try, is to change the throttle on the stick over to prop pitch. Since I have to hit a combination of keyboard buttons to change prop pitch, and since I find prop pitch adjustments rather critical when dogfighting, it would make more sense to have the prop pitch adjustable by stretching my joystick thumb a bit to the "throttle". Prop pitch is almost "on/off" in combat circumstances which is fine for the stick's throttle. Really fine adjustments to the throttle knob are difficult with the knob on the stick.
I find the keyboard just fine for throttle adjustments, even during dogfights where chopping throttle or pushing it rapidly forward are essential.
I would set up a better "cockpit" but I am addicted to playing on our large plasma and we only have one of those. So I have to wait to play until the wife is not around and even then, I have to rearrange the room lol. If I can figure out a way to attach a throttle quadrant to my recliner (yes, I play from a recliner, try it sometime lol) temporarily I will.
So to summarize my thoughts, what you have is a good "cheap" stick for flying. If you like the feel of it, it can work but you will need to come up with a set up that works for you. What the stick lacks is enough buttons that you can hit without taking your hand off the stick. But to my mind, in a fighter, that is fairly realistic....the left hand is used for throttle and other adjustments while to right hand flies the plane.
Just my thoughts.
Splitter