Hotas setup for the upcoming Cliffs of Dover

Originally Posted by Royraiden

That looks.......sturdy!!!If only the big brands started making stuff like this

That thing would probably cost upwards of $1500 given the amount of metal parts and the machining required. Also if one of the major companies tried to make this it would be crammed with the crappiest pots ever and would get you the same accuracy as a typical $40 joystick.

[Toeknee]

Moving swiftly on from lady bits to joysticks...

As an enthusiastic newbie to IL2 (seriously, I don't know what it is but IL2:CoD has me seriously excited - kudos to the devs and community) I've been scouring the forum for recommendations of suitable joysticks that don't cost the earth but will serve as a decent entry level setup.

So far I've read good things on the Saitek Aviator in another thread, and the Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS Torian mentions here. There's not much between them in cost, however, one is HOTAS,the other has a split throttle, one has a handy looking rocker switch (a friend suggested using this for yaw control over the twisty stick, thoughts?) , the other doesn't etc. etc. *brain explodes*

So, to those experienced folk; which would you buy if you were about to take-off into the rather wonderful horizon of IL2 for the first time?

Thanks in advance!

[Blackdog_kt]

Purely in regards to yaw/rudder control:

I have used a couple of microsoft sidewinder sticks over the years (i still use the 2nd one,a precision 2 model, i've had it for more than a decade) and they have the twist-grip type of stick. It's not extremely accurate but good enough, it gives a fast response and it suits me because all the flight control surfaces are manipulated by my right hand, while i use my left hand for throttle and whatever i have mapped to the keyboard.

I recently got a friend of mine back into flight sims, but his old saitek x-35 only had a gameport connector. I gave him some internet links about stick customizations and Leo Bodnar's BU0836 USB chip (a joystick controller for custom-made sticks), so he managed to convert his old x-35 HOTAS from gameport to USB by rewiring it through the BU0836 controller. All fine and dandy up to this point, but my buddy only used to fly Falcon 4.0 back in the day, not prop fighters where rudder control is important.

After just two evenings of flying a few multiplayer missions in coop mode (all in all, less than 6 hours total gametime), the rocker switch on the x-35 was the first thing he complained about. I have never tried a rocker switch mind you, so it could be a case of personal taste.
In his own words however, he describes it as "having too small a throw/range of movement to be of any usable accuracy, it's either centered or almost all the way to the side and it's killing my precision".
In fact, his next project is to go to a carpenter and have a couple of rudder pedals cut out for him, which he will wire to a potentiometer and onto the BU0836, so my one and only "review"/testimonial of using a rocker switch for rudder control has been a negative one.

On the other hand, i've never used one so i'm curious to know if someone thinks it's actually good and why.

Originally Posted by Torian

Speculum Jockey

Srry, just had to tell u how much I laughed when I saw that username....brilliant.
I work in Obstetrics & Gynae (doing nite duty as I write). Showed it to the Midwife I'm working with & she cackled too. How about some others...
Amnic8tr, MECHonium_Warrior, DeeNdsee, Avian_Flew, IdreamOfGynee.
Srry off topic I know.
Torian

Really like that last one!

You wouldn't believe how many people have PM'ed me asking what kind of joystick my avatar is. I tell them its a Thrustmaster.

Speaking of joysticks, I'd love to take my cheapo Saitek Cyborg and remove the handle from the base, place a long (~40cm) column between the two, re-attach them and see how that works for a replica WWII flight stick. I'd obviously have to set up some blocks to keep from snapping it at the base, but I think it would really do the trick for the immersion factor. Only problem would be I'd then have to spring for some rudder pedals.

[Royraiden]

Originally Posted by Katana1000S

I'm not sure why folk desire realistic looking WW2 controllers? In flight sim we make so may concessions to reality we might as well just go and buy one of the commercially available HOTAS controllers and be done with it.

I mean, even if you were to buy a realistic looking Spitfire controller, that realism is diminished as soon as you start using the keyboard for extra control functions a possible realistic Spitfire controller might have, then what if you decide to fly a ME 109 ... that's your realism out of the window

Unless you are going to build a fully functional Spitfire (or whatever) cockpit and just fly that one aircraft in the sim, then I honestly feel you would be better off with a generic HOTAS.

IMHO of course and fair play to those that feel they really want to go this route.

Its just a matter of taste,as much as I would like a good looking 109 joystick I know thats not going to happen,let alone a simpit or whatever its called.Thats too extreme for me.Nevertheless I would really LIKE to have ww2 themed gear for flying Il-2.Gear that resembled better those types or airplanes instead of jetfighters.

[Royraiden]

Originally Posted by Katana1000S

Fair enough, but you would probably get more mileage out of a generic HOTAS

Im gonna buy a CH setup...is that generic enough for you?? Haha,seriously though this thread has gone a long way,I thought I wouldnt get much replies.

[Flanker35M]

S!

Using TM Warthog + CH Pro Pedals. Good combo and should work in CoD too Can't wait to fly that Bf110..IF flyable for player

[Flanker35M]

S!

Hmm..could take a look but do they sell these kickers in EU too?

[Royraiden]

Originally Posted by Katana1000S

I got mine second hand from Ebay quite cheap here in the UK.

Even if you are not pleased with it, they seem to retain their re-sale value well and you would not lose much by selling it on, mine is a keeper though.

Oddly it works better in some games and sims than others, does not work too well in Falcon 4, but that's a really old software sound engine, but in all versions of IL2 and anything newer than Falcon 4 it rocks ,,, and I mean rocks

If you are going for one, look for the new digital amp solid state version, mine is the original and has a little fan running in it that you can just hear, but then again I fly with good headphones and don't hear it anyway.

Oh yeah, in FSX the buttkicker is amazing too, as are games like ARMA 2 when you need to feel the sound as opposed to just hearing it.

Care to elaborate on how does it feel?Im kinda curious.For example does the vibration increase in proportion to every single throttle change?Stall buffet,gunfire,etc you get what I want to know.

[ghodan]

Originally Posted by Royraiden

Care to elaborate on how does it feel?Im kinda curious.For example does the vibration increase in proportion to every single throttle change?Stall buffet,gunfire,etc you get what I want to know.

It reacts to low frequency sound and the power of the low frequency sound(s).
The more low and power full the sound of the thing happening, the more powerfull the shake/vibration of the Buttkicker