My new Thrustmaster Hotas impressions

I got in it the mail Monday and have put about six hours on it. I wanted to give my initial impressions and then update this thread again after more experience. Maybe this can help some players who are considering a purchase. Please feel free to comment!!!!

1. Quality: Very impressed! It seems rock solid. Everything works as it is supposed to. The throttle section can be detached. It is good size and has some weight to it. The rubber feet stick very well to a flat surface and will not slide around. It appears to be all plastic.

2. Function: Button placement is excellent! The instruction manual tells which button matches up to the sony controller. You use your forefingers and thumbs. The buttons have to be pushed with some force to activate.
You can fly easily without removing your hands from the controls. Well placed.

3. Does it help or hurt game play? Good question. My expectations were this stick would give me finer control than the gamepad. It does that. Moving the stick in small increments is 100% easier than using the gamepad. The rudder is a vast improvement. You can twist the throttle left or right or there is a rocker switch on the front of the throttle activated by your two middle fingers. Both work well. The stick twist can be locked so you won't accidently use rudder. Either way is your choice. Right now, I can still use the controller much better. I would not try an online arcade battle yet, if ever. I'm flying a lot in sim and this thing is infinately better than the controller in that mode, which is probably where its greatest strength lies.

4. Operation: There is no deadzone. Move the stick and/or rudder rocker switch and control surfaces move incrementally the farther you move stick.
Wherin lies my problem right now. It is hard if to get a grip on just how far to move the stick to get desired results. Example: tryin to match a turning opponent keeping you wings level with his, I'll roll too far, try to correct and roll too far the other way. I sway like a drunk. The tit is over the target. Push the stick forward to correct and, too far! Pull back, try to correct. too far! I sway like a drunk. The stick has a lot movement. A different mindset is required. I'm not just mashing buttons. Your hand has to move the plane intuitively as your eyes watch your craft. Tough to get adjusted to doing. The hat switch on top of the stick "clicks" left, right, forward, backward for you to look around with. It blows doors on the controller, but you cannot turn all the way around in the seat. This is probally what the vets don't like. but it hasn't bothered me yet because you can't see thru the fusalage anyway. But in a bubble top it may make a difference.

5: Conclusions: Unsure. It is worth every bit of $30, for sure. Whether it makes me better hasn't been determined. I'm sticking with sim mode with it. If I can stop swaying like a drunk and make the plane do what I want and go where I want, it'll work. More Later. Oh, and zoom works!!