Joystick/Keyboard

SeanGa,

You can get a joystick for a very resonable price these days. Unless you write down the keyboard storkes or have a good memory you will be lost as you have found out. A keyboard will give you more control over what you do while fluing. Happy flying.

Regards,

Ok, I think that's what I should do.. can't wait 'til I get myself a joystick now 😀

btw, I assume you meant "joystick" and not "keyboard" in this sentence:

"A keyboard will give you more control over what you do while fluing"

You need a joystick. Flight simulator is so much better with a joystick. Unlike a car, you don't hold an aircrafts control wheel or stick continuously into a turn. You apply coordinated aileron and rudder until the bank angle is established then center the controls. You may have to apply a little opposite control to stop at the correct bank angle. If you hold left stick as you turn, you will roll inverted. So the answer to your question is YES. 🙂

SeanGa,

Yes I did mean "joystick"...dang it all.

Regards,

ok thanks guys. but I still need some help! Which kind of joystick should I buy?

isn't it hard to make a turn and keep the airplane leveled? I mean, it must be hard to move the joystick 90 degrees right or left without moving it a bit up or down.. or what?

It takes some getting used to but that's flying. There are many joysticks to choose from and everyone has an opinion as to which is the best. Here's mine:

I use the CH Flight Sim Yoke, Throttle Quadrant and rudder pedals. This setup is very expensive but I want the most realistic setup that I can get.

But for you, I would recommend a joystick that I also use mostly for aerobatics and helicopters. The Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. It is reasonably priced and features twist activation for rudder or anti-torque pedals.

Any joystick is much better than no joystick. One thing you do want to look for in a joystick is the twist handle, that is your rudder control. You can find those at very reasonable prices on up to over a hundred dollars.

To answer your question about having to use opposite aileron to bring the plane back to level. Yes, that is normal. It is also normal for the nose of the plane to drop a bit when in a turn requiring a little bit of up elevator to maintain your altitude. Different planes will have different characteristics, but in general it's a matter of degree.

It's the coordination of those controls that make for smooth flying and a stick is a must.

CRJCapt wrote:

But for you, I would recommend a joystick that I also use mostly for aerobatics and helicopters. The Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. It is reasonably priced and features twist activation for rudder or anti-torque pedals.

I'd have to agree, this is the joystick I have and I like it a lot.
Only downside is that you can only fully enjoy it when you're righthanded, as it's shaped to fit a right hand and alas, I am not. I haven't seen any left handed versions of it. You could also try and see how you like Saitek's Cyborg Evo, I've heard good things about it and it's not as explicitly designed for left or right hand use as the logitech. `

Good luck on finding what best suits you!

thats ok, I'm right handed 🙂 oh yes baby, I think I'll have to go for the twist thingie. thanks for all advice guys

Avoid the ones (joysticks) with force feedback.

HL

Yes, I recommend the Saitek Cyborg Evo or the ST290 Pro. Logitech has gotten bad reviews--they just don't last. I had a Logitech a long time ago and it wound up breaking down. I just bought a Cyborg Evo-- reconditioned from the Saitek site for only $14! It was a good deal.

$14!!!! I'm there. Adios. Goodbye. See you later. (Thanks.)

HL

I use the Saitek X52 Flight Control System. Cost is high but it has so many buttons, toggles, triggers, dials, and other goodies that you could almost kiss your keyboard good-bye. Runs between $120 and $160. I bought mine with a rebate from Best Buy for $128. For any price level, I would recommend a Saitek joystick. For low price, the Saitek Cyborg, and for high cost, the X 52. It can't be beat by any other stick out there. It will be sooner or later of course, but for now. Buy it if you can.

I learnt to fly with a keyboard, then decided to go out and get a joystick. Best move out, you have so much more control over your plane. I got the Logitech extreme 3dpro which works pretty good, only $60 Aus dollars so its pretty cheap.

But as for your problem with turning with the keyboard, as your turning hit the '5' key on your numpad, and it will center you into the turn.

lds_soldier wrote:

I use the Saitek X52 Flight Control System. Cost is high but it has so many buttons, toggles, triggers, dials, and other goodies that you could almost kiss your keyboard good-bye. Runs between $120 and $160. I bought mine with a rebate from Best Buy for $128. For any price level, I would recommend a Saitek joystick. For low price, the Saitek Cyborg, and for high cost, the X 52. It can't be beat by any other stick out there. It will be sooner or later of course, but for now. Buy it if you can.

I just retired my Precision Pro that I bought back in early 2000. I've had the X-52 for a couple of weeks now and it is without question the best joystick I have ever used. The bells and whistles are nice but what sold me on the X-52 was how smooth it is. Now that I have had the chance to use it for a while I am also impressed on how precise it is. I have my null zones turned completely back and the sensitivities turned completely up.

If it's not out of a persons price range I highly recommend it. Oh, I paid $115 for it at Best Buy.

I'm very happy with the CH Flight yoke for civil flying. I plan on flying more combat simulation like Lock on and Falcon. After the good reviews that you guys have given the X52; I think I will seriously consider buying the X52. The multitude of buttons will really come in handy for combat flying and the smooth operation will aid aerobatics in the Extra 300. 🙂

CRJCapt wrote:

I'm very happy with the CH Flight yoke for civil flying. I plan on flying more combat simulation like Lock on and Falcon. After the good reviews that you guys have given the X52; I think I will seriously consider buying the X52. The multitude of buttons will really come in handy for combat flying and the smooth operation will aid aerobatics in the Extra 300. 🙂

The CH yoke is my first choice but out of my price range. I don't consider it a joystick anyway. It is IMO a flight control system that is more realistic for most non military flying.

You should like the X-52 for what you want to use it for. It even has a flip up cover on the missile firing button. It's easily programmed to your personal liking and has profiles for various games on there web site, including FS2004. And if you forget which switch does what it has what is called a clutch. You press it and press the button you want to check and it tells you what the button does without activating the button.

When you consider one button can do six different functions that clutch function comes in handy.

It wasn't all the bells and whistles that attracted me to the X-52 though. It was the smoothness of it.

Guest1 wrote:

I learnt to fly with a keyboard, then decided to go out and get a joystick. Best move out, you have so much more control over your plane. I got the Logitech extreme 3dpro which works pretty good, only $60 Aus dollars so its pretty cheap.

But as for your problem with turning with the keyboard, as your turning hit the '5' key on your numpad, and it will center you into the turn.

If I'm not completely mistaken, this just levels your ailerons and rudder, it doesn't level the aircraft

Centering the ailerons would leave the plane in a bank. Some planes would eventually return to level flight and some wouldn't. It depends on how much roll stability is built into the plane.

Not to be advertising for the Saitek online store, but I just saw that they got the X52 reconditioned for $69. Ain't bad at all. Cheaper than what I've seen on eBay, and these got a warranty from Saitek since they reconditioned it.

Hi, was just wondering if the X52 has force feedback ?
Thats the only reason I wouldn'y buy it.
I'd like to get a stick with force feedback. Anyone anything good/bad to say about force feedback.

I seem to remember someone posting earlier about avoiding sticks with this feature.

Cheers,
Brian.

brianon wrote:

Hi, was just wondering if the X52 has force feedback ?
Thats the only reason I wouldn'y buy it.
I'd like to get a stick with force feedback. Anyone anything good/bad to say about force feedback.

I seem to remember someone posting earlier about avoiding sticks with this feature.

Cheers,
Brian.

No, it is not force feed back.

I can't comment on any problems with force feedback with the sticks, but I can tell I have had some problems with the forcefeed back steering wheel and pedals by Miceosoft. It could be the racing sim and not the wheel that is causing the problems, but the game does support force feedback.