 |
|
|
|
|
he
quest for realism in flight simulation seems to be advancing in
leaps and bounds these days. New simulators such as FS2000 and Fly!
are bringing an ever more realistic world into our computers, while
software add-ons enhance the experience even further.
 The AFCS II yoke and throttle unit. Expensive, but worth it! |
Somewhere between home cockpit builder and casual user fall many of us; serious enthusiasts who crave reality, but can do without the "real thing" sitting in their living room.
One often-neglected item in the flight simmer's arsenal is the joystick, or control yoke. "A joystick is a joystick, right?" Well, even I know better than to agree with that, as I've tried several, and early on realized that for flying most commercial aircraft, a "stick" won't cut it. All right, Airbus has them now, and so does an Extra 300, and a Piper Cub. I can certainly see a stick when it comes to military sims, but flying a Boeing or a Piper with one is not my idea of realism.
While joysticks abound, control yokes are another story altogether; only a handful exist. For those who use a yoke, the most popular are those by CH Products, and I can see why, as one gets a wheel, throttle, hat switch, and lots of buttons in a convenient, affordable package. Put together your FS software, along with the yoke and rudder pedals and you're in business for less than the hourly rate of some piston twins!
Of course, in any field there is always the high-end. The specialty market for those who can afford the ultimate in realism. The low production volume, and typically high standard of manufacture dictate prices that put these items out of reach of most simmers. However, for those who can ante up, the "ride" is well worth the money.
While not quite at the top end of this market, AETI's AFCS II yoke, at $495 + shipping certainly qualifies as a high-end product. Now, does it deliver five times what a CH yoke does?
To answer that question quickly, the answer is "not exactly", and one should expect no different. As I mentioned previously, relatively low production volume, coupled with quality components, engineering and construction will often yield a price that is not in relation to the capabilities of the product. However, having spent some time with the AFCS II over the last week, I can easily say that the yoke is worth the money spent. It's overall feel and action emulate real aircraft controls in flight to a very high degree.
Installation via the provided joystick cables is quickly accomplished. The yoke and throttle both attach to a "Y" connector harness, and that in turn is connected to either your PC's game port, or to your rudder pedal's cable. I connected mine to the cable on my CH Pro Pedals, which in turn were connected to my game port. A USB version is not available.
Once connected, the drivers are installed from the provided floppy disk. The drivers are licensed to AETI from CH, and are for the "F-16 Combat Stick", so be prepared, that's how Windows and your simulator will refer to your new $495 yoke!
After driver installation, it is best to remove your old stick from the Windows configuration. This, of course, is done via the control panel. Once your old stick is removed, simply select your new yoke as the F16 Combat Stick from the list that appears, calibrate it, and you're done. I encountered no problems during the installation process.
 Quality components, fit and finish extend inside. Note the roll potentiometer at center, and the linear one for pitch on the right side. |
The AFCS II yoke's control wheel is a 100% to-scale copy of that found on a SAAB SF-340, It is made of molded aluminum, and powder coated in a lovely satin black finish. One grasp of this wheel in your hands and you'll know that you're indeed using a very special product, and your money has been well spent. There is very little plastic used in the construction of the yoke or throttle. I'm talking all metal, solid construction here!
While the wheel does not contain a hat switch (what real airplane wheel does?), there are four momentary push button switches, and four two-position momentary rocker switches, for a total of 16 available button presets. All except two rear push buttons are on the front, and are actuated by thumb. The push buttons are what I would call "membrane" switches, and along with the rocker switches are of very high quality, and should easily outlast the next several generations of flight simulators. I had no problem configuring the switches for gear, flaps, trim, and the various views. You will not miss a hat switch with this yoke.
The yoke's shaft and mounting collar are stainless steel, and enter a main housing made of heavy gauge, powder coated sheet metal. Beneath the housing is an attachment bracket with two heavy-duty thumbscrews, capped with large, rubber "feet". Enough clearance is provided to allow attachment to a table or desktop that is up to two inches thick. Two additional holes are provided on the bracket for permanent screw mounting of the yoke, should you so desire. The cable connects to the rear of the housing, and I would have preferred to see this on either side, in order to decrease the distance necessary between the yoke and monitor.
The interior components or "guts" of the yoke are of equally high quality, with the roll potentiometer geared to the yoke's shaft. I would imagine that someone who desires a stiffer or lighter feel, could change the springs used to provide tension, but a warning is in order; opening of the yoke's housing voids the warranty! I received permission from AETI to open the housing up for the purposes of this review.
 Whether behind the panel of a jumbo, or my PC-12, the AFCS II feels right at home. |
The yoke is not force-feedback, and if one were to expect this in such yoke, I would dare say that the cost would easily double, if not triple. With that in mind, the action of the yoke can best be described as stiff, an excellent compromise. An accidental tap on the yoke while in flight will not move it. While this may not be realistic on the ground, it serves very well for most aircraft while in flight at cruise speed. The action reminded me of my Thrustmaster PFCS joystick, which also provided a relatively stiff, heavy feel. With this yoke you'll feel comfortable flying a Piper, or a Boeing. Motion is "fluid" from side-to-side, and fore and aft; there is no center detent. Again, force-feedback aside, this yoke provides about as realistic a feel as is possible.
The throttle unit is of essentially identical construction, but owing to its smaller size, and lighter weight, has only one thumbscrew for attachment, which is quite sufficient. The throttle lever itself is a typical "T" design, and I would have liked to have seen the handle (the top of the "T") made a bit larger. As it is currently sized, it is more suitable to a child's hand, than that of an adult. The throttle could also use either a friction lock, or a stiffer action. Real throttles are often set with friction on, thus making them harder to move, either accidentally, or via vibration. Ultimately this is not a major issue, but should perhaps be expected in a yoke of this otherwise high caliber.
What's it like to fly with this yoke? Well, if you are used to the lighter action of some yokes or sticks, it will take a bit of getting used to, but within a short time you won't go back to anything else! I used the yoke with FS98, CFS and FS2000 and it performed with great precision, as close to real as one can get. Configuration of the buttons within these three sims was routine, and you may also want to adjust your sensitivity and null zones within the sim, in order for the yoke to better emulate the feel of the aircraft you are flying.
Aside from a few, minor issues I've mentioned, there is one major one concerning the AFCS II. After several hours of flying with it, my CH Pro Pedals felt quite inadequate, and I now realize that in the very near future I will need to add the Cirrus rudder pedals to compliment the AFCS II. While almost $1000 for a yoke and rudder pedals might seem absurd to some, for a serious simmer, the increase in realism is worth the expenditure, and the cost is still less than a half hour's flight time in most light jets!
Lou Betti
loubetti@earthlink.net
Visit AETI's Web site