AuthentiKit Throttle Quadrant Introduces Hydraulic Damping

AuthentiKit is proud to launch a new throttle quadrant for theP-40B Tomahawk making a total of three aircraft types now supportedwith throttle quadrant and trim wheel sets. Earlier in the year weintroduced the combined elevator and rudder trim wheel set for theP-40B which sits alongside this control. This particular quadrant hassomething a little extra up its sleeve however which isn't immediatelyobvious from the picture.

A smooth but firm resistance to movement is very important in thedesign of a throttle quadrant in order to give a natural realisticfeeling. Particularly for a vintage or classic aircraft, the ideal isfor the sim pilot to feel that they are engaging with a mechanicalobject and that a modest degree of effort is required. To date thishas been achieved in AuthentiKit designs through the use of corkfriction pads and felt friction plates. Not only are these prone towear over time, but cork can squeak under strong pressure.

In the pursuit of flight control realism AuthentiKit has introduceda new technology to supplement the friction approach. Rotary damperscontain liquid silicon which is forced through channels as the damperis rotated. Depending on the specification the resistance can be tunedfrom a few grams to many kilograms. After testing a great manyvariants, AuthentiKit has now chosen a suitable damper design fromWixroyd in the UK which just hits the sweet spot of resistance andnatural feeling throttle movement.

This damping technology is likely to make an appearance in manymore AuthentiKit products. Not only is it very well suited to throttlequadrants, but the Spitfire chassis (gear) lever currently underdevelopment is being modified to accept the new damping system. Youcan see more about how the damper is incorporated into throttledesigns in this new video.

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