Please suggest a premium flight control set.

[enewmen]

Hi all.

 

I want to study for instrument flying, twin engine, complex, etc.

I currently have a CH Eclipse that works OK. But I will want to control twin-engine Throttle/RPM/Mixture as well.

Also want a switch(es) for retracting the gear, flaps. Have real pedals with toe-breaks, etc.

For the the other controls, I can use the mouse & 3D screen if necessary.

 

I hear about the Saitek, but I thought that was (mostly) made for FS-2004.

I'm looking for something more modern and "high-end" and is fully X-Plane complaint.

 

What is the next step "up" from the Eclipse and Saitek for what I described? I'm willing to spend if I can save in real flight time. I'm not a professional flight-sim school - so that level is not appropriate.

Any suggestions or I made bad assumptions?

 

thanks!

[RatRace]

For the yoke my suggestion would be VirtualFly's YOKO the yoke.

 

In spite of the somewhat silly name it is a $2,000 level professional yoke for the price of 'only' $850.

 

https://www.virtual-fly.com/en/shop/controls/yoko

 

VirtualFly is a Spanish company and a relative newcomer, but the quality of their yoke is impressive and seems to be getting nothing but rave reviews.

 

They also have a throttle quadrant TQ6, but I'm not familiar with that one.

[flytv1]

Hi.

I would not spend any money on any Yoke. There is NO hardware that come close to the real feel.

Get a Jstick with as many buttons as you can, 14 will get you most of the needed functions, and rudder pedals, a used CH on Ebay? will do fine.

Instrument is procedural, precise flying, learn all the theoretical and understand the Procedures / everything on the Plates.

If you can get an app that you can display the plates on a separate device, like Avare on an Android, and keep practicing.

The rudder is useful, if properly adjusted for sensitivity, for very small adjustments, like the ILS. TV

[enewmen]

Thanks for the posts!

I agree there is no hardware close to the real feel.

But I'm willing to spend a little more for a more sturdy/precise feel and remove the null-zone. VirtualFly was a keyword I was looking for.

I currently have a CH Eclipse, it works OK, but I want to separate the pedals and throttle. I also need to fiddle with the calibration & null-zone. My CH throttle built-in the Eclipse seems OK/good enough, so I don't think I need the VirtualFly TQ6, plus I can use the added buttons found on the CH version.

I'm looking at these:

https://www.virtual-fly.com/en/shop/controls/yoko

http://www.chproducts.com/Throttle-Quadrant-v13-d-718.html

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/switch.html

http://www.chproducts.com/Pro-Pedals-v13-p-179.html#2

 

The CH web-site didn't say anything about the Throttle Quadrant having Reverse and Feather area. Is this correct and important (for procedure practice)?

 

With this setup, I get 6 axis throttle for flying twins and buttons for flaps, etc. Better pedals (for ILS like TV said). Better yoke. A starter, landing gear, and other switches. I wish the Saitek switch panel also had flap control.

 

I have/read the "ground school" books for instrument/complex/multi flying. The Plates App is a good idea. I can use my big Android phone for reading the procedures. Then get a larger tablet if I want to use the plates while flying a real plane.

 

I'm surprised the FSX/2004 still has the best hardware support even though Microsoft stopped ALL work on FS years ago.

 

EDIT: Did I miss anything important?

[loki]

Well, you could upgrade the pedals...

 

http://mfg.simundza.com/products

 

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/07/new-year-new-500-pedals-reviewing-the-slaw-device-rx-viper/

[evm]

I prefer realistic controls too. Granted that non-force feedback hardware is not feeling realistic - on an aircraft where flight controls are not hydraulic, that is. But using a good yoke and pedals still is way ahead of any joystick control when it comes to perceived realism.

 

I had CH yokes too, two of them. They were pretty good, at least better than the Saitek Cessna yoke that I briefly tried out. Still, they are plastic, and that makes for a few problems mechanically (sticky axis, squeaking) and it doesn't "feel" too realistic.

 

Two years ago I bought a PFC Cirrus Saab yoke, and never looked back. Recently I finally switched my CH rudder pedals (which developed problems with the potentiometers) for a MFG Crosswind, these are great too.

 

CH throttles / TQ: they have a reverser detent, but I recommend to use FSUIPC for the setup. After a while I just got a second TQ for reversers (and built custom handles and a center console for them, so the levers are roughly in the right position)