Can you use a stick and pedals?

[kerrycorcoran]

I am currently using a Saitek X52 Pro Stick and Thrust handle; the stick can rotate (twist) to simulate rudder input.

 

I am thinking of changing to yoke and pedals.

 

My question is can I add pedals to my current stick setup? Basically I would to avoid buying all new gear at once and would like to slowly buy pieces.

 

Any insight appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Kerry

[mabe5454]

Yeap. The Saitek pedals has its own independent driver.

 

Cheers,

[kerrycorcoran]

Yeap.

 

Thanks!!

 

Looks I will be looking for pedals next! :)

 

I am still trying to decide if I should go with a yoke too or stay with my X52 Pro stick?

 

Open to any recommendations.

[Rupert]

Thanks!!

 

Looks I will be looking for pedals next! :)

 

I am still trying to decide if I should go with a yoke too or stay with my X52 Pro stick?

 

Open to any recommendations.

 

My answer is what are you flying right now? Does it have a stick or a yoke? When I fly aircraft that came with a yoke, I use one. The same with a stick.

 

We are simulating.;);)

[kerrycorcoran]

My answer is what are you flying right now? Does it have a stick or a yoke?

 

I just started sim'ing and currently attempting to understand basic flight; primarily flying the Cessna 172 and Beechcraft Baron. Obviously both of those would match the need for a yoke.

 

I guess when I get my yoke I will still have my HOTAS and can always hop back to it if I ever start flying heli's.

 

What is your preference for yoke manufacturer? Have you tried more than one vendor? Likes and dislikes?

[ViperPilot2]

You're starting to move into waters that are quite subjective; while you'd do just fine learning the basics with your X-52, moving into a Yoke increases your immersion factor

(that 'real as it gets' feeling), which increases your enjoyment.

 

Personally, I have a CH Eclipse Yoke, which has tons of little switches, knobs and lights. Their Standard one is just as good, costs less, and has less chatchka.

 

It's really a matter of personal needs & preference; lots of folks use what you have for flying both GA and Tubes; some use a lot less.

 

Alan :pilot:

[cianpars]

I certainly use my joystick, rudder pedals and yoke. I keep the yoke and pedals connected all of the time and just plug the joystick in when I'm flying microlights, gliders and other aircraft which have a stick in the RW. My PC and FSX recognise everything and I've never had to install drivers for any of them. I chop and change as often as I want and all work OK with no issues and are all instantly recognised in FSX.

[Rupert]

My yoke preference? I've only tried one. I bought a Saitek package which included the yoke, pedals and throttle quadrant. I thought the package was a good buy and they work well for me. And like cianpars I plug in the joystick when I'm flying a P-51 or other aircraft which came RW with a joystick. And I've found very few problems going back and forth.

 

My joystick is a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. It has all the basics I need, though not as many as those who fly with joystick only might want. It has several buttons which are easily programmed. And a sliding lever which I can use as a throttle. I'm more used to using my left hand for throttle control when flying with a joystick.

 

Choppers? I flew rotary wing as well as fixed wing RW years ago. IMHO neither can be simulated very well with a simple computer based rig. However most fixed wing aircraft are much more accurately simmed than any rotary wing wing I've tried. I don't try to fly choppers with FS anymore. I find them so far off the mark they are very frustrating.

[lnuss]

I have yet to try a yoke that is sufficiently smooth in operation to make me comfortable flying with it. So I stick with a stick. And since, in a real aircraft, I was (almost) equally comfortable with stick or yoke (stick is more natural), I prefer the stick in the sim. For one thing, it's got lots of programmable buttons/switches/axes so that I can mostly match the HOTAS* description, so that I don't get stuck with the horribly clumsy keyboard or mouse to operate various controls. Once trained, flying real aircraft is generally easy, and the sim has enough tough things without adding to them by requiring a keyboard for such commonly used things as gear, flaps, brakes, and view changes, all of which I can do HOTAS with my stick/throttle (and much more).

 

The CH Pro rudder pedals I have are clumsy when used as designed, so I rest my heels on the floor (just as in a real aircraft) and press my toes against the heel rests, which makes them not too bad for rudder control but useless when it comes to brakes. I've tried variations of the Saitek pedals at airshows, but none of them was comfortable, and they all seemed to not match the foot placement in real aircraft (and yes, I've flown many variations on toe brakes and heel brakes and pedal placement, all working better than the sim stuff).

 

The remaining piece of making flying the sim easy is TrackIR. I have TrackIR 4 and it's great, though I do have to be sure there's no infrared in the background behind me since that will confuse TrackIR (it's infrared, after all). TrackIR does take a little practice to make flying with it easy, but it soon becomes second nature to actually move your head, but to NOT move it nearly as far as if you were looking out real windows. When flying from views other than the virtual (or when I need even more view stability for a moment IN the VC) I just hit PAUSE (on the TrackIR, not the sim), for which I have a dedicated button on the stick.

 

=========================

*HOTAS - For anyone not familiar, that's Hands On Throttle And Stick

 

===============

Later: It occurs to me that a lot of folks don't realize that, in real aircraft, though you have to reach for many controls (instead of HOTAS as I do in the sim), it's so natural and, at most, a brief glance is needed to guide your hand to the control (just as in your car), rather than the awkwardness of taking attention away from flying to find where a keyboard key is or to try to use the mouse for something.

[Rupert]

Larry mentioned HOTAS. And I agree, that is one of the things I like about using my yoke and throttle. When I bought the yoke and throttle combination from Saitek it included 23 Hotas buttons or other controls as well as the throttle, mixture and prop levers. Between them, the rudders with toe-brakes, and my Saitek multi-panel the keyboard and mouse aren't often in play at all. Although I use them to do things like change radio frequencies. Which as Larry noted, is something you also do manually RW.

 

And of course my Extreme Pro stick also has several buttons and works with the Saitek products as well. Though it doesn't have as many options as the yoke does.

[poko]

I would think it would just be a matter of personal preference. When I switched from my x52 to a saitek yoke I found I missed how programmable the x52 was. But, even if you are a medium programming freak the yoke still has a fair amount of flex to it.

[Rupert]

I would think it would just be a matter of personal preference. When I switched from my x52 to a saitek yoke I found I missed how programmable the x52 was. But, even if you are a medium programming freak the yoke still has a fair amount of flex to it.

 

Apples are apples and peaches are peaches. Some prefer one while others may prefer the other. It isn't always what you like. But more what you do with what you like! ;);)

[kerrycorcoran]

Well, I pulled the trigger on some pedals. Hoping they'll arrive some time early next week..probably about the same time my TrackHat Clip Plus IR arrives.

[Merlin0859]

I always use whichever makes sense to what I'm flying. Immersion factor and all. Just makes sense if you have both. The stick is more universal if you don't have both though. As in I wouldn't try flying a helicopter with a yoke. Tried it once just to see if it could be done. Might could but not by me for sure. I actually don't have rudder pedals yet that's next. My yoke has rudder paddles the Eclipse and my stick has the twist grip.

[cianpars]

I always use whichever makes sense to what I'm flying. Immersion factor and all. Just makes sense if you have both. The stick is more universal if you don't have both though. As in I wouldn't try flying a helicopter with a yoke. Tried it once just to see if it could be done. Might could but not by me for sure. I actually don't have rudder pedals yet that's next. My yoke has rudder paddles the Eclipse and my stick has the twist grip.

 

I cant fly helicopters with a stick either. Never really got the hang of the things.

[Rupert]

I cant fly helicopters with a stick either. Never really got the hang of the things.

 

Don't feel bad. After years of flying choppers RW, I can't correctly sim-fly one with FSX either!! :mad::mad:

 

IMHO: There are just too many sensory inputs which can't be simulated without a several hundred thousand dollar FS. (If then!)

[ScatterbrainKid]

..I am still trying to decide if I should go with a yoke too or stay with my X52 Pro stick?..

 

Depends what planes you fly. Real airliners have yokes, and many light aircraft have joysticks, so your best bet is to own a joystick AND a yoke, and plug in the one that suits the plane you're flying, eg the yoke for a Boeing 747 and the stick for a Piper Cub or whatever..:)

 

PS- as an alternative to pedals on the floor, you could get a stick like this one of mine. its got a rudder bar on the back of the big throttle lever (circled in the bottom pic), but it takes some getting used to-

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/sub2/t-flight-hotas-x_zpsmqtdecnn.jpg~original

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/Thru-flt-stk-Hotas-x_zpswm3saefr.jpg~original

[cianpars]

I flew for years with a stick and auto rudder, then i got pedals and flew ith stick and pedals which really increased realism. Next i got the yoke and throttle package and now fly most of the time with these.

 

Ocasionally, i plug the stick in for gliders and i find microlights most odd with a yoke.

 

To me, this was the most logical progression from stick only if you cant afford yoke and pedals all at once.

 

I flew cessnas,gliders and microlights in the RW and find fsx with these controls a pretty good simulation save for the lack of seat of your pants factor.

[Rupert]

 

I flew cessnas,gliders and microlights in the RW and find fsx with these controls a pretty good simulation save for the lack of seat of your pants factor.

 

Roger your last!! For those of us who don't have money to build a true movement twists and turns simulating simulator, FSX is probably as good it will ever get!

 

And in my neighborhood there are still several active RW pilots flying huge planes for DHL and UPS. Since we live really near a RW GA airport, they often fly their Cessnas and Pipers from Louisville or Cincinnati to and from their near home airports as commuter vehicles. They tell me it's usually the only time they actually get to "fly" an airplane rather than sit back and let the computers "fly" their aircraft!:o:o

 

I don't know if that scares you as a commercial airline passenger. But since I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE GAUGES, IT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME!!!!

[cianpars]

They have plenty of practice dealing with emergencies in the simulator though and have written instructions and dozens of checklists to go through if one happens in real flight. Dont think Sully had much time to read the checklists though!