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/images/notams/notams22/hone0616.jpgHoneycomb Aeronautical has announced that their latest flightsim yoke, the Alpha Flight Controls XPC is now available for pre-order. Users will have to be patient, though, as shipping will not begin until mid-September. The Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls XPC brings the ultimate immersion of aviation in the comfort of your own home. It features a NEW front grill design, a full 180° yoke rotation with upgraded hall effect sensors to provide smooth precision with no center detent. The base includes a switch panel with master, alternator, avionics, and light switches as well as a spring loaded 5-position ignition switch. The left and right handles feature 13 programmable buttons and switches for fully customizable flight. Compatible with both Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, The Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls XPC was designed and developed in California by pilots and aerospace engineers to ensure the most realistic flight simulation experience possible. Source

Review: TCA Yoke Pack Boeing EditionManufactured by ThrustmasterBy Ray AndersenIntroThere is an everyday growing interestfor flight simulation and this attracts various professional companiesthat are both able and capable of creating beautiful, realistic andhigh quality hardware for the demanding simmer or flightenthusiast. Whether you are using flight simulation just for fun or for gainingexperience before real life flights, then the market today iscertainly very interesting and filled with opportunities to build yourown customized home cockpit. You can build a replica home cockpit or just a more dynamic homecockpit, the opportunities are great, and within this review I willtake a closer look at a brand new piece of flight simulation hardwaredeveloped by Thrustmaster - their new TCA Yoke Pack Boeing Editionfeaturing a pendular yoke as well as a combined throttle quadrant andautopilot. /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke22.jpgPackaging, Delivery And AssemblyThe delivery was made using the international currier FedEx withdeparture France on a Thursday with scheduled delivery in Denmarkalready the very next day (Friday) - this however turned out to bedelayed and the pack was delivered the following Monday instead; stilla very quick delivery with superb track and trace and SMSinformation. When the packages arrived I quickly took a close look atthe boxes (2 boxes) and found that there were no or just very smallsigns of rough handling meaning that both boxes had been handled withfair care. The consignment consisted of two boxes; one containing the TCA Yokesystem and the other containing an additional throttle quadrant formaking a full setup. I started out by opening the large box featuring the completesetup. The outer box was the transport box which was made from a hardand thick cardboard and for which was perfect fortransportation. Inside the transport box was another cardboard boxwhich fitted perfectly into the transport box with maximum cubicvolume. This box was made featuring a softer cardboard quality butstill fair, hard and sturdy. Opening the inner transport box I nowfound the display box which was a thin and soft cardboard box andwhich does not support the product during transport but is insteadmeant for displaying the product on e.g. shelves in a store etc. Now opening the display box I got into the more interestingparts. I found two smaller cardboard boxes where one contained thethrottle quadrant with accessories and the other containing tools,screws and mounting bracket for the throttle quadrant. The yoke itselfwas packed below these two boxes in a 2-piece formed-shaped cardboardwrapping which was perfectly aligned with the yoke and the display boxfor optimal support. The last layer of protection for the yoke was athin plastic bag that was wrapped around the yoke - I assume forprotecting the yoke from being scratched during unpacking or similar. The throttle quadrant within the TCA set as well as the throttlequadrant delivered as quadrant #2 was both packed the same way, wellexcept that the additional throttle quadrant also had an outertransport box. The throttle quadrants were packed in an innertransport box with the display box inside the inner transport box, andinside the display box was as like on the yoke, a 2-piece form-shapedcardboard wrapping and the plastic bag that supported and protectedthe throttle quadrant perfectly. As part of this wrapping theform-shaped cardboard also featured support for the usable levers, thetools and the connection cables. Overall both the packaging of the complete setup as well as thesingle throttle quadrant was very professional, and supported andprotected the yoke and throttle quadrants perfectly for aninternational shipment. The parts within each box are the following: TCA Yoke Pack Boeing EditionBoeing 787 replica yokeBoeing 787 replica throttle quadrant2 throttle levers both featuring reverse throttle levers and autopilot disconnect buttons1 speed brake lever1 flaps leverDesk mounting bracket for throttle quadrantConnection cable USB-A/C - one for the yoke and one for the throttle quadrantScrews and tools for mounting the bracket to the throttle quadrantAn additional spring for the yokeTools for opening the yoke to add the springMetal bracket to mount on top of the yoke (for e.g. an IPad, maps or similar)Additional Throttle QuadrantBoeing 787 replica throttle quadrant2 throttle levers both featuring reverse throttle levers and autopilot disconnect buttons1 speed brake lever1 flaps leverConnection cable USB-A/CNo real assembly is needed since the yoke comes almost in one pieceexcept for the metal bracket that supports the charts or tabletsetc. There is included a tool for opening up the base of the yoke toadd or remove tension springs, but as default I do find the tension tobe a good start. In regards to the throttle quadrant then all needed to be assembledare the various levers that you would like to include as well as themounting bracket for the desk. On the bottom side of the quadrant islocated a tool (Phillips like screwdriver) for use to mount the smallconnection brackets between each throttle quadrant if you have a dualsetup. The brackets and screws are all fitted on the bottom side ofthe quadrants. The same tool is used to mount the desk bracket - thisbracket is universal and fits both just one quadrant but also bothconnected side-by-side. /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke07.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke33.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke01.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke08.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke20.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke05.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke17.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke10.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke23.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke14.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke30.jpg Look And FeelTaking a first look at the yoke I was quite surprised by the hugesize of the complete mechanism where as the yoke handle itselfactually seems smaller than other Boeing yokes (737) that I havepreviously tried. According to Thrustmaster the yoke is a replica ofthe 787 Dreamliner yoke at the scale of 1:1 or maybe more accuratelysaid the yoke is inspired by the 787 yoke. I haven't been able toverify the measurement since I couldn't find the actual measurementsfor the real 787 yoke. The replica yoke measures about 29cm in widthon the widest part of the handle and about 31cm in width whenmeasuring the outer points of each top. The height on the center partis about 18cm and the handle is about 2.50 cm higher. /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke31.jpgThe entire yoke including the desk mounting as well as themechanism sets the yoke with a total height of about 36cm. Thishowever does not apply when mounted since about half of it remainsbelow the desk level. The total depth is about 40cm and when mountedto a desk the yoke fills up about 24cm - what I more discovered wasthat the yoke is heavy, it weighs about 3.8 kilos. The yoke features a100% metal frame (internal structure) which provides a great weight,superb stability and a perfect base. The built-in mounting bracketsupports the integration between the yoke and the desk perfectly andthe yoke is easy to mount and dismount on the desk. The assemblyscrews are fixed onto the yoke and are of a good metal quality - the'pillows' that grabs on to the desk are huge and provides a good graband stability when tightened so that the yoke sit perfectly firm anddoes not move when used. The yoke can be mounted on desks up to 5cm inthickness. The yoke itself and the shell of the base are made of high qualityplastics. Here I would have loved to feel the yoke being built ofmetal or die-casted aluminum as some of the other products are fromThrustmaster, but that said, the feel is still amazing and the visualsis pure eye candy. I could not find a clip on the yoke's center asoften found on yokes to e.g. hold charts or checklists etc. butinstead there is the metal bracket just behind the yoke where you canadd your charts, checklists or even an IPad or other media. All the various buttons and levers on the yoke are all made fromhard and high quality plastics as well - this of course is the easysolution and also a good way of keeping the costs down, but in myopinion I would have loved to see and feel other materials for thesefunctions. The yoke has the following features: 18 action buttons, One 8-way hat switch and a mini controller with a push buttonTwo built-in throttle sliders which can be mapped as you like - e.g. as fuel cut-off sliders and found on the 737 throttle quadrantOne landing gear toggle switch on/off with gear knobTwo axis - Ailerons and Elevator1/8-inch / 3.5mm stereo microphone jack for headsetOfficial Xbox, View, Menu and Share buttonsDual metal mounting screwsSupport for tablet or smart phone (previously described as a metal bracket)Now moving the focus from the yoke and instead towards the throttlequadrant I found a very beautiful and versatile 3-axes throttlequadrant. Of course the throttle quadrant itself is not a completereplica due to several things like e.g. the obvious numbers of axes -the real have engine 1 and 2 together with speed brake and flaps whereas the simulator quadrant only have 3 axes. The levers being the throttle, the speed brake and the flaps leversare all very nicely and accurately created and looks superb and trueto real life, however going on the backside of each throttle lever Idid notice that the reverse thrusters are not that accurate andaccording to real life. The reverse thruster seems to be created andmapped as buttons and not axes as per real life. Also these reversethrust levers are very loose and do not really provide me with arealistic and firm quality feeling. The throttle quadrant is not meant as being a replica but it iscertainly inspired by the real 787 throttle quadrant. I normally liketo change the resistance in a lever so that I need more force to movethe levers, but I could find any tightening feature as found onseveral other Thrustmaster products. However, the resistancereplicated within this throttle quadrant is accurately created andverified by real 787 drivers. All parts - the various levers as well as the buttons and thecasing are all made from high quality plastics. Again I would haveloved especially the levers to be made from metal for a better feelingbut still the experience I get from using this throttle quadrant isamazing and an absolute higher level than I would have assumed. Therotator switch selecting IAS/HDG/ALT I do however find to be of alower quality - it makes a lot of noise when turning it. This is maybedue to lower quality or maybe the plastic casing I don't know, butdefinitely not a super smooth rotator switch feeling. The desk mounting bracket is 100% metal and easy to connect to thethrottle quadrant. The bracket supports the throttle quadrantperfectly - both when mounted on just one throttle as well as beingmounted and shared by two throttle quadrants. The tightening screwsare metal as on the yoke and the 'pillows' have a superb grip on thedesk so neither the quadrant or the yoke moves when mounted andused. The throttle quadrant bracket also supports desks up to 5cm inthickness. The finish on both the yoke and on the throttle quadrant isabsolutely beautiful, and I can easily see that Thrustmaster has kepta superb focus on this development. Even though the outer parts aremade from high quality plastics, I guess to keep the costs down, theinner parts are high quality industrial grade components that I amconfident will have a very good durability. I did notice that therewere no covers or rubber bands or similar around each lever on thethrottle quadrant to prevent dust getting into the sliders and down tothe electronics and the mechanism within - I know this is a similarsetup as to the Airbus throttle quadrant and for which I have had nowfor quite some time. I have not experience any durability issues onthe Airbus throttle quadrant in that regard and therefore I wouldabsolutely assume the same outcome for the Boeing throttle, meaningthat it will not affect the throttle quadrants performanceovertime. The throttle quadrant has the following features: Up to 17 action buttons (both buttons and a rotator switch)3 configurable axes for use for throttle, speed brake and flaps or whatever you would likeOne customizable encoder with push buttonSwitch for dual throttle versus single throttle mode /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke24.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke18.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke29.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke27.jpg Connection And PerformanceI performed the connection test on both my computer setups wherethe primary setup features a Win11 OS and connections through USB3.0,USB3.2 Gen2 and USB3.2 Gen1. The secondary setup features a Win10 OSand connections through USB2.0 and USB3.0 - On both systems the yokeand the throttles were perfectly recognized so no issues in regards toconnections. To power both the yoke as well as both the throttle quadrants,there is no need for an external power supply - power is suppliedthrough the included USB-cables and the computer. Both the yoke and the throttle quadrant was tested on the flightsimulation platforms MSFS2020, P3Dv4.5, DCS World 2.5 and WoP, and wasalso here perfectly recognized as gaming ware and thereby able to bemapped with the various functions within each simulator platform. Iassume that the same goes for the older platform FSX and also for theX-Plane series, but this I haven't verified. Various connections found on the back of the yoke base are 1x USB-Aand 1x USB-C as well as a TFRP connector to connect e.g. rudder pedalslike the T.Flight rudder pedals or similar. Finally there is a switchto select if the yoke is to be connected to a PC or an Xbox. The yokefeatures several buttons specifically used for Xbox together with thespecific legends on the trim buttons also for Xbox - the legends areA, B, X and Y. I haven't tested the yoke on Xbox - only on a PCconfiguration but the yoke is licensed by both Boeing and Xbox and foruse with Xbox One and Xbox Series XJS. The yoke surprised me greatly when I used it for the very firsttime - the rotation on the ailerons axes is not limited to 90 degreesbut is in fact 150 degree rotation which provides a lot more realismand also a lot more precision. The resolution of the aileron axis aswell as the elevator axis is 16-bit featuring 65,536 x 65,536 valueseach (counts per revolution). The range of travel measured on theaileron axis are 150 degrees and on the elevator axis 8.3-inch / 21cm(pitch). Many of you have probably heard of the H.E.A.R.T. technology usedby Thrustmaster - this stands for 'HallEffect AccuRate Technology'featuring 3D magnetic sensors on each axis for improved precision anddurability - This technology is used for both the yoke's aileron axisand elevator axis as well as all three axis on the throttle quadrantwhich also features a 16-bit resolution and 65,536 x 65,536 values oneach axis. I absolutely love the yoke especially for the pendular motion thatreplicates a floor mounted yoke, which is quite different from anormal GA yoke that features the push/pull motion and which you wouldnormally find as simulator hardware. This yoke features a pendularmotion and resembles in great perfection the real motion of a floormounted yoke (I have previously tried ACE737 floor mounted yoke). Boththe motion of the aileron as well as the elevator axis is super smoothand just pure joy to experience. The resistance on both axes are goodand what I'd believe as very realistic - still if you would like tochange the resistance, you can of course do that by adding or removingsome of the springs inside the lower part of the yoke's casing - howto is shown in the included manual. The yoke also features aback-2-center function for both axes and that also works perfectly andsmoothly with a firm reaction. There are lots of usable and programmable buttons on theyoke. Apart from the buttons for Xbox you also have the gear leverbutton, two sliders, together with the buttons placed on both the leftand the right side of the yoke. The left side features two verticalmounted mon-off-mon switches which I use for elevator trim and flapsoverride, a thumb button, an index finger button and an 8-way hatswitch which is pre-assigned to the view. The right side features twohorizontal mounted mon-off-mon switches which I use for ailerons trimand rudder trim together with a thumb button, an index finger buttonand a mini joystick which can be used to view around more smoothlythat the 8-way hat switch found on the left side. Additionally there is also located one 1/8-inch/3.5mm stereomicrophone jack on the base of the yoke which I find to be anexcellent idea. This absolutely eases the connection of the headset soI don't have to use cable extensions. Of course you could also justhave speakers or a wireless headset, but I use a wired headset when Idon't use my speakers and the jack is a good solution. I did encounteran issue with the jack or maybe more precisely when not using the jack- meaning that when I use my headset with the jack connector, there isno problem, but when I remove my headset from the jack connector touse my speaker system instead, then the sound is cut off. I am notsure if that is an issue with the integration of the jack or if it ismore likely a setup in my sound configuration on my computer - I doneed to explore that further. The gear knob and button found on the yoke has a fairly strongresistance to it, so that you don't accidentally push the gear in orout. The gear knob is quite small and not according to real life, butdoes fit nicely into the setup. On the front and lower part of thebase are the two sliders located - I think these originally wasintended to function as throttles if he yoke was purchased separatelymeaning without a throttle quadrant. The resistance here is fair andthese sliders I think I'd map as being fuel cut-off for engine 1 and 2as found similar on the B737 throttle quadrant. Now setting the focus to the throttle quadrant, this quadrantfeatures a 3-lever configuration where all levers can be mapped as youlike. You can customize the setup any way you would like as e.g. speedbrake-throttle-flaps or two throttles by removing either the speedbrake or the flaps or simply just use two throttles etc. Theconfiguration is super easy - each lever features a click-on functionmeaning that you simply just click on a top lever on the desired basethrottle lever. There is one mini connector on each base throttlelever that now connects and adds the button functions found on the topthrottle levers - this for both the reverse thrust levers as well asfor the autopilot disengage buttons. The speed brake lever has no additional functions and neither hasthe flaps lever, but each throttle lever both has a thumb/pinkiebutton together with a button that activate the reverse thrust featureby lifting up the reverse thrust levers. Other buttons found on thethrottle quadrant are 5 click buttons, a rotator switch that arepre-set to autopilot functions as selection of airspeed, heading andaltitude and an encoder with a click button on the top. Actually Ithink that the rotator switch is more or less integrated to theencoder and the pushbutton which would make good sense. Connections on the throttle quadrant are a USB-C for connecting tothe computer like on the yoke, but you also have the connector TFPRfor connection of e.g. the T.Flight rudder pedals. On the front of thequadrant there is located a switch where you can select the quadrantto be either ENG1&2 or 3&4 - this is a feature that you will use ifyou have a multiple throttle quadrant setup so that each quadrant isrecognized as a separate unit and thereby being able to beindividually programmed. The axes on the throttle quadrant has a great feel to them with asuper smooth motion and fair resistance however there is unfortunatelyno possibility to change the resistance. The throttle quadrant istested by real world 787 drivers which do confirm that the resistanceis according to real life. Now, how to program the throttle quadrant as well as the yoke iseasy - they are both recognized by the built-in mapping tools of eachsimulator that I have tested them on. Additionally I am confident thatyou could also perform the mapping or programming of buttons andlevers using external tools like Thrustmasters TARGET software orother software like FSUIPC, Linda, SIOC or similar. Performing mapping within any of the simulators I didn't encounterany issues. There were multiple pre-mapped functions which for some issuperb, but which I don't appreciate that much because I then have toclear them all before being able to map the functions to fit mydesired setup. Some axes has to be assigned with the reverse functionas e.g. the speed brake and the flaps axes but that is easy andabsolutely no issue. One issue on the throttle quadrant is that the reverse thrustfunction normally should be an axis but on the quadrant this isinstead a button. This removes some functionality which I would haveloved were there - when it is an axis you have the possibility toeasily select various stages from 0-100% of the motion, but using abutton you cannot control this to the same flexible level. Whenassigning the reverse thruster as a button you can activate thereverse thrust and also map (in some sims) the function to be repeatedresulting in an incremental increase of reverse thrust, however thisis rather difficult when decreasing because that will require anotherbutton for that function. Also some simulators does not feature therepeat function resulting in either a max reverse thrust effect rightaway or an incrementally increased where you have to activate thebutton several times after each other and that unfortunately decreasesthe experience for me. I have mapped the function as 'decrease throttle quickly' inP3Dv4.5 with a repeater function which works well, but in MSFS2020 Ihad to go for max meaning that when I apply the reverse function inMSFS2020, it is activated 100% each time, of course this is alsodurable but I would have loved the reverse thrust to be an axisinstead. Maybe this can be solved by using an external programmingtool? A work around could of course be to map the reverse thrust toone of the axis instead - in my setup I have a dual throttle quadrantsetup so I here have 6 axes to play with. Currently I use one forspeed brake, two for throttles (engine one and two), one for pitchcontrol, one for mixture control and the last one for flaps control,but that you can of course map as you prefer. /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke13.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke21.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke15.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke28.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke26.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke09.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke04.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke06.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke03.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke36.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke35.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke32.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke34.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke02.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke19.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke16.jpg /images/reviews/tcayoke/t/thrustmaster-tca-yoke12.jpgConclusionThe TCA Yoke Pack Boeing Edition is absolutely a beautiful and highquality addition to any home cockpit setup and by adding the extrathrottle quadrant it just improves everything and creates anenvironment that is even more flexible. I certainly love the feel and the realism that this set creates -the experience I have when flying my favorite airliners as well as myfavorite GA aircraft has been greatly improved. The look and thefinish are beautiful, the feel is really good and the quality is on avery high standard. The pendular motion is awesome and when seeing that this solutionhas been integrated into a desk mounted yoke is just incredible. In myopinion Thrustmaster has succeeded in creating what I believe to betheir next flagship. Internally the yoke and throttle quadrant features the hall-effectsensors which provides great precision and better durability. Themotion of the elevator, the ailerons as well as the levers on thethrottle quadrants are smooth and noiseless and absolutely a veryrealistic experience. The set also features a very good and firm mounting function whichkeeps the yoke and throttle perfectly aligned with the desk withoutmoving even at quick and hard movements. I find the yoke to be verysturdy and a must have for flight simmers that enjoys flying using ayoke. Of course there are always things or ideas that you wish would havebeen different but on this set these wishes are certainly very limitedand I am very positive towards this yoke and throttle. I don't know ofany other desk mounted yokes that features the pendular motion. The yoke and throttle quadrant is great quality and has alreadyprovided me with many hours of fun and superb flight experiences. Ican certainly recommend this set to my fellow simmers - great job doneThrustmaster, I can't wait to se what will come next. Ray Andersen Rays Aviation Thrustmaster:www.thrustmaster.com Review Computer SpecificationsPrimary ComputerWindows 11 (64-bit)Intel Core™ i7-12700Kf 5.0GHzAsus Z690-A Prime DDR5Thermalright Macho Rev.BCorsair 32GB DDR5-4800 Vengeance2TB SSD NVMe M.24TB WD Sata 7200rpmAsus GeForce RTX3080Ti 12GB TufCorsair RM850x 850W 80plus gold1000/1000 Mbit Fiber InternetMSFS 2020Secondary ComputerWindows 10 (64-bit)Intel CoreTM i7-4790K 4.40GHz Asus Maximus VII Ranger (ROG)Antec Kuhler H20 650 Water CoolerKingston HyXB 32Gb DDR3-2133 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD3TB Seagate Barracura 7200rpmAsus GeForce GTX 980 Strix OC 4GbSeasonic 750RT 80plus gold1000/1000Mbit Fiber InternetMSFS2020Prepar3D v4+DCS World 2.5XPlane11Wings of PreyFSX w/Acceleration Pack