Design yer very own joystick? wouldn't it grand?

[Beowolff]

I see Thrustmaster has a new Force Feedback stick/throttle combo out... as far as looks go... ho-hum! same ole, same ole. sigh.....

why can't the stick makers get it right? beats the be-Jesus out of me...

now i'm not saying that that particular stick/throttle combo ain't good, hell it probably works just fine and dandy... in fact, i'm sure of it. but its (at least to me) the DESIGN of all of them that's flawed, or at the least, not pleasing to my ole eyes. the basic layout, you might say. it's that all important feel of "authentic flight stick!"

allow me to explain my thoughts.

if you fly jet or prop combat flight sims, you REALLY want something that at least (Kinda) looks (and feels) authentic...like a REAL stick might look or did look (historically) or feel, NOT something out of SPACE COMMANDER IV. all of the modern day joy sticks are hi-tech marvels that LOOK exactly like hi-tech marvels....hi-tech marvels jutting right out of the computer console of your trusty Star Fighter Mark XXV.

duh, excuse me, but why not try something a bit more---can we say, RETRO...? a bit more real life? modern or historical even?

real modern fighter flight sticks are way cool, older versions are even cooler... F-16s, F-18s, F-14s, F-15s, F-86 Sabre sticks, even F-80 Shooting Star sticks...heck, even "most" WW2 fighter flight sticks were VERY cool looking and very, very functional. why not create a "new" joy stick for us that mimics THOSE older sticks?

sure, it was done in the past (even by Thrustmaster and SF and others) to some degree, and those were some great looking/feeling sticks back then... and these days, a few companies make a hack and slash stab at it---Thrustmaster to some limited degree, CH and a few others...but the newer joy sticks are not really into the "great" detail and feel of yesterday's sticks even...they still LOOK Star War-ish. (dunno' if Star War-ish is a real word but it oughta' be.)

the perfect stick to me would be one modeled upon some "real" life warbird---like the wonderful feeling SF F-15 flight stick was back in it's pre-USB port hey-day....or say a real Mustang's or Spitfire's stick...perhaps a newer type would/could also be based on the F-14 or F-18, or the American Sabre or Russian Mig models. Anything but a MK IV Starfighter!

it would definitely need to be a stick/throttle combo... twist would need to be lockable and optionally (for you guys that like the twisties---i personally don't but then there ya are.) it should LOCK down securely to your compter desk...perhaps with the same type of screw bolt locks that most racing steering wheels use today (under the table screw "up" type locks) for maximum stationary control. ie, it should not move under any circumstances while in use.

Hotas arrangements are fine...having a real type movable throttle is just where it's at----with many programmable buttons and switches on both stick and throttle...but there should also be an attached mini-control board...also filled with programmable buttons and switches.

response and movement of the stick should be adjustable for every user's comfort level and of course fluid and very smooth... the feel of both the stick and throttle should be everything. ease of use should be superb---ie a no brainer.

of course it should use the USB ports of your computer...maybe even go so far as to have additional USB ports built right into its mini-control board or throttle so one could plug in optional extras----say like USB foot pedals right into the throttle and stick circuits.

cost? well sure, nothing's for free, and a good, realistically-styled joystick as mentioned above would cost money to divise, produce and market. i am always short of cabbage....but i understand also that the guys that make this stuff for us HAVE to eat too and make a profit. let's say maybe the retail should be about 100.00 to maybe 150.00 American cashola? a bit pricey, sure...but if it included all of the above in an AUTHENTIC looking/feeling joystick---i'd gladly scrape up the dough!

how 'bout you guys?

that's my perfect joystick. and hell yes, i'd buy two.

what are you guys thoughts on this most important subject? what do you look for in a stick/throttle? and if you could design your own, what would it be like/do?

any improvements to "my" ideas of a perfect stick?



Beowolff

[:FI:Heloego]

Agreed
Agreed

[:FI:RULES]

Well what I would like to have is a stick that I don´t have to place on my desk...-i wan´t a stick placed on the floor so that it is were it should be in the first place...maby somekind of extension for desktop and floor placing?....force-feedback and retro-look would be nice.

[:FI:Macca]

I'd like to have sth like Spitfires had....

all together with pedals and throttle:)

And rear mirror:)

M

[:FI:McBiggles]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to get my old Suncon gear to work on the new computer. The ten year old who sold it to me installed my old sound card to enable the midi something, so the old Combo Crate works like a charm. Also been able to find another couple on E-Bay, so I've got some gear I like, for some time to come. Anyway, where was I going with this?...Right. Before all this happened, I'd had trouble installing the original stick and throttle, with Thrustmasters' rudder, and called the makers. Got pretty pally with one of their tech types too, before Suncom went tits' up, and he told me, now this is five or six years ago, that there was no demand. I was shocked, but no he assured me, there was very little in the way of customer contact demanding changes be made. We complain about it to each other all right. We don't I think, contact the manufacturers and say look this is what we want. How may of us, across all the squads and forums know exactly what they want? But do we make our wishes known? After all, we are the ones buying this stuff. What. How about a basic chassis for a stick with different configured grips? Historical repro's of classic fighter grips...Floor length, or the sporty consul models, get the whole set! If all they think we fly are rocket ships, everything will look like it. Anyway, must dash. Toodles.

[:FI:Fenian]

I'd love a Spit/Hurri or even a 109 style joystick I want two firing buttons on the stick and three on the throttle - and they shouldn't be those horrible sensitive electronic crappy things that the X45 has... no sirree!!! I want good old fashioned bits of metal that tough other bits of metal when you press those buttons - the type you can fix with a screwdriver....

We can but dream....

[Nightcat]

Maybe this is of much interest to you joystick builder type people..

http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?%24=ma ... o/mind.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NC

[:FI:Murph]

The answer is; Buy CH.

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

from PC Pilot issue23 jul/aug 2003

as used by Defence Helicopter Flying School RAF Shawbury


I suppose a second mortgage or getting the welding kit out
could solve this .
I used to live near a plane breakers yard,maybe thats an option.

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to get my old Suncon gear to work on the new computer. The ten year old who sold it to me installed my old sound card to enable the midi something

Been wondering about that, so HOTAS can detect MIDI ( seemed logical since MIDI on same socket as gameport)

Great now I can use double kick drum pedals for rudder, volume and portmento for throttle and flaps, Cubase for autopilot, G major to launch rockets. A flat minor for bombs, C sharp for bombsight,program for cockpit and views,drumpads for cannon and MG,and can turn off in-flight music cos I'll be making enough of a racket without it!

Rock and ROLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(the Death of)