Wanted: New Flight Stick recommendations

**Hofy** · March 12th, 2022, 04:28

I am looking for a new flight stick. I currently have an old Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. It is pretty cheap and junky so I am looking for something better. CFS3 is the only sim I play, so a simple WWII style stick would be best. Budget is around $100, what does everyone recommend? Thanks.

**gecko** · March 12th, 2022, 04:52

I'm using a the same stick (albeit with a homemade 24" extension so I could mount it to the floor) and I found I preferred it by a wide margin to my old X52, even though the X52 costs way more. It just felt much more precise and smooth. After 10 years, it is getting pretty tired, but that's a pretty good run for the use I've gotten out of it. When I replace it, it will probably be with another Extreme 3D Pro. Can't beat the value and I can't dump $300 on a joystick.

**mcbob** · March 24th, 2022, 11:53

Last Aug I got a Thrustmaster T.1600M, to replace an old Saitek that was 18 years old.

I needed a left handed stick and not many models to choose from, this one can be configured for L or R. Quite a few reviews said the Z axis (stick rotation) fails after a short time, but since I use rudder pedals it wouldn't affect me.

It uses Hall Effect for X and Y axis. It is very responsive and has no dead zone in the middle. it is very smooth to use. So far everything still works great.

It has a light on the base all around the stick that comes on every time you move the stick, goes off after a few seconds. I thought it would be very distracting but I never notice it. I do have the stick mounted just above lap height. The only way to disable it is to take off the bottom cover and cut/disconnect a wire.

Also has two threaded holes in the bottom for easy mounting.

***MajorMagee*** · March 24th, 2022, 13:11

I bought a Logitech X52 Pro HOTAS back in 2020 to replace my old Force 3d Pro. I too, never thought I needed anything more than a simple stick for a WW2 sim, but it turns out that the HOTAS has opened up control options I was mostly ignoring when flying like setting the trim or adjusting the HUD. As you can see I've mapped almost all of the available commands in CFS3. All that switchology may seem daunting, but it really does provide more of a sense of operating in a cockpit environment than using the keyboard for everything. It has the added benefit of avoiding the need to look down to type in the few commands I could remember. Having the three mode switch let me group similar type functions into patterns I could learn and remember in the heat of battle. The first section listed are commands common to all three of the modes following.

Action	Type	Key	Modifier	Button #	X52 Assignment – Full
ToggleHUD	display	ID="F5"			POV2 LT
ToggleCockpit	views	ID="F3"			POV2 RT
MIXTURE_LEAN	engine	ID="F6"	Mod="Control+Shift"		Slider – 0-5%
MIXTURE_RICH	engine	ID="F7"	Mod="Control+Shift"		Slider – 95-100%
AXIS_THROTTLE_SET	Axis				Throttle
Set_Bank	Axis				X (Ailerons)
Set_Pitch	Axis				Y (Elevator)
Set_Yaw	Axis				Z (Rudder)
8 Way Hat Head Look	views				POV1 – 8 Way
HeadReset	views	ID="Space"	Mod="Control+Shift"		POV1P – 4 Way
ZoomIn	views	ID="RSquare"			ThrottleHat DN
HeadRotLeft	views	ID="Left"	Mod="Shift"		ThrottleHat LT
HeadRotRight	views	ID="Right"	Mod="Shift"		ThrottleHat RT
ZoomOut	views	ID="LSquare"			ThrottleHat UP
TakeScreenshot	sim	ID="SemiColon"	Mod="Control"	2	Launch – M1P, M2P, M3P
FireCannonsOnly	weapons	ID="Space"	Mod="Control"	2	Launch – M1, M2, M3
ToggleLabels	display	ID="L"	Mod="Control+Shift"		POV2 DN
ToggleBrackets	display	ID="I"	Mod="Control+Shift"		POV2 UP
FireGunsOnly	weapons	ID="Space"	Mod="Shift"	1	Trigger One – All
Fire_Guns	weapons	ID="Space"		15	Trigger Two – All
WAR_EMERGENCY_POWER	combat	ID="W"		3	A – M1
End_Mission	sim	ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter”		3	A – M1P
GotoPilotSeat	combat	ID="F6"		4	B – M1
PANEL_LIGHTS_TOGGLE	general	ID="L"		4	B – M1P
INC_COWL_FLAPS	extension	ID="E"	Mod="Shift"	5	C – M1
DEC_COWL_FLAPS	extension	ID="E"	Mod="Control"	5	C – M1P
GEAR_TOGGLE	general	ID="G"		31	Clutch – M1
TOGGLE_TAILWHEEL_LOCK	general	ID="L"	Mod="Shift"	31	Clutch – M1P
SPOILERS_TOGGLE	general	ID="D"		7	D – M1
TOGGLE_AIRCRAFT_EXIT	general	ID="C"	Mod="Shift"	7	D – M1P
ENGINE_AUTO_START	engine	ID="E"		8	E – M1
				8	E – M1P
AILERON_TRIM_LEFT	surface	ID="Left"	Mod="Control"	9	T1 – M1
FLAPS_DECR	general	ID="V"		9	T1 – M1P
RUDDER_TRIM_LEFT	surface	ID="Insert"	Mod="Control"	10	T2 – M1
FLAPS_INCR	general	ID="F"		10	T2 – M1P
ELEV_TRIM_UP	surface	ID="End"		11	T3 – M1
FLAPS_UP	general	ID="V"	Mod="Shift"	11	T3 – M1P
ELEV_TRIM_DN	surface	ID="Home"		12	T4 – M1
FLAPS_DOWN	general	ID="F"	Mod="Shift"	12	T4 – M1P
AILERON_TRIM_RIGHT	surface	ID="Right"	Mod="Control"	13	T5 – M1
BRAKES	general	ID="B"		13	T5 – M1P
RUDDER_TRIM_RIGHT	surface	ID="Num 3"	Mod="Control"	14	T6 – M1
PARKING_BRAKES	general	ID="B"	Mod="Control+Shift"	14	T6 – M1P
Game Camera (Game Bar Shortcut)	sim	ID="R"	Mod="Win+Alt"	3	A – M2
End_Mission	sim	ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter”		3	A – M2P
Switch_View	views	ID="F4"		4	B – M2
Switch_ViewPrev	views	ID="F4"	Mod="Shift"	4	B – M2P
WINGMEN_ATTACK	wingman	ID="A"		5	C – M2
WINGMEN_HELP	wingman	ID="H"		5	C – M2P
ShowBriefing	sim	ID="M"		31	Clutch – M2
Cycle_Info	sim	ID="Z"		31	Clutch – M2P
Warp	sim	ID="X"		7	D – M2
SetNormalTime	sim	ID="X"	Mod="Control"	7	D – M2P
Pause	sim	ID="P"		8	E – M2
ExitImmediately	sim	ID="Q"	Mod="Control+Shift"	8	E – M2P
WINGMEN_REJOIN	wingman	ID="R"		9	T1 – M2
				9	T1 – M2P
WINGMEN_SPLIT	wingman	ID="S"		10	T2 – M2
				10	T2 – M2P
				11	T3 – M2
				11	T3 – M2P
Bail_Out	sim	ID="O"		12	T4 – M2
				12	T4 – M2P
SelectPrevWP	sim	ID="W"	Mod="Control"	13	T5 – M2
				13	T5 – M2P
SelectNextWP	sim	ID="W"	Mod="Shift"	14	T6 – M2
				14	T6 – M2P
Gun Camera (Game Bar Shortcut)	sim	ID="F6" ID="F3" ID="R"	Mod="Win+Alt"	3	A – M3
End_Mission	sim	ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter”		3	A – M3P
GotoBombadierSeat	combat	ID="F7"		4	B – M3
SelectNextWeapon	weapons	ID="Back"		4	B – M3P
CycleGunnerSeat	combat	ID="F8"		5	C – M3
CycleGunnerSeatPrev	combat	ID="F8"	Mod="Shift"	5	C – M3P
Toggle_BombBay	combat	ID="B"	Mod="Shift"	31	Clutch – M3
DropFuelTanks	combat	ID="D"	Mod="Control+Shift"	31	Clutch – M3P
ReleaseFireWeapon	weapons	ID="Enter"		7	D – M3
RefillSelectedWeapon	weapons	ID="J"	Mod="Shift"	7	D – M3P
				8	E – M3
				8	E – M3P
Gunsight_Brightness_Incr	views	ID="RSquare"	Mod="Control+Shift"	9	T1 – M3
ShowTactical	display	ID="T"	Mod="Shift"	9	T1 – M3P
Gunsight_Brightness_Decr	views	ID="LSquare"	Mod="Control+Shift"	10	T2 – M3
DropTarget	display	ID="Tilde"	Mod="Shift"	10	T2 – M3P
Gunsight_Size_Incr	views	ID="RSquare"	Mod="Shift"	11	T3 – M3
CycleTactical	display	ID="T"		11	T3 – M3P
Gunsight_Size_Decr	views	ID="LSquare"	Mod="Shift"	12	T4 – M3
CycleTacticalRange	display	ID="T"	Mod="Control+Shift"	12	T4 – M3P
Gunsight_Size2_Incr	views	ID="RSquare"	Mod="Control"	13	T5 – M3
NextTarget	display	ID="Tab"		13	T5 – M3P
Gunsight_Size2_Decr	views	ID="LSquare"	Mod="Control"	14	T6 – M3
PrevTarget	display	ID="Tab"	Mod="Shift"	14	T6 – M3P

**RWILLS** · April 21st, 2022, 14:24

I've had a Thrustmaster T16000M which I find very comfortable to use, but the usual issues with the rudder axis are a big problem.
Recently tried a Raptor Mach 2, which is very nice but I find it less comfortable than the T16000M. A really annoying feature on the Raptor Mach 2 is a button at the bottom of the stick, which is easy to accidently press with your little finger. This button does nothing useful and can't be assigned to anything, but if you accidently press it when gripping the stick, it prevents the guns from firing.
I purchased the Raptor as I was frustrated with the rudder issues on the Thrustmaster. Interestingly though, since I set up the Raptor, the Thrustmaster rudder axis has been fine, so I'm no longer convinced that the rudder problems are entirely caused by the potentiometer.

**sixstrings5859** · April 25th, 2022, 05:07

Here's a good one . https://vkbcontrollers.com/ my next flight stick. Simple and rugged. Although made in China, it is very well put together. Price is good also for what you get.

**mongoose** · April 25th, 2022, 06:37

Andy, IIRC you are talking about is what was the Saitek X52, now owned by Logitech? I had a Saitek X52 and now have an X56, but I seem to recall the X52 also had 3 modes? I assume therefore M1 etc., relate to those modes, but what do the MxPs mean?