Wanted: New Flight Stick recommendations

[Hofy]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?

[MajorMagee]

There is a pinkie trigger that doubles all the button functions over the tree different modes.

[mongoose]

There is a pinkie trigger that doubles all the button functions over the tree different modes.

Ah yes. I forgot.