If you can take the g's that would be...

I've been only subject to about 5 or 6, but I liked it. Used to be a Bellenca Super Viking in the family (With decked out cockpit I might say - 25 watt radio's (norm is 7 watt) and other unheard of stuff and all digital). and it was rated at +6, -3. Never did care for too many negatives, and there was no protection for the oil system on the negative, so it wasn't somethign you did for very long.

Only thing left now is a Piper Aztec twin. Its fully decked out too with a STOL kit and long range tanks (1200 nm range), but its just a bus in my opinion - point A to point B. No fun, just good for hitching a ride to Cali when it was convenient. I miss that Super Viking.

The trick to pulling G's is shorter people are better at it. I'm about 5' 9", so I'm in the OK group. Women can probably pull more than most guys as well (If they are strong enough), because they are typically shorter than most guys. It all has to do with how far away your brain is from your heart - and tall guys have a slight issue with this as you might guess.

-S

My philosophy is different. I design every template so that it fits my personal needs best, no matter how it is in the realm thing. For example, in steel Beasts most people have movement and formation controls on the thorttle (left hand) and all spotting and firing controls on the stick (right hand). It seems to be a natural thing. I do it exactly the other way around, so that I can do all combat-important things with the left hand, having the right hand free to use the mouse for panning around - for I do not need the stick in combat. My trigger to fire the cannon is the left small finger. :lol:

Since it was not engineers that designed the F-16 stick - instead they asked the pilots and this is what they came up with, and after flying like this, I can understand why. I can do pretty much anything I need to do to kill whatever it is I need to kill and go home without ever touching the keyboard. It is the near perfect system.

I still have to do radio calls from the keyboard however - and raise/lower the gear, but thats pretty much where it stops.

-S

You should try to use the trigger with your left small finger. It is very humiliating for your opponent if he get killed "en passant", so to speak. It is also a real burst for your ego! :lol:I arrange different flight phases into different level of the command templates. In Falcon I start with template level two (take-off and landing), cruise and airfight with level one (air-combat), and all ground attack-relevant command are in plevel three. I too almost never use the keyboard, only for comms and some extremely rarely used radar modes.For most sims I do not need more than two levels, however.

Same. If I wanted to get crazy about it, I'd program all the comms in to, but I'd rather play the sim than spend the time to do that!

-S

Thanks for all the feed back guys, they both look like really good sticks. I’m going to have to think a lot about which one I should get. I’d forgotten about rudder peddles as well the x52 being a twist stick. Any idea’s there? Also looking at one of them tracker AI things. It gets old really quick when you lose track of your target though the series of roles when chasing down your victim.

I personally prefer the Simped Vario Pro USB to any other rudders out there. You can equip them with toie brakes and F-16-style pedals per additional kit. Their advantages are there rocksolid manufacturing quality tops everything in this price category, the space between both feet is wider than with other pedals, making for a better ergonomical and more relaxed positioning of your legs, and the sensors are hal-sensors, combining zero wear and ultrahigh precision. However, if you happen to buy the CH Hotas you might want to consider buying the CH rudders instead. You can bind them together with any other CH gear into one "virtual device" which is a must for old sims that can recognize only one piece of input hardware. If you do not nerad that, go with the Hofmann's Simped Vario Pro. They are simply superior in their price segment.

Rudder pedals seem to be non-existant these days in a good form. With my HOTAS Cougar I use what is called the Thrustmaster RCS which also is a metal set of rudders, but they are like $200 if you can find (Or more). They do not make them anymore so I don't know what to tell you.

-S

But I know. Take the Simpeds, or the CH pedals.

:lol:

Those things look bad ass! They make a COugar version. Now what are you doing to me Skybird? Making me spend more money again!

-S

My revenge. :lol: Believe me, they are as solid and well-manufactured as they look. But contact them by email before ordering. since early 2005 the manufacturer is said to having shifted around somewhat, and difficult delivery conditions (for me it went smooth and easy, that is 5 years ago or so). Maybe some american shops have stockpiled their items. civilian flightsim sides also had a lot of references to these.

I came to check the old links, and many are dead, however, this one still is active and gives techncial details. the manufacturer still is active, that I know, but for some reason he has choosen to make himself a little bit difficult to reach.

http://home.arcor.de/p.madel/Homepage/homeeng.htm