The right-hand stick still has complete control of pitch and yaw, while rudder pedals handle roll. But, by pulling back on that stick I had easy access to reverse thrust, which makes slowing down and changing directions in space a lot snappier. Swapping out the throttle for another stick meant that I had to constantly hold the left-hand stick forward to maintain forward thrust. ![]() Previously I had played spaceflight simulation games with a single stick and throttle, which is known as a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) setup. Also known as a hand-on-stick-and-stick (HOSAS) setup, I found that it completely changed the flight experience in both Star Citizen’s Persistent Universe and Elite Dangerous.Įxplaining the difference is difficult to do with words. That means you can easily arrange for a much more complex dual-stick set-up. The Virpil Constellation Alpha also comes in a left-handed variant. It feels more robust than the Logitech X-52 and X-56, but lighter than the all-metal Thrustmaster Warthog. It’s also mostly plastic, but in a good way. It has plenty of hat switches, plus an assortment of triggers that are perfect for games in the IL-2 Sturmovik family or other high-end simulations. My favorite set of kit is called the Virpil Constellation Alpha, which, when coupled with a throttle, does an admirable job of controlling commercial aircraft. So far I’m extremely impressed.Ī side view of the left-hand Virpil Constellation Alpha. I’ve been taking it for a test drive on my custom-built flight rig. Nevertheless, late last year Virpil sent along a selection of its most popular flight gear. But, if you’re looking to spend a relatively modest amount of money on a more general purpose device - something that might work with terrestrial and space flight - I recommend you take a look at Virpil Controls, a small European company that is doing some really remarkable work.Īnd, just like everyone else, Virpil’s stuff is on backorder as well. Its high-end equipment is currently in stock. If you’re playing a more hardcore flight simulator, like something from the DCS World portfolio, you probably already know about VKB. If you’re stuck on Microsoft Flight Simulator - especially the big commercial airliners - give Honeycomb Aeronautical a try. ![]() My advice, of course, is to give the scalpers a wide berth. So what’s a budding flight or space sim enthusiast to do? Still other manufacturers are taking pre-orders, and then banging out new units as quickly as they can. What little product is actually available - even used equipment - is going for wildly inflated prices. Logitech, Thrustmaster, and many of the big name manufacturers are out of stock everywhere you look. You can blame Microsoft Flight Simulator for the flight stick shortage we’re experiencing.
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