A question for Virtual Fly TQ6 users?

Do you still use the TQ6 as your main throttle? Why?

I was thinking of getting one but for me the Honeycomb Bravo offers so much more for a LOT less cost. Is there any benefit to spending 3 times as much? I mean the price of this is ridiculous considering what you can get now.

It got me wondering who would be purchasing these units now that the Honeycomb Bravo is widely available now. It seems such a high cost for so little versatility. I know the quality of this is probably unbeatable but I wonder if they will see sales drop because of the Honeycomb.

It seems like a device primarily for commercial flight simulator training, but their YouTube channel has videos about very basic flight techniques. It seems like a product that only a very few hobbyists would purchase.

I purchased mine before the Honeycomb Bravo was released so I am not sure if I would have gone that way if it had been available. I use it 100% of the time with fixed wing a/c and I am very happy with it.

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I have the VirtualFly TQ6. It uses Hall Effect sensors which are absolutely linear in their response curve and totally noise free. The “throw” distance of the levers is very long, allowing extremely precise control. All components are made of metal and the build quality is superb. This is a unit which could easily last 20 years of daily use.

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You can’t beat the metal. worth every penny

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I don’t own the TQ6 but I’d certainly buy it over the Bravo. There is simply no comparison in quality. I think the only feature I prefer on the Bravo over the TQ6 are the changeable levers/handles. Some of the reasons why the TQ6 is a more compelling purchase.

It’s mostly metal where as the Bravo is mostly plastic.
It uses Hall effect sensing rather than potentiometers like the Bravo.
It will last, unlike the Bravo.
It has a much smaller footprint.
It has a more realistic feel.
It concentrates on being a TQ rather all the other nonsense bundled with the Bravo.

I am personally waiting for what I believe will be the better of both of these the Fulcrum TQ. It should have all the features of the TQ6 but with interchangeable handles like the Bravo. I own the Fulcrum One yoke and it is fantastic quality and so smooth. Certainly highly recommended. I’m sure the TQ will be equally as good.

Here is a teaser of the Fulcrum at the end of this video. Most of what you see is not finalised and this is just to demonstrate an early concept of what it’s likely to be based on.

Yes I agree that having potentiometers and being all metal is a bonus. I must say though that the extra features on the Bravo is not all nonsense. The gear and flap lever are particularly useful and I would miss these a lot if they were not there.

It makes me wonder what people use as the gear and flaps that have the TQ6. This makes the whole experience more realistic.

I have a Saitek 3 lever quadrant as well with 6 switches. I use one set of switches for gear up/down, and another set for flaps extend one notch and retract one notch. I don’t care about “realism” but functionality. I use one of the levers of the Saitek for spoilers.

I do have the Alpha yoke.

I have no need for the trim wheel of the Bravo. I fly only jets and turboprops, which do not have trim wheels but use switches on the yoke for trim.

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Thank you.

Yes the gear and flap and also the trim wheel are probably the most useful out of the extra stuff. When I said nonsense I meant things that were not part of a traditional aircraft TQ. Both flaps and gear levers however useful are not part of a real TQ. If anything it’s the trim wheel that is often co-located with the TQ. There are switch panels for flap and gear switches. All the other stuff included with the Bravo is just extras not needed on a quadrant. It’s really trying to be too much.

I have the TQ6+, and couldn’t recommend it more. It just feels like a quality bit of kit. Hall effect sensors, 12bit precision, and a long throw makes them a joy to use allowing for very precise adjustments. There are little wheels on either side for controlling the amount of friction you want.

All of that can be said for the Yoko+ as well, minus the friction adjustment.

Bumping this thread after a long time :slight_smile: Given that it looks like I’ve missed the bus on the Honeycomb Bravo, I’m wondering if the TQ6 can be used for the commercial jets such as PMDG 737-800, or is this prop only? Desperately searching for a quality alternative to the Bravo that will work with both GA and Commercial aircraft!

Well, at the end of the day it’s a controller with 6 axes. You can map those how you like, including to the thrust levers of a jet airliner. So it’ll definitely work for that. It’s important to note that there are no buttons or special tricks with the TQ6+, no detent entry buttons either. It’s just a very solid, very accurate, very well-built 6-axis controller with a tension adjustment.

How much flying, say, a twin-engine jet with the two throttle levers of the TQ6+, and not using the other ones, offends your sensibilities of type-accuracy is up to you :slight_smile:

I personally have the original TQ6+ and I use it for all single and dual-engined pistons and turboprops, and it does well for that use; in some cases you don’t use all the levers, but again that doesn’t bother me. But for jets I do use a custom Throttletek A320-style quadrant because I prefer the feel and action with detents of a jet throttle, again even though the detents are not accurate to every type (but that’s what Spad.neXt is for!).

I think you have to cross a mental boundary before spending this kind of money on flight controls. Once you do that, it becomes easier to justify the expense to yourself. Assuming you’re the only person you have to justify it to, of course.

Indeed, as I found out to my cost a few weeks back. I had felt compelled to re-install an old game, Dragons Dogma, prior to its sequel being released.

One day I found that I couldn’t navigate its menus correctly, and after looking online and finding users nearly 10 years ago having the same issue, and with no concrete fix for it, I had almost given up. Till I realised I had left my TQ6 plugged in. I then found I could navigate the menus with throttle 2. :slight_smile:

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Thanks. I’m building a decent setup with 3 4K screens and Next Level Racing Flight Simulator Pro gear. The intent is to fly a wide range of both commerical and GA aircraft, but the main ones in each category initially will probably be PMDG 737 and SWS PC-12. With the demise of Honeycomb I’m trying to find the best throttle quadrant that will give me maximum ability to switch aircraft without having multiple throttles and the associated take up/down issues.

So in answer to the cost issue - this is a retirement project and while it isn’t unlimited budget, it is definitely more than a desktop build and something I would prefer to invest in quality - within reason.

The solution you seek was the Fulcrum TQ but alas that seems to have gone the same way as HC. It’s apparently trying to get things back together but I don’t supppse that will happen anytime some if at all.sadly there are just no other viable options I’ve found. I’d love to hear them if there are.

It’s the biggest gapping hole in the flight sim peripheral market there is. The HC was never an option for me even when available because it’s just not suitable for several reasons. Whilst the TQ6+ Is a nice unit it doesn’t have as much versatility and it’s expensive for what it is. Shipping here makes it another no go. If you are in Europe or the US then shipping is not nearly as ridiculous.

I’m in Australia which probably makes it worse. Ugh this really sucks I’ve come all this way with my build and at the moment I’m looking like using my old logitech throttle because I can’t find a good replacement option!

I also have a TQ6+ now but before I used VKB throttles with satisfaction.
Throttle quadrant:
https://flightsimcontrols.com/product/gnx-thq-throttle-quadrant/
Combos:
https://flightsimcontrols.com/product-category/nxt-throttle-combos/
If interested contact them for delivering in Australia.

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@PlumbGlue67 which aircraft do you fly using TQ6+ ?

Single or twins pistons/turboprop GA aircraft (not really interested in jets), actually mainly old planes.
And I even use it for helis.
It’s a great device.
VirtualFly is also present in USA (Chicago, Tampa and LA) so perhaps delivery will be cheaper from there ?

Edit: VkB are also in US or Canada, I don’t remenber exactly

@FlyerOneZero if I may, I’d like to pursue your post further. So if I read you correctly - you are using TQ6 for GA, and you have a Throttletek for commercial? I have been looking intently at both. I am curious how often you switch aircraft and therefore throttle types on your setup - and how difficult or otherwise that is.