For the past year I’ve been using a simple Playseat Airforce chair cockpit with a Honeycome yoke and throttle, rudder pedals and a Saitek radio.
It’s worked really well as I’ve only been flying the default Cessnas.
However I want to expand my flying to other GA planes that use a flight stick rather than a yoke. The X Cub for example, and I will also start buying some third party planes this year.
I don’t want to put a flightstick on the side of the chair as most planes in the sim have the flight stick mounted between the legs. I want to approximat that if I can, if not right centre then maybe attached to the arm on the left side under the Honeycomb yoke.
Does anyone know of an accessory that would allow me to do this?
Also, a flightstick recommendation? I’m not really wanting a warthog kind of stick as I’ll be flying GA planes only so something more basic will actually be more authentic. I want something to approximate the Top Rudder 103 solo, the Zlin Savage and Shock Ultra and the X Cubs really.
If anyone has any suggestions on what to buy and the best way to mount it i’d be very grateful. Thanks!
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Lots of the popular mounts (Foxx, Monstertech, J-Pein) have this section that extends some 30cm directly downwards from the top of the desk the that would interfere with the centre bar your chair has. You can mount J-Pein at least bit off centre, but I haven’t tested mount stability in that condition and I kinda doubt it’s sufficient anyway (and it could get in way of your legs).
Thrustmaster’s cheap Flying Clamp would almost certainly fit, particularly if you are willing to accept somewhat elevated stick position (in my case, with the mounting plate at highest available position and 27mm thick table, the distance between bottom of table and the mounting plate is about 8cm), the width between the clamps is about 20cm and it looks like the pedestal where you have mounted the yoke is wide enough. The Flying Clamp does have very wide profile for centre mount though (21.5cm on the mounting plate). VKB Stronghold mount might fit as well, as it has the centre section at angle. Both of these would require you to unclamp the yoke and clamp the joystick in it’s place, but you would avoid need to use screwdriver.
For joystick, the VKB Gladiator NXT is widely considered the best bang for buck joystick with for example superior gimbal design compared to Thrustmaster and Saitek joysticks and buttons with mechanical switches, it also now comes in simplified design with handle based on that of WW2 Bf-109 ( Gladiator NXT EVO ‘WWII Combat Edition’ – VKBcontrollers.com). Availability can be spotty though. If not Gladiator, then the Thrustmaster Airbus stick is OK for the price if all you are looking for is pitch and roll controller, and I think your setup would appreciate the ambidexterity.
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Thanks for the reply. I think the VKB Gladiator certainly looks like a good choide. I like that you can choose between left and right as well. I’m right handed but I’d go for the left as my throttle is on the right and I’m likely to have to make concessions as regards it being in the centre, and have to put it to the left.
I might try with it on the left chair arm, I just was hoping I’d could mirror the the real plane position for immersion.
I’m am wondering about ditching the front pedastal completely and buying something to place in front of the chair that I could mount a yoke, joystick and throttle quadrant to in a more realistic fashion.
Right now I have to reach back with my right arm to use the throttle, mixture and trim wheel whereas in a real Cessna they are in front and to the right of the left seated pilot.
I’d also like to have the yoke several inches lower in order to more accurately mimic its position in a real plane.
I’m pleased with my setup overall, but now I’m getting a bit more into the aviation side of the hobby (up to now my primary interest is VR travel exploration) I’d like to build a better, more comprehensive and immersive cockpit.
I’ll be in VR so less concerned how it looks, more that the controls are more closely aligned to their real world locations…
Just a thought, would a joystick be heavy and solid enough for me to just put it between my legs and hold it there during flight, saving the hassle of having to mount anything?
At least vast majority of joysticks are desk stable in significant part due to the rubber pads they have underneath (and Gladiator specifically is not that desk stable, especially with the heavy springs), if you just put it on (faux?) leather chair I suspect you’d get a wobbly stick that you need to use your legs to keep down. Which would hamper both your stick and pedal usage. I would not do it, at least.
As for your other questions, Monstertech at least sells a pedestal design that accommodates multiple controllers. Most of these kinds of mounts can also be inverted, so if those side mounting positions on your chair don’t rise sufficiently you could use them as extenders. I’m not sure of the compatibility of these mounts with Honeycomb hardware though.
Just buy a second center platform. Mount a stick to it and swap it out with the yoke when you need to.
I thought about that but the pedastal is far too high for a joystick. I’d be better off removing the centre mount altogether and replacing it with something else. I’d ideally like to have the yoke lower too as its much higher in my setup than the planes I’m flying.
I wonder if they would sell you the clamping mechanism. Although that still may be too high. You can’t change the angle of the center pole? Do you have a pic of the underside where it mounts?
Is the under-seat holder for the tube welded to that cloth covered crossmember? With all the adjustability that seat has built into it you would think that clamping mechanism would tilt down somehow.
