Hello,
I have a VKB Gladiator and always wonder which springs I should use. I have the 30, 30 and 10 GNX standard springs and a set of custom very weak springs. Any real pilots out there who know wether weak or strong springs are more realistic for GA ?
Kind Regards
LukeFlywalker95
That’s going to depend greatly on what aircraft your flying.
Which is why it helps when making a purchasing decision to consider how easily they can be adjusted and/or swapped out.
Same with rudder pedals.
Sorry, I had it in the initial post. I wanted to know it for GA, lets say NXCub.
I’m not a real pilot, but I would guess the answer is “It depends.” Not only are planes probably different to each other, but during the various phases of flight the amount of resistance you experience is probably proportional to airspeed.
I changed my NXT EVO to the weakest springs, primarily just for comfort and fatigue, especially when flying helicopters where I generally need pressure on the stick at all times to keep forward flight.
Tough to say exactly, a cub will feel different than a 172 and much different than a cirrus. I would suggest you try all of them (assuming they’re not hard to change) and see why feels best to you. I fly with the Turtle Beach VelocityOne flight stick and when I first got it it was much stiffer than my previous joystick. But after a while I got used to it and it feels “normal” now.
When I use mine I use the 30.
In a small & light GA aircraft of the type you’re describing, the joystick or yoke will feel quite light and precise, especially at the relatively small deflections most commonly used in training or smooth flight.
It also doesn’t self-centre or push back towards you very hard, unless your speed or the amount of control deflection is much higher than normal. The springs in the joystick are there to provide some resistance to movement and also return it to centre, but IRL flight controls feel more damped and less springy.
When I had my Gladiator, I increased the damping on X & Y axes a fair bit and used the softer springs provided, rather than the medium ones that are fitted as standard. It still self-centred, but in a slower and more controlled feeling way, with no springing and bouncing around like you get with the cheapo Thrustmaster hotas 1. For me, that made it feel much closer to flying IRL.
I have since changed the Gladiator to a Gunfighter IV, as the all-metal gimbal allows the (reliable) use of a grip extension. This makes the throw of the controls in all directions much larger for finer control, but I have kept the spring weight fairly light and increased the damping as I did with the Gladiator.
With either VKB stick, you have a fantastic device with a lot of adjustability. To a degree I’d say just set it up and adjust it until it feels right for you. The way I described above make the stick feel pretty close to my experience of real flying, but everyone’s perception and preferences can be different.
Thanks for the long answer. That was a little bit my thought too. I will use the 10 GNX with some clutch.