I’m thinking of finally getting a yoke. Was looking for recommendations from the community. I’m a PC user and currently have the T16000 flight stick.
I’m considering the Velocity One Flight Yoke or the Thrustmaster TCA Captains pack. I generally fly a mixture of GA aircraft and tubeliners with some business jets thrown in for good measure. I don’t have room for rudder pedals, or at least to have them in a permanent location so not keen on that.
I had been looking at the Honeycomb but not sure they are still in operation. I also have a rather odd desk. I built it myself and made it a bit too thick so the clamping mechanism for a yoke would need to be able to accommodate around 2.5-3 inches. Had to do that for a keyboard tray, now the desk top is super high and the keyboard tray at the perfect height.
Anyway, thanks for any information/recommendations you can provide.
I will say this about TB V1 setup. It’s not the greatest hardware and build, the small 3D printed add on makes a huge difference. But it gives a TON for the price, and an unmatched amount of ‘control’ for that price. Verniers, levers(which you can combo be it a cub with a lever throttle and vernier mixture or using the verniers for extra controls under the levers like cowl flaps). Plus the SIP panel, etc.
It can be paired up to use the full throttle quad with the flightstick. The wire’s long enough you can move the quad on a bracket away from the yoke(clamped off to the side or something) and use it right/left with the stick, or move the stick left for modern Cirrus type aircraft, etc.
And using the flightstick/flight yoke/pedals can be combined together on XB too. Not sure what else on XB gives you a stick with lever throttle and vernier prop/mixture and in under 2 minutes becomes a twin TP setup.
Although the flightstick does need a spring replacement too. I never use twist or the levers on the flightstick.
With a couple brackets and the pedals it does a ton. I have around 1500 hours on the yoke still going.
I have the Octavi IFR 2 as well(attached right to the same bracket the quad is on), it makes a heck of a lot of FS control for under $1k for everything.
If they made the same setup with the button/quad array and made the chassis metal with full roller bearing support as a ‘pro’ V1 Flight yoke for twice the price, it’d still be my first pick. I do fly every type of aircraft though so never feel the need to get my hardware to match one single aircraft forever and ever. Not unusual to fly the Longitude IFR and then the Scrapyard monster in the same evening. But I only fly tubes for achievements these days. 15 years ago the FS world pretty much made staying about 35K the only way to go.
You can use your current flighstick with the V1 quad as well, I just have profiles that have every yoke axis and button removed. The triggers as rudder aren’t great, but aren’t bad either. Just can’t modulate brakes, I guess you’d use the bumpers as buttons. I use those for reset and toggle head tracking these days. Been a long time since being without toe brakes. I’d miss the brakes more than the rudder, but those triggers are a single linked axis.
Thanks for the info. Do you know if it can clamp on a desk that is around 2.5 - 3 inches thick? Ill have to unmount it after every use so that’s an important factor for me.
My IKEA desk is about 2" but I’ve never unwound it to try. The throttle quad and flightstick are on those adjustable aluminum 2020 tracks or whatever they call them so anything goes on those.
The honeycomb is a very good yoke, nothing better out there in this price range tbh. Id get get over the velocity anytime! For the rudders tho, i will go for something else, looks a bit overpriced for what it is.
I like the CH products Eclipse. It has paddles to control the rudder which removes the need for rudder pedals. It has throttle slider as well as props and mixture controls. It is high configurable.
The extra controls on the TB yoke is over hyped and shouldn’t be considered a reason to buy over something else. You can add the extra axis by using the cheap Logitech throttles or save for some better quality units.
Personally I would not buy any Honeycomb products right now. The future of the company is in doubt. FWIW
1 Like
Agreed, the TB V1 is a favorite of mine as well. Yes, build quality is “only” ok but versatility for the price is top. Cant get that many buttons in such a layout anywhere else.
And yes, it has variable clamps and is perfect for the “Desk Pit” that you have to set up for every flight - its the same for me.
I have been considering SmartFly after watching Mark’s review.
Do you really need a yoke? Especially if you don’t have room for rudder pedals, I would personally go with a joystick upgrade instead.
With the kind of cash you’re looking to spend on the Velocity One or TM TCA, a VKB Gunfighter with SCG grip is in reach:
Gunfighter IV ‘Space Combat Edition’ Premium Right- or Left-handed – VKB FSC Europe (flightsimcontrols.com)
The build quality, performance, flying feel and product longevity will be way, way better than your T16000 or either of the yokes mentioned, and you would retain the twist for rudder control as per the T16000.
There’s no throttle slider built into that stick though, so you could either add the basic VKB throttle quadrant:
GNX THQ (Throttle Quadrant) – VKB FSC Europe (flightsimcontrols.com)
Or the more advanced and complex S-TECS throttle:
STECS Throttle System – Standard – VKB FSC Europe (flightsimcontrols.com)
If these are pushing the budget a bit far, you could consider the VKB Gladiator instead:
Gladiator NXT EVO ‘Space Combat Edition’ – VKB FSC Europe (flightsimcontrols.com)
The Gladiator has twist plus a throttle slider, so it’s more of an all-in-one like the T16000, but for the same reasons already mentioned, it is a very significant upgrade over the Thrustmaster.
You can also mount the THQ and other modules directly to the sides of the Gladiator base if you wish, giving you more mounting options.
I use an antique desk for flying, and the depth at the front where I wanted to use mounts is similar to yours, about 3in. A lot of gaming desk mounts therefore don’t fit, but I got these from Amazon which do the job perfectly well:
Hikig 2 Set Hotas Desk Mount, Joystick Desk Mount For PC Flight Simulator Controls Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog, T16000M FCS, T-Flight, TCA, Logitech G X56, X 52, X52 Pro, WinWing Orion, VPC, VBK Hotas : Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games
I have a VKB Gladiator NXT joystick (premium version) + Thrustmaster TWCS throttle (that I modded). I also have a Turtle Beach VelocityOne yoke. With both I use the Turtle Beach VelocityOne rudder pedals. I’m happy with all of it. What I choose to use really depends on if I wish to drag the yoke out. Of course I’m not going to use the yoke when flying a helicopter though.
I am also considering this, but the price though.
Buy once,cry once I guess.
1 Like
A bit older pic pre-PC, but I just clamp the yoke with one clamp hanging off the side of the desk when using the quad with stick… Now I have the Octavi on top of the quad bracket on an angled/inverted aluminum phone stand. Then I just move all this stuff around as needed. Slide the desk left/right as needed to hang the yoke off the right side for a left stick/right quad. Or just unclamp it all and put in in a storage locker and push the TV back against the wall, worst case 4 minutes.
On PC doesn’t matter what flight stick you use, you can still use the yoke/quad. Although the TB flightstick still has a TON of buttons/hats, and with the Octavi taking over more duty, I’m having trouble even finding things to assign to everything.
Or in 2 minutes set it up for a C414
Yeah thats true, i bought it long ago, but cancelled the pedals order when things wdnt south 
VKB Gladiator + STECS throttle here, fantastic combo. I use mine on my work desk after work so it has to be super easy to setup and remove.
I mounted the whole lot onto a 5mm aluminum plate, with a small USB hub and small suction feet.
It’s as simple as put it on the desk, apply gentle pressure to stick it, and plug 1 wire in. About 5 seconds total. Once stuck it doesn’t move.
I also now have winwing orion rudder pedals which I leave permanently under the desk against the wall, they don’t interfere when working. I have swapped the castors on my office chair for roller blade castors with brakes, which keeps me in place when I use it all. 
I have gone through the following flight sticks:
- MS Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2
- Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS - Flight Simulation Joysticks
- VKB Gladiator NXT EVO Flight Stick
- and a VKB FSM=GA Switch Module
I have always wanted a Yoke.
But now, I seem to have become lazy.
- Set altitude,VS, enable Heading and enable the AP on the runway.
- Take off.
- Control direction of flight with the rotary encoder knob for heading on the FSM.
- Control altitude with the rotary encoder knob for altitude and VS on the FSM.
So, I don’t use the flight stick for flying to much at all except to flare and land.
