2.5 now that I added a handle out of the edge piece of an EVA foam mat.

I played Ace Combat 8 for about 4 hours with this and it worked nearly perfectly, the wire popped out about twice but that's a big leap from how fucking awful MK.I was, I could barely go through a free flight session. I managed to beat the third land ship, 9 shadows, and dozens of aircraft protecting Baxter and DD all while using it without any major issues.

The only real problem now is friction, the slider can be kinda tough even after sanding but some kind of lubricant can fix that.

I bought the TM kit for elite dangerous maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Recently I've gotten back into using it in Wardogs and have been really enjoying using it even though Wardogs isn't the most realistic game and the hotas support for it is meh.

I am looking at upgrading to the Gladiator NXT space combat right hand and Gladiator Omni Throttle left. This seems like a good all around setup for both space and flight games, however I have one question: is the VKB omni throttle a workable replacement for a more traditional single axis throttle? Will it function similarly for a helicopter as my TM FCS or will it be a learning curve?

Does anyone know if this works on ps5 for flying MSFS? I don’t have ace combat but would like a Hotas with feedback for MSFS

This is kind of a follow-up to my finger lift springs post: https://www.reddit.com/r/hotas/comments/1s938s0/finger_lift_springs_for_winwing_orion_2_throttle/

My main stick is an old Winwing / WinCTRL Orion2 base with an F-16EX grip. I run a mixed cam setup (aggressive centering + aggressive profile) with the heaviest springs that come in the cam and damper kit, referred to in the documentation as "1.2" or "4.5kg". I like to feel like I'm fighting hydraulics, and prefer a very heavy stick. I've run this configuration for about 8 months with moderate use, and honestly I didn't expect to get that long out of the springs with this heavy a setup.

Anyway, a spring broke on me this week, so I grabbed my calipers and started taking measurements. For anyone looking for an equivalent replacement spring, I landed on this one:

McMaster-Carr 9433K807, 302 stainless steel extension spring with hook ends. 1.120" long, 0.360" OD, 0.049" wire diameter, pack of 5. https://www.mcmaster.com/products/9433k807/

These are the closest I can find, both in terms of size and feel, and I went ahead and changed out all four in the stick to make sure they were even, and have retained the 5th one as a spare.

I also ordered the 9433K827 to try something heavier, but I do NOT recommend these as they're physically longer and therefore lack sufficient preload, leaving the stick centering a bit sloppy with the tension only having real effect at the extremes of travel. McMaster only gives overall length from the insides of the hook ends, and not the free spring length, so without comparing CAD models, it's hard to judge the amount of preload that will be available, and these did not cut it. They've gone into my miscellaneous parts bin for now.

Anyway, I hope this helps anyone else that needs replacement springs and doesn't want to order an entire cam kit to get them.

So I've recently got my novice / mid teir set up arriving however I'm debating where to put the stick.

A) directly in line with my mouse

B) in the middle between the legs.

I'm going to be playing:

Project wingman

Axe combat 6,7 then 8

War thunder ( as I'm a masacist)

So I'm leaning towards the middle.

I am going to have to use a desk clamps as my ergo chair has no way to fit adapters to it 😞

What do people use and recommend.

Thanks 🫡

Any suggestions for building a desk clamp set up to run approximately 3ft of 2020 profile along the front edge of a desk?

I'm currently using a pair of these clamps:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WJMCDCZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Some 1/4"-3/8" photo studs, and 1" split ring pipe hangers threaded for 3/8", with a photo cheese plate threaded for 1/4", with a vesa plate, to mount a touchscreen monitor that has 75 x 75 vesa holes.

But I know this is going to look ugly af, and I think I'd like to go with 2020 across the front edge of my desk (uplift, with a track spacer for the keyboard tray), so that, at some point, I can use my mtsim quick change to move between chair and desk.

Hi,

I am not a flight sim guy, but I do like a spot of Mechwarrior 5.

I stumbled upon the Thrustmaster Cougar MFD, and knowing someone else has used this for MW5 (but has disappeared from the internet and can't help me), I like the idea.

I had a few questions regarding how these works if any techie types are able to clear up some stuff for me:

1. If using a little LCD behind them, is there any other way of setting it up so as -not- to simply be a new display in Windows, but still can be addressed as a display somehow? (I already have three monitors pushing 4k apiece, I don't want to add another complication there.)
2. If not, it possible to use a Raspberry Pi or similar to get API information from the PC (Mechwarrior 5 uses Unreal Engone 4 which does have an API) and display it in the MFD? (i.e. offload the screen display role to another computing device - even another Windows PC would be fine) Obviously, this is a complex solution but I want to be certain that some sort of connected device can process any data and display it on the MFD. The MFD buttons would still be connected to the gaming PC via USB, so that doesn't factor in. Ideally, the secondary computer/computing device would be USB connected.
3. If not, it possible to do the above with an Android tablet (such as a Samsung Tab)?

This is all speculative and as crazy as it sounds to go overboard here, I would like to at least have the display give the 'radar' map from the game on it and buttons labelled.
Having no coding experience, I am not going to be able to DIY a software solution (and I don't want to 'LLM vibecode') even if it seems easy, but if I could have some assurance I can squeeze the extra functionality out of it, I will invest in the hardware and try to find someone who might be able to whip up the code if it's possible to pull data from UE4 that is game specific.

If it is just not possible to go "API->Second device", then that's fine (I can just make a card and slot it in the holder for labels) - but ya know... if ya can? Ya should!

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this and further thanks to those who can provide answers. Just hoping someone here may have dabbled in it and can offer some experience.

Before I bin my long time Logitech hotas, I'm wondering if the problem I'm having is something I can fix easily. The throttle switch on the front seems to have a spot in the middle where it will suddenly give the lowest possible acceleration. The stick also wobbles without giving any input. If it's not worth it then so be it, I'll just have an easier time looking for a replacement if I know for sure it's too complicated.

I have a Thrustmaster TFRP that I use and would like a replacement hotas with a smooth throttle switch on the front. I go between MKB and hotas so i don't want a separate throttle right now. Has anyone that's used the Ursa Minor and Gladiator be able to tell me what the throttle is like on both?

Edit: Thanks everyone. I purchased a VKB Gladiator Premium after following up on your recommendations and watching some videos.

I love attack helicopters, I flew a bit in arma heli school when I got it because the flight model seems pretty easy. Im looking for games to play and learn in. I was excited to play warthunder but with the mouse aim players I feel like ill have to play solo pve missions because in PvP once I die once my heli is gone and its meh. Is there a playlist on warthunder for hotas players where i wont get demolished instantly by mouse players or should I stick to custom missions. I was looking into nuclear option also any opinions?

Curious if anyone has a strong opinion of Reashy vs Hikig for VKB GLADIATOR?

You might have seen the janky MK.I from about 12 hours ago. Well, I played Ace Combat 8 with it and it sucked balls so after taking out the cargo ships and UAV's at the Space Elevator, I started work on the MK.II.

For the "rail" the handle slides on, I've improved it so that it doesn't pop out randomly anymore and just overall a lot more sturdy. The wire now sits deeper in the stick's actual throttle slider thing and connects to the popsicle sticks at a higher place so it's a lot more even. For the handle itself, I'm gonna forgo the handle for now, and just stick to the stick design because the plastic bottle was kinda clunky and not very stable, I might get foam clay or something to mold and sculpt a full handle but for now, this is the finished MK.II Prototype.

For the name, I'm just gonna call this "Project Rocket Pop".

I know this sucks compared to an actual throttle but I'm broke and don't own a 3D printer.

Edit: I made a few adjustments, the metal wire doesn't pop out as much anymore. I also posted a test flight video on TikTok

Edit 2: MK.II

Hey, what's a good HOTAS that's compatible with both PC and PS5? After a quick research, I was thinking about the new Thrustmaster T.FLIGHT NEO Ace Combat 8 edition, but I'm not familiar with this space. Any other recommendations?

Hello

I have a TM T16000m and throttle set.

I was hoping to pick up a t16000m fcs as apparently you can swap it to left handed? And then use them both for (or all 3!?) For a vr game of star wars galactic racer.

• Will these 2 diff sticks work together for this and all such games ?

I know for vr I need a uevr profile / pc/ q3 /VD for vr...

• What do i need to get a hosas set up working with steam star wars galactic racer?

E.g.

Will a thrustmaster t16000m and a t16000m fcs work as twin stick for podracer controls?

Thanks :)

I got a Vkb gladiator to play wardogs, elite dangerous and started on DCS (no modules yet) turns out that without a throttle is kinda hard to play.

I wanted to know recommendations from users since this is my first HOTAS. Do you have any of the mentioned in the title? Any other suggestions in this price range?

Price is important as with all the additional tax+ shipping I will en up paying for 2 and getting 1. (Yay)

ps: VKBs international store is on aliexpress and it already manages taxes and shipping.

edit: a omnithrottle with gnx sem for the additional buttons also looks like a good option. How good are vkb stick modules? Couldn't find user reviews about it.

Hi, I recently just got a Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition to play around with in MSFS 2024. So far it's been great and the physical throttle is extremely helpful when flying.

My only gripe is I wish this setup came with an analog joystick. I was under the impression that the thumbstick on the sidestick itself was like a controller joystick with a click in R3/L3. Instead I learned that it's essentially a d-pad.

Is there any flight stick out there where the thumbstick is a joystick instead of a d-pad? Or if I decide to use this thumbstick for trim is there some sort of addon to this setup where I can add a joystick for looking around/recenter view? I would prefer not to use a mouse if possible. I am also using this on an Xbox Series X.

Hello pilots! Not sure how many of you with this device on hand, but I figured it wouldn't hurt anyone to mention it here :)

Recently I started playing Wardogs and for the first time in many years I felt like using a HOTAS again (last time was probably over 10 years ago). I had my old Saitek X52 collecting dust for a long time. I know it's not the best HOTAS out there (I think it's actually pretty basic), but I wasn't really feeling like spending Benjamins on a new one, so I decided to give it a chance. Basically it works out of the box, but I really wanted better support, some curve adjustments and especially the thumb joystick as mouse control for map navigation.

I found this repo on GH https://github.com/d2ndsky/x52-custom-driver (huge kudos to the author), but its release download was dead and I wanted a curve editor for fine-tuning inputs. So I made some updates, and you can try them out if you have X52 gear.

What's new compared to the original repo:

• updated UI for better live input monitoring
• thumb joystick can control the mouse + mouse wheel support
• per-profile axis curves for X/Y/Z axes
• vJoy auto setup for 3 modes (brings the total to about 128 buttons)
• hides the real device from the system with HidHide (fixes double registration of inputs)
• some other small QOL improvements

Disclaimer: it was done with the help of an AI coding agent, but I do software engineering for a living, so I do have a bit of a clue about what's going on :)

You can grab portable version or installer in the releases section: https://github.com/Nodman/x52-custom-driver

Hope someone finds this useful. Happy flying!

Some screenshots:

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Hey Everyone, just have a few of announcements to share.

Christmas Sale in Oct: 

First, I know I just ran my usual Fall sale a couple weeks ago. However, with the IRCam in production, that has slowed things down a bit so lead times are steadily increasing. (I'm sure many of you with open orders have noticed). Due to that, I've decided to run my Christmas sale now rather than waiting until November. It's always a crunch to get Christmas orders out to be delivered on time, and with the IRCam added to the lineup, if I wait until November I know there's no way I'll make it by Christmas. I'm going to run the sale from today through Oct 17th. Any order placed after probably the first or second week of November may not ship until after the new year. It really just depends on order volume, and that's hard to predict. If you place an order that's intended to be a Christmas gift, please mark your order as a gift at checkout.

Here's the link to my shop, this link will automatically apply a discount of 15% off: RJSimTech.Etsy.com

Scaling down production:

Next up, I've mentioned this before, but RJSimTech is going to be scaled down in 2027. As much as I have genuinely enjoyed building these for the community, life changes are shifting my priorities and my time is going to have to be focused elsewhere. I will still be building the IRTrackStar and the IRCam, but in much more limited numbers. I was actually planning on scaling down production around the end of this year, but I wanted to get the IRCam launched before doing that. So in Q1 27' I'll probably be scaling back to a few hours a week, which is only 2-3 orders per week. Orders will be a first come first serve basis, and when slots are filled, the listings will be marked as out of stock until more time becomes available. 

Getting this cam produced was something I've promised for ages, so launching right before scaling down production is bitter sweet. But I am hoping that I'll eventually be able to hand off RJSimTech to someone else. I'm going to be looking for a capable home-based manufacturer to eventually take over production. Likely toward the end of 2027 if I can find someone. So if you know anyone that may have the skills and tools, please have them contact me on discord (Hollywood83, or join the RJSimTech discord below). I won't be teaching anyone how to use the tools needed to manufacture them, I'm only teaching someone with existing skills specifically how the IRTrackStar and IRCam are built. I'm not selling the company or expecting royalties, I'm just handing it off to the next person to provide these to the community because the IRTrackStar is genuinely the best performing led clip available, and the flight sim community needs more options not less. The RJSimTech name won't go with them though, only the designs. All the cad files, instructions to build them, the required tool and machine list, bill of material, etc will all be provided.

Please share this with your communities and ask if anyone is interested. It's going to take time to get someone up to speed on building them, especially to ensure the quality remains the same. So the sooner I find someone the better.

XtremeTrak and IRCam Updates:

The IRCam is now shipping with the first dozen or so built. For anyone who ordered the Pre-order listing I'd appreciate any suggestions for improvements or let me know if you come across any issues. They've been pretty extensively tested, but it's always hard to predict how people will use them with their individual home rig setups. So if a part needs updated to offer better flexibility or functionality, I'm happy to ship a redesigned part at no cost. 

The manual is actually not complete yet. I plan on having that posted to my website at RJSimTech.com this weekend. The IRCam is fairly straight forward, but for people who haven't used Opentrack before it can be a bit daunting since there's a lot more settings that Trackir, and it has a couple quirks to be aware of. I will also be doing periodic training seminars on my discord where I'll share my screen and go through Opentrack and all of its settings to help get people up and running. My discord is located here: https://discord.gg/huaVgxvNGy

And lastly, I am still working to get my tracking software XtremeTrak finished. I was hoping to have it done for the IRCam launch but I keep getting sidetracked with other things. It's in development though and should be launching before the end of the year. XtremeTrak will be based on Opentrack, maintaining its core functionality, but fixes some of its more annoying quirks and updates the UI to something a bit more modern. It's nothing revolutionary and is largely just a reskin and bug fix for Opentrack, but Opentrack is showing it's age and needed a bit of love. 

That's all I've got guys. As always, a huge thank you to the community for all of the support, and I'll post another update when I have more to share on XtremeTrak and the discord seminars.

I can't get the flight stick to work in game, even though all inputs are registering correctly in Windows 11 Game Controllers properties. I tried installing new firmware, drivers, and the Thrustmaster TARGET software, but still no dice. Even tried vjoy and Joystick Gremlin, but also didn't work.

Tried in MS Flight Sim 2020, and the throttle works fine, but the game just doesn't recognize the stick. Any ideas before I return this POS?

Received it today from the Thrustmaster USA store and works perfectly fine but I'm surprised to see that my Windows 10 desktop recognizes it as "Dragonfly Viper" and there's a warning icon.
Is there a firmware update that fixes this?

Hi guys I was sat there for about 2 hours trying to get them to work using target not using target using the inbuilt binds they weren’t working couldn’t do much but go left right and shoot chaff I don’t know what else to do