Warthog HOTAS and Plastic Gimbals

[Roo5ter]

I haven't seen anything definitive yet but it appears that no longer is the manufacture of the Warthog done with metal gimbals in the joystick.

My reason for asking this question is this, I am considering getting the throttle so I can buy the Gunfighter Pro (assuming the reviews coming out are positive over the next month or so) to use as my joystick.  Unfortunately, buying the throttle separately seems problematic since it is $267 USD on Amazon.  I might as well just wait in that case for the entire setup to go on sale for $300 again and have the stick there for... well I can at least remove the grip off the stick and have it to use with an adapter if there arent enough buttons on the gunfighter for me.  I already have an X55 which is a good throttle and stick so I am not in any rush, plus I will probably get more mileage by spending that money on Crosswinds at the moment.

 

[Sokol1]

I haven't seen anything definitive yet but it appears that no longer is the manufacture of the Warthog done with metal gimbals in the joystick.

 

Thrustmaster Warthog gimbal was never manufactured in metal - unless springs and 4 pin guides for small springs - their "articulation sphere" and the "bell" wheres this is fitted is plastic and subject to broken in "wrong hands", the base is a plastic tube with metal covers.

 

All this hype about be "build like a tank", "metal is real" is because their grip shells is made in Zamac (the same metal used in imitation jewelry, door knobs).

 

Same for throttle, base is a plastic box with metal covers, grips shells in Zamac.

 

 

 

... well I can at least remove the grip off the stick and have it to use with an adapter if there arent enough buttons on the gunfighter for me.

 

Certainly Gunfighter* grip don't have "enough buttons", its the KG-12B grip of Bf 109, a 4 buttons grip that VKB turned in joystick grip with 3 buttons + POV HAT.

 

So the better deal is buy entire Warthog HOTAS, you can use their throttle with other sticks and use their grip in VKB, Virpil or Baur bases, and can sell their original base easy, eventually someone will broken that "articulation sphere" and need a new base or parts.

 

* Eventually VKB will offer different grips, but don't expect this "soon".  

 

 

 

 

 

[dburne]

The grip that will be coming with the Virpil offering here soon doesn't look too bad either.

[Blutaar]

I can confirm, the important things, the Gimbal is all plastic and never was made of metal, it can build up some seriuos stiction that can be countered with disassembling the base and regrease the gimbal inside it, if you are lucky it will last a bit but you have to redo it on a regular basis at least that is what i had to do so often.

You can also get rid of stiction if you use an extension, with that solution you dont need to open anything, just screw it together but be very cautios, with enough force you will break the litter plastic gimbal in the plastic gimbal, lol.

 

My solution to this was to just use some teflon tape and cut it to small stripes, these are like tesa, you put them where you want them and they stay there, so i put them on the lower ball, 8 stripes vertically with a bit space between them like a compass, looking from above you have N, NE,E and so on.

You need to cut the pieces slim enough that they are not overlapping each other on the top of the ball but you have to put them slightly over the rim so the hollow ball you put above is not tuching any plastic in the end, this is important or it may not work and dont use any grease, it will make the teflon pads/tapes loose.

Its difficult to describe for me so laughing at me is fully ok, i laugh at myself.

 

If someone asks why i wrote it, simply because maybe someone has the same problem that i had and tested different greases but nothing really helped long enough, this might be a solution for them, feel free to ask me if something is not understand, i will try again to explain hehe.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Ishtaru

[Sokol1]

The grip that will be coming with the Virpil offering here soon doesn't look too bad either.

 

Yes, T-50 grip looks interesting - that adjustable hand rest is a must - and seems more flexible for use in diverse planes than "F-16'ish" grip, but I guess that VKB will not make easy use other Russian made grips in their bases. "Bonfire of Vanities". 

Edited March 7, 2017 by Sokol1

[Lusekofte]

Yes the T 50 Mongost looks interesting for all flying DCS , but if you think of it, BOS do not really demand a lot of buttons, I feel the Gunfighter should have had one more button for TS and that is it

[216th_Jordan]

The mongoose T-50 base looks interesting though, I would really like to know how it behaves. The warthog sticktion and center zone really is a pain sometimes.