Mongoose (VPC) Vanquishes the Warthog (Thrust-master)

[Wolf8312]

TLDR- It's great!

 

Whether its a car, a GPU, or a flight stick one can never really know how good a given product is if he possesses no experience with similar products from which to compare and contrast the two. The Warthog was my first ever flight stick, and to be honest due to the very heavy price of the product, I always just took it for granted that it was the best performing flight stick money could buy.

 

After just a few nano seconds on the sleek Virpil mongoose however I finally understood the complaints about the Warthog the sticktion, and restriction of it's sluggish movements, and it's obvious -albeit relative- lack of precision.

 

Now to be fair the VKB and Virpil sticks are a new generation, so of course they are, and should be better, and I should also point out that my Warthog provided me with many happy years of flight simming. I'm not here to bash it, or look down upon it. It's certainly not a bad stick, and I do love how it feels in my hand, it just honestly doesn't  perform very well in comparison to this new generation of flightsticks, and if you're using it without an extension, believe me you need to drop everything now, and buy one!

 

If you're in the market for a new setup and considering the Warthog then I have to say it's not even in the same league as the Virpil. Virpil were certainly very shrewd to make their own stick interchangeable with the WH as not only will it encourage WH users to make the switch, and buy a new flight-stick, but it also means that people who already have the WH, and love the heavy metal grip -as I do- can still use them. The Warthog grip I have to say feels a lot nicer IMO than the plastic Virpil grip, but I haven't tried it out, and swapped them around just yet because on the whole I still love the Virpil grip for many other reasons (buttons etc).

 

In terms of how it performs the Virpil stick is insanely precise which brings genuine and tangible benefits when actually flying. This is most apparent -or more easily explained- when flying helicopters, and is best visualised as a circle, and in how much effort is required to control the AC and then spin it back around in a 360 manoeuvrer. In short, with the Warthog you're going to need a much bigger circle than with the VPC to get the AC under control, and then bring it back around again. The Virpil's rapier precision combined with its rock solid stiffness enables and enhances acrobatic manoeuvrers that would be much harder to pull off successfully with the more wobbling Warthog.

 

In short its not just a better feel or aesthetic I am talking about, the stick actually makes flying easier, and makes the user a better pilot, though of course it won't automatically make someone a good pilot!

If searching for a metaphor to better encapsulate the difference between the two sticks I need go no further than the actual animals from which the products themselves have been christened. The Mongoose is agile and rapid, whereas the Warthog is clumsy heavy, and lumbering. One could argue the warthog was supposed to feel this way because it was designed for a rather clumsy and lumbering aircraft, but either way as soon as you load up the mongoose software, and start drawing circles, you will realize just how sensitive and precise it really is!

 

On default factory settings the Virpil stick is perhaps a little too good for a WW2 era flight sim really, and the feel and performance limitations of the WH is perhaps a little more as one would expect, if you sit down and actually think about it- but I have to say I certainly don't!

 

But I do know some people take realism very seriously so that's probably something to consider, it's certainly a modern flight-stick, though if you start untightening the 'pitch' and 'roll' on the stick itself with a screwdriver you can loosen it up, and make it less precise/steady. This should also be mentioned as a big plus in Virpils favour over the WH, with three different cams/springs included and the option to modify the pitch and roll, whenever one likes, its far more tailored to the users specific needs.

 

When I first got the stick I thought it was a little too stiff however after loosening, and playing around with it, I came to feel that it had more precision (again this is especially true of helicopters) and held more steady in combat/dives/acrobatics when stiffer, although this can obviously be a little more tiring in prolonged combat. Luckily I tend to get killed rather quickly!

 

Using the table mount, flying has never been more comfortable or convenient, and the extension kit is highly recommended (bordering on essential). It should also be pointed out, I think, that the prices Virpil charge for the sticks extensions are a lot fairer than other I have seen on the online market, and the extensions will work just fine with the WH itself.

 

Ordering the VPC mongoose was an experience as smooth as the flightstick itself. It took about a month from payment to the grand unboxing, and the customer service was excellent all the way. Setup was hindered initially only due to my own incompetance. I was rather too gentle when connecting the stick to the base, worrying that I might break it, and spent a few hours wondering why my buttons were not working!  That's something to rememeber, and if you find that the stick itself is working but the buttons are not, open it up again and this time connect it properly!

 

Customer service was great, their representative was responsive to emails polite patient, and friendly and I can ask for no more than that really. Originally I ordered only one extension (73mm), but after buying the second (100mm) they kindly agreed to bump it up to the 3 piece extension kit, when legally they were probably under no obligation to do so. I am in hindsight very relieved I did this, as I have to say the mongoose (and the WH) performs much better with a longer neck (I'm using 150mm).

 

Overall the virpil stick is highly, highly recommended, though remember you wont just be buying a flight stick, but will almost certainly need the added extras such as at least one extension and the table mount so factor them into your calculations. I also got the dust cover, though I have to say as nice as it is, a plastic bag would probably have worked just as well, and I do often tend to forget to put it on anyway!

Edited April 6, 2018 by Wolf8312

[dburne]

16 minutes ago, Wolf8312 said:

TLDR- It's great!

 

Whether its a car, a GPU, or a flight stick one can never really know how good a given product is if he possesses no experience with similar products from which to compare and contrast the two. The Warthog was my first ever flight stick, and to be honest due to the very heavy price of the product, I always just took it for granted that it was the best performing flight stick money could buy.

 

After just a few nano seconds on the sleek Virpil mongoose however I finally understood the complaints about the Warthog the sticktion, and restriction of it's sluggish movements, and it's obvious -albeit relative- lack of precision.

 

 

Nice Review!

 

I am right there with you, I got my Virpil setup several months ago and it is just incredible. I fly with it pretty much daily, many hours a week.  I came from a Warthog I had gotten back in 2008, and always felt it was a really good stick , especially with an extension on it.

That Warthog is now officially retired, relegated to backup service if needed - somehow I doubt that will happen.

 

I have become a better pilot, and a better marksman with this setup. It is a pure joy to fly with. I too use 150mm on the extensions.

And my experience with Virpil customer support was very similar, they were always very prompt and helpful any time I contacted them.

As long as they keep making product in my area of interest, I will keep purchasing from them. ( c'mon throttle).

 

[Wolf8312]

19 minutes ago, dburne said:

 

Nice Review!

 

I am right there with you, I got my Virpil setup several months ago and it is just incredible. I fly with it pretty much daily, many hours a week.  I came from a Warthog I had gotten back in 2008, and always felt it was a really good stick , especially with an extension on it.

That Warthog is now officially retired, relegated to backup service if needed - somehow I doubt that will happen.

 

I have become a better pilot, and a better marksman with this setup. It is a pure joy to fly with. I too use 150mm on the extensions.

And my experience with Virpil customer support was very similar, they were always very prompt and helpful any time I contacted them.

As long as they keep making product in my area of interest, I will keep purchasing from them. ( c'mon throttle).

 

 

Yep to go back to my warthog now would be a pretty dire emergency or malfunction I think. Though I do really want to try the WH grip with the virpil base I somehow havent been able to bring myself to do it!

Now Virpil seem to be going into larger scale production I think VKB may have genuine cause to worry. I think Virpil firmly grasp that they cant afford to ever be out of stock. Most people buy a quality flight stick like these, and then keep with it for a long time, and so with no product in stock VKB must be haemorrhaging customers who are not likely to come back again (customers like you are rare haha!).

Got to say though the VKB does look fine, and had it been in stock this may well have been a VKB review. I certainly love their peddals but god lord how I waited!

When you get your VKB setup do you think it probable that one will end up taking precedance over the other? After all it can be a bit of a pain to change from stick to stick right? I think I tried to set both my HOG and virpil up on BOS so I could use either if I so wished, but seem to rememeber that I wasnt able to have two sticks setup at once. Think it was the axis inputs. Might be wrong though, as when I actually tried the WH I realized I wouldnt be going back, so I didnt exactly spend a long time on it! 

Edited April 6, 2018 by Wolf8312

[dburne]

I am about tired of waiting on VKB. I got this Gunfighter around this time last year, and it still sits new in box waiting on that MCG grip. Now they have a MKII Gunfighter 

as well, so mine is now a dated version. If I did not have so much already invested I would just say to heck with it.

 

I highly doubt I would move away from this Virpil setup. The one thing I think might be better for me with the VKB, is the button on the front of the MCG grip may be better to set up as a modifier button ( in other games), the button on the Virpil is offset and a little cumbersome when trying to use as a modifier button.

If that is the case and it works better in that regard, I will probably set the VKB up for certain modules in another sim, and continue to use my great Virpil setup

for all my WWII flying ( which is the bulk of my flying currently).

 

 

[Wolf8312]

1 minute ago, dburne said:

I am about tired of waiting on VKB. I got this Gunfighter around this time last year, and it still sits new in box waiting on that MCG grip. Now they have a MKII Gunfighter 

as well, so mine is now a dated version. If I did not have so much already invested I would just say to heck with it.

 

I highly doubt I would move away from this Virpil setup. The one thing I think might be better for me with the VKB, is the button on the front of the MCG grip may be better to set up as a modifier button ( in other games), the button on the Virpil is offset and a little cumbersome when trying to use as a modifier button.

If that is the case and it works better in that regard, I will probably set the VKB up for certain modules in another sim, and continue to use my great Virpil setup

for all my WWII flying ( which is the bulk of my flying currently).

 

 

 

So you bought the latest and greatest and by the time it hasnt even arrived it's now out of date? If so I think you've got the patience of a saint, that is really incredibly poor service I can't imagine what is taking them so long!

 

How do you find the other sim we both like compares to BOS in terms of game play and VR performance?

 

 

 

 

[dburne]

1 minute ago, Wolf8312 said:

 

So you bought the latest and greatest and by the time it hasnt even arrived it's now out of date? If so I think you've got the patience of a saint, that is really incredibly poor service I can't imagine what is taking them so long!

 

How do you find the other sim we both like compares to BOS in terms of game play and VR performance?

 

 

 

BoX to me is better in VR, by far. Performance is better, visuals are better. 1CGS did a really good job with their first VR implementation.

And for me as a SP guy who loves campaign style flying, BoX wins in that department hands down, especially now with the new Career.

 

The vast bulk of my gaming time is spent in Il-2.

 

[Archie]

I made the same mistake with mine when I got it, and none of the buttons worked! 

I love the Virpil stick, although I came from a decade old CH fighterstick which I thought was perfectly good until the Mongoose turned up. I do keep hoping to see a KG12 replica grip in the store though,  I would more than likely buy it.

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Stick is great but some solutions really require rethinking. 

I broke my trigger (that outer one that you can flip outside) today while flying. It split right on the metal thing that holds it in place. I got so surprised by that happening but now looking at it ... it really looks to me like its made not of the best quality plastic and it should be made out of metal. 

[Wolf8312]

7 hours ago, =362nd_FS=Hiromachi said:

Stick is great but some solutions really require rethinking. 

I broke my trigger (that outer one that you can flip outside) today while flying. It split right on the metal thing that holds it in place. I got so surprised by that happening but now looking at it ... it really looks to me like its made not of the best quality plastic and it should be made out of metal. 

 

Yeah I love that trigger but agree metal would be better. Though because it's plastic I do tend to be gentle with it just in case. The plastic of the stick all round in the hand I wouldn't say feels like great quality exactly (feels like what it is) its my one and only criticism, but it's something that bothers be a whole lot less knowing I have the warthog grip. I think it also performs better being lighter.

The problem does also kind of melt away in game when actually flying. I noticed it alot more in the beggining coming as I was from pure metal.

Anyway I will be sure to be very careful!  

[BOO]

plus 1 to the OP. Set mine up yesterday. I thought id miss the FFB of my sidewinder but what this gives in terms of what it takes is  a 1000 fold more. 

 

The only issue I had was the calibration software - I didn't find it immediately instinctive but it only took a few minutes to work out. The other issue I still have it the brake/limit disco lever. It seems to operate as both a button and axis at the same time. Not sure if this is something that can be set in the calibration software but for BOS I got around the issue of the button triggering in the bindings buy manually altering the input config to "Joystick 5 z" (5 being how my game recognises the stick). 

 

Great Review Wolf

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Well, I dont think about gentle use when I fly  To be fair I never had to think about that with any of the previous joysticks (either saitek or vkb), nor should I in stick of this class. 

But either way I will have to contact Virpil on monday and see what can be done, first I have to remove the rest of the trigger and that probably will mean that I will have to open whole grip. 

[dburne]

12 minutes ago, =362nd_FS=Hiromachi said:

Well, I dont think about gentle use when I fly  To be fair I never had to think about that with any of the previous joysticks (either saitek or vkb), nor should I in stick of this class. 

But either way I will have to contact Virpil on monday and see what can be done, first I have to remove the rest of the trigger and that probably will mean that I will have to open whole grip. 

 

Sorry to hear that, I will certainly now try and take extra care of my brake lever. I think I am usually gentle with it.

 

I would not try and open it up until you hear from support to be safe.

2 hours ago, BOO said:

plus 1 to the OP. Set mine up yesterday. I thought id miss the FFB of my sidewinder but what this gives in terms of what it takes is  a 1000 fold more. 

 

The only issue I had was the calibration software - I didn't find it immediately instinctive but it only took a few minutes to work out. The other issue I still have it the brake/limit disco lever. It seems to operate as both a button and axis at the same time. Not sure if this is something that can be set in the calibration software but for BOS I got around the issue of the button triggering in the bindings buy manually altering the input config to "Joystick 5 z" (5 being how my game recognises the stick). 

 

Great Review Wolf

 

Yes, the brake lever is both an axis and a button -  as I was using mine assigned as a brake axis lever, I just did not assign the button press to anything in the game.

Edited April 7, 2018 by dburne

[BOO]

31 minutes ago, dburne said:

 

Sorry to hear that, I will certainly now try and take extra care of my brake lever. I think I am usually gentle with it.

 

I would not try and open it up until you hear from support to be safe.

 

Yes, the brake lever is both an axis and a button -  as I was using mine assigned as a brake axis lever, I just did not assign the button press to anything in the game.

the (very easily solved) issue is that the button press comes at the start of the pull. as such it was the button press and not the axis that was being detected in the gui set up. would have been nice to have the button press come at the end of pull. That way would have opened up a lot of potential secondary uses. Perhaps it can via the sorftware. Who knows.

[dburne]

38 minutes ago, BOO said:

the (very easily solved) issue is that the button press comes at the start of the pull. as such it was the button press and not the axis that was being detected in the gui set up. would have been nice to have the button press come at the end of pull. That way would have opened up a lot of potential secondary uses. Perhaps it can via the sorftware. Who knows.

 

Yeah, trying to remember how I got around that, has been a little while. I think I got around that by first before assigning holding the lever in part way so the button press would not register, when assigning the axis.

[fiddlinjim]

Whoa, Hold On Here, Slow Down, Not so Fast

I have used my TM Warthog for several years now and it still performs flawlessly, no stiction, no button or axis failures, no problems

whatsoever and I use it several hours every day.   No broken plastic parts, no programming, no GUI necessary, just assign functions from the Key Binding list with plenty of buttons and hat switches etc and not necessary to assign a modifier to add activity.

Edited April 7, 2018 by fiddlinjim
spelling

[fiddlinjim]

I just sent this inquiry off to VIRPLE for their response but if any T-50 users can give a summary of their experiences using the the 

TM Joystick with T-50 base it will help me make a decisions as to a purchase.

 

I fly IL2 BOS and DCS and have read a lot of good things about the T-50 on their forums.
I have always used the TM Warthog and really like their joystick but considering changing the TM base to the
VPC Mongoos T-50 base.     I read on your site that the T-50 base is interchangeable with the TM Joystick handle.
My question is:
Will ALL of the TM Joystick buttons, axis and the 3 hat switches FUNCTION and be OPERATIONAL exactly the same with the T-50 base or will I have some that are not recognized, be non-operational or that function differently? 
Please respond,
Thanks, Jim

[Sokol1]

Of course all buttons/HAT's of Warthog grip will work in VirPil(VPC) base - this base support 3 axis: X, Y and brake lever, but as Warthog grip has no axis in their grip, neither their base support more than X, Y axes, means that T50 base support more functions than Warthog grip has and your will not lost anything using Warthog grip in T50 base.

 

But notice that your Warthog grip is not more see as "Thrustmaster" so you can't use their keymapper software.

 

T50 to Warthog grip button equivalency:

 

https://virpil.com/images/blog/forums/VPCButtonMap.jpg

[fiddlinjim]

52 minutes ago, Sokol1 said:

Of course all buttons/HAT's of Warthog grip will work in VirPil(VPC) base - this base support 3 axis: X, Y and brake lever, but as Warthog grip has no axis in their grip, neither their base support more than X, Y axes, means that T50 base support more functions than Warthog grip has and your will not lost anything using Warthog grip in T50 base.

 

But notice that your Warthog grip is not more see as "Thrustmaster" so you can't use their keymapper software.

 

T50 to Warthog grip button equivalency:

 

https://virpil.com/images/blog/forums/VPCButtonMap.jpg

Sokol

Thanks for the quick response to my question and the button map was exactly what I was looking for.

However please explain your comment below:

"But notice that your Warthog grip is not more see as "Thrustmaster" so you can't use their keymapper software."

Does this mean that I have to use the Virple calibration software and their GUI to map the keys to the functions I want?

[dburne]

2 hours ago, fiddlinjim said:

Sokol

Thanks for the quick response to my question and the button map was exactly what I was looking for.

However please explain your comment below:

"But notice that your Warthog grip is not more see as "Thrustmaster" so you can't use their keymapper software."

Does this mean that I have to use the Virple calibration software and their GUI to map the keys to the functions I want?

 

You cannot use TARGET with the Warthog stick attached to a Virpil base.

Windows will see it as a VPC-Mongoose T-50.

Virpil currently does not have mapping software available yet, their software so far is a "light" version, mainly for calibration.

Supposedly they will be offering more in their software at some point, no word on when.

You can easily enough map all the buttons in the game GUI, which is how I have done mine.

 

And honestly, at least for me - once I got to flying with the Virpil setup with their stick, I did not want to put my Warthog stick on the Virpil base.

Yeah I kind of missed that cold metal feel of the Warthog grip, but I got used to the Virpil stick really quickly and would not want to give up having the brake axis on the Virpil stick now that I have used in that way in the Yak and Spit.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2018 by dburne

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

So yeah, here are pictures for anyone concerned or interested. The small "tube" which is the end of flip trigger through which goes a screw and holds it in place is no thicker than 1 - 1.5 mm and the plastic from which trigger is made is not really all that good quality:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[Warpig]

You're being too nice. The Warthog deserves to be bashed with its plastic gimbal, being sold for them prices. It's nothing but a ripoff.

[Wolf8312]

13 hours ago, Warpig said:

You're being too nice. The Warthog deserves to be bashed with its plastic gimbal, being sold for them prices. It's nothing but a ripoff.

 

The warthog isnt all bad bud. The plastic gimbal never gave me any problems personally and it performs alot better with an extension.

 

Precision is not great (in comparison to the virpil) but as I've never flown a real plane I honestly couldnt tell you how much precision a flight stick is supposed to have, especially a ww2 prop plane. Theres a good chance that I'm flying with too much precision haha!

 

I think rather than saying its a rip off thrustmaster perhaps got their priorities the wrong way around, but its now an old generation of stick and I think they are working on a new one correct me if I'm wrong...

 

Like I said in the review I had many happy years with the WH, I wasnt just being nice, I am very fond of it, and still love how it feels in my hand! The qualities that make it a great stick however also work against it. Just as the plastic grip that makes the virpil feel a bit cheap also work in it's favor in terms of responsiveness.

 

But for me to turn round now, and denounce it as a peice of junk would be a tad disingenuous, and rather insulting to people who are still using it so I didn't want to go down that road. It's like when some rift user tells me how terrible DCS is using a VIVE! As a very happy VIVE user I know it just isnt true, as I'd be the first to complain believe me!

 

As mentioned in the review there are probably people out there who would actually find they like the WH more for a game like BOS, feeling it to be more authentic perhaps, so I knew I had to keep my review as strictly opinion!

 

At the end of the dayy the WH feels great, and does the job, but I would advise everyone to buy a mount and an extension for it, get it between your legs where it should be. IMO these things are more important than the still V important precision/responsiveness factor.

 

Is the WH worth the asking price? Well no not now when there are Virpil and VKB sticks on the market, but I think the price is what it is, because they are self evidently costy to produce especially in a limited niche market.

 

I think thrustmaster now have no choice really but to sell off the remaining stock, and then bring out another model as word has already gotten around.

 

[dburne]

20 hours ago, =362nd_FS=Hiromachi said:

So yeah, here are pictures for anyone concerned or interested. The small "tube" which is the end of flip trigger through which goes a screw and holds it in place is no thicker than 1 - 1.5 mm and the plastic from which trigger is made is not really all that good quality:

  Hide contents

 

 

 

Well I spoke too soon, mine just broke the same way.

And I have always been fairly gentle with this thing.

I am not much happy at this time.

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by dburne

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

You serious ? Wow. I thought for a sec I did something wrong, but then again, it was my 5th joystick and so far I never managed to break such part. 

I have created ticket on their support website, will see if warranty covers it or I have to spend additional money.

 

In the meantime I look for opportunity to get this flip trigger copied to make it out of some kind of metal. 

[Warpig]

2 hours ago, Wolf8312 said:

I think rather than saying its a rip off thrustmaster perhaps got their priorities the wrong way around, but its now an old generation of stick and I think they are working on a new one correct me if I'm wrong...

 

Like I said in the review I had many happy years with the WH, I wasnt just being nice, I am very fond of it, and still love how it feels in my hand! The qualities that make it a great stick however also work against it. Just as the plastic grip that makes the virpil feel a bit cheap also work in it's favor in terms of responsiveness.

 

I can care less about a metal or plastic stick, as long as it feels comfortable and is ergonmic. The thing that I am referring to about being ripped off, is the blatant disregard, and the nerve to over-charge for inferior engineering and parts.

 

Plastic internals do not warrant a $270.. price tag. It's just sickening, and we should not sugar coat it. That's everything taht's wrong with our economy. Just like how the Saitek (all plastic) combat pedals cost just as much as other all metal rudder pedals.... It's disgusting. I ordered them pedals once, and quickly returned them when I seen what I actually (over)paid for!

 

And why do companies do this to us? Because we let them....

[dburne]

2 hours ago, =362nd_FS=Hiromachi said:

You serious ? Wow. I thought for a sec I did something wrong, but then again, it was my 5th joystick and so far I never managed to break such part. 

I have created ticket on their support website, will see if warranty covers it or I have to spend additional money.

 

In the meantime I look for opportunity to get this flip trigger copied to make it out of some kind of metal. 

 

Yeah I sent an email to support@virpil.com earlier.

I am pretty bummed as I have that flip down trigger assigned in multiple games and would hate to lose it.

 

[fiddlinjim]

I plan to purchase the Virple base to take advantage of its improved accuracy and calibrated control presssure and  use it with my Warthog joystick.

I will also keep my Warthog base close in the event the Virple base doesn't work out as hoped.   

The TM Warthog may be older technology and feel clunky to some,  but mine has never had a broken part or failed me in any manner after 100s of hours use. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by fiddlinjim
spelling

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

I was offered a replacement for flip trigger which will be shipped to my place. Neat. But Im just afraid it might break as well, like the one I had until now.

[dburne]

4 hours ago, =362nd_FS=Hiromachi said:

I was offered a replacement for flip trigger which will be shipped to my place. Neat. But Im just afraid it might break as well, like the one I had until now.

 

Have not heard back anything on mine.

Yeah breaking again would certainly be a concern.

[Wolf8312]

2 hours ago, dburne said:

 

Have not heard back anything on mine.

Yeah breaking again would certainly be a concern.

 

That sucks I have mine set to bombs and rockets which hopefully means I wont have to use it so much! Well certainly highlights the point that having metal external's has its good points. At the very least that trigger should be metal. Kind of looks like the plastic trigger that was apparently always breaking on the VKB gladiator. That flip trigger does indeed look and feel like a bit of a weak link, though I do love the concept. I love snapping it up, and down again when it's time to commence a bombing run but like I say presently I rarely use it. Perhaps that's for the best. Its all the more worrying considering you were already being careful having been forewarned. Hope it wasnt a case of the integrity of the plastic somehow losing strength over time!

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Wolf8312

[dburne]

1 minute ago, Wolf8312 said:

 

That sucks I have mine set to bombs and rockets which hopefully means I wont have to use it so much! Well certainly highlights the point that having metal external's has its good points. At the very least that trigger should be metal. Kind of looks like the plastic trigger that was apparently always breaking on the VKB gladiator. That flip trigger does indeed look and feel like a bit of a weak link, though I do love the concept. I love snapping it up, and down again when it's time to commence a bombing run but like I say presently I rarely use it. Perhaps that's for the best. Its all the more worrying considering you were already being careful having been forewarned.

 

 

Yeah it is a drag for sure, I really liked having Machine Guns on one trigger and Cannons on the other. Don't particular care for using the second stage trigger on the main trigger, as that would fire both at the same time which I find a waste of ammo. In the Spit I need to conserve ammo best as I can.

 

In any event if I am going to continue flying like I have been, I am going to have to compromise something I guess. Really takes away from the excitement of flying my missions as I have been having... between waiting to hear something back from them and then waiting time to maybe get replacement part, is going to be many days I guess.

[Wolf8312]

On 11/04/2018 at 7:20 PM, dburne said:

 

Yeah it is a drag for sure, I really liked having Machine Guns on one trigger and Cannons on the other. Don't particular care for using the second stage trigger on the main trigger, as that would fire both at the same time which I find a waste of ammo. In the Spit I need to conserve ammo best as I can.

 

In any event if I am going to continue flying like I have been, I am going to have to compromise something I guess. Really takes away from the excitement of flying my missions as I have been having... between waiting to hear something back from them and then waiting time to maybe get replacement part, is going to be many days I guess.

 

Did they ever get back to you with a fix and perhaps an explanation on this Dburne?

 

[dburne]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 12:20 PM, Wolf8312 said:

 

Did they ever get back to you with a fix and perhaps an explanation on this Dburne?

 

 

Yes, they are supposed to be sending me a new flip down trigger.

As far as explanation not really, other than to say there have been very few instances of this happening.

 

Whenever I get it I will definitely try to be extra cautious with it.

 

[RhumbaAzul]

On 07/04/2018 at 2:17 PM, fiddlinjim said:

Whoa, Hold On Here, Slow Down, Not so Fast

I have used my TM Warthog for several years now and it still performs flawlessly, no stiction, no button or axis failures, no problems

whatsoever and I use it several hours every day.   No broken plastic parts, no programming, no GUI necessary, just assign functions from the Key Binding list with plenty of buttons and hat switches etc and not necessary to assign a modifier to add activity.

I'd agree with the above statement, Thrustmaster whilst not perfect in anyway, at least aren't too hard to get hold of, for products or for support, i can't say the same about some of the 'boutique' brands being touted here. I use the word 'touted' as the op sounds like he's being paid by Virple....imho.

[BP_Lizard]

Do all buttons work when using the Warthog grip on a MongoosT-50 base? Specifically the brake lever? 

[JG7_X-Man]

On 4/9/2018 at 10:50 PM, Warpig said:

You're being too nice. The Warthog deserves to be bashed with its plastic gimbal, being sold for them prices. It's nothing but a ripoff.

 

Yeah plenty of times (years) I have walked by them at my local Microcenter and Fry's and not bought one - OK, maybe once I did when my Saitek Cyborg Evo Force PC Flight Stick went out - but I took the over priced Warthog back the very next day. If more people had did the same, TM would have been forced to make a better product. However, people kept buying them.

Edited April 25, 2018 by JG7_X_Man

[Sokol1]

4 hours ago, BP_Lizard said:

Do all buttons work when using the Warthog grip on a MongoosT-50 base? Specifically the brake lever? 

 

Yes,  all buttons/HAT's on Warthog grip will work on VPC bases (T50 or WarBRD), but since Warthog grip don't have brake lever, this axis in VPC base remain unused.

 

And if you install T50 grip in Warthog base, the brake lever on T50 grip will work only as ordinary button, not a axis -  because Warthog base don't support more axes than X and Y.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dburne]

10 hours ago, RhumbaAzul said:

I'd agree with the above statement, Thrustmaster whilst not perfect in anyway, at least aren't too hard to get hold of, for products or for support, i can't say the same about some of the 'boutique' brands being touted here. I use the word 'touted' as the op sounds like he's being paid by Virple....imho.

 

Nah, he is just expressing his enthusiasm over the new stick which about mirrored mine as well when I got my new setup. 

 

I too was fortunate with my Warthog which I got in 2008, it had hardly any sticktion, was very smooth and with an extension was a real pleasure to fly with. The Virpil stick though with it's metal gimbal and cams, is just a whole other league of stick. Virpil have had some small teething issues with their first offering, I am sure though they are learning from that and will get even better as they go. 

 

My trusty Warthog stick with extension is sitting here in corner retired now, but always ready to be brought back into service should something unfortunate happen with my Virpil setup.

[WheelwrightPL]

I have a few questions regarding the desk mount you have to use with Virpil T-50:

 

- Is it comfortable to use with an office chair for a long time ? (BTW: my chair has adjustable armrests)

 

- Do you place the joystick between your legs or to the side ? And do you get enough range of motion with your preferred placement ?

 

- Is the desk mount a pain to install/uninstall every day ? (for those of us who don't have a dedicated desk)

 

- Is the desk mount wearing out the desk itself ? (I am concerned about the weight and forces being transferred)

 

And an unrelated question: does the stick allow you to fly more precisely in IL2 ? (I mean less wobble, greater gun accuracy, etc:)

Congrats on your purchase

[[CPT]CptJackSparrow]

2 minutes ago, WheelwrightPL said:

 

 

- Is it comfortable to use with an office chair for a long time ? (BTW: my chair has adjustable armrests)

Yes

 

- Do you place the joystick between your legs or to the side ? And do you get enough range of motion with your preferred placement ?

Center for il2, side mount for BMS.

 

- Is the desk mount a pain to install/uninstall every day ? (for those of us who don't have a dedicated desk)

Nope. It's a half clamp (c-clamp)

 

- Is the desk mount wearing out the desk itself ? (I am concerned about the weight and forces being transferred)

Nope.

 

And an unrelated question: does the stick allow you to fly more precisely in IL2 ? (I mean less wobble, greater gun accuracy, etc:)

Yes indeed.