VKB T-Rudders Mk.IV Quick Review

[pakfront]

Used to have a G940, but gave it away a few years ago. Recently got Il2:GB and borrowed a Warthog HOTAS. I was hoping to get by with the throttle ministick for yaw, but it is all but unusable.  All the "cheap" pedals are out of stock or overpriced, and I've been spoiled by what I'm borrowing, so I started looking around. Virpil and VKS both make some great looking pedals but I have a small space and the price point of the VKB pedals seemed excellent given the apparent quality.

 

They arrived in about a week after ordering through VKBSim N.A. Shipped through DHL. At first I was concerned that I had gotten the wrong thing, the box was so small! But no, it is just expertly packaged. Was busy with work all week and only got a chance to use them Friday and this weekend. Luckily it rained, so I had an excuse to dodge yardwork and got about 5 hours of IL2 in and about an hour of DCS Huey (both VR.) 

 

The T-Rudders are lovely! They are incredibly compact, but not at all cramped.  Excellent accuracy and precision, far better than my old G940. A great feel, the default center detent is crisp and easy to find. The way they are arranged is more common in helicopters than fixed-wing, from what I read, but feels natural in both. The construction is simple and appears top-notch with all metal exterior parts. I expect them to last a long time. They have enough weight to stay put. If you really lean into them I suppose you might need to fasten them down, but who does that with pedals?

 

Yaw is perhaps the most subtle of the axes. I wasn't sure what I was missing not having it, but man it's helps in accuracy and efficiency. Charmingly,  I think it's the most unique per-plane. At least my current career rides, the Bf-109 G and the Yak-1 Ser. 69 have the most divergent behavior there.

 

They worked well with the Huey as well, which I chose to try because yaw is so important for helicopters. My only reference was using the G940 on it several years ago, but even based on memory I can say it is miles better with the MK.IVs.

 

So if you are looking for a well built set of pedals and can afford more than the TM/Logitech etc. stuff, the T-Rudders seem to be an excellent choice.

[mazex]

I completely agree. Had a G940 myself as well for many years and switched last year to a Virpil HOTAS setup. Spent a long time reading reviews to decide on the pedals and the VKB MK IV and MFG crosswinds where the final contenders on my shortlist where the VKBs won in the end.

 

What I love:

 

* Like you said - excellent precision. And just like you say - pedals is where you notice it a lot but did not understand that it was so bad before... I think that the fact that you use the ankle movement and not the leg movement is what really makes a big difference compared to normal "push the whole leg" pedals. The ankle control "flipping you foot" has way better precision... Having flown a lot of gliders IRL they really feel a lot like the pedals set in a glider where you use the ankle and not the whole leg - with great precision as a result. And the "push down" action really do not feel as awkward as one might think - feels natural almost imediately. When I started using my new Virpil / VKB configuration I realized I was a killing machine. My shooting felt twice as good. The precision in the center of the Virpil stick is a big part but I realized that "just a tad of left rudder" is possible with the VKBs that would have been impossible with the G940 pedals. And that is many times what makes you able to do that perfect lead shot.

 

- They dont move as you press more down than forward. No problem with an office chair on wheels or the pedals not beeing secured to the floor / wall. And even though they are small - they are heavy for their size. Was surprised when I picked them out of the neat package. And heavy equals good

 

- They are small - but don't feel small when you use them... As they are small and do not need to be secured it's easy to shove them into a corner under the table when not in use.

 

- Really nice engineering. Feels just as solid as my Virpil gear with all metal, high quality craftmansship. I cannot see them breaking down. Ever. The cam / ball bearing setup is very similar to the cams in the Virpil base I have. And that is what gives the very smothly increasing tension and no dead center at all. Cannot see a better solution from an engineering perspecive. And high quality sensors naturally like Virpil.

 

Things that could be improved:

 

- Really can't think of anything... Or wait - the configuration software is very much made by a hardware engineer. You only use it on the first calibration so no big deal. Just like Virpil the software is for configuration and do not need to be running in the background. Recently got a new computer and have actually not installed either the VKB or Virpil software. When you configure them the changes are stored in the firmware of the devices and not in the software. When running it's just the standard Windows USB-device drivers that are needed. No special drivers at all.

 

So that's actually a positive as well. But the software feels like the thing you configure an ATM machine with or similar.

Edited December 16, 2020 by mazex

[firdimigdi]

Since I recently transitioned to a set of these: a very nice mod to do to them is to add a block of rubber on the left hand side of the control fulcrum (the one that's attached to the spring). Anything from a stiff eraser or (in my case) a couple of slices of rubber used for packing industrial equipment. Just make sure it is exactly wide enough to touch on the arm while the pedals are centered and not larger otherwise it'll mess with your calibration. This makes the rudder pressure required progressively harder.

 

Quick video of what I mean: https://imgur.com/uEhWE7Z

Edited January 27, 2021 by Firdimigdi
added video

[56RAF_Roke]

I love em. 

 

I also have MFG Crosswinds, but they are now boxed away in the loft. No reflection on their quality - all I'd say is that for me personally the lighter feel and different motion action of the VKBs allows me to be more precise and accurate in game. 

 

Part of this is that I also find them more comfortable and suitable for gaming whilst sitting in an office chair at a desk, rather than, you know, a cockpit. 

 

I also use my computer desk for work during the day, so I need pedals I can quickly move out of the way and stow with no hassle. They fit the bill pretty much perfectly. The Crosswinds were a pain in this regard. 

 

Roke

 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by 56RAF_Roke

[WheelwrightPL]

I just want to add that I also enjoy using my T-Rudders for a physics-based car driving sim: BeamNG.

And the fact they are rudders, means I can brake much faster than with a conventional setup, because I don't have to lift my right-foot, slide it over and then press. Al I need to do is press on the rudder leftside which is dedicated to braking, while the rightside-press is for acceleration.

I can even threshold brake with relative ease because of high precision of these rudders.

[No_85_Gramps]

I've had a set of the MKIII's for a few years now (3+) and they have been absolutely flawless. Well engineered, sturdy, and pretty much plug-n-play.

[RedKestrel]

Man I keep looking at these and itching to pull the trigger and then talking myself out of it.

Does anyone know what the delivery timelines look like currently out of VKB HQ? I'm afraid that I'm going to order it and it will disappear into LaLa land for months.

[dburne]

2 hours ago, RedKestrel said:

Man I keep looking at these and itching to pull the trigger and then talking myself out of it.

Does anyone know what the delivery timelines look like currently out of VKB HQ? I'm afraid that I'm going to order it and it will disappear into LaLa land for months.

 

VKB normally will not offer a product unless they can ship in a pretty fast time.

If they take an order I doubt you will have to wait long for it.

[RedKestrel]

On 2/1/2021 at 4:18 PM, dburne said:

 

VKB normally will not offer a product unless they can ship in a pretty fast time.

If they take an order I doubt you will have to wait long for it.

Just looked at their site, and I had forgotten that they have an annual closure for Chinese New Year until near the end of February - saving me from myself a bit, lol. I'm glad they're up front about it. I think I will take another look in early March and see how things look.