Joy stick center point detent?

[PhantomTweak]

Yup, that's the critter. My wife has the one with the throttle, I have the stick only model. It does, like nearly every joystick, have a slider for the throttle functions.
I do really love the feel of it. Most especially, though, to my mind, is that it's a tunnel diode design, instead of the good old potentiometer set up that joysticks started out with. They can't get dirty, or drift, or have varying size null zones...none of the disadvantages pots have. I set the null zones to 0 (full left), and the sensitivities full right, and just enjoy flying. Only exception is that I set the rudder null zone to a very slight value, so that if and when my hand shifts it a little during other motions the stick won't pick it up. Other than that...
Great for helicopters especially, since it picks up every little twitch, and with the tension adjust way down, it makes flying them, especially using HTR, a real joy. I never flew a chopper in real life, but from what several friends have told me that, without a full motion sim, it's a pretty good simulation of how they actually fly. I'm working on a HTR config file for the MV-22, but due to the rotor tilt, it's a real adventure...

Have fun all!
Pat☺

 

[Ivan]

I can't comment on the original Microsoft Force Feedback stick (FF1 - as shown in Willy's post), but I have a Precision Pro stick and it's not as accurate as my FF2. The FF2 is, apparently, much better all round than the FF1 and, unlike the FF1, it just needs a mains lead as the power adapter is built in. I can't emphasise enough what a good stick the FF2 is. There are no springs holding the stick in position, it's all done by the internal motors so you don't get that sloppy neutral position that conventional sticks tend to develop. When you're sitting on the ground with no airflow over the controls, the stick just flops forward but becomes increasingly stiffer and more centred as you accelerate.

Thanks Vortex,

I will keep a lookout for a good deal on the Force Feedback 2.
Ideally, I would like to see it installed and operational on a demo machine in the store before buying, but PC games don't seem to be getting nearly the same attention as console games in the stores.

The problem though is that the "force feedback" effect is tuned by the developer of the aircraft and at least in Combat Flight Simulator, there is not a lot of consistency in how well they / we do it.

- Ivan.

 

[Ganter]

Yup, that's the critter. My wife has the one with the throttle, I have the stick only model. It does, like nearly every joystick, have a slider for the throttle functions.

Great for helicopters especially, since it picks up every little twitch, and with the tension adjust way down, it makes flying them, especially using HTR, a real joy.
Have fun all!
Pat☺

Exactly Pat, for the same reason it's bang on for VTOLs in the Harrier and F-35B.
In the Harrier - on the throttle and stick below 50 KIAS - you're only ever a hairs breadth - "a little twitch" - away from uncontrolled flight into terrain (or boat).

Great fun!

If it's good enough for this...



It's good enough for anything

 

[vortex]

The problem though is that the "force feedback" effect is tuned by the developer of the aircraft and at least in Combat Flight Simulator, there is not a lot of consistency in how well they / we do it.

That's the beauty of using FS Force (http://fs-force.com/index.htm) to process the force feedback effects. You turn off the default FF in FSX and you can then either assign a unique, fully customisable profile to each aircraft if you want or just pick a profile from the list provided. The default forces in FSX are rubbish and made me think that I'd wasted my money buying the FF2 stick. FS Force may seem a little expensive but the difference it makes is definitely worth the investment.