Stick for MS FS

[buduci kolega]

I need help in deciding which joystick to buy for MS Flight Simulator 2002.I've heard that MS Sidewinders would be the best,but I'm open for sugestions.Tell me whats your experience(with any kind of joysticks),prices,sites I can look,catalogs...Oh yes,its not important where you live,if JAT flies there I can get it(joystick).Anything would be helpful.




Thanks in advance!



Petar

In thrust we trust!

....those were the days...when men were men and pilots would fly rather than push the buttons...

:

[wub]

Have a look at www.thrustmaster.com

I use and recommend the Top Gun Afterburner II because it has a great throttle and programmable buttons. It's very sturdy too.

[henry crun]

I use a Sidewinder 3D Pro but I don't know if they are still available.

Good solid feel to it, stays fixed without suction cups, has all the buttons and has facilities I need.

It has had a fair thrashing but is still as good as new without any slack around neutral, something my previous joysticks suffered from.

[Send Clowns]

I'd swear by my Saitek Cyborg 3D Digital (even better for Warbirds than MS FS, just 'cos it's a better game!).

Has a smooth throttle, twist grip for pedals (becomes natural quite quickly), 9 programmable buttons and an 8-way hat switch. Adjustable for left or right hand, for hand size, for prefered thumb positions (for top-mounted switches) and for left or right-handed throttle. Robust and pleasant in the hand, it only cost me £20, though the full price is £40 (worth that, I would say).

[Tinker]

My first joystick was probably made by the wanky spanky bondage company of Tiawan, but after that I have been using a MS sidewinder (PRO?). I bought it because friends had compatibility problems with other brands so I went for something that was going to be easy to install and well supported. As far as functionality goes, just read SC's post except it cannot be changed from RH to LH . Does the job for me though.
I had the MS force feed back pro for a while which I bought cheap thanks to connections. It's well made etc but the forced feed back was really just a gimmick, so I sold it on. (No way is it worth it's retail price though).
At the end of the day, a joystick much like FS is just a toy, and it won't feel like you are flying the real thing except maybe if you select the 'scarebus'.

[ETOPS773]

The force feed back pro is all you`ll ever need..its simply the best.

[buduci kolega]

Re

Thanks ppl for your answers.It really helped.In the begining I was going for a Saitek 3D pro Gold Edition,but after some recomendations from friends I was trying to find MS Sidewinders.Do you know which would be the best in the class(of MS joysticks) and what the price would be.I'm right-handed,so thats not an issue.I would prefer one with a force feedback.


Thanks again!



Petar

In thrust we trust.

...those were the days...when men were men and pilots would fly rather then push the buttons...

[rob_frost]

I have a Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 joystick. Its great. I've used the standard one, the Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro, and the grip on the FF2 is much much nicer. The hat switch on the FF2 is also nicer. The FF2 is USB, where as the Pro one is game port i think.

I'd get the FF2. The pro version is quite a bit older, and many improvements have been incorperated into the FF2. Don't buy dixons etc, they'll only rob you. try Technomatic at £50 approx, for example.

[SpinSpinSugar]

CH Flightstick Pro - throttle, hat, all you need - and Pedals. You've got to get pedals. I think all these gizmos are USB these days.