Bomber Controls Question

[rosburn]

I almost exclusively fly B17 aircraft in AHII and I am thinking about adding a yoke, throttle and pedal controls. I am looking at Saitek and CH equipment. However before purchasing a yoke controller I wanted to ask if a joystick can be set up and used in tandum with the yoke to control the gun positions in the bombers? I currently have a Saitek AV8R joystick controller. Thanks in advance for any advice or comments.

[Delirium]

As far as I know, no. You can set the joystick or the yoke to control an aircraft and the other to control a ground vehicle or a boat. The only other way is to manually change the yoke/stick control before you change positions (which is hardly feasible).

Although, some programming functions do allow you to change function modes on the joysticks themselves through the manufacturer's native software. This would not be supported by HTC in any way, shape or form.

[Chalenge]

Never listen to 38 pilots they are as bent as their planes! 

Yes you can do it. You will have to set up a third and maybe fourth control modes with the AH software (like mode 1 and mode 2 switching) and then a custom button on the keyboard to move between modes 3 and 4 and another to go back to mode 1 and 2. Mode 3 and 4 would then be used with the joystick instead of the control yoke as your roll and pitch function.

[rosburn]

Thank you Sir. Setting up "modes" to handle the gun positions on a separate controller makes sense. I have spent the evening looking for a way to map a key to a mode as you suggest with little luck. Could you please expand on your solution just a bit by pointing me in the direction needed map a key to the mode switching function. Thanks for your help!!

[Chalenge]

Sure this is not hard. If you have proper view switching setup properly betwwen mode 1 and mode 2 then this is just an extension of that principle. What you do is find two keys on your keyboard that are close together and that make sense for you to use for this function. I have F11 and F12 setup this way but for something else completely (not gunner positions in a bomber but stick scaling when gunning in a GV).



Then all you have to do is setup the fighterstick for mode 3 and mode 4 use. I have the forefinger button (not the trigger) on the joystick setup to select mode 1 from mode 3 and mode 4 and the pinky button allows me to cycle between mode 1 and 2 or mode 3 and 4 (in mode 1 the pinky switch selects mode 2 and in mode 2 it selects mode 1 and likewise for mode 3 and 4 selecting between themselves). You could also use the forefinger button from mode 1 and 2 to select mode 3 if you already have your keyboard setup as you like it and once in mode 3...



I hope you get the idea from that.

[Chalenge]

It would seem Hitech had decided that mode 2 would be used for vehicles and so you could feasibly stick to odd modes for flight and even modes for vehicles but its all in what works for you. It is worth the effort in getting it right.

[rosburn]

Chalange, thanks for the help. I was successful in mapping the modes and used a second joystick controller to test the configuration. I worked really neat. I am now eager to hook up a flight controller with rudders and throttle. I am considering the Saitek but I see a lot of guys use the CH products. I am looking for good functionality at a reasonable price...any comments or suggestions about these devices would be again appreciated.

[Chalenge]

I would stick to CH so that you dont end up turning around in a year and spending the same money again. CH is a little costly but they do last a long time (some of mine have gone beyond ten years).