Joystick that won't move

[MrRiplEy[H]]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/01/flight-sticks-for-pc-gaming.ars

Sounds interesting. OTOH it feels it can't work too well but then again it might be really good. Anyone ran into this before?

Just like modern military aircraft, the X65F uses force sensing technology. If you simply apply pressure to the stick, you'll control the aircraft. Twist the controls for yaw control. It takes a few minutes to get used to, and it's eerie to have such fine control over the plane with an immobile stick, but the product promises to remove hand strain and to allow you to play your games with much more precision than existing flight sticks.

[Cougar68]

People have been modding Cougar sticks to work this way for a while now.  Seems pretty cool, but not for me. 

[chewie86]

I didnt know that! 
in my opinion this can be the future of the high precision joysticks... but ..... where is the fun?!?!?!?
I mean wtf, ppl cannot be accused of stick stirring anymore  and we will loose this new     <<<<

[MachFly]

They had that on the F-16's prototype or the 1st model of F-16, can't remember, but either way they removed it because it take a long time getting used to and did not prove to be any better than the conventional side stick.
So I'm sticking with my X52 

[Denholm]

Amen.

[bozon]

From my experience, large range of travel is essential for a precision joystick. A force stick replaces range of travel with range of forces you need to apply on it, which in turn means you have to be both very stead and gentle with your hand and be able to use various degrees of force without making the stick move around on the table. Nice gimmick, not for me.

[Chalenge]

Saitek and Mad Catz = nothing good can come of it.

[Ghosth]

Actually the really cool part about a load cell joystick is that because there are no moving parts, there is no drag, no loss of precision. You get out of it exactly what you put into it.

Also with a little bit of work on scaling I think you could end up with a very fine center for aiming. While still getting very good, "fast" max deflection for flying.

As to the F16 stick, I think they just mounted it on a smaller rod, so that it could "flex" some.
Giving the pilots a bit of the movement they were used to.

[Reschke]

The Cougar FSSB mods are almost exclusively used by the boys playing the jet sims; where the U2NXT (gimbal) mods are used by people playing WW2 sims. The Force Sensing stuff in my opinion since I have played on one of a friends is not very good for anything where you are trying actually move the aircraft.

Eagl might be able to more accurately answer to the current F-16 and other planes in the USAF inventory as to whether or not they have the force sensing ability or it is a true movable stick.

[Ack-Ack]

My brother has a Cougar with the FSSB mod that he uses for Falcon 4.0 and I finally convinced him to get Rise of Flight so he and I can fly online together.  After playing around with it for a week he ordered a CH HOTAS setup to play RoF and other prop sims and uses the Cougar for jet sims.  According to him, the Cougar FSSB works great with jets but not so good with prop planes.


ack-ack

[indy007]

Eagl might be able to more accurately answer to the current F-16 and other planes in the USAF inventory as to whether or not they have the force sensing ability or it is a true movable stick.

I have no expertise, but I think it's a little bit of both. Some travel, very small, < 1" each way, plus force sensing. It doesn't look at all like it can possibly pivot at the bottom of the grip itself. It threads onto a funny shaped base in a real F-16, but I don't know the base connects to.

Ah, here's a F-16 stick base... i think from a Block 40 or 50.

[Reschke]

Thanks Indy.

[shppr01]

IDK , A joystick that doesnt move might make for a hard time to calibrate. Just a thought

[OOZ662]

Personally, I'd lose out if I used a force sensing stick. When I need extremely precise control (and don't need to worry about throttle management), I place my left hand index and middle finger (with the column in between) on the slip-plate of the X-52 and apply pressure in various ways. Just something I started subconsciously doing when I switched to them. Helps quite a bit with precision movements and obviously requires the stick to travel.