Author Topic: Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar Joystic Fundamental Design Flaw (Read 544 times)

Borg · « **on:** July 03, 2002, 10:03:53 AM »

I posted this here so that I might warn as many folks as possible about some mechanical-design issues with the $260 Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar Joystick.

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Fundamental Design Flaw of Cougar

I sent this to the guillemot tech-support email address: hotas-support@guillemot.com which bounced back to me as a non-working address, but was furnished as a link on their own website.

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I have been an enthusiastic Thrustmaster user for the last 5 years, and I recently ordered and received the long-awaited Hotas Cougar Joystick. I base my following criticisms on 30 years of experience as a military and commericial pilot.

It arrived in good condition but I immediately returned it becase of a fundamental design flaw that you have overlooked.

All of your high-end joysticks have a very pronounced center-detent or "notch" which makes small, precise pitch and roll corrections very difficult to accomplish. Moving diagonally through this joystick's centerpoint is impossible to accomplish in a smooth and precise manner.

I could live with the stiff springs, but when trying to move the aircraft's nose up or down slightly or when trying to move a gun off-center slightly, the force required to overcome the centerpoint detent causes me to overshoot the desired amount of change everytime. It's a real shame that such a high-quality joystick has such a fundamental flaw.

I would compare it to a car's steering or a real aircraft's control-stick. They do not have a notch or detent in the center position, they just require more force, the further you go off-center. It is linear and progressive, and not like this stick.

I am very disappointed that such a magnificent product has such a fundamental design-flaw. If I were marketing this product, I would eliminate the center detent-notch. The precision design of your product and its stiff springs are certainly enough to keep this joystick on-center.

I would also offer this product with a "stiff, medium, and light" spring option. Ideally, a joystick of this price should have all of these springs supplied to meet the needs of every kind of user.

So for now, I will continue to use my Thrustmaster "Attack Throttle" and "Fighter-X" joystick combination until I find a higher quality alternative.

Please let me know if you redesign the Hotas Cougar, and I will order one immediately.

Sincerely,
Tom Bigelow, -borg-
Rogue Gryffons - (WarBirds, Aces-High, WW2Online)

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For those of you who own high-end Thrustmaster joysticks, there is a wealth of modification and support information available at:
http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22044

If one has the time and money, it's possible to bring the Hotas Cougar JoyStick up to an acceptable level of mechanical smoothness, but I think I'll wait for the manufacturer to make their product worth its substantial price.

Tom Bigelow, -borg-
Rogue Gryffons

Pongo · « **Reply #1 on:** July 03, 2002, 10:41:04 AM »

have to agree.

airspro · « **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2002, 03:42:57 PM »

That's why I sent mine back also .

jconradh · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2002, 01:11:34 AM »

I have used my F22 Pro for the last six years; first with AW now with Aces High. I just switched to the Cougar and the Cougar is almost identical if not weaker than the F22 in spring strength. I have never had any problems flying with either in Aces High. Maybe you are not used to it yet. It does take time, but once you master it the flying is great, IMHO.

Jeff

Revvin · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2002, 05:51:30 AM »

Plenty of satisfied users here

Wanker · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2002, 10:03:18 AM »

Instead of returning mine, I used 214Cavalier's deadband settings and I have smooth control throughout the entire spectrum of the Cougar now.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I guess.

Revvin · « **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2002, 10:16:21 AM »

Mmm but most don't childishly post the same topic to half a dozen forums like some personal quest, I've had plenty of hardware I did'nt like building computers down the years but never entered into some childish vendetta like this.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2002, 04:52:13 PM »

Borg.. does your 'fighter-x" stick have 4 or 8-way hat ?

deSelys · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2002, 09:45:55 AM »

Revvin, you can say what you want, I just don't understand why such a high-quality / high-priced product is designed to make it harder to adapt to it than with other sticks.

Throttle is great.
Programming possibilities are endless.
Stick/buttons ergonomy is very good BUT...

...they blew the mechanical design of the stick. Period. What rubs salt in the wound is the fact that the same company was able to design a wonderfully precise joystick 10 years ago: the FCS Mk I.
I used mine during all this time until I bought the Cougar.

I'm still trying to adapt to my Cougar, but I do resent the huge drop in gunnery accuracy. I'll probably have to try to reduce the mechanical play to feel a bit more comfortable with it.