CH Products (A-10 HOTAS) Picture!

[Kazaa]

Source http://www.facebook.com/#/photo.php?pid=830089&id=1388526347&fbid=1281611565571



Thoughts?

[The Fugitive]

I'd have to rebuild my simpit to make those fit! 

[Delirium]

Those are the military grade sticks they are making for the USAF, I haven't seen any announcement to make those sticks available to the public.

However, with Thrustmaster and Logitech both releasing a dual throttle I figure it is a matter of time before CH follows suit.

[oboe]

Got a link to the Thrustmaster dual throttle?   Really disappointed in my Logitech G940, which developed horrible spiking on the rudder pedals just past the Amazon.com 30-day return period. 

[Motherland]

Those are the military grade sticks they are making for the USAF, I haven't seen any announcement to make those sticks available to the public.

However, with Thrustmaster and Logitech both releasing a dual throttle I figure it is a matter of time before CH follows suit.

From the Facebook comments--

Chproducts Debby
At the MOMENT, these are designed for military applications only. That doesn't mean we *can't* modify for the consumer market.

Patience.... ;-)

[Pongo]

That stick looks big enough to be center mounted. hmmm

[Reschke]

TM has one as well and yes that mount does look like a center mount to me but from the pictures I have seen posted over at simhq.com in the TM A-10 HOTAS thread the A-10C doesn't have a side stick mount...not that it would stop me from using it as a side stick though.

[Krusty]

Meh.....

You want to use the dual throttle for separate things (RPM and throttle) that's fine... but trying to fine-tune each indivudually with odd shaped throttle heads and bizarre angle buttons is going to be an ergonomical nightmare.

The stick looks okay (aside from the giant mounting box), but honestly, most of CH's sticks all look alike. They need to work on style and layout more, and they always go with the same type of stick every time. It's okay, but IMO disappointing for me to have no variety from CH.

[68Wooley]

Meh.....

You want to use the dual throttle for separate things (RPM and throttle) that's fine... but trying to fine-tune each indivudually with odd shaped throttle heads and bizarre angle buttons is going to be an ergonomical nightmare.

The stick looks okay (aside from the giant mounting box), but honestly, most of CH's sticks all look alike. They need to work on style and layout more, and they always go with the same type of stick every time. It's okay, but IMO disappointing for me to have no variety from CH.

I agree. Whilst the CH Fighterstick is way ahead of - for example - the Saitek X52 in terms of quality, the X52 layout is much more ergonomic IMHO. Realism is all very good, but just because a layout matches the F-16 or whatever doesn't mean it can't be bettered.

[Ack-Ack]

The stick looks okay (aside from the giant mounting box), but honestly, most of CH's sticks all look alike. They need to work on style and layout more, and they always go with the same type of stick every time. It's okay, but IMO disappointing for me to have no variety from CH.

The reason why the uniform look to all of their joysticks is to save on the cost of manufacturing.  One basic look lets them use only one mold for their joysticks. 


ack-ack

[Krusty]

Might work for the military, but different gamers have different sized hands, and have different styles of gameplay (hard grip, soft grip, relaxed, tense), and one reason I don't like CH sticks is they don't allow any variation. Imagine if every car in the world was a Yugo, but some just had a few different buttons, or door handles in different spots. Quite boring, no?

[Ack-Ack]

Might work for the military, but different gamers have different sized hands, and have different styles of gameplay (hard grip, soft grip, relaxed, tense), and one reason I don't like CH sticks is they don't allow any variation. Imagine if every car in the world was a Yugo, but some just had a few different buttons, or door handles in different spots. Quite boring, no?

then why don't you give them the $20,000+ it costs to create a new mold for their sticks?  At least that was the price to create a new mold when I worked at CH about 12 years ago.


ack-ack

[Krusty]

Considering their reputation as a leading name in the industry, they probably have the profits to pay for it themselves

But then, I never worked in that field, so can't comment on costs. I would suggest, however, that maybe THEIR process cost 20 grand, but other companies churn out different stick shapes all the time. There are probably more cost-effective ways of doing it.

[Kazaa]

Golly-gee, $20,000.00! Ack-Ack, did you use gold plating to make those molds back then?

[Ack-Ack]

Considering their reputation as a leading name in the industry, they probably have the profits to pay for it themselves

Having a leading reputation in the industry doesn't always translate to having $$$$ on hand to spend.  It's a fact that the reason why CH has not changed the overall design of their Fighterstick line (this includes the Combat Stick) is because of the cost to create a new mold.  CH gear is manufactured entirely in their Vista plant which also doubles as their warehouse and commercial offices (2nd floor was reserved for Chuck's airplane construction) and because the gear is entirely made in the United States and the special plastic they use, the manufacturing costs are also higher than the competition's.

They're still using the same Fighterstick and Combatstick mold that was created in 1996.  The only profitable part of CH is their OEM division which has nothing to do with their commercial consumer division.


ack-ack