Troubles in the hive

[srgalahad]

This isn't a tale of the woes of moving over to MSFS, but it comes as part of that transition. I've used an X-52 throttle/joystick and a Saitek/Logi yoke and multiple throttles for years in FS9 & FSX. The move to MSFS and the attendant joys of key bindings and tweaking led me to the conclusion that I should spring the $$ for a new controller set. As I tend to fly things that have a yoke I started reviewing the options - essentially the Honeycomb A/B and Turtle Beach. While I liked some of the features of the TB product, what convinced me was the apparent build quality of Honeycomb. OK, time to buy... largely a pain because most sources were US retailers that required I handle the customs and import costs (which can be problematic). Oh well, if that's what I have to do... until I ran into a forest of "Out of Stock" flags. Even Honeycomb's shop has those.
A little more reading brought me to this:
"We’d like to post a brief update regarding the recent changes at Honeycomb and to clarify a few points of confusion.As many of you will have noted, Honeycomb Aeronautical recently underwent a change of management.
https://flyhoneycomb.com/blogs/news/management-update (Note: grab a beverage before clicking )

Well, the update isn't all that brief, and it reads more like the script for a soap opera.
"Next, we would like to update our customers on the very serious issue of counterfeit product being sold by the individual in question:"

No mention of supply-chain issues or product availability, but I get the feeling that I'll have to hold off on the purchase - for now.

 

[Tom Clayton]

The article doesn't give the name of the ousted individual, but a quick search reveals the name Nicki Repenning. His LinkedIn profile still has him as the head of Honeycomb.

 

[Tom Clayton]

FSElite has posted an article with documentation provided by Nicki.

Nicki Provides Statement and Documentation Surrounding Honeycomb Aeronautical Situation - FSElite

We have now heard from Nicki directly regarding the situation, who provided us with supplementary publishable documentation.

fselite.net

Have a look at the IM exchange screenshot. Look close. I see color and font inconsistencies inside the bubbles. I can’t make a definitive claim, but that screams editing to me - and a poor job of it at that. Also, both sides are claiming that they're the ones with the steel cable that will last 500K cycles.

Someone is lying here, and I tend to trust companies that don't use a residential address as their registered corporate headquarters.

 

[DennyA]

Honeycomb equipment is great. But the craziness going on with the company right now would make it a hard "nope" for me. Alpha/Bravo owners who can't get their equipment fixed under warranty, Charlie pedals apparently reverse-engineered from an early design prototype....

There are other good options out there that don't have corporate drama threatening your security that the devices can be fixed if something goes awry.

 

[keithb77]

I've got an Alpha, it's solid and feels good except that the stiffness in pitch is ridiculous - you really need to mod it internally by changing the rubber ropes, which is tricky.
I'm not using it at present, will try again when the 727 is out.
Couldn't recommend at this time...

The Bravo throttle quadrant on the other hand is brilliant and usable for everything from gliders through GA and fast jets to airlines and big bombers.

 

[jmig]

I have and use both the Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo. I find them to work just fine. No issues here. What I like is that you can get third party throttle levers to fit your aircraft. I found the Bravo OEM throttle levers to be too small to be realistic.

I found some replacements on both ebay and Etsy. I ordered some from Etsy. They are nice but took wayyyy to long to come in. The guy musy have them made one at a time in China and then put on a slow boat that goes through the Suez Canal.

 

[Sunny9850]

If you can get a set, I can only recommend the HC Alpha and Bravo.
I have had zero issues with mine and I did click purchase the week they were announced. Meaning I first only received the Alpha because the Bravo had not even been officially released at that time. Aerosoft had a contingent at a fixed price and they delivered as soon as they received the shipment.

 

[srgalahad]

So we've entered the stage where "Messy divorce and custody battle goes public on internet tabloid".
Yes, it's a PITA for existing and potential customers, and doesn't bode well for customer faith in general, considering many of these companies are small start-ups with limited resources and business experience (as we've seen with support issues many times over the years). Of course, part of the difference here is that $2-300 per unit, or near a $1000 per set moves us into the world of six/seven-figure revenue streams so the lawyers will start salivating.
At least, it could provide some interesting reading and a few ugly insights to entertain us.

As an aside, I spent more time today reading FSElite than I have since it's inception. I'm an old curmudgeon who never has been a devotee of fan-based amateur journalism living on press releases, and today I was reminded of why. Questionable content, typos and poor grammar aside, note how everyone is a 'corporate entity' except "Nicki" (on a first-name basis) whereas professional writers would provide balance by using his last name (but hey, we've all met him personally and he's 'just a guy' like us.) <Sigh>

I can't wait until the Tom Cruise screenplay is announced.

Oh well, maybe I'll spend the time trying to clean the dirty pots on my Saitek throttle quads as I wait for the next instalment...