I am looking for a new flight stick. I currently have an old Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. It is pretty cheap and junky so I am looking for something better. CFS3 is the only sim I play, so a simple WWII style stick would be best. Budget is around $100, what does everyone recommend? Thanks.
Wanted: New Flight Stick recommendations
- Thread starter Hofy
- Start date
gecko
Charter Member
I'm using a the same stick (albeit with a homemade 24" extension so I could mount it to the floor) and I found I preferred it by a wide margin to my old X52, even though the X52 costs way more. It just felt much more precise and smooth. After 10 years, it is getting pretty tired, but that's a pretty good run for the use I've gotten out of it. When I replace it, it will probably be with another Extreme 3D Pro. Can't beat the value and I can't dump $300 on a joystick.
Last Aug I got a Thrustmaster T.1600M, to replace an old Saitek that was 18 years old.
I needed a left handed stick and not many models to choose from, this one can be configured for L or R. Quite a few reviews said the Z axis (stick rotation) fails after a short time, but since I use rudder pedals it wouldn't affect me.
It uses Hall Effect for X and Y axis. It is very responsive and has no dead zone in the middle. it is very smooth to use. So far everything still works great.
It has a light on the base all around the stick that comes on every time you move the stick, goes off after a few seconds. I thought it would be very distracting but I never notice it. I do have the stick mounted just above lap height. The only way to disable it is to take off the bottom cover and cut/disconnect a wire.
Also has two threaded holes in the bottom for easy mounting.
I needed a left handed stick and not many models to choose from, this one can be configured for L or R. Quite a few reviews said the Z axis (stick rotation) fails after a short time, but since I use rudder pedals it wouldn't affect me.
It uses Hall Effect for X and Y axis. It is very responsive and has no dead zone in the middle. it is very smooth to use. So far everything still works great.
It has a light on the base all around the stick that comes on every time you move the stick, goes off after a few seconds. I thought it would be very distracting but I never notice it. I do have the stick mounted just above lap height. The only way to disable it is to take off the bottom cover and cut/disconnect a wire.
Also has two threaded holes in the bottom for easy mounting.
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
I bought a Logitech X52 Pro HOTAS back in 2020 to replace my old Force 3d Pro. I too, never thought I needed anything more than a simple stick for a WW2 sim, but it turns out that the HOTAS has opened up control options I was mostly ignoring when flying like setting the trim or adjusting the HUD. As you can see I've mapped almost all of the available commands in CFS3. All that switchology may seem daunting, but it really does provide more of a sense of operating in a cockpit environment than using the keyboard for everything. It has the added benefit of avoiding the need to look down to type in the few commands I could remember. Having the three mode switch let me group similar type functions into patterns I could learn and remember in the heat of battle. The first section listed are commands common to all three of the modes following.
| Action | Type | Key | Modifier | Button # | X52 Assignment – Full |
| ToggleHUD | display | ID="F5" | POV2 LT | ||
| ToggleCockpit | views | ID="F3" | POV2 RT | ||
| MIXTURE_LEAN | engine | ID="F6" | Mod="Control+Shift" | Slider – 0-5% | |
| MIXTURE_RICH | engine | ID="F7" | Mod="Control+Shift" | Slider – 95-100% | |
| AXIS_THROTTLE_SET | Axis | Throttle | |||
| Set_Bank | Axis | X (Ailerons) | |||
| Set_Pitch | Axis | Y (Elevator) | |||
| Set_Yaw | Axis | Z (Rudder) | |||
| 8 Way Hat Head Look | views | POV1 – 8 Way | |||
| HeadReset | views | ID="Space" | Mod="Control+Shift" | POV1P – 4 Way | |
| ZoomIn | views | ID="RSquare" | ThrottleHat DN | ||
| HeadRotLeft | views | ID="Left" | Mod="Shift" | ThrottleHat LT | |
| HeadRotRight | views | ID="Right" | Mod="Shift" | ThrottleHat RT | |
| ZoomOut | views | ID="LSquare" | ThrottleHat UP | ||
| TakeScreenshot | sim | ID="SemiColon" | Mod="Control" | 2 | Launch – M1P, M2P, M3P |
| FireCannonsOnly | weapons | ID="Space" | Mod="Control" | 2 | Launch – M1, M2, M3 |
| ToggleLabels | display | ID="L" | Mod="Control+Shift" | POV2 DN | |
| ToggleBrackets | display | ID="I" | Mod="Control+Shift" | POV2 UP | |
| FireGunsOnly | weapons | ID="Space" | Mod="Shift" | 1 | Trigger One – All |
| Fire_Guns | weapons | ID="Space" | 15 | Trigger Two – All | |
| WAR_EMERGENCY_POWER | combat | ID="W" | 3 | A – M1 | |
| End_Mission | sim | ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter” | 3 | A – M1P | |
| GotoPilotSeat | combat | ID="F6" | 4 | B – M1 | |
| PANEL_LIGHTS_TOGGLE | general | ID="L" | 4 | B – M1P | |
| INC_COWL_FLAPS | extension | ID="E" | Mod="Shift" | 5 | C – M1 |
| DEC_COWL_FLAPS | extension | ID="E" | Mod="Control" | 5 | C – M1P |
| GEAR_TOGGLE | general | ID="G" | 31 | Clutch – M1 | |
| TOGGLE_TAILWHEEL_LOCK | general | ID="L" | Mod="Shift" | 31 | Clutch – M1P |
| SPOILERS_TOGGLE | general | ID="D" | 7 | D – M1 | |
| TOGGLE_AIRCRAFT_EXIT | general | ID="C" | Mod="Shift" | 7 | D – M1P |
| ENGINE_AUTO_START | engine | ID="E" | 8 | E – M1 | |
| 8 | E – M1P | ||||
| AILERON_TRIM_LEFT | surface | ID="Left" | Mod="Control" | 9 | T1 – M1 |
| FLAPS_DECR | general | ID="V" | 9 | T1 – M1P | |
| RUDDER_TRIM_LEFT | surface | ID="Insert" | Mod="Control" | 10 | T2 – M1 |
| FLAPS_INCR | general | ID="F" | 10 | T2 – M1P | |
| ELEV_TRIM_UP | surface | ID="End" | 11 | T3 – M1 | |
| FLAPS_UP | general | ID="V" | Mod="Shift" | 11 | T3 – M1P |
| ELEV_TRIM_DN | surface | ID="Home" | 12 | T4 – M1 | |
| FLAPS_DOWN | general | ID="F" | Mod="Shift" | 12 | T4 – M1P |
| AILERON_TRIM_RIGHT | surface | ID="Right" | Mod="Control" | 13 | T5 – M1 |
| BRAKES | general | ID="B" | 13 | T5 – M1P | |
| RUDDER_TRIM_RIGHT | surface | ID="Num 3" | Mod="Control" | 14 | T6 – M1 |
| PARKING_BRAKES | general | ID="B" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 14 | T6 – M1P |
| Game Camera (Game Bar Shortcut) | sim | ID="R" | Mod="Win+Alt" | 3 | A – M2 |
| End_Mission | sim | ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter” | 3 | A – M2P | |
| Switch_View | views | ID="F4" | 4 | B – M2 | |
| Switch_ViewPrev | views | ID="F4" | Mod="Shift" | 4 | B – M2P |
| WINGMEN_ATTACK | wingman | ID="A" | 5 | C – M2 | |
| WINGMEN_HELP | wingman | ID="H" | 5 | C – M2P | |
| ShowBriefing | sim | ID="M" | 31 | Clutch – M2 | |
| Cycle_Info | sim | ID="Z" | 31 | Clutch – M2P | |
| Warp | sim | ID="X" | 7 | D – M2 | |
| SetNormalTime | sim | ID="X" | Mod="Control" | 7 | D – M2P |
| Pause | sim | ID="P" | 8 | E – M2 | |
| ExitImmediately | sim | ID="Q" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 8 | E – M2P |
| WINGMEN_REJOIN | wingman | ID="R" | 9 | T1 – M2 | |
| 9 | T1 – M2P | ||||
| WINGMEN_SPLIT | wingman | ID="S" | 10 | T2 – M2 | |
| 10 | T2 – M2P | ||||
| 11 | T3 – M2 | ||||
| 11 | T3 – M2P | ||||
| Bail_Out | sim | ID="O" | 12 | T4 – M2 | |
| 12 | T4 – M2P | ||||
| SelectPrevWP | sim | ID="W" | Mod="Control" | 13 | T5 – M2 |
| 13 | T5 – M2P | ||||
| SelectNextWP | sim | ID="W" | Mod="Shift" | 14 | T6 – M2 |
| 14 | T6 – M2P | ||||
| Gun Camera (Game Bar Shortcut) | sim | ID="F6" ID="F3" ID="R" | Mod="Win+Alt" | 3 | A – M3 |
| End_Mission | sim | ID=”Esc” ID=”Enter” ID=”Enter” | 3 | A – M3P | |
| GotoBombadierSeat | combat | ID="F7" | 4 | B – M3 | |
| SelectNextWeapon | weapons | ID="Back" | 4 | B – M3P | |
| CycleGunnerSeat | combat | ID="F8" | 5 | C – M3 | |
| CycleGunnerSeatPrev | combat | ID="F8" | Mod="Shift" | 5 | C – M3P |
| Toggle_BombBay | combat | ID="B" | Mod="Shift" | 31 | Clutch – M3 |
| DropFuelTanks | combat | ID="D" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 31 | Clutch – M3P |
| ReleaseFireWeapon | weapons | ID="Enter" | 7 | D – M3 | |
| RefillSelectedWeapon | weapons | ID="J" | Mod="Shift" | 7 | D – M3P |
| 8 | E – M3 | ||||
| 8 | E – M3P | ||||
| Gunsight_Brightness_Incr | views | ID="RSquare" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 9 | T1 – M3 |
| ShowTactical | display | ID="T" | Mod="Shift" | 9 | T1 – M3P |
| Gunsight_Brightness_Decr | views | ID="LSquare" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 10 | T2 – M3 |
| DropTarget | display | ID="Tilde" | Mod="Shift" | 10 | T2 – M3P |
| Gunsight_Size_Incr | views | ID="RSquare" | Mod="Shift" | 11 | T3 – M3 |
| CycleTactical | display | ID="T" | 11 | T3 – M3P | |
| Gunsight_Size_Decr | views | ID="LSquare" | Mod="Shift" | 12 | T4 – M3 |
| CycleTacticalRange | display | ID="T" | Mod="Control+Shift" | 12 | T4 – M3P |
| Gunsight_Size2_Incr | views | ID="RSquare" | Mod="Control" | 13 | T5 – M3 |
| NextTarget | display | ID="Tab" | 13 | T5 – M3P | |
| Gunsight_Size2_Decr | views | ID="LSquare" | Mod="Control" | 14 | T6 – M3 |
| PrevTarget | display | ID="Tab" | Mod="Shift" | 14 | T6 – M3P |
I've had a Thrustmaster T16000M which I find very comfortable to use, but the usual issues with the rudder axis are a big problem.
Recently tried a Raptor Mach 2, which is very nice but I find it less comfortable than the T16000M. A really annoying feature on the Raptor Mach 2 is a button at the bottom of the stick, which is easy to accidently press with your little finger. This button does nothing useful and can't be assigned to anything, but if you accidently press it when gripping the stick, it prevents the guns from firing.
I purchased the Raptor as I was frustrated with the rudder issues on the Thrustmaster. Interestingly though, since I set up the Raptor, the Thrustmaster rudder axis has been fine, so I'm no longer convinced that the rudder problems are entirely caused by the potentiometer.
Recently tried a Raptor Mach 2, which is very nice but I find it less comfortable than the T16000M. A really annoying feature on the Raptor Mach 2 is a button at the bottom of the stick, which is easy to accidently press with your little finger. This button does nothing useful and can't be assigned to anything, but if you accidently press it when gripping the stick, it prevents the guns from firing.
I purchased the Raptor as I was frustrated with the rudder issues on the Thrustmaster. Interestingly though, since I set up the Raptor, the Thrustmaster rudder axis has been fine, so I'm no longer convinced that the rudder problems are entirely caused by the potentiometer.
sixstrings5859
Charter Member
Here's a good one . https://vkbcontrollers.com/ my next flight stick. Simple and rugged. Although made in China, it is very well put together. Price is good also for what you get.
Last edited:
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
There is a pinkie trigger that doubles all the button functions over the tree different modes.
mongoose
SOH-CM-2023
Ah yes. I forgot.