saitek x52 hotas pro flight control system

Propeller heads will still probably want to go the whole hog and buy a set of rudder pedals to go with the stick. The entire stick rotates to supply rudder input, and we found it more than sufficient for the jets we tested with the stick. Unfortunately, lefties will struggle with the right-handed ergonomics of the stick, but that's their own fault for being abnormal. However, the stick still centered nicely, and after playing around with the dead-zone and sensitivity, we soon got comfortable with the light touch that this stick demands.Ī clever adjustable hand size meant that we soon had it configured to fit our girly-man hands in no time. Compared to the likes of the Cougar, it's definitely a more flaccid feel. At the base of the stick are 3 toggle switches, perfect for assigning less used controls such as landing gear and flaps.Īpparently the X52 Pro now uses a dual spring mechanism, but we still found the joystick a bit limp. However, the supplier has reassured us that this is an issue with the sample we had, and will not be a problem with the final retail version. As a result, the already tricky task of locking up targets became a nightmare of thumb spasms. Click in any direction and our target designator would scroll all the way without stopping. We noticed one issue with the main hat switch though it often got stuck. Two eight-way hat switches are at the head of the joystick, allowing you to pan your view and manipulate radars and targeting systems with ease. The sexy black finish is much less girly than the silver X52. Err, actually, maybe the cover is a good idea, especially for US pilots… The cover isn't really necessary - as if you'd ever accidentally hit the glowing red button and launch an AMRAAM at a civilian 737. Four other fire buttons grace the stick, one of which (button 2, traditionally used for missiles) is covered by a safety cover. There's a snazzy two-stage primary trigger - give it a gentle pull to activate your cannons, squeeze it all the way to drop your nukes. To keep your right hand busy, the joystick has a large range of controls. When first using the X52 Pro, it becomes apparent why real pilots call HOTAS systems 'playing the piccolo', as nearly every finger on both hands is used. Considering most aircraft have hundreds of different buttons, HOTAS makers need to be very clever about button use and ergonomics. This means the pilot can access every setting without ever having to take their hands off the controls.

This does not mean the stick is 'Hot As', rather it stands for 'Hands On Throttle And Stick'. For those who are unfamiliar with the X52, let's take a look at some of the features of the X52 Pro that have been retained from the original. As such, it includes all of the goodies that made IGN love the original X52 back in January of 2006. It's almost identical to the existing X52, with a few new bells and whistles.

Saitek x52 hotas pro flight control system