What the VKB MCG Pro means to me

I absolutely didn't need to buy this stick. My Warthog throttle had turned into a brick after many years of service, so I had just bought a new Warthog HOTAS, leaving me with two sticks... and the new one was smooth with no sticktion. I already had an aluminum extension and it mounted perfectly into my semi-scale F-4 Phantom home pit.

But the VKB sticks offered superior mechanical performance/feel and an analog brake lever while having enough switches/hats/analogs to match or beat the Warthog stick for emulating the controls of various aircraft. So I paid more for the VKB stick than I did for the new Warthog HOTAS stick and throttle set.

If this stick lasts with flawless performance as many years as my Warthog HOTAS, it is worth it. The button/axis layout allows me to mimick the stick controls of almost any aircraft. The pitch/roll feel is smooth/precise. The heaviest supplied stock springs required for the stick extension don't quite provide the amount of force I would prefer, but this "flaw" works out great for flying helos and very precise formation flying/gunnery passes.

It may not be "perfect", but it is the closest to perfect I have ever had with a PC joystick. My only real complaint is the curved stick extension. I would prefer a straight extension that would match the physical setup required for my home F-4 Phantom cockpit. Hopefully, the same third parties that provide Warthog stick extensions at the desired height will provide a similar product for VKB sticks.

I feel like I got my money's worth unless the hardware fails prematurely.

Nice review, thanks!

If you fly USSR aircraft or the Spitfire, this is the stick for you because of the analog brake lever.

The flip up/down trigger lever also matches the functionality of many DCS flyable aircraft or it can be used to replace the lever button lost to the analog brake lever.

The smoothness and precision are absolutely unmatched by any other stick I have ever owned.

 

My only real complaint is the curved stick extension. I would prefer a straight extension that would match the physical setup required for my home F-4 Phantom cockpit.

I personally like the curved stick extension and definitely prefer it this way. Not only that it looks better than straight IMHO but it works perfectly on my seat.

I think it should be twisted 180 degrees in the other direction so you don't hit your own chair with the extension, design flaw?

I think it should be twisted 180 degrees in the other direction so you don't hit your own chair with the extension, design flaw?

Nope.

If it went the other way it would be too far away, at max deflection, for anyone except people with very long arms. If it hits your chair then the chair is where the design flaw exists.

Take a look at a real A-10 cockpit, for example.

I've seen it on helicopters turned around, maybe on fixed wing its not?

My stick mount was designed around a stock F-4 Phantom stick and my seat is dimensionally consistent with an F-4 Phantom seat. With the curved extension, the stick touches me at full aft deflection. If I mounted the stick so that its height matched the real F-4 stick's height, it might be hitting me in the groin. A simple solution is to move my seat back just an inch or two, but that changes the geometry of my cockpit compared to the real F-4. My Warthog stick on a straight extension was designed to replicate the height and physical displacement forward and back of the real stick, which worked out great. I would much prefer to have the MCG Pro altered to provide the same height and overall range of movement in the pitch axis relative to the top of the stick.

I don't have any new pics with the MCG, but this thread shows my "pit" and if you can imagine the Warthog in the final development pic in the last post of the thread removed and replaced with the MCG Pro with the curved extension, the stick is now much taller, moves a lot further aft, and is closer to my crotch due to the curved extension. It works fine and in fact provides even greater precision and smoothness due to the longer extension and larger range of motion. However, I simply prefer to match the position and range of motion of the F-4 cockpit that I am trying to replicate.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=103917

i'm just saying its different on every aircraft... For example the huey cyclic is curved such a way as I described, in fact I think most helicopter cyclics are

maybe i'm wrong and on fighter aircraft there is no such curved extension?

and on gazelle:

My only real complaint is the curved stick extension. I would prefer a straight extension that would match the physical setup required for my home F-4 Phantom cockpit. Hopefully, the same third parties that provide Warthog stick extensions at the desired height will provide a similar product for VKB sticks.

VKB extension tube is attached to ends parts with 2 Philips bolts in one side and 1 in other, look for a straigt tube with same diameter and attach in place of "S" tube. Will be need un-solder/solder wires in the connector of one side.

BTW - In il2.ru they talk in sell only the connectors part's for users add tubes like they want, but probable is somewhere down in "to do" list. :D

BTW - In il2.ru they talk in sell only the connectors part's for users add tubes like they want, but probable is somewhere down in "to do" list. :D

Best would possibly be to just sell connector cables in different lengths.

Then users can decide themselves how long the tube should be.

Only if you want to be able to disconnect top/bottom easily, then you would need extra attachments on each side, but that's optional.

I need to perform some measurements and calculate the length of tube I should be using. I suspect I will need a somewhat shorter tube or at most the same height without the curve, so I won't need longer wires.

Rather than mess with solder, it might be easier for me to cut the wires and put detachable connectors between the severed ends to allow me to easily swap the same cable over to different tubes or even extend the length. Not sure what the cable looks like, but if the wire gauge is thick enough, this could be a good solution for me.

I don't know about the availability of a tube with a similar diameter both inside and out that could readily replace the stock tube.