VKB/Heatblur F-14 "Tomcat" grip - POLL

Is it going to be the new VirKpBil F-14 Tomcat grip? :dunno:

We make the F-14 grip with Heatblur. We are going according our plan.

Virpil just announced that they intend to take on that market as well.

Posting their announcement picture here in the forum section of the "other" hardware company had to result in confusion.

So, focus, everyone, and get your picture sorted:

- VKBsim is not VPC/Virpil

- both are now doing an F-14A/B grip

- they are not cooperating

- competition is good for us customers

I like that we get to read/watch reviews and comparisons and that we get to vote the better product with our credit cards.

Next, both need to come up with an F-14D/F-15/F-18/Harrier/Tornado-like grip plus a less generic/eastern throttle quadrant to go with, imho!

I would prefer if the developers made separate, complimentary products, rather than making special points to try to screw each other @@ Whatever, though

I would prefer if the developers made separate, complimentary products, rather than making special points to try to screw each other @@ Whatever, though

If their grips where directly compatible sure you might have a point, but they're not.

thanks mate! good to hear a reply from you... any eta on the sticks... i;m dying to get one from you guys... if i even make the pre-order list that is.

Yes, we do

thanks mate! good to hear a reply from you... any eta on the sticks... i;m dying to get one from you guys... if i even make the pre-order list that is.

I may be too late.....but NO twist grip. My experience with peripherals is more moving parts = less sturdy & more likely to loosen and break.

I'm not hamfisted.....but nothing feels cheaper than a stick bending wobbling or flexing in it's mount.

No twist no buy

I may be too late.....but NO twist grip. My experience with peripherals is more moving parts = less sturdy & more likely to loosen and break.

 

I'm not hamfisted.....but nothing feels cheaper than a stick bending wobbling or flexing in it's mount.

Judging by the Kosmosima SCG I just received this concern is unfounded.

Judging by the Kosmosima SCG I just received this concern is unfounded.

Concur. VKB's twist mechanism is totally solid.

Virpil just announced that they intend to take on that market as well.

Posting their announcement picture here in the forum section of the "other" hardware company had to result in confusion.

So, focus, everyone, and get your picture sorted:

- VKBsim is not VPC/Virpil

- both are now doing an F-14A/B grip

- they are not cooperating

- competition is good for us customers

I like that we get to read/watch reviews and comparisons and that we get to vote the better product with our credit cards.

Next, both need to come up with an F-14D/F-15/F-18/Harrier/Tornado-like grip plus a less generic/eastern throttle quadrant to go with, imho!

So in fifteen or twenty years when Thrustmaster releases their version we can all really get confused?

Twist? Only if I can lock it down. Seems like a bad idea to me.

"Prototype":

Nice. Not gonna lie my wrist is twitching now :lol:

"Prototype":

 

More pics :)

@Sokol1_br ...Yes more pictures please, if available! Very excited to get access to this grip with a Gunfighter base.

Am also considering the Virpil F-14 grip dependent on availability. I am not necessarily going to get the first to market, but I don't want to be left hanging for 6-12 months waiting for availability of VKB if the Virpil product is available immediately.

On the subject of comparisons, the Noobifier did some good videos comparing the internal design of the VKB MCG grip and the VPC MongoosT-50. I thought the engineering inside the VKB grip was much better designed (screwed in daughter PCBs, not hot glued). However one criticism of the VKB grip (also noted by other reviewers) was that the grip's plastic seemed thin in comparison to the more solid feeling of the Virpil which had thicker side walls. So question: Not sure if you are working for VKB, Sokol, but do you know if VKB have taken account of that feedback with the VFX grip and are making the grip wall thicker than the MCG?

Thanks.

This picture is just "leakage" in IL-2.ru, just for "teaser".

I don't know nothing of VKB "insides" more than you guys.

Is need await the traditional "official announcement" to see more details.

Anyway, it can be expected that now that "the other guys" have "teaser" their version of F-14 grip version, the VKB/HC version will receive priority. ;)

Well, Virpil unveiled their throttle a long time ago and it did not do that much regarding the throttle from VKB xD

Well, Virpil unveiled their throttle a long time ago and it did not do that much regarding the throttle from VKB xD

Yeah I was just about to post the same reading the thread.

Does someone on the VKB team can enlight us about the progress on the Tomcat grip please ?

The newly announced preorder of the Virpil variant will probably change some expectations. Are you even going to release it as Virpil will probably take a large part of this super niche market while you're still developing your own version of the F-14 stick ?

Feel free to tell us more about the throttle too xD

Thanks)

In another micro niche, there is a corresponding F/A-18 grip competition going on between Thrustmaster and WinWing. But at least there is transparency there over release dates and prices.

It would be good customer relations to give additional transparency:

1) Virpil now,

2) VKB in 1 or 2 months,

or 3) VKB in >2 months?

Which is it fellas? Long wait or short wait?

Plastic Thickness, and When Finally

the grip's plastic seemed thin in comparison to the more solid feeling of the Virpil which had thicker side walls

There are thousands of different plastics in the market. Wall thickness depends on kind of plastic (among other variables, of course).

All VKB devices are made of industrial grade plastic - something that can't be written on the same page with the word "cheap".

Cheap or cheapy components is not anything VKB could be blamed for - ever.

Noobifier AFAIK is no professional in casting plastic. He can only share tactile feelings but can hardly issue grounded opinions on whether the plastic used was cheap or not.

By the way some time later he removed this speculative statement from his review.

Wall thickness is a function of a host of variables, and cannot be changed.

Does someone on the VKB team can enlight us about the progress on the Tomcat grip please

We are making the grip in the highest quality possible, so that we would feel proud of it when it comes out. We will publish some sort of update with a bit of detail in near future. THANK YOU for your interest!

...can't be written on the same page with the word "cheap"...

Cheap or cheapy components is not anything VKB could be blamed for ... whether the plastic used was cheap or not..

Maybe your response is somewhat "lost in translation" from your mother language into English.

Please don't assume that you are talking to a dummy. While not specifically an injection moulding engineer, I do - at least - have a degree in Engineering and I can understand the issues involved.

Did I mention the word "cheap" once? Err.... no. Not once. I did ask about grip wall thickness. And besides the defensive sounding response ("cheap... cheap... cheap..." etc) your explanation that 1) your design team is not considering changing casting wall thickness and 2) changing the wall thickness would cause considerable technical changes in the moulding technology and layout, are clear responses.

I actually own Hilti power tools chosen partly on the basis of their "gold standard" injection moulding materials, design and manufacturing excellence. I like nice things: sue me.

Noobifier AFAIK is no professional in casting plastic. He can only share tactile feelings but can hardly issue grounded opinions on whether the plastic used was cheap or not.

By the way some time later he removed this speculative statement from his review.

No professional in casting plastic: fair comment. Tactile feelings: actually this is pretty important, so shame on him for removing these impressions from his video. Sounds like me that consumers may need to treat Noobifier's "reviews" as a "paid product promotion" in the future.

Are you even going to release it

Yes of course we are.

We have a full-function prototype and are testing it.

As in Kosmosima, we are putting all our experience in this grip.

It looks simple, but it is quite a complicated device when it comes to its internals.

Making external design is nothing big, we were there long ago.

Sure, we understand this device is for a niche market inside a niche market, hence we are making it The Best F14 Grip, in and out.

There are long travel buttons, and metal buttons/hats caps, and metal AP OFF lever. We designed a two-step trigger that is borrowed from real life combat grips. Contactless sensors, no compromise Japanese made buttons, rubber insertions for extra comfy grip. Default version will have no twist but users will be able to install a Kosmosima ® twist as an option.

And more, and more.

Our grip is being made in cooperation with Heatblur, and will be integrated into the game. Those who already have an F14 module will enjoy a discount; those who don't will be offered a discount for this module when they buy a grip.

In a word, this grip is worth waiting. If, of course, you want a really meticulously designed product, not a lookalike wannabe.

considerable technical changes in the moulding technology and layout

I actually edited that paragraph from "no easy thing" to "impossible". That's more technically correct given the existing set of other parameters.

PS there was some tech glitch that led to temporary disappearance of your post; it is now back in its original state.

It seems like this grip might be great since Heatblur plays a role in its development. Can you comment on how many switches/buttons it will have?