Introducing the VPC MongoosT-50

I received my T-50 Base last week, and have given it some sim time, and also swapped the springs over.

 

It definitely is a step up on the Thrustmaster base.. even after I polished up the TM.. the Virpil is better especially with the extension tubes (which were much better quality than I was expecting) and stiffer springs. Really feels smooth, especially around the center.

 

I only got 1 pair of springs with it, and have had issues with the threading on the internal frame mountings being sub-par. Nothing I can't fix without my own workshop tools but it was a surprise to find the threads in poor condition. If I have to take it apart again, likely have to recut threads.

 

The internals are brilliant and robust. I'm really impressed by how sturdy it is. Hope it holds up to years of use..

 

In the sim, rolling in and lining up a gun run is completely intuitive and faultless. A real big change! Will try in-flight refuelling next

Are you using the hawg grip andrewwong2000?

What extension are you using, I believe the standard Virpil extension is 10cm, am I correct here (10 cm is the perfect extension for me and it must be supreme with the centre smoothness)?

what springs you got as standard andrewwong2000...... what others are available?

Are there any accurate drawings for the base unit mounting so that I can mount this base to my seat central platform whilst minimising height adjustment loss?

Are you using the hawg grip andrewwong2000?

What extension are you using, I believe the standard Virpil extension is 10cm, am I correct here (10 cm is the perfect extension for me and it must be supreme with the centre smoothness)?

what springs you got as standard andrewwong2000...... what others are available?

 

 

Are there any accurate drawings for the base unit mounting so that I can mount this base to my seat central platform whilst minimising height adjustment loss?

There are three extensions, 1 ea 50mm, 1 ea 75mm, and 1 ea 100mm. You can buy all three in a kit, or individually.

Base mounting plate:

There are three extensions, 1 ea 50mm, 1 ea 75mm, and 1 ea 100mm. You can buy all three in a kit, or individually.

 

Base mounting plate:

Thanks Dburne,

This is the front face mount for the virpil desk top mount unit but is very helpful for my needs.

However I need to convert the Virpil front face mount system to a standard "base" mount system like the warthog.

My seat has a built in between the legs centre mount that is drilled for the Hawg but can be drilled for anything.

The hawg vibrates nicely due to my gametrix seat.... It is very nice to feel the stick and throttle vibrate with the seat. It is a bonus that I will not give up!

So basically I need an L bracket that fixes to my seat centre mount and engages the front mounting bracket of the Virpil base unit.

As my seat has a fixed adjustment I need to pre fabricate an L plate that will lock the Virpil Front bracket diagram you have provided but then move down and under the Virpil base unit to secure it to my chair centre table.

Do you have any accurate drawings of the entire base unit and mounting bracket?

Virpil, I am willing to give this a go and I will succeed eventually. How many of your customers will not pull the trigger because of the hassle?

No sorry, that is the only drawing I had.

Maybe Cyph3r can help you out further on that.

You might send him a PM.

You could simply turn the base around so the mounting point is towards you then invert the axis in the software. Might make it a bit easier.

This base unit sounds good to me and is my preference at the mo.

But there really needs to be a "bottom" base mount unit for the virpil base unit (perhaps at additional cost). The forward mount system can be the cheapest option as it allows sales of virpils own desk mount extensions.... this is fine.

It is absolutely critical that standardization across the joystick market becomes fact!

For me Thrustmaster were the start of the affordable top end sticks, so for me the thrustmaster connection between grip and base stick is the defacto connector.

Base mounting is the same.

Once all connection points are standardized, then this allows for extreme diversity from different manufacturers. Whilst Virpil may be concentrating on an F-16 grips, Mrs Miggins' joysticks may be releasing an apache grip and Daves sticks may be bringing out an F5 grip, how can we not all be happy with such a socialist system..... the same occurred with operating systems and hardware in the 90s.

Once the base and connectors are sorted and standardised then you will create a market that will allow everyone to thrive!

But be aware there are a lot of manufacturers out there who understand that our sim requires a lot of virtual pit input whilst the growing VR world blinds us to our real world mfds and pits!

The base unit we need will allow a seriously massive switch input...... forget military...... we are moving beyond and into the leading edge.

My experience so far for those contemplating an order with Virpil.......

I placed an order on 27 Feb 18.

It took Virpil 22 days to prepare and send the order on 21 March !!!

That's right, 22 days.

Why on earth does it take them 22 days to pack and send an order ?

It was then stuck in customs in Minsk for 5 days and sent from customs in Minsk on 26 March !!!

From there I do not know where it was sent or where it is now.

So 29 days and it has still not arrived.

Extremely frustrating.

(And yes I have emailed them numerous times.)

I sincerely hope there is nothing wrong with the unit or parts missing (as has been the experience of others) when the parts do eventually arrive.

. Here is my setup (wip) , that pilow is for my lazy ass, needs comfort and something to Silent farts :D

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. Here is my setup (wip) , that pilow is for my lazy ass, needs comfort and something to Silent farts :D

 

 

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That looks great.

That looks great.

Its quite nice to play. I just flipped base and inverted x & y axels.

Btw , i find brake lever bit weird , its not smooth in axis calibration panel. Makes micro jumps , no mater how hard i calibrate it in Virpil soft .

Anyone noticed same ?

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Its quite nice to play. I just flipped base and inverted x & y axels.

 

 

 

Btw , i find brake lever bit weird , its not smooth in axis calibration panel. Makes micro jumps , no mater how hard i calibrate it in Virpil soft .

 

 

Anyone noticed same ?

 

 

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Waiting on mine to arrive, in the mean time, I've been deciding on a chair/seat solution, so far all I have is a worn out office chair I cut out the middle to make room for column or gimbal base.

I'm thinking a car seat now from the junk yard but I still want the middle cut out like a real pilot seat.

I like the way you have the stick angled towards you aswell. With a shallow seat depth that would work for me too. Reminds me of this. Maybe its just slacked though, IDK

My experience so far for those contemplating an order with Virpil.......

 

I placed an order on 27 Feb 18.

 

It took Virpil 22 days to prepare and send the order on 21 March !!!

 

That's right, 22 days.

 

Why on earth does it take them 22 days to pack and send an order ?

 

It was then stuck in customs in Minsk for 5 days and sent from customs in Minsk on 26 March !!!

 

From there I do not know where it was sent or where it is now.

 

So 29 days and it has still not arrived.

 

Extremely frustrating.

 

(And yes I have emailed them numerous times.)

 

I sincerely hope there is nothing wrong with the unit or parts missing (as has been the experience of others) when the parts do eventually arrive.

I feel your pain. I ordered mine the 3rd of March, and the order has not been updated since then. Figure given everyone else's experience with Virpil packaging/shipping times, I shouldn't really start to worry if it gets to 6 weeks without something to show for.

I feel your pain. I ordered mine the 3rd of March, and the order has not been updated since then. Figure given everyone else's experience with Virpil packaging/shipping times, I shouldn't really start to worry if it gets to 6 weeks without something to show for.

Please note that our estimated order processing time for the VPC MongoosT-50 Flightsticks/Bases is set at 10-14 working days. With our sale last month, demand was through the roof and pushed the estimate right up to the outer edge of the 14 working day estimate.

Also the 8th and 9th March were not working days in Belarus either! If you have any specific concerns, just send me an email to support@virpil.com and I can clarify :thumbup:

My T50 took around a month. Waiting for so long is a pain in the *** when the hype is high. All I just can say is that is worth waiting for it.

I m eager to see that Eu store open, the worst part is the customs when it arrives your country (at least here)

My T50 took around a month. Waiting for so long is a pain in the *** when the hype is high. All I just can say is that is worth waiting for it.

 

I m eager to see that Eu store open, the worst part is the customs when it arrives your country (at least here)

My took month too.

Do you have noticed jumpiness in brake lever, it moves smooth but but Numbers in calibration tool goes like 1,3,5 etc.. not like 1,2,3,4,5 like it should , and its not accurate as other axes in dcs axes setup ??

I will make video of it soon.

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I feel your pain. I ordered mine the 3rd of March, and the order has not been updated since then. Figure given everyone else's experience with Virpil packaging/shipping times, I shouldn't really start to worry if it gets to 6 weeks without something to show for.

If you ordered the T-50 controller then they quote 10 -14 working days plus 5-14 days for delivery.

It took them 16 working days (22 calendar days) to pack and send the order !!

So, I would allow at least 6 weeks, maybe more before you expect anything on your door step.

I've had 2 orders from Belarus to Canada from Virpil now, one is in customs, the other before Xmas and not during a sale. First one took under the advertised time, about 2.5 weeks total. This one is pretty much bang on their stated times, a day or two early on the 10-14 WORKING days including their long weekend they had at the start of March. Shipping looks to be on time, likely early in fact.

As I tell anyone who asks me about the T50/etc, when they get serious about ordering one, I tell them that they should be prepared to wait a month-ish, and be patient. They are after all in the middle of a sale, are a very new company that is growing rapidly, and to expect "instant" order filling is something you might get with Amazon ordering your Saitek X56, but this is a different animal entirely, right?

I can understand being impatient, I emailed in a number of times this order myself, as I wasn't clear on the dates/etc - Virpil has since made it crystal clear on their website regarding the lead times it takes to both assemble, test, package, and ship orders, as well as the estimated time it takes EMS to get it to you.

There is going to be teething issues as Virpil goes through this next phase of small business growth, and so far IMO they've done a great job, and I think they'll continue to improve, more rapidly now with the new building/setup. Most importantly Virpil's people have had an excellent attitude, in both my dealings and those I've observed online on the various sims (all of them pretty much) I play and follow. Virpil's attitude, willingness to listen (carefully) to feedback and when required acting on it, is what's going to move them forward.

Speedbird gives good advice too, prepare yourself for 6 weeks as a worst case, so far as ordering right now. Most likely IMO orders won't take that long, based on the posts on various forums including Virpil's I've read about recent orders, so if you plan for 6 weeks, you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised.

Other custom makers have a lead time too - I've purchased from MFG, Slaw, VKB, etc, and it's pretty standard to either wait a month, frequently much more, as well as long periods between units being in stock.

I've purchased from MFG, Slaw, VKB, etc, and it's pretty standard to either wait a month, frequently much more, as well as long periods between units being in stock.

Dang, which controls do you actually use or do you have multiple setups?:cry:

I'm also on edge waiting for the brown santa claus to show up (ups driver lol).

Anyway it doesn't matter, I still have to wait for VPC to release their throttle before I can really get into rebinding everything.

I agree with Gman109, Virpil's support and attitude have been exceptional and a big reason I am sold on their company and products.

Man I have logged quite a number of hours in with my T-50 setup now and it is still as smooth and precise as the day I got it. Hopefully that will continue for a long time to come.

My 2 cents... the T50 is any excellent product and I haven't found anything to take issue with. The order was processed quickly and I received it in Canada in a timely fashion.

I only have one comment for Virpil. Please build a high end set of pedals with toe brakes. I will be one of your first orders. :thumbup:

Dang, which controls do you actually use or do you have multiple setups?

Both - 4 gaming system setups in our home usually, and I've been collecting HOTAS since the 90s, have about 20 and 8 rudder pedals total.

Z axis is jumpy. Waiting to support to answer. I send that video in there too.

New firmware is in , calibration is made many times.

Support works but quality sure is bit wip, but its new comppany so i can accept it for now.

I got my T-50CM and Base today (Saturday Mar 31), it's so awesome.

Took me alittle while to figure out to calibrate it correctly and then to save and load the profile, but once I did that I got my brake axis setup working correctly and all the other axis too.

The base/gimbal is really high quality, I mean it's REALLY nice, really heavy too. I haven't opened it up yet myself, my cams are nicely polished and no burrs, the springs aren't colored but you can tell which is heavy and which is light by the thickness.

The grip is really nice and feels good in the hand, the buttons have a nice click to them, the flip trigger is smooth and flips up and down smoothly and is designed ergonomically (again this is the CM version). The brake lever is very nice and really easy to access. Just really high quality.

The desk mounts are also much heavier then expected, they used steel for the construction, welds are good, no burn through which is good considering the thickness of the materiel (sorry i don't have calipers to measure).

Just a really well done and complete product and package.

Oh, packing is very well done aswell.

I will make pictures and a video soon.

I think I will need gloves now, I don't want to get the grip all grimey.

All in all, I am very happy with this, thank you Virpil.

Now we just need the throttle guys!!!!

I got my T-50CM and Base today (Saturday Mar 31), it's so awesome.

 

Took me alittle while to figure out to calibrate it correctly and then to save and load the profile, but once I did that I got my brake axis setup working correctly and all the other axis too.

 

The base/gimbal is really high quality, I mean it's REALLY nice, really heavy too. I haven't opened it up yet myself, my cams are nicely polished and no burrs, the springs aren't colored but you can tell which is heavy and which is light by the thickness.

 

The grip is really nice and feels good in the hand, the buttons have a nice click to them, the flip trigger is smooth and flips up and down smoothly and is designed ergonomically (again this is the CM version). The brake lever is very nice and really easy to access. Just really high quality.

 

The desk mounts are also much heavier then expected, they used steel for the construction, welds are good, no burn through which is good considering the thickness of the materiel (sorry i don't have calipers to measure).

 

Just a really well done and complete product and package.

 

Oh, packing is very well done aswell.

 

I will make pictures and a video soon.

 

I think I will need gloves now, I don't want to get the grip all grimey.

 

All in all, I am very happy with this, thank you Virpil.

 

 

Now we just need the throttle guys!!!!

And some pedals too :P

Looking forward to your review, I'm eyeing off VPC too.

I'm basically deciding between VPC and VKB.

VPC I'd like because of the desk mounts and the better trim hat.

VKB I'd like because I know what their rudder pedals are like.

Throttles from both are unknown at this time, but both look great.

I guess I can always mix and match, but it's nice to have it all from the same manufacturer.

Time will tell :-)

Hi,

With the CM version, is the brake lever still bending under moderate pressure (like the non-CM)? Virpil said they improved the folding trigger & brake, but its not clear "how"...

Thanks