TM F/A-18C STICK

[Raisuli]

The three position is a forward and back rocker, and with depress. All function just fine in any game/title. It is an addition, not on a RL Hornet stick.

 

Paddle, NWS, REECE are single press buttons

Castle and Weapons select is 5-way

Trim is 8-way

Two-staged trigger

3-way rocker

 

Yup! I was confused. Least surprising thing ever! Thanks for the clarification.

 

 

Now, about those TM gimbals...WH is an improvement over Cougar, but... :pilotfly:

[Buckeye]

Yup! I was confused. Least surprising thing ever! Thanks for the clarification.

 

 

Now, about those TM gimbals...WH is an improvement over Cougar, but... :pilotfly:

 

 

 

Probably an improvement over the Cougar, but it still sucks (mediocre design). Wouldn’t waste your money on it.

 

 

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[Dudikoff]

The three position is a forward and back rocker, and with depress. All function just fine in any game/title. It is an addition, not on a RL Hornet stick. 3-way rocker

 

Sorry, is that a 3-way rocker (forward, center, back) or a 2-position rocker with depress?

 

If it's the former, it might be useful as a mode switch in Target.

[=Panther=]

Think it as a tiny wheel, rolls forward and back for an input, will spring back to center, and a depress down for the third input.

Edited April 2, 2019 by =Panther=

[RogueSqdn]

Sounds like it'll work well for DLC on the Tomcat.

[Fusedspine33]

ED sends us a news letter each week highlighting benchmarks and milestones. It may not have everything one hopes to hear about but it makes us feel like we are valued as customers. Companies have the freedom to develop products in secrecy, but once they publicly display them at industry shows they are on the hook for updates. TM fails miserably at customer communication. Most of us would be happy with a simple “still in development” or “not happening”. TM spends a fortune attending and sponsoring auto racing simulation events and that seems that is where their focus is. They have several wheels for different cars so they understand the desire to touch what you see onscreen. Many of us would like the same experience when flying. I would buy an F-18 and F-14 stick as well as dedicated F-18, F-14 and Harrier throttles. It’s a hobby and spending money on enjoyment is what we do to make it more immersive. I have supported TM over the years by purchasing the F-16 (plastic, gameport), Cougar, Warthog, MFDs and two rudder pedals. That support is dwindling with the addition of Virpil to the marketplace. Virpil’s communication is outstanding, hopefully they can sort out the poor online purchase/preorder experience. If Virpil can build a factory and repeatedly introduce new products that sellout in minutes, I fail to understand why TM can’t add anything new.

 

They’ve got everyone by the balls, why should they care to hurry it up? Up until this point, the new players just keep putting out Russian style grips or space sim style grips, so why should they care? Maybe the Chinese group that just surfaced will motivate them, but otherwise, I’m not surprised they aren’t in any hurry....there’s zero reason to be, for them.

 

 

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[Razorback]

What's interesting to observe is the Thrustmaster stands and/or displays during the last gaming exhibitions or game events.

During the past, last Air sims in their stand were equipped with their new rudder (not yet released) AND the F-18 stick.

If you look on their Twitter account, during all the last events of 2019, only the A-10C Warthog was used !!!

Thtat fact gives me the conclusion that we will not seen the release of the TM F-18 stick on short term !! :(:(

[Greekbull]

Yeah I'm thinking it's a dead project...if they wanted a stick out they could've easily done it over a year ago or timed it with the Hornet launch. No updates at all from them on a project they took to shows and it's gone from recent shows.

 

It's not like there's any groundbreaking R&D needed. It's a stick with buttons...

[RustBelt]

The Hornet hasn't launched yet, It's still in EA.

 

That being said, Thrustmaster isn't making an FAA certified Aircraft component here. The only excuse is they clearly just don't think it's worth the effort when Racing wheels make them more money.

[Donut]

Yeah I'm thinking it's a dead project...if they wanted a stick out they could've easily done it over a year ago or timed it with the Hornet launch. No updates at all from them on a project they took to shows and it's gone from recent shows.

 

It's not like there's any groundbreaking R&D needed. It's a stick with buttons...

 

100% agree...lack of any news is troubling.

 

I have been holding off on getting the Warthog because I would rather have the Hornet HOTAS. Now I don't know what to do.

Edited April 18, 2019 by =BJM=

[GriffonBR]

100% agree...lack of any news is troubling.

 

 

 

I have been holding of on getting the Warthog because I would rather have the Hornet HOTAS. Now I don't know what to do.

To be honest man? Go for VIRPIL, you'll won't regret, and if this Hornet grip really do come true you'll be able to buy it separately and use it on your VIRPIL base. There will a restocking tomorrow so go for it!

 

By Tapatalk + Samsung S9

[Fusedspine33]

TM priorities are not with our side of the house. They focus on racing. Look at the size of monitor, level of dedicated cockpit and overall environment of both events and judge for yourself.

 

 

[VirusAM]

The simracing market is bigger.

Anyway i think the event you posted is sponsored by many different enterprises not only thrustmaster

[Fusedspine33]

No doubt sim racing is a bigger market, not just PC but PS4 and x-box. The consoles can’t really do flight simulation, yet. Virpil has managed to build a factory and expand their product line so opportunity exists. TM makes add-on wheels so they recognize consumers want choice. Their entry into a saturated field of rudders at their chosen price point is curious. At this point, I am hopeful one of the community designers will offer an F-18 printed shell as a mod to the warthog. I would rather have less buttons and touch what I see in VR.

[=Panther=]

Public eSports motorsports competition versus a private meet and greet between the Red Arrows and Virtual Red Arrows. eSports has a massive following drawing in a crowd, potentially new customers, big sponsors (just look at the poster in the background, the equipment (monitors, computers, the stuff that isn't in house to Thrustmaster) is usually loaned out to vendors in big events as well.

[Boris]

Seeing as Virpil is likely to beat VKB to the punch with an F-14 grip, I won't be surprised if we also see a Virpil F/A-18 grip before we see one from Thrustmaster.

[Shadoga]

Yep, would be a smart move and put their lineup of grips in the lead of the race for our bucks.

I was also hoping for realsimulator.com but Spain is again silent for ages...

[Strikeeagle345]

Good on Virpil. Smart move, beat your competition to the punch because they want to lolly gag.

[streakeagle]

I currently have Warthog and VKB, so if I am going to get an F/A-18 grip, it is going to be from one of them. If they both released an F/A-18 grip, I would probably buy both. Between the VKB MCG Pro and the Warthog, I can already simulate the button maps of most sticks anyway, with the MCG Pro favoring grips with analog brake levers and flip-up safety gun triggers and the Warthog favoring most US layouts. But if I had to choose only one, it would be the MCG Pro. It can't always match the layout, but it has so many switches and buttons that I can't think of any grips it can't emulate. But aside from the lack of an analog brake lever and flip-up safety trigger, I was generally able to come up with reasonably accurate stick grip maps for the Warthog for any of the aircraft currently available... I just used a rudder pedal axis for the brake lever.

Edited April 25, 2019 by streakeagle

[Fri13]

with the MCG Pro favoring grips with analog brake levers and flip-up safety gun triggers

 

The best part with the VKB MCG is that the second foldable trigger is an axis with a one spring-loaded physical button. And that the brake lever is as well axis.

 

Both are with Hall Sensor and so on their axis zones can be taken and set as buttons.

Like example:

 

Trigger Up: Button 1

Trigger Down: Button 2

Trigger 0-20% squeeze Button 3

Trigger 20-50% squeeze Button 4

Trigger 50-80% squeeze Button 5

Lever Squeeze 30-80% Button 6

Lever Squeeze 95-100% Button 7

 

And when one can program a Trigger Up position as a mode button, you get complete system with that. Like set a aircraft in Navigation mode when the trigger is up, and that sets Master Arm as well to Safe. And when you flip it down, Master Arm set Armed and go to example A/G mode.

 

Or have a break leveler act as an breaking axis, but then set the end of the zone as a Air Brakes. So you can easily toggle air brakes with the same brake lever. And with Flaming Cliffs 3 aircrafts that has no braking axis, set the leveler to press W (wheel brakes) when you squeeze it little (0-5%).

 

The two axis hats the MCG has is as well great way to add features as each axis can be toggled many ways between hats to axis to differential axis. So one axis (like Gate Cont) can be not just switched between 4/8-way hat and two axis, it can be set to zones where axis has multiple zones like a trigger above for different buttons.

 

Why I didn't get Virpil as I first thought was exactly their limited functionality based the Thrustmaster Warthog. And now you are paying the price that they wanted to be compatible with it. Sure they can quickly increase customer base by releasing F-14 grip that works for every Warthog owner, but they just can't break away with their own grip designs like VKB did.

[Raisuli]

The best part with the VKB MCG is that the second foldable trigger is an axis with a one spring-loaded physical button. And that the brake lever is as well axis.

 

 

<snip>

 

 

Why I didn't get Virpil as I first thought was exactly their limited functionality based the Thrustmaster Warthog. And now you are paying the price that they wanted to be compatible with it. Sure they can quickly increase customer base by releasing F-14 grip that works for every Warthog owner, but they just can't break away with their own grip designs like VKB did.

 

 

VKB might have been an option if it wasn't vaporware. At least when I went to Virpil's web site they had products for sale, as opposed to "Estimated next batch release: To be determined..."

 

 

That's not to imply VKB isn't good stuff, I just don't have any way to find out.

 

 

If an F-18 or F-14 stick comes out the decision will most likely be made on price and feedback from the community. So far WH grips work on my Virpil base, so I would have no shortage of configurations.

 

[Fri13]

VKB might have been an option if it wasn't vaporware. At least when I went to Virpil's web site they had products for sale, as opposed to "Estimated next batch release: To be determined..."

 

 

That's not to imply VKB isn't good stuff, I just don't have any way to find out.

 

Year ago when I was on the market in search for new HOTAS, I had exactly that with the Virpil. For an month it was just "Out of Stock". I got tired of waiting there and I made two separate purchase then while waiting a VKB. Thrustmaster TM16000 was sudden as I got the HOTAS for about 80€ in sale. I had two main reasons to buy it.

 

1) To see do I like the sliding throttle or tilting throttle like this far used. That it resembled the F/A-18C throttle and fitted well for the A-10C wasn't a bad thing at all. And if I like the sliding throttle, I might purchase the far more expensive (160€) CH Throttle. As I was so far using the split tilting throttle and was little using the split throttles, so I thought "Why not".

 

2) I was waiting to see what VKB or Virpil brings with their throttles, so I can sell TM16000 after buying either one.

 

What turned out was that Virpil has come out with their throttle, but I don't like the quality, and about the design is leaving little wishing for. When VKB announced their plans, it got me hold for the Virpil Throttle. And while at it, I purchased the CH Throttle for 35€ as used (re-soldered etc).

 

Meanwhile, I waited eight months for the VKB base and grip, after missing one batch that was between and lasted just one or two days in sale. I was displeased to myself that I didn't order one when I noticed they were in stock again, but then there was the reservation possibility and I took that on first moment. Meanwhile the Virpil has been three or four times out of stock, but sure a more easily available, but if one is going to spend past 400€ for a stick etc, it is better be then the best quality out there.

 

 

If an F-18 or F-14 stick comes out the decision will most likely be made on price and feedback from the community. So far WH grips work on my Virpil base, so I would have no shortage of configurations.

 

 

That is the benefit of the Virpil, you can use the Thrustmaster grips (unless they do change it.... What is always a possibility, to fix their base limitations and technical bad quality) or you can use Virpil own ones. But they do have the four grips now at least.

 

While VKB has revealed as well their F-14 grip cooperation with Heatblur.

https://stormbirds.blog/2017/10/12/heatblur-teases-new-vkb-stick/

 

And for me, the next thing I am expecting VKB to do is the F-15E/F/A-18C grip too. So basically both will likely come out with the same "teen-series" grips.

 

What both already did with their Su-35 grips is cover almost everything from Mig-23 to Su-27. So really both are still lacking just the F-15/18 grips and then F-16/A-10 grips, but Virpil can just allow use of the Warthog. But VKB offers the adapter for it, so.... Again they as well have that option.

 

So anyways a vaporware at this moment are all the three, until they start to release their grips, and only the Thrustmaster gave the end of 2018 schedule, while others has not given any. So real vaporware is the thrustmaster.

 

I am still considering to buy a Virpil throttle, but just don't like the design. And that gets changed only by what VKB is going to produce. I can wait to there, no problems, as I have four throttles to choose from (WH, CH, TM16000, G940).

 

And now ordering from VKB is easy, it just requires that you are in notification list.

[llOPPOTATOll]

its probably going to be released in 4 days at fsexpo and its already on amazon

[MRSHADO]

http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B0/fa-18c-hornet-hotas-add-grip-thrustmaster-locks-availability-date

 

It's up on the Thrustmaster website now.

Only the Screw-On Part: $229.99

 

Really? Are you mad? :drunk:

Edited June 7, 2019 by MRSHADO
Kinder, Gentler, Sensitivitely Reworded.

[Donut]

http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B0/fa-18c-hornet-hotas-add-grip-thrustmaster-locks-availability-date

 

It's up on the Thrustmaster website now.

Only the Screw-On Part: $229.99

 

Really? Are you mad? :drunk:

 

That is insane!

 

You can buy the Warthog stick (includes the base), for $200 on Amazon right now.

 

Why wouldn't they include the base? This is just being marketed to previous Warthog owners and inflating the price?