Looking for Rudder Pedal Recommendations

[1Wolf]

I've been using my Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals (The metal ones) for many years now.  They have worked well and actually been pretty sturdy.  However, I've noticed that they can get a bit "jittery" with the toe brakes when rolling out after a landing, and sometimes they don't seem to calibrate very well.  Regardless, they still work pretty well.

However, being the holiday season is coming, I was entertaining the idea of maybe asking Mrs. Claus (i.e. the Wife) for some new Rudder Pedals.  Budget is $400-$500ish.

As far as style, in my own definition there are two styles of rudder pedal.  Those that have these flat "pedals" that you place your entire foot on.  They often have a "cup" that your heel sits in and they actually sit mostly parallel to the floor.  The other style is like my Saitek Combat Rudder pedals where your heels sit on the floor and you can operate the "bar" part of the rudder pedal with the balls of your feet.  The toe brakes are a separate "pedal" that extends above the bar and you have to physically lift your feet up to press the brakes.

Of the two styles, I prefer the later by alot.  I find the "flat pedals" style uncomfortable.

I fly mostly jets but am looking forward to start learning helicopters someday in the not-too-far future.  While I have alot of experience with fixed wing aircraft, I have absolutely no experience with helicopters.

I've heard alot of pedals mentioned when researching threads here:  Those Saitek pedestal ones, a brand named "MFG" which I'm not famliar with, and others.

What would you recommend?  Are there any accessories I should get for them at the same time?

Thanks!

[unlikely_spider]

I'll likely be the first of many people here to recommend the MFGs, which are mechanically very nice. The default is the whole-foot pedals, like bf109 pedals, but my understanding is that there are other foot rests available for them where that's not the case, like P-51 pedals where your heel is on the floor.

Edit- yes, on their website now you can select which type of foot rest you want from the get go, which is more than were available when I got mine. These are lifetime pedals, likely to last you forever and are very customizable.

Edited December 3, 2021 by unlikely_spider

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

VKB T-Rudders cheap but no toe-brakes "per se", but not critical if you are only into jets and helos
MFG Crosswinds amazing quality, most likely a 10/10 product, 11/10 with the damper
Virpil ACE middle ground between the VKB and MFG regarding both quality and pricetag

And nothing else.

[dburne]

MFG Crosswinds with the Damper Mod are awesome.

Their stock pedals are feet on pedals, which I like, but they now also offer more pedal options as well.

https://mfg-sim.com/en/

I have been running mine since Dec 2015 and love them - I added the damper mod earlier this year and love it as well.

Edited December 4, 2021 by dburne

[MA_Goblin]

MFG Crosswinds with damper mod as dburne says.

Absolutely outstanding, bought mine 2016 and the damper mod this year.

[cordite]

18 hours ago, Ala12Rv-Tundra said:

…
And nothing else.

 

[imacken]

I decided on the TM TPR Pendular pedals. V expensive, but well worth it, imo.  The pendular motion means you get no side-to-side motion like you do in more conventional designs. 

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

42 minutes ago, cordite said:

 

Those are magnificient quality pedals, but I don´t think they belong to the price range the OP stated.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Ala12Rv-Tundra

[rapid]

I went for the TM TPR quiet easy to use and it functions more natural than the "skating feeling" like the others.

[1Wolf]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your advice & opinions   

After reading the opinions and advice above, and researching the websites, & some YouTube videos, at this point I'm torn between the MFG Crosswind and the Thrustmaster TPR, and perhaps leaning slightly towards the TPR.  I could still go either way though.  Its a tough one.  I like to fly almost everything - DCS Jets and WW2 warbirds, I plan on starting to learn DCS helicopters, and MSFS 2020 General Aviation aircraft.  I prefer as much realism as I can get with my desk setup so I often lean towards whichever solution will make the least realism compromises for various aircraft types but still work with my desk and not require a full sim pit.

I love what I'm reading and seeing about the MFG with regards to the mechanicals, the quality, the adjustability, and the damper mod.  The only things I don't like are it seems a pity to have to pull of those beautiful foot pedals to replace them with a piece of plastic for a foot pedal.  That just seems a waste.  Also, it will likely require a board in front of the pedals for my desk setup like I have to use with my Saitek Combat pedals currently to keep them from sliding forward.  Moving the pressure from a "downward" pressure if I were using the foot pedals to a "forward" pressure with my heels on the floor will probably make them slide without support.  I also fear they might "rock".  However, the sliding issue is certainly fixable with a board behind it.  The use of the damper and the adjustability makes it seem like that unit would be most adaptable to realism in multiple types of aircraft.  That damper seems to be one of the largest points that make me lean towards the MFG.

The Thrustmaster TPR unit is certainly more expensive but I can stretch my budget a bit if they are worth it.  All the reviews I read talk about how solid they are so perhaps I won't need a board behind them anymore for support.  I like the "design" because aircraft generally have the pedals extending downwards from beneath the dashboard/bulkhead instead of attached to the floor.  They are designed to accept the forward and backward pressure of heels-on-the-floor use so thats definitely a positive.  They are all metal and solid so thats also a positive.  I know that they are adjustable, however I don't know if they are *AS* adjustable as the MFG unit and I don't think there is any sort of damper available so thats a huge negative for me.  I really like the idea of the damper and some quick googling shows that there are some home-cooked mods I could do with it for a damper, but it would be nice to be able to buy something that is easy to install and fast.

Edited December 6, 2021 by 1Wolf