Hi all,
OK so, I ordered the Flight seat from Speedmaster in Germany, and paid online.
It took 5 day's from order to delivery which for €40 is very good indeed.
The seat came in two boxes, one with the seat itself, and the other (Heavy) box with the frames and surfaces.
The pieces fitted together very well, although I did need to make an adjustment for the seat and centre joystick mount, just needed to drill out the panel as it was around 3mm too narrow to align with the seat/bolt fixing.
The seat itself is firm and sturdy on the base. It also has a slider built into it so you can adjust distance from the pedals/consoles. This also makes getting in and out easier.
I took my Warthog Stick off of the base by removing the 4 screws. Using the base as a template I drilled holes into the plate which sits under the seat. I did need to go and buy 4 longer screws to attach the stick as the original screws are about 5mm too short. These cost very little indeed and were in the first hardware store I visited.
I already had a basic stand from my original cockpit, and amazingly it works with the Speedmaster! Perfect height and distance for the screen to sit. Just plain luck.
I attached all of the controls, which fit extremely well. I thought the MFD's might be a problem sitting near the screen, but they don't obstruct the view much at all.
I have to say I'm very pleased with the seat. It is extremely functional, and comfortable too. I'm 1.9m tall and 90kgs so 6ft 2" and 14Stn And I fit in very easily.
To keep the review honest and impartial I have to put the good and bad out there.
I did recieve some damaged parts, but it was not a problem for me as I'm not that worried. But if you were a perfectionist it might bother you. A scratched foot plate, and some damage to the keyboard section, which had been badly repaired...again not a big issue for me. You cannot see the scratches on the footplate as it's covered by the pedals, and the corner is so dark as to be almost invisible unless you really look for it.
So in conclusion.
If you are looking for a good compact seat, this is perfect. Especially for the Thrustmaster Warthog controls.
My customer experience with Speedmaster was second to none, good communications and I was provided with tracking information for the delivery. Purchasing online through Paypal is simplicity itself, and allows great security too.
Think about how you will set up your screen, they do also sell a screen mount too.
I can say I'm very satisfied with the product.
I hope someone finds this review to be helpful.
Dave.