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VKB-Sim Gunfighter Review & Mount Bracket


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My VKB-Sim Gunfighter Pro order recently arrived and I wanted to share a few initial observations and thoughts in a 'short amateur' review for those interested.

 

The first surprises were the fast shipping and compactness of the entire package. Everything is nicely packaged and protected in custom foam cut-outs and protective plastic. Laying everything out on the bench I was impressed with build quality of all the components and the large amount of ‘extras’ in the form of plenty of springs of varying strengths and all the tools required for the adjustment of various settings such as the dry clutch and removal of the hex head screws. Even small sections of rubber tube to prevent the springs rubbing against each other when installed were included, as well as a nifty cover complete with a Remove Before Flight tag.

 

I set about removing the gimbal from the housing to set up the springs and clutches. Make sure to download the small Gunfighter ‘advice’ sheet from the VKB-Sim website as it details exactly the procedure required to gain access to the springs, and includes the tip of removing the applicable bearing to ease spring replacement. As I had the ‘Pro’ version with the extension I opted for a 50+20 spring combo on the roll axis, and a 50+40 spring combo for pitch. I left the default ‘soft center’ cams in and eased off the clutches a little from their shipping setting. I also note that there is a provision for differing amounts of grip offset – very nice.

 

Time to put everything back together and mount it to my Obutto Ozone game rig. I had previously designed and manufactured a small mounting bracket in anticipation of the sticks arrival, so after mounting the base directly to the bracket with some 4mm screws it was ready to mount to my rig via two bolts, and some wing nuts for quick changes as I also use my rig for driving sims. For any Obutto Ozone & Gunfighter owners out there I will attach the plans for the mount to this post – just manufacture from standard unequal length angle 125x75x6mm mild steel or equiv. The stick sits perfectly in the middle height location (mount has 3 height options) and nicely clears the seat cushion with the seat fully forward (usual location) thanks to a previous minor seat cushion mod. Connection is a breeze with a few cables to attach via the ‘Black Box’ (which is orange...just like RL ones!) and no drivers are necessary.

 

After a quick calibration using the VKB-Sim Config program and some control assignments I am ready to try it in DCS. First up is the Huey, naturally. Preparing for take-off and I input the standard pre-lift corrections and add some collective. A few more 'light on the skids’ corrections and I keep adding pitch…”Am I airborne yet..I think I am, but I am still dead level and not drifting (like usual!). Hmm try adding a bit more collective – yep I am definitely airborne…wow!” I literally couldn’t tell when I lifted off. I have been flying the Huey in DCS on and off since its release, and thought I was pretty good being able to hover in the ‘general area’. But this was just a whole different ballgame, the level of control and smoothness was unreal. The small amount of dry clutch I had dialled in allowed me to perfectly place the stick exactly where I wanted around the centre position and it pretty much stayed there with super-tiny adjustments. You are not trying to maintain a perfect amount of pressure against springs anymore or fighting across detents. I should note in 20+ years of flight simming I have tried most controllers, including two modified (by me) TMWH’s with extensions. This was an entirely different experience. Hover taxi was just a matter of thinking about what you wanted to do, and general flying was just as good.

 

Time to load up some fixed wing so I jumped in the F-15. Much the same sentiment – my formation skills improved dramatically. Again no hard detents and smooth pressure build up helped this significantly. I have several hours in RL jet fighters down low pulling G etc. and the feeling at the stick was very similar. Most fighters use artificial feel anyway, as the hydraulic flight controls are non-feedback and input forces to simulate the force of the airflow – which the springs and cams in the GF duplicate very closely.

 

So in summary the VKB-Sim Gunfighter is a pretty amazing flight sim control device. I don’t usually feel compelled to write reviews on products, but as I said it was just an incredible experience using the GF for the first time. Add that to the great level of service and support provided by Rainer at VKB-Sim America, and well you get the idea.

 

In closing I can highly recommend this flight-control stick to anyone serious about their flight simming.

Bracket.pdf

VKB.thumb.jpg.e0c6892f77d7112fa9c40f4c265f5a2c.jpg


Edited by VampireNZ
  • Like 3

Asus Maximus VIII Hero Alpha| i7-6700K @ 4.60GHz | nVidia GTX 1080ti Strix OC 11GB @ 2075MHz| 16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB 3200Mhz DDR4 CL14 |

Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2 SSD | Corsair Force LE 480GB SSD | Windows 10 64-Bit | TM Warthog with FSSB R3 Lighting Base | VKB Gunfighter Pro + MCG | TM MFD's | Oculus Rift S | Jetseat FSE

 

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

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I've also received mine a couple of days ago and only had enough time to put it all together and do all the adjustments needed but +1 about the level of service and support by Rainer at VKB-Sim America, lightning fast shipping (to New Zealand within just 4 working days) and top quality and aesthetics of VKB product. I'm very pleased and can't wait to try it out in DCS. :thumbup:

IMG_1949-1.thumb.jpg.deea5033d1fbf22229f8d3440f7cce31.jpg

 

IMG_1957-1.thumb.jpg.9e6b63b5c46d431c849c8acef67287a9.jpg

 

IMG_1962-1.thumb.jpg.7629e95c0a09af137baf261f30e5c5f9.jpg


Edited by RUS38
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That looks awesome, thanks for both the write up and pics.

May I ask, how much was it?

System: 9700, 64GB DDR4, 2070S, NVME2, Rift S, Jetseat, Thrustmaster F18 grip, VPC T50 stick base and throttle, CH Throttle, MFG crosswinds, custom button box, Logitech G502 and Marble mouse.

Server: i5 2500@3.9Ghz, 1080, 24GB DDR3, SSD.

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Thanks for sharing , very helpful!

 

I still have my new desktop Gunfighter here, have to get into it and loosen the dry clutch. I am waiting on the new MCG grip, at which time I will go ahead and order the extension for it and turn it into a Pro version before I hook it up as well.

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

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Looks great, but damn, that joystick extension is too long for my setup. :(

Hardware: VPForce Rhino, FSSB R3 Ultra, Virpil T-50CM, Hotas Warthog, Winwing F15EX, Slaw Rudder, GVL224 Trio Throttle, Thrustmaster MFDs, Saitek Trim wheel, Trackir 5, Quest Pro

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Thanks, VampireNZ. Your (great) write-up inspired me to add #30 springs to both the roll and pitch axes, joining the default #20 springs. The increased resistance without loss of precision, and not this resistance probably enhances control but feels great!

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So, bitten by the customization bug, I've been fiddling with the springs etc. Now my current preferred configuration is: #40 (inside) and #20 (outside) on Y-axis; #30 (inside) and #10 (outside) on X-axis. All on 10 cam. Dry clutch to taste.

 

From what I can make out, the number of distinct spring + cam combinations are:

 

Number of spring types on inside track: 6 (#10, #20, #30, #40, #50, or none)

Number of spring types on outside track: 6 (#10, #20, #30, #40, #50, or none)

Number of cam types: 3 (10, 30, W)

Number of axes: 2

 

(I count the inside/outside track separately because I think it made a difference?)

 

That's a total of 216 possibilities without considering the dry clutch, which, when added, makes things literally infinite! And every combination seems to yield different feel and response.

 

Side note: it seems that with the stronger springs (or maybe it is the double springs) the Y-axis cam has a distinct click as it passes the center position that I did not notice when I just had the single #20 on that axis. Does anyone else notice this?

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Side note: it seems that with the stronger springs (or maybe it is the double springs) the Y-axis cam has a distinct click as it passes the center position that I did not notice when I just had the single #20 on that axis. Does anyone else notice this?

 

Mine does that as well - since there's more force involved now on the cam roller; with an extension, however, it's barely noticeable (using a 50+30 on both axes).

PC: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X | MSI Suprim GeForce 3090 TI | ASUS Prime X570-P | 128GB DDR4 3600 RAM | 2TB Samsung 870 EVO SSD | Win10 Pro 64bit

Gear: HP Reverb G2 | JetPad FSE | VKB Gunfighter Pro Mk.III w/ MCG Ultimate

 

VKBNA_LOGO_SM.png

VKBcontrollers.com

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  • 5 months later...
Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.

 

Cheers, an Obutto Ozone rig.

Asus Maximus VIII Hero Alpha| i7-6700K @ 4.60GHz | nVidia GTX 1080ti Strix OC 11GB @ 2075MHz| 16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB 3200Mhz DDR4 CL14 |

Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2 SSD | Corsair Force LE 480GB SSD | Windows 10 64-Bit | TM Warthog with FSSB R3 Lighting Base | VKB Gunfighter Pro + MCG | TM MFD's | Oculus Rift S | Jetseat FSE

 

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

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I read that there's an all-metal version in the works

In the talks, not in the works.

All metal is impractical and from any point excessive.

Most modern real plane grips are either composite, or all-plastic.

The days of all-metal steampunk-style grips are disappearing in the mist of history.

We did consider making all-metal grips for enthusiasts, but it turned out less than feasible.

>

Best Regards from VKB Lair,

AeroGator

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Thanks for the reply, AeroGator. I'm deciding between the KG12 and the MCG, so this helps. (who am I kidding... I'll eventually get both. :) )

 

On that topic, is the WWII throttle control something we can look forward to in 2018, or is it also in the talks phase?

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On that topic, is the WWII throttle control something we can look forward to in 2018, or is it also in the talks phase?

 

Look I'm a bit anal about giving promises. We really expected the MCG to roll out in Aug-Spt, but it is only coming next week (yes, finally it is coming; 15th is Friday, so I'm saying 'next week').

I will write on MCG release and reasons it was delayed in a couple of days, so please stay tuned, if interested.

 

Now, your question: no, it is more than just in the talks. We are very practical about it, and will push it ahead.

There is a bunch of products we want to offer coming year, so what will come in what order, remains to be seen.

But once again, no, it is not just talks.

>

Best Regards from VKB Lair,

AeroGator

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