All of my Gunfighter Grips :)

[streakeagle]

I now have every grip that is compatible with the VKB Gunfighter (I have MK2s updated with MK3 kits).

 

[AeriaGloria]

I loved that Eflite McX

[AeroGator]

That's some serious book case! I appreciate your care for our grips, but even more than this, I respect the knowledge that is obviously behind your passion.

[XAiracobraX]

Splendid, so you have a review of them? I have yet to find a review of f-14 grip.

[streakeagle]

I generally don't do "reviews" other than to answer questions posted on forums.

 

The F-14 grip is exactly what I expected it to be: a reasonable replica of the F-14's grip which works as well as any other VKB grip. Having controls with the same tactile feeling, location, and operation, such as the unique weapons selector switch and DLC/flaps thumb wheel makes this grip a joy to use with the F-14 in VR.

 

As a general multipurpose grip, it doesn't have the range of many other grips. You aren't going to fly the A-10C, F-16C, F/A-18C, or AV-8B without losing some much needed control hats.

 

But the overall control layout isn't too much different from the standard B-8 grip used in so many aircraft from the 1950s to the 1970s (in DCS World, the F-86F and UH-1 serve as perfect examples). It has sufficient additional controls to handle slightly modified B-8 style grips as used by the F-5E.

 

My only complaint about the grip is that it would be a little more useful in other aircraft if the DLC/flap switch had discrete switches at the ends of travel and the ability to press it down, which would have been perfect for the F-5E style grip. With a little creativity, it could have even tilted left/right like some mousewheels do, which would have turned the DLC switch into an optional 4-way hat with center press not part of the F-14, but used by so many more modern grips. As I have all the other grips and really only bought this grip for flying the F-14, this isn't really a problem for me. But if they want to generate more sales, the grip needs to appeal to more people than those that mostly fly the F-14.

 

On the positive side, the textured areas of the grip feel like a soft rubber rather than a hard plastic. It feels very nice. I like the feel of this grip in my hand more than most of my other grips. The arrival of this grip inspired me to fly the F-14 exclusively for 2 or 3 weeks. I learned to use VAICOM to talk to the RIO and had a blast between practicing carrier ops and air-to-air combat. The landing procedure gives you lots of time to play with the DLC switch, which is really cool to use to adjust your flight path on final. I don't use the manual flap function in air combat that much because of the risk of jamming the flaps down. But I do enjoy using the weapon selector switch. No other grip has anything like it.

 

For me, this grip is a work of art and engineering. It looks like the real thing and maybe feels even better than the real thing. It is worth every penny I spent on it. But if you can't afford multiple grips and fly a wide variety of aircraft, especially modern ones with two, three, or even four hats on the grip, this grip is not for you.

 

If you want one grip that has so many controls that it can adapt to just about any other grip's control setup, the MCG Pro is for you. If you don't need the brake lever or an extra 4-way/center press hat on the side of the stick, the SCG Pro is probably the next most capable grip I have. But despite all the capability of the MCG Pro and SCG Pro, I spend a lot of time flying US fighters and like the feel/arrangement of the TM Hornet grip, which is not only a replica of the Hornet's grip, but nearly identical to the AV-8B and F-15C grips.

 

Love the Tomcat? Got money to burn? Get VKB's F-14 grip!

[XAiracobraX]

I'm more of a stick and rudder pilot (WWII warbirds, f-86, want the f-4), I've been looking for something close to the b-8 which the vkb seems close

[Alex Oz]

As a general multipurpose grip, it doesn't have the range of many other grips. You aren't going to fly the A-10C, F-16C, F/A-18C, or AV-8B without losing some much needed control hats.

 

But the overall control layout isn't too much different from the standard B-8 grip used in so many aircraft from the 1950s to the 1970s (in DCS World, the F-86F and UH-1 serve as perfect examples). It has sufficient additional controls to handle slightly modified B-8 style grips as used by the F-5E.

 

My only complaint about the grip is that it would be a little more useful in other aircraft if the DLC/flap switch had discrete switches at the ends of travel and the ability to press it down, which would have been perfect for the F-5E style grip. With a little creativity, it could have even tilted left/right like some mousewheels do, which would have turned the DLC switch into an optional 4-way hat with center press not part of the F-14, but used by so many more modern grips. As I have all the other grips and really only bought this grip for flying the F-14, this isn't really a problem for me. But if they want to generate more sales, the grip needs to appeal to more people than those that mostly fly the F-14.

 

 

Look at -> 1 2

Edited March 31, 2020 by Alex Oz

[streakeagle]

Programming the axis to behave like a button can get the job done. But it also means having to switch profiles. For someone with only one grip, that is certainly a useful alternative. For me, it is just better to swap to a more useful grip. I haven't customized the profiles on any of my grips. I prefer to map all my controls via LUA scripting while leaving the stick in its "raw" state so that it will work with any other plane or flight sim rather than having to switch profiles every time I want to change aircraft.

 

As a rule, I try to leave a particular grip installed for a week or more before rotating to the next one. Right now, I have the MCG Pro installed and have been primarily flying the MiG-21bis to evaluate the recent patches and maintain proficiency. When I get tired of that, I will probably rotate the F/A-18 grip into service to get my F/A-18 proficiency back up for the upcoming super carrier release.

[XAiracobraX]

Does your vkb f14 grip have the ability, like the mcg does, to mount with a slight cant/angle for good ergonomics when used as a center stick?

[streakeagle]

Does your vkb f14 grip have the ability, like the mcg does, to mount with a slight cant/angle for good ergonomics when used as a center stick?

 

Grips that have the twist rudder axis at the base of the grip tend not to have the the slotted hole that permits angling the grip. The F-14 grip falls into that category. But that doesn't really cause me much of a problem because I use a stick extension, which retains the required slot to adjust the angle. If you don't have an extension, get the 10cm straight extenion, which is perfect for the job, but then you need to mount the stick 10cm lower.

 

The problem I have is that the 10cm extension is a little too low and the 20cm extension is not only a little too high, but also curved. For now, I mainly use the 10cm extension, but later I am going to borrow the guts of my 20cm extension to provide ends on custom 12.5, 15, and 17.5 cm extensions cut from aluminum pipe stock I bought with interior and exterior diameters almost identical to the stock used in VKB's extensions. I have the pipe at work and some day will get around to having a co-worker with the right tools cut the lengths for me. The only thing I have that could even try to cut through it is a hack saw. It would work, but it would take a little bit of time and effort and wouldn't be as clean at the purpose built saws at work. But I am in no hurry as the 10cm extension is really only 2-5 cm too low for most of the grips. Only the SCG and F-14 grip really need the 15 to 17.5 cm extensions. The MCG Pro is a monster. 10cm is almost perfect, though the longer extensions would put it closer to the height seen in Russian pits in VR.

[XAiracobraX]

I don't understand, It seems like the 20cm would be a good height for me, but are you saying that with the curved extension the grip couldn't be canted? In other words only the straight extensions allow for it being canted?

 

 

Since it is a twist grip could you twist it and lock it in place for the same effect?

[streakeagle]

The 20cm curved extension can be canted. But for my purposes the curved extension is both too tall and the location of my stick is much better suited to a straight extension since it was dimensioned for a real F-4 stick, which is straight. Also, when you cant the curved extension, it offsets a bit to the right.

 

The twist grip has a thick spot in the plastic collar with a cutout for a dead center locking screw. I suppose you could cut another slot to the side of the thick spot and lock it there, but it isn't structurally designed to do so very well. You would be better off using an extension.

[Gman109]

Posted a similar thread over in the Virpil forum (I think I have more VKB bases and sticks in total than Virpil -6 bases and 6 or 7 VKB sticks, and 3 sets of VKB peds - so absolutely NO offense I hope is taken here, and I"ll post picture proof of that once covid is over). Great job Streakeagle, I lika da juice.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4302741#post4302741

Edited April 23, 2020 by Gman109

[Fri13]

VKB 20 cm (curved) extension allows IIRC 15° canting from the base and from the grip. So you get combined longer 30° off-axis than using just the grip.

 

Maybe they could even offer 3-5 cm extension that lets to cant grips.

[XAiracobraX]

Streakeagle, (if the adapters ever become available) would the thrustmaster warthog work okay on the vkb gunfighter with only a 10 cm extension? I want it to be softer than the thrustmaster base but still be able to center

[River]

I have the Warthog stick on a gunfighter base and a 10cm extension. 2x50 springs on each axis, that setup feels unreal. Highly recommended. 

The 20 cm extension feels a bit much for me but I used it for warbirds and helos. 

 

As for the F 14 stick:  It really feels nice in your hands and is good for the Tomcat. I hate that cheap feeling trim hat so much that I don't use the stick anymore. The stick can't be canted but the extensions to the base can. Tilting the 20 cm curved extension sucks for obvious reasons. The stick will be out of center then.

On 5/10/2020 at 9:01 PM, XAiracobraX said:

Streakeagle, (if the adapters ever become available) would the thrustmaster warthog work okay on the vkb gunfighter with only a 10 cm extension? I want it to be softer than the thrustmaster base but still be able to center

 

You can use different and stronger springs which come with the VKB base. It will perfectly center. 

[streakeagle]

The trim hat on the F-14 grip feels almost identical to the trim hat on my real B-8 grips (I have two) except that the force required to operate the B-8 hat is at least 2 times higher. For me, it is a near replica of the real thing. So you may not like the feel and therefore call it cheap, but in my opinion, it feels very close to the way the real F-14 stick grip would feel as it is clearly a derivative of the ubiquitous B-8. The similarity to my real B-8 grips in both function and shape/size/comfort is what makes me love this grip so much. Also, the trim hats on my real B-8s only allow 4 positions you cannot move the hat diagonally. 

 

It is the two-stage trigger that is a fail compared to the real two-stage trigger on my B-8. You should feel the "click" as you pass through it, not just hear it. My real B-8 has the same feel, force required, and sound for stage 1 and stage 2. The force required is close to the stage two of the VKB F-14 grip, but the sound is a louder version of the stage one and neither stage of the VKB feels anything like the real ones.

Edited December 16, 2020 by streakeagle