Tomcat Stick Grip

[Baz000]

I think, I solved my problem... But it took a lot of finicky trial and error of doing things like:

changing stick extension height (I have all the Virpil extensions so too many choices and combinations)

adjusting chair positioning to bring the stick closer

Elevating my legs more (had my rudder pedals mounted on plastic exercise steps to try to match the Viper pit and seating position, so I have my feet matching rudder height now... Before, it was lower)

All of that allowed my forearm to rest in the nook of where my leg meets the lower torso which makes for a far more stable anchor point because you have 2 points of contact with your body, not just one.

I appreciate this may have not been the most vital or critical topic to some people or that it didn't offer some vital piece of information like posts about leaving the TF-30 engines in MIL or AB for high AOA regimes of flight or turning off roll SAS for the very same... I get all that.

As a person, I'm just naturally highly analytical in nature... if pilot interface in these cockpits wasn't important then the natural hand tendency to do a left break turn wouldn't be there, you wouldn't have HOTAS systems or JHMCS and even in research and development... Helmets that can execute commands from pilot brain activity. (welcome to the future)

Think MiG-21 vs F-16 interface, the MiG pilot has several individual switches and dials to actuate to fire a R-60 missile... Whereas the F-16 pilot has that ability at all times at their fingertips... Which archer amongst the two gets in all likelihood the first arrow off the rails if you just look at it from a pilot interface standpoint? (I realize tactically there are a multitude of factors)

Anyways with all that said, I'm finally able to fly comfortably not fighting with my own stick or trim around the boat anywhere from 350 knots 800ft at a trimmed level state for break entry with wings swept all the way to onspeed AOA and 600ft in level flight.

What I've Learned to do is hold pitch trim for coarse adjustments(usually hold it for no more than a second) and tap at it once or double tap it for more fine adjustments. Now, like everything else it is just the practice part and the passage of time. And of course, key to being able to do that in a timely manner so you aren't "chasing the plane" is getting your thumb on that trim hat like it is some instinctual pilot reflex (IE: without thinking about it or looking down at your stick)

Thanks to those of you who were helpful.

I still think that the weapon selection coolie sticks out way too far on the Virpil stick maybe and leads to trapping the thumb. It is just odd to me that the one on the VKB stick doesn't stick out like that and I think if I had the VKB stick that I wouldn't have the thumb clearance problem in the first place.

In the future, I may give some thought to hacking up the coolie on my stick to make the darn thing shorter.

@Baur maybe you have some insight about the Virpil VFX stick design you can impart? I saw a post where someone brought up the issue of mislabeled sparrow/Phoenix label on their stick and that you fixed it for future production.

**EDIT**

looking at the Virpil design and comparing it to the DCS cockpit stick it looks like the Virpil FVX grip looks more like the real thing!

Edited October 27, 2021 by Baz000