Orion 2 waiting room...anybody got one yet?

[HLNinja]

I submit my pre-order for the Orion HOTAS F-18 on June 9th. I'll update when I get the email. I'm really excited!

 

Edit: July 10

So it took exactly a month and I received the email to pay for the Orion HOTAS F-18. Will update once shipped.

Edited July 11, 2022 by HLNinja
Update

[Kchoz]

I pre ordered on 11 June, noticed the website was showing 'in stock' on 15 June so I contacted them and got my payment email on 16 June! Now waiting for shipping

 

Keep an eye on the website folks!

Edited June 17, 2022 by Kchoz
Typo

[Immune]

I am still waiting on my order from a month ago.  I contacted WinWing support 8 Jun, with my last update from being on 20 Jun, which they said they were still working on their upgrade to the Orion 2 and that orders should be moving "soon".

Pre-ordered: 23 May 2022

 

[Brother_Leb]

@Immune I got in a similar cycle before the release of the Orion 2. No contact and no idea when my order would be filled. Ended up being worth it because I'd pre-ordered an Orion 1 and got upgraded for free, but the lack of communication (see OP) was frustrating.

Hang in there man. I love my gear, so I think it's well worth it.

[EbonySeraphim]

I'm posting this because I don't know if people have noticed what I saw while I had been waiting for an F-16EX joystick + Orion2 F-16 throtttle set for over a month starting sometime in mid to late May. If you look at the Winwing store inventory carefully, they have had everything in stock for a whle except for this: https://wwsimstore.com/p/333.html -- the Orion joystick base. If your order does not involve this item in a combo, Winwing will start processing your order and ship it in days. I did this myself getting only the F-16EX grip and it is already on the way in a quarter of the time I spent waiting in the pre-order queue for the full set. I ordered the Orion joystick base from eBay which is more expensive, but I really wanted that joystick combo over anything else on the market.

I used the waiting time to do further research and reverse my decision on the F-16EX throttle (my own reasons). It seems well in-stock should I want to come back for it later.

I realize this approach misses the huge savings you get with the combo. If you do the math, the combo is essentially the cost of the Orion2 throttle base + an Orion2 throttle grip (of choice, take the most expensive one, F-16), + Orion joystick base which brings you to $544 and you're still shy a joystick grip of a full HOTAS. It's $548 for the F-16EX combo which is the full F-16 HOTAS. The F-16EX grip alone is $186 currently so if you drop the combo, you're speding $182 more, and still technically cannot get the Orion joystick base.

Hope this helps someone decide where to go.

[Kchoz]

Finally got mine. F18 grip arrived 26 June but my local courier delayed delivery of the base until 30 June. Very happy with it all so far! All the best to the rest and happy landings

[Immune]

**Edit: Stating up front for clarity since the interwebs are hyper-sensitive these days, this post is NOT a complaint. I am very happy with my current WinWing gear and am really excited for my F-16 stick/throttle combo order now being processed.**

I just paid my pre-order, so now onto processing and shipping! Turns out, WinWing was doing a lot of updating!  I have to say it may have been worth the wait considering their upcoming offerings with the MFD and F18 comms/input panel. The F-16 throttle is upgraded to a v2, hence the extended delay. I will be saving up for the MFDs over the next year or two!

I am bummed for folks that order the F-16 throttle/stick combo this point forward. It appears the button-hat addon for the F-16 stick is now a purchased addon, instead of coming with the stick. Also, the base price for the combo appears to be $769, meaning with shipping you are looking at least $900!  I paid $665 after tax and shipping. If I recall, the original price was like $550 for the full stick/throttle combo, pre-tax & shipping.

Mainly sharing for posterity, what the combo came with and cost before they updated their site and store offerings. I guess I can appreciate the cost increase given the massive supply chain issues China is having (which are FAR worse than those in the United States!). Entire cities are still being locked down and people locked in their homes as of July 2022, so China is hurting economically and industrially. Thus, everything from China is going to cost significantly more than previous.  Hope some of this rambling is helpful insight to someone. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Immune
Clarification added

[Wile E.]

On June 25, I ordered an Orion2 F-16 and an F-18 grip set to swap between. They arrived on July 5. I haven't tried the F-18 setup, but I'm pretty happy with the F-16 setup.

My only criticisms are:

The detent rail for the F-16 makes mounting the throttle annoying. I had to custom cut some screws to length, so they'd be long enough to reach the nuts without being so long they hit the back wall before getting fully tight.

The change to the manual range knob to add the extra 5-way hat on top makes the knob harder to turn compared to the antenna elevation knob.

I wish they had added buttons and hats to the F-18 grips (maybe turn the button below the speedbrake into a 5-way hat), like they did with the F-16 throttle and stick, so I could map all the functionality for the A-10C (or that they'd just make an A-10C throttle grip set).

I have the RealSimulator F-16 grip and base and love how they added buttons to all the hats and hats to all the buttons.

[Dragon1-1]

6 hours ago, Wile E. said:

I wish they had added buttons and hats to the F-18 grips (maybe turn the button below the speedbrake into a 5-way hat), like they did with the F-16 throttle and stick, so I could map all the functionality for the A-10C (or that they'd just make an A-10C throttle grip set).

You can map all the functionality for the A-10C. Just switch the antenna elevation thumbwheel into buttons+axis mode. You can use it as the China hat this way. Boat switch then goes on the buttons, I have it bound to the inboard left throttle button, the side button and the SCS center press.

[Wile E.]

  

12 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

You can map all the functionality for the A-10C. Just switch the antenna elevation thumbwheel into buttons+axis mode. You can use it as the China hat this way. Boat switch then goes on the buttons, I have it bound to the inboard left throttle button, the side button and the SCS center press.

 

I'm not sure if I'd want to split the boat switch between three different controls like that. If I can, I'd probably just map the bottom thumb button to toggle between the three boatswitch states. Or since the RealSimulator stick turns all the buttons into hats, I could map the three boatswitch positions to something like master mode forward, aft, and down. I definitely have enough buttons, I just wish Winwing had given this throttle extra features like they did the F-16 stick and throttle. But I think the F-18 throttle handle was one of their first designs, and the F-16 HOTAS is more recent, so they were able to add clever new ideas to it.

It's still a great product at a good price. Compared to the TM Warthog it's replacing, I love all the extra controls on the throttle base, and the fact that they're more useful. The Warthog switches are more accurate for what's around the throttle. But the only ones I ever used were the flaps, autopilot, and gray wheel as a zoom. I can turn on the EGI, radar altimiter, or APU with the mouse, since I only do that during startup. On the WW, I use all the controls, except the wing folding, tailhook, and launch bar, which I'll use when I learn the Hornet.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Wile E.

[EbonySeraphim]

It looks like Winwing had a new Orion2 joystick base in development and they just released it 2 days ago. They also redid their storefront and it looks more well done now: https://wwsimstore.com/view/shopping.html. I am kind of annoyed that their website didn't make it clear what was happening because I definitely would have waited for the Orion2 and my eBay purchase of the Orion1 base certainly cannot be refunded.

There is Orion2 joystick base stock to be had now, and the following is the only impressions video I've casually found.

It seems like the Orion2 is a solid improvement, and most exciting is the cam system appears to support FSSB as a kit at a far cheaper price than RealSimulator. Unlike RedKite, I don't entirely crave super soft joystick centers. I agree that it's easier to control, and in some cases a big machine is easy to control but I don't want my joystick to almost fall out of center.

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by EbonySeraphim

[Dragon1-1]

When they release a Viper stick with force sensing base, I'll consider it (provided it's any good). For now, I'll stick with the 1. It looks like a nice upgrade, but I quite like the feel of the 1.

[Wile E.]

23 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

When they release a Viper stick with force sensing base, I'll consider it (provided it's any good). For now, I'll stick with the 1. It looks like a nice upgrade, but I quite like the feel of the 1.

WW says the new base has a force sensing option, but I haven't tried it out. I have the RealSimulator one and think it's fantastic. But it was $900 for the stick and base.

[Steel Jaw]

iNTRESTING.

[Dragon1-1]

39 minutes ago, Wile E. said:

WW says the new base has a force sensing option, but I haven't tried it out. I have the RealSimulator one and think it's fantastic. But it was $900 for the stick and base.

The force sensing option is not out yet, I think. It doesn't come with the base, nor with the F-16EX+base combo. I want an F-16EX+Force sensing base combo, which I think would be a no-brainer.

[Dginn69]

I pre ordered on July 5 and received today, July 14. I wasn't expecting it till the 18th. I am happy its here early but I am at work and won't be able to check it out till later.

[Immune]

At long last, the F-16 stick/throttle combo arrived! It has been unpackaged and assembled. I will be utilizing it tomorrow (Friday baby!), the wife has been advised she may as well not even knock on the door since I will be doing my best to save the world from the communists!

While the wait sucked (ordered back in May), once the pre-order went through, it went to FedEx in China on the 11th, shipped on the 12th and arrived today, 14 June!!! 4 days from packaging to delivery, a speed record!

No missing parts, no damage, as expected for WinWing's quality and detail. Thus ends the painful pre-order experience. No too bad for being 4 days late for the birthday present it was intended. Better late than never! .

[Dginn69]

On 7/14/2022 at 8:30 PM, Immune said:

At long last, the F-16 stick/throttle combo arrived! It has been unpackaged and assembled. I will be utilizing it tomorrow (Friday baby!), the wife has been advised she may as well not even knock on the door since I will be doing my best to save the world from the communists!

While the wait sucked (ordered back in May), once the pre-order went through, it went to FedEx in China on the 11th, shipped on the 12th and arrived today, 14 June!!! 4 days from packaging to delivery, a speed record!

No missing parts, no damage, as expected for WinWing's quality and detail. Thus ends the painful pre-order experience. No too bad for being 4 days late for the birthday present it was intended. Better late than never! .

I have a question about the assembly of the stick. Is the set screw supposed to line up with the flat spot on the threaded portion of the handle? Mine quite i distance away and I an hesitant to wrench it. 

I received mine the other day. But between work & military this weekend I have not been able to fully assemble it yet. How is it flying with it? I cannot wait,

 

[raven06a]

Mine was shipped on friday 15. Preordered on July 3rd and paid for it on July 10. Guess I was very lucky with my timing lol. Now it's a matter of waiting (which i can't, really). 

[EbonySeraphim]

@Immune and @raven06aDid pre-orders made for the original Orion joystick base + F-16EX grip + Orion2 F-16 Throttle turn into the same thing with a Orion2 joystick base instead?

[raven06a]

@EbonySeraphimI'll let you know in a week. But everything points that way. 

[Wile E.]

11 hours ago, EbonySeraphim said:

@Immune and @raven06aDid pre-orders made for the original Orion joystick base + F-16EX grip + Orion2 F-16 Throttle turn into the same thing with a Orion2 joystick base instead?

They said unfulfilled orders would automatically upgrade to the Orion 2. I feel sorry for the guys who ordered one day too early.

[Immune]

On 7/17/2022 at 5:58 PM, Dginn69 said:

I have a question about the assembly of the stick. Is the set screw supposed to line up with the flat spot on the threaded portion of the handle? Mine quite i distance away and I an hesitant to wrench it. 

I received mine the other day. But between work & military this weekend I have not been able to fully assemble it yet. How is it flying with it? I cannot wait,

 

Mine actually was missing the set screw, so I had to use another I had on hand. To your question, I offset my stick, so I didn't notice a flat spot to lock it into. It does not move or slip though.

On 7/18/2022 at 1:35 AM, EbonySeraphim said:

@Immune and @raven06aDid pre-orders made for the original Orion joystick base + F-16EX grip + Orion2 F-16 Throttle turn into the same thing with a Orion2 joystick base instead?

My pre-order was right on the cutoff. I got the v2 for both the stick, base and F-16 throttle. So latest and greatest all around!

Edited July 22, 2022 by Immune

[Dginn69]

13 hours ago, Immune said:

Mine actually was missing the set screw, so I had to use another I had on hand. To your question, I offset my stick, so I didn't notice a flat spot to lock it into. It does not move or slip though.

My pre-order was right on the cutoff. I got the v2 for both the stick, base and F-16 throttle. So latest and greatest all around!

 

I have mine offset as well. What I meant was, the hole for the set screw does not make it around to the flat area on the stick. I don't want to put the screw in on the threaded portion and risk damaging the threads. 

Weird you did not get any set screws, I got 3. They ae cheap enough at home depot though. I just have mine out.

 

[Sedlo]

Just my experience.  Last Friday night I ordered the F-16EX / Shake Kit.  Today it arrived.  So 7 days from order to receipt here in Canada.