Question to thrustmaster F-18 stick owners

[Raven434th]

Question to Thrustmaster F-18 stick owners...I just received it yesterday...Is it normal for it to be so stiff, I estimate the force to be around 3-4 lbs pressure to move it (I'm coming from the Saitek rhino X-55)  the difference is night and day. And if it is normal ,is there a way to lessen the tension? an adjuster of some sort? Can I use lithium grease on the base or should I just work it in with use?

[Lange_666]

Your talking about the base, not the stick on itself i guess.
Yes it's that stiff (and the Cougar was even stiffer).
There are options to make it lighter, like sanding and re-greasing and/or use a different spring (the green one):  https://warthog-extensions-by-sahaj.com/my-products/#about-springs . There are also video's on the tube about replacing the countersprings the get less tension / friction.
But that doesn't overcome the entire friction problem you might encounter.

I couldn't get used to the Warthog base after using a Uber2 mod on my Cougar. I just replaced the Warthog base by a Virpil WarBRD base and put the stick onto that. It is just way way better and smoother then the Warthog.

Edited June 2, 2023 by Lange_666

[Raven434th]

Thanks for the reply...I just wasn't expecting it to be such a workout to fly the f-18...I gonna look like the hulk on my right arm in a few weeks. I'm not sure how much force is required...I may have underestimated the pounds...It could be more like 6-8 lbs pressure..I really don't know. But its gonna hurt after a few hours flyin I bet.

[BuzzU]

Changing to the green spring or use a 10cm extension for about the same feel with the default spring is your only option.

You can also just use it as is and build up your strength like the rest of us.

I'm surprised you just mentioned the Hornet grip. Didn't it feel the same way with the A-10/F-16 grip it came with or did you just buy the base and Hornet grip separate?

[Raven434th]

I bought them separate, throttle for hog and stick for f-18...using them in conjunction with the X-55 rhino ...so hog throttle with x-55 stick for A-10,...Hog throttle with f-18 stick for F-15E...X-55 throttle  with F-18 stick for F-18....and straight X-55 for Ah-64 and F-16...…I know...….just asking for trouble in the muscle memory dept.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Raven434th

[BuzzU]

I don't understand the stiff spring in the Warthog stick. TM tried to make an exact copy of the A-10. Even down to the same pressure to push the switches. Does the real A-10C have that strong of a spring?

I'm sure someone here has sat in or flown an A-10C and can tell us how the real stick feels.

Edited June 6, 2023 by BuzzU

[Lange_666]

The real A-10 Stick sits on an extension, the TM one does not. Also, i'm pretty sure the real A-10 doesn't have that crappy plastic gimbals like the TM one does. So far for the "exact" copy.

[BuzzU]

Were talking about spring stiffness feel. Extensions don't matter. You can make an extension feel even stiffer with enough spring tension.

The gimbal isn't that bad once it's off the center. It's smoother than most other sticks that you can feel the flat spots.

I believe the only way to simulate the real stick is with a force feedback stick.

[Raven434th]

one way "sort of" around it is to increase sensitivity of axis settings in dcs...that way it takes little pressure to do great roll/pitch moves.

Edited June 7, 2023 by Raven434th

[BuzzU]

TM should have used a progressive spring that would get firmer through it's travel. As is it's too firm around center.

A proper curve in settings along with a proper spring would help a lot.

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

honestly, it doesn´t make any sense to compare a $200-300 toy, whatever commercial brand you want to throw in here, to the feeling of the real thing.
Regarding the different A-10 and F18 sticks, yes I also own both and they feel different when swapping sticks to the same virpil base. It´s maybe for a different mass and/or center of gravity. If I can recall correctly, the Hornet stick feels lighter.

[BuzzU]

More like a $600 controller than a toy.

It's not rocket science. You sit in an A-10 and move the stick around center. You then do the same with your controller. If the controller feels stiffer you use a softer spring. Simple.

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

3 hours ago, BuzzU said:

More like a $600 controller than a toy.

It's not rocket science. You sit in an A-10 and move the stick around center. You then do the same with your controller. If the controller feels stiffer you use a softer spring. Simple.

It´s a toy compared to a $80.000-120.000 device like A32X stick. No idea what is the pricetag for Tomcat, Hornet,or Warthog real stick. So good luck pretending mimicking the same feeling with our toys.

Realsimulator offers a "profesional" stick and base, from 9.500€.
https://realsimulator.com/f16sgrh-pro/

Edited June 8, 2023 by Ala12Rv-Tundra