CH A-10 HOTAS unveiled-pic inside.

[Pilotasso]

Hye guys.

 

Just passing this bit of info for a well known community menber (you know who you are!):

 

******************************************************

NEW MILITARY-GRADE CONTROLLERS SHOWCASED AT I/ITSEC 2009

 

CH Products presents new Military Desktop Training Solutions

 

VISTA, California (October 28, 2009) – CH Products, LLC (http://www.chproducts.com) today announces new High Fidelity Controllers for Military Desktop Simulation applications. Products in development for winter 2009 include the A-10C HOTAS and Reaper GCS Console.

 

The A-10C HOTAS offers a one-for one split throttle and stick. The Reaper GCS Console is an all inclusive, affordable desktop training simulator and is designed to meet the training needs of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.

 

Both high fidelity solutions feature industrial grade components, driverless USB connectivity, and award-winning reliability. CH Products can meet or exceed your expectations in Cost, Schedule and Performance.

 

CH Products is proud to demonstrate, along with The Fighter Collection’s A-10C version of "The Battle Simulator", at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (http://www.iitsec.org/) in Orlando, Florida from Nov 30 – Dec 03, 2009. BOOTH 2819.

 

******************************************************************

 

 

Cheers

Edited November 25, 2009 by Pilotasso

[lawndartleo]

Yeah, nice for Uncle Sam but it's a HOffTAS for us, at least for a while.

 

So is it safe to assume that the military isn't shelving the A-10 any time soon if people are making training simulator sticks for it. That is a very small market that pays very big bucks.

[159th_Viper]

Ta Rugg :)

[Vekkinho]

Strange looking throttle...are you sure it's resembling the real one used in A-10C?!!

[Eddie]

Looks very nice indeed. Hopefully we'll see a commercial version down the line. We're just waiting on some info from TM now, wish they'd get a move on.

 

Strange looking throttle...are you sure it's resembling the real one used in A-10C?!!

 

Looks spot on from the pics/diagrams I've seen. Exactly the same as the mud hen's but missing the antenna elevation rotary.

[Feuerfalke]

Judging from the few pics I saw of the A-10C pit, it looks pretty much like the one in the A-10C. Only difference I can tell is that the throttle's mounting axis is a bit high.

 

Considering the larger radius, I expected a push-pull mechanism like the Pro Throttle - interesting. I wonder what the private-customers version will look like.

[lawndartleo]

I'd be delighted with the same level of functionality as a Pro Throttle and a split slider.

 

Anyone with a cougar will know how the position change of buttons and dials can be a little bothersome because of the arced motion. At full burn it is a very comfortable grip but at anything less than 50% the wrist gets over extended. I know that the slide is not everyones favorite but it really is an ergonomic benifit.

Edited November 26, 2009 by lawndartleo

[sweinhart3]

Looks very nice indeed. Hopefully we'll see a commercial version down the line. We're just waiting on some info from TM now, wish they'd get a move on.

 

QUOTE]

 

Thrustmaster removed the A-10C hotas from there site and no announcements. Maybe it was cancelled/delayed?

[sweinhart3]

Looks very nice indeed. Hopefully we'll see a commercial version down the line. We're just waiting on some info from TM now, wish they'd get a move on.

 

Thrustmaster removed the A-10C hotas from there site and no announcements. Maybe it was cancelled/delayed?

[Feuerfalke]

 

Thrustmaster removed the A-10C hotas from there site and no announcements. Maybe it was cancelled/delayed?

 

Neither I guess.

 

I doubt they cancelled it completely, especially after the doubtfull success of the Logitech G940 and the delay of the X65F into early 2010.

 

And pushed back? How can you push back something that has no releasedate?

 

IMHO they're just switching adds to primarily advertise controllers ready for christmas now - and they have no pressure to rush their HOTAS out of the door, considering the competitors don't do that either.

[lawndartleo]

The only one I have any confidence in is CH but even they make me leery owing to the fact that they made that kookey Eclips yoke, recently. That was an excuse to combine features of numerous devices into one to satisfy the needs of a wider market (cars and planes)

[Feuerfalke]

I'm looking forward to TM's and CH's advance on the project. I doubt either will just drop his product.

[lawndartleo]

It's not drop that I worry about, it's "fluff".

 

The CH Pro Throttle is as spartan and uninspiring of a design as you could think of... but it works, it's comfortable, it's practical. I prefer it to my Cougar any day of the week (which is why the Cougar is in a box in the closet). I don't want CH to go and make a "fluffed up" controller. Form follows function, right? Right!

Edited November 26, 2009 by lawndartleo

[Feuerfalke]

Well, the yoke was just made as you posted: Combining different features in one fantasy-device.

 

The A-10C HOTAS simply doesn't have that freedom.

[lawndartleo]

Says you...

 

If you and I were on the CH marketing team, we'd nix any "broad appeal" ideas. But will their marketing guys do the same.

 

As for me, I want to see a throttle that refelcts the classic CH design, not something too "new fangled."

 

... just sayin.

[herr_LaSk]

I hope they include the antenna elevation angle rotary on the comercial version. Would make the throttle and stick a great standard controll device for all modern jet fighters, and not just the A-10C. ;)

Edited November 26, 2009 by herr_LaSk

[lawndartleo]

Kind of my point... make it a general design and not a specific design.

[*Rage*]

I want lots of buttons :)

[Eddie]

Kind of my point... make it a general design and not a specific design.

 

I have to disagree with that, imho there are already plenty of generic HOTAS setups on the market. However hardcore sim geeks are restricted to just the HOTAS Cougar when it comes to authentic setups.

 

Now of course at the moment there is no real need for anything other than an F-16 HOTAS as there isn't a study sim for any other fixed wing aircraft type. But once DCS:A-10C is released there will be a nice big gap for an authentic HOTAS, yes TM are doing one, but I'd actually quite like to see what CH can do. Especially given the lapse of QA from TM over the past years.

[herr_LaSk]

Also make it possible to extend the stick, so that it would resemble the senter stick on the real A 10, and most WW1 and WW2 aircraft. Maybe an X-, Y axis hat on the upper left hand of the stick so you could operate the shkval with your right hand thumb like the real aircraft. I believe that most modern eastern aircraft also have a thumb slewable hat at that location.

 

They should retain the overall design of the A 10C Hotas, just make aditions to it. In addition, include buttons and switches that's common to most aircraft on the base of the throttle, like gear leaver, trim weels, light switches, weapons arm/disarm, and so on. If it even comes with FFB, and someone makes FFB peddals, I dont know what else one could need when it comes to simulation controlls.

 

:pilotfly:

[Feuerfalke]

I want lots of buttons :)

 

I concur with the above posters. A few additional axis won't hurt. That's the one big major flaw of previous fighter-segment CH products.

[Eddie]

I have to ask, what on earth do you guys program onto your HOTAS? I've never had to even use a second mode on a HOTAS profile, in fact I've only ever had to use a shifted button command 2 times in my F4 profile and that's because I have 2 less HATs on the X52 than the real jet.

 

Are you guys programming your sticks to make tea or something :D

[Pilotasso]

oh man, Eddie, get the programming software and start recording keystrokes into each button sub-menu. Thats as easy as that. Of course depending on your HOTAS it can be easiser or more difficult (CH and TM have the most sophisticated hardest to learn, and X52 and G940 the simplest and easiest to use).

 

Right now the easiest fast and most usable programing software out of the box is from saitek with its X52pro.

[Eddie]

oh man, Eddie, get the programming software and start recording keystrokes into each button sub-menu. Thats as easy as that. Of course depending on your HOTAS it can be eaiser or more difficult (CH and TM have the most sophisticated, and X52 and G940 the simplest and easies to use).

 

Right now the easiest fast and most usable programing software is from saitek in its X52pro.

 

 

I think you've misunderstood my post mate. I've been programming HOTAS setups for years. I just for life of me can't work out how people could need MORE buttons than we've seen on the new CH, TM and Saitek offerings.

[lawndartleo]

Are you guys programming your sticks to make tea or something :D

 

Crumpets, too