Thrustmaster Warthog Preview CheckSix + Video!

[Maximus_G]

I watched a demo vid somewhere and the throttle, when moved, wobbled flimsily.

 

It would be the case even more, if you're required to pull up the handle sometimes. Why not push it down, i wonder. Anyway, both things are likely to be fixed on a surface they'd be standing on, that's my humble impression.

[Callsign.Vega]

Wow. No FFB and no pedals??? I love the mechanical switches and that it lights up. I also like the plate the stick sits on opposed to typical big plastic bases. But for the price, I can not imagine why it has no ffb or pedals. Does it come with a copy of DCSWH I hope? I will just remain happy with my g940 I guess.

 

FFB is a gimmick. For players that think HAWX is a flight simulator. :pilotfly:

 

Most flight sim enthusiasts have quality pedals like the Simpeds and adding quality pedals to the package would drastically increase the HOTAS price.

[hassata]

I watched a demo vid somewhere and the throttle, when moved, wobbled flimsily. Not that I wouldn't buy it if I could but just sayin'. Anywiggle, I'd be happy with my Suncom F-15 Talon soon enough... :D

 

Something that blatant would have been picked up by a VTB or some of the Beta Testers, or at the very least Check Six.

[leafer]

It would be the case even more, if you're required to pull up the handle sometimes. Why not push it down, i wonder. Anyway, both things are likely to be fixed on a surface they'd be standing on, that's my humble impression.

 

Sorry I wasn't being very clear but I meant the throttle levers the grips are mated to wobbled when moved. That base with all the switches is massive and didn't move one bit.

[Maximus_G]

Sorry I wasn't being very clear but I meant the throttle levers the grips are mated to wobbled when moved. That base with all the switches is massive and didn't move one bit.

I haven't noticed its movement either, but still i don't get it - why pull up? :)

 

But for the price, I can not imagine why it has no ffb or pedals.

An affordable FFB joystick similar in its control qualities to the best non-FFB models would be a GREAT step forward itself. Even the best FFB models are made of plastic gears and are driven by conventional DC motors. This combination produces freeplay and jagged stick load, which get worse in time. This drawback could be overcome only by using different mechanics, a hydraulic clutch for example, similar to that in car automatic transmission.

And that would cost a REAL amount of money.

 

Anyways, there's an interesting option, which i'm personally looking forward to. An FFB seat wrap!

[LawnDart]

Sorry I wasn't being very clear but I meant the throttle levers the grips are mated to wobbled when moved. That base with all the switches is massive and didn't move one bit.

 

There were improvements made to the throttles, the space between L/R throttle, some switches etc. between the early production runs (PR) and some of the later PR's we received.

 

I'm not sure which PR check-six was previewing in the video......

 

 

P.S. If there are any valid concerns about quality now or later, don't hesitate to bring it to our attention and we'll to our best to address it and/or pass it along to the production team.

[W0t4N]

I haven't noticed its movement either, but still i don't get it - why pull up? :)

 

 

Because pulling up is less prone to be activated when in combat or/and pushing for more power but not wanting AB?

 

/W

[LawnDart]

Because pulling up is less prone to be activated when in combat or/and pushing for more power but not wanting AB?

 

/W

 

Because that's the way most real throttles work. You go over the detent, not under it. ;)

[Succellus]

Something that blatant would have been picked up by a VTB or some of the Beta Testers, or at the very least Check Six.

 

TM wouldn t put people that would say bad of the product to judge it beforehand.

And same for checksix, they wouldn t like to blow it on TM.

Its like a contract, you have to read the tiny lines once you find them.

 

Althought the leveling of the stick to go AfterBurner is an issue for those who dont want to screw the thing on their desk, which is my case, the easy removal of the "speed bump" allied with the pressure wheel should compensate the problem, i hope.

What i wonder is: can you determine via software where the military throttling ends and the AB/EWP begins ? Or will we be subject to game limitation?

And walking hand in hand with the above, can the detent be set on diferent places on the slide course ? So, if we wish, we can lend more slide lenght for military and less for AB/EWP for more precise military thrust imput?

 

This is important for all sims, imo

Edited September 10, 2010 by Succellus

[W0t4N]

Because that's the way most real throttles work. You go over the detent, not under it. ;)

 

And you go over because...

 

/W

[sobek]

And you go over because...

 

/W

 

Gravity dictates so.

[Maximus_G]

Because pulling up is less prone to be activated when in combat or/and pushing for more power but not wanting AB?

/W

Yes, but i wonder what's there in result - isn't player more prone to fight his thottle instead of his opponent in tight fight? Compromises are always there. Pulling up is not for the comfort, but rather for the safety.

 

Because that's the way most real throttles work. You go over the detent, not under it. ;)

Why then TM wants to *patent* this method? Does it replicate a real thing or not?

By the way, in Russian planes you need to push a button with your fingers to go beyond that detent. AFAIK, pilot needs to pull his throttle up in F-16; interesting, how it's done in other aircraft with AB.

 

Gravity dictates so.

Pilots operate in a variety of G vectors, their hand actions require strength, so it would be more safe to make it pull up, since hard pushes are regular there. Situation at desktop is different :) So, i would understand this choice if it's made so for the replica purpose, if pilots actually have to grab and pull this F-15 style throttle up.

-

Is it so? In F-15?

-

Edited September 10, 2010 by Maximus_G

[159th_Viper]

Why then TM wants to *patent* this method? Does it replicate a real thing?

 

Idle detent - yes. AB detent - no.

[sobek]

Idle detent - yes. AB detent - no.

 

You mean that the real A-10 has no AB detent or that the F-15 AB detent works different?

[159th_Viper]

You mean that the real A-10 has no AB detent....

 

Well, if you ignore the auto 'moonshine with integrated zippo' dispenser strapped to the tail then yeah, referring to the RL A10's lack of afterburner and as a consequence the HOTAS Warthog's 'lack of/removeable' AB detent.

 

Any indirect reference to the F15 AB detent was definitely not intended, especially having regard to the thread title. I might however have erred in not properly perusing the entire thread and missed the post that somehow diverted the conversation from the Hog to the Budgie :D

[sobek]

Any indirect reference to the F15 AB detent was definitely not intended, especially having regard to the thread title. I might however have erred in not properly perusing the entire thread and missed the post that somehow diverted the conversation from the Hog to the Budgie :D

 

Nah that was just me, given that the TM throttle is somewhat a hermaphrodite derived of an eagle and a warthog, i got a little confused as to what you meant. :)

Edited September 10, 2010 by sobek

[hassata]

TM throttle is somewhat a hermaphrodite

 

Kinky. I like it.

[Maximus_G]

The article and video presented in this thread are about Thrustmaster Warthog's features - that's the subject of discussion, isn't it?

We have been demonstrated TMW's idle and AB detent mechanism. Thanks to 159th_Viper we know that idle detent resembles real throttle kinematics in A-10. AB detent is not there, but it's present in TMW. Does it resemble something real? With regard to the form of the throttle, we could look at ones found in F-15, F-18. Me thinks, we're quite ontopic here.

 

http://aerotronicsllc.com/f15throttle.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42740324@N02/4455282815/

http://aerotronicsllc.com/f18throttle.htm

 

There are controls marked as "finger lifts", i think they are what we were talking about. Looks like a simple and effective latch; in order to go to AB, pilot needs to pull these up with his fingers. And no need to grab and lift the whole thing up.

 

Well, i wasn't truly questioning real throttle designers' professionalism. There had to be something like that - simple, safe and effective.

[GGTharos]

The real F-15 AB detent is a 'hard' detent that you have to push through. I do not think there is a throttle that replicates its functionality correctly in this case.

 

The detent as implemented in the TM:WARTHOG is a reasonable compromise, and it works great for FC2's fighters.

 

You mean that the real A-10 has no AB detent or that the F-15 AB detent works different?

[LawnDart]

Why then TM wants to *patent* this method? Does it replicate a real thing or not?

 

What 159th_Viper said. The idle detent for the A-10, yes. The patent is the design of the HW unit (w/ removable plate etc.), not the idea of a detent or how other aircraft detents are set up.

 

And you go over because...

 

/W

 

That's how the A-10 idle detent would be.

 

TM decided to use the same for the AB detent, even though on a set of F-15 throttles it may work slightly different. Point is, there's a detent there if you want it and you then have to go over the "gate" with the HW throttles.

 

While I'm normally a hardcore-, stick to realsim kind-a-guy, this gives the HW throttles much more functionality when used in other games or with other birds of prey. It basically comes down to it being a versatility (and marketing) decision to make the best use of the HW with multiple sims and jets like GGTharos said.

[Avilator]

The real F-15 AB detent is a 'hard' detent that you have to push through. I do not think there is a throttle that replicates its functionality correctly in this case.

 

I've sat in a military-grade F-15A simulator, and the finger guards were needed to go into AB as well as fuel cut off.

[LawnDart]

TM wouldn t put people that would say bad of the product to judge it beforehand.

And same for checksix, they wouldn t like to blow it on TM.

Its like a contract, you have to read the tiny lines once you find them.

 

I can't speak for anyone else (such as check-six) but the VTB isn't bound to do or say anything we don't want to on our own accord. So take anything we say for whatever it's worth! If you want to believe our POV, fine. If not, fine too... just know, that I wouldn't write anything in my free time that I personally wasn't agreeing with. ;)

 

What i wonder is: can you determine via software where the military throttling ends and the AB/EWP begins ? Or will we be subject to game limitation?

 

Yes, you can determine the detent location in the software to match the correct/desired rpm. (I suppose you could also physically modify the detent plate to change its physical location on the throttle arm).

[GGTharos]

Not in the 15E, but that's no A obviously.

 

I've sat in a military-grade F-15A simulator, and the finger guards were needed to go into AB as well as fuel cut off.

[SAM77]

It looks so sweet

I wont know what to do with my X52

Man i dont even have Track IR :(

 

Will the split throttle work in FC2.0 etc???...... If it doesnt I will be so disappointed but richer!!!!

Edited September 11, 2010 by SAM77

[Maverick]

There were improvements made to the throttles, the space between L/R throttle, some switches etc. between the early production runs (PR) and some of the later PR's we received.

 

I'm not sure which PR check-six was previewing in the video......

 

 

P.S. If there are any valid concerns about quality now or later, don't hesitate to bring it to our attention and we'll to our best to address it and/or pass it along to the production team.

 

I wonder how can we bring out concerns about quality, when nobody of us normal people haven't even touched the Warthog?

 

Honestly, it sounds like Warthog is still under development and the release is months away, not weeks.