Poll: Are you flying your Warthog with the throttles locked together?

[Sharkster64]

The only reason there is a latch on the throttle is for flying with single engine aircraft in other simulators. The real A-10c does not have a latch to slave them together, nor does any other twin engine jet. I always fly unlatched because that is the realistic way to do it.

[topdog]

Latched for playing some games (including blackshark) even though it basically means only mapping 1 axis anyway and leaving the other not associated to anything, and unlatched for flying A10c.

[Geskes]

When unlatched do you also notice left - right play, most significantly on the left throttle?

 

Actually trying flying unlatched I notice the throttles are mounted pretty loosely into the base in general. When I fly unlatched and press the buttons on the right one I can feel the whole thing moving and I also bend the left one a bit inwards because the other half of my hand is holding that one.

 

Is that everyones experience?

[kylania]

When unlatched do you also notice left - right play, most significantly on the left throttle?

 

Actually trying flying unlatched I notice the throttles are mounted pretty loosely into the base in general. When I fly unlatched and press the buttons on the right one I can feel the whole thing moving and I also bend the left one a bit inwards because the other half of my hand is holding that one.

 

Is that everyones experience?

 

There's a little side to side play with the left throttle, but only when I read posts like this that mention it do I ever notice it. There's no movement at all when I click any switches or use any buttons/hats on either throttle however. Perhaps you're using too much force?

 

Moving both throttles at once, unlatched, is effortless and natural and I rarely need to adjust one to the other.

[effte]

When unlatched do you also notice left - right play, most significantly on the left throttle?

 

Actually trying flying unlatched I notice the throttles are mounted pretty loosely into the base in general. When I fly unlatched and press the buttons on the right one I can feel the whole thing moving and I also bend the left one a bit inwards because the other half of my hand is holding that one.

 

Is that everyones experience?

 

They move a bit left to right. Left one perhaps 3-4 mm, right one less. Nothing I worry about. Wouldn't worry about the same amount of play in a real aircraft either.

 

Definitely not something I even bother noticing while flying.

[Sticky]

There's a little side to side play with the left throttle, but only when I read posts like this that mention it do I ever notice it.

 

I was about to write the same thing. I didnt notice it until I read Geskes post, and only on the left one. Unlatched is definately the way to go IMO!

 

Moving both throttles at once, unlatched, is effortless and natural and I rarely need to adjust one to the other.

 

Yes that is my experience also!

[Geskes]

Ok well I'll just take your answers for it. I do only notice it when I pay attention to it and it surely doesnt subtract from the awesome flying experience the thing offers.

 

But I have seen my cougar transform into a heap of scrap metal in 1,5 years too (I only bought into it april last year) and it started out with very small things as well. I can have three positions on that thing: Idle, about 80% or full AB. The stick is spiking to the left, sometimes it does sometimes it doesnt. Almost all the rotaries when in a certain position give different readings over time. If for example I map zoom to a rotary it will be twitchy all the time making slight movements even more so when moving the throttle forward or backward.

When I tried blackshark for the first time with the warthog I thought I was in easy flight mode and had forgotten to switch it from default game mode. With cougar I was able to fly but always found it very difficult but it was just managing the limitations of the cougar all the time.

 

So I am a little precarious when it concerns Thrustmaster. Everyone can say the thing won't wear but nobody knows yet in what state our shiny hotas will be in 2 years. (Though I could have known that for the cougar)

 

Is it really true what they say about it will not wear with the magnetic hall stuff? How likely are these to break down? Or like the springs in the stick dont they get stretched or something? And the electronics in the thing? I read already from someone with a broken APU switch. And how about the software will they ever finish it lol. I knew I was buying into DCS beta but not a tm warthog software beta which in current state is actually less then foxy was because you cant even print a control map. I mean come on, a hotas with a gazillion options but no way to print it. I try rise of flight and it takes ages to find out where everything is mapped.

 

Though I really love the thing and I dont think there is anything out there which compares to it I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will keep functioning as it now.

[NotiA10]

You have real throttles??:shifty:

 

 

Deadman has pretty much a whole real A10 at home. I think the only minor part he still needs is a GAU8. But knowing him, it wont take long at all till he gets that as well.

 

wbr,

NotiA10

[Geskes]

Must say by the way that flying unlatched is truely a better experience so this thread converted me :P

[leafer]

It's a man thing. Admiting to a flaw in a 500 dollar toy would be the same asking for directions... :music_whistling:

 

That's why, once in a while, some dude can be seen saying he's never had a problem with his TM Cougar or I'm still on the original pots and my cougar works like a dream, etc.

 

I still envy you guys though. Throttles with lateral movement is way better than the plus and minus keys which I happen to use on a daily basis. :D

[kylania]

I still envy you guys though. Throttles with lateral movement is way better than the plus and minus keys which I happen to use on a daily basis. :D

 

Don't feel bad! I'm using Z and X for rudder now since the Warthog financially ruined me. :doh:

[Geskes]

the Warthog financially ruined me. :doh:

+1

[Sticky]

Must say by the way that flying unlatched is truely a better experience so this thread converted me :P

 

Glad to hear that :D:D

[Sticky]

Don't feel bad! I'm using Z and X for rudder now since the Warthog financially ruined me. :doh:

 

Its very easy using the extra pinky paddle button as a modifier in DCS ingame, click modifiers in the lower left corner inside controls, then click add in the modifiers column, the click button 4 on your joystick. Done. Now when you assign a button on the stick or throttle in the "add assignment panel" window you can link it to a modifier first, like the one just created. This way you can put Z and X wherever you want. Its not called HOTAS for nothing ;)

[sobek]

Locking up is for sissies :D

 

Seriously, it's so easy to control both throttles in sync (compared with the G940 for example) there really is no reason to lock them up on a 2-engined jet.

[Geskes]

Locking up is for sissies :D

 

Seriously, it's so easy to control both throttles in sync (compared with the G940 for example) there really is no reason to lock them up on a 2-engined jet.

 

So I guess that means you finally got yours? Gratz!

[MTFDarkEagle]

Sobek!!! YOU GOT IT!??! Awsome! first impressions? (I'm not expecting a reply untill next week --> busy flying :) )

And I started to fly unlocked, bit getting used to, but it's good :)

[sobek]

Sobek!!! YOU GOT IT!??! Awsome! first impressions? (I'm not expecting a reply untill next week --> busy flying :) )

And I started to fly unlocked, bit getting used to, but it's good :)

 

I whish i were busy flying. Most of my time atm is spent on mixing a recording of Bruckners 9th sinfony in d-minor.

 

Here's however what i told Viper:

 

Pro: It rocks crotches :)

 

Cons: The default DCS profile for the trim hat is weird.

The slew hat is a bit edgy (although it seems to work fine in the windows dialog). Overall, the slew hat could use some better controlable travel, slew speed is very jumpy the way it is, but i can live with it.

 

The thing that bugs me most is how hard you have to pull to lift the throttles over the detents (a non issue for the idle detent because you don't do that with both throttles simultaneously, but it could be a potential pain for fighters, using the AB detent).

 

To say it with Hannibal Lecters words: ATM i feel like a freshman fumbling at a panty girdle. 'What does this button do?...*PLONK*...oh f*** no!

It kinda makes you whish there was an 'undo' button. :D

 

Overall i must say that i'm very impressed, especially after the let-down with the g940. It really feels durable, i hope this proves to be true.

[Geskes]

The thing that bugs me most is how hard you have to pull to lift the throttles over the detents (a non issue for the idle detent because you don't do that with both throttles simultaneously, but it could be a potential pain for fighters, using the AB detent).

 

This is a thing. I was flying FC2 with AB detents and on multiple occasions I was lifting the entire throttle base off my desk to get over the detents. Also, when I have the throttles lifted and try to move them over the detents, the throttle base would move forward, instead of just the throttles moving. This is issue is increased when unlatched but reducing the throttle friction helps to reduce the throttle base moving along my desk issue.

[Frazer]

There are holes to screw your throttle down, adviced to do the same with the stick. ;)

[Geskes]

Haha why not drill eight holes trough my desk, I don't have dedicated simulator space in my apartment so I use the desk I also work from.

[mdrobc13]

Just like DarkEagle, I have been unlatching for startup, and latching for flight. There seems to be more stability when latched.

 

I must confess I worry that flying unlatched will increase the very small amount of play in the throttles. Then again, overuse of the latching mechanism, leading to a part failure would be awful too.

 

I would love to hear from a TM Warthog design engineer regarding whether they envisioned the end user flying latched or unlatched.

 

Do any of the real world A-10 guys here know if the latch is present on the real throttle?

There is NO latch in the real jet or any dual throttle mil a/c. You fly with the throttles the way they are and use them independantly to start the A/C and also sometimes if needed or in an emergency independent use would be required. Other times you just move them together for dual thrust/engine RPM's as required.

I was just about to say, I don't think the real ones have a latch.

 

Personally, I enjoy "walking the throttles" too much to lock 'em and take the fun away!

 

:pilotfly:

Nope...no latching mechanism in the real A/C. Fly em unlatched like the real thing. Its fun! AM sure TM can take it. Know from job experience..sorry no pics of the throttles but here's a few of some fun on the job! :)

Edited November 28, 2010 by mdrobc13

[gturn234]

Also, in real life there is a harmonic while flying any multi-engine aircraft. It is very low level and kinda throbs when the engines are not synched exactly. It is not very noticeable at first, but ask any multi-engine flight instructor what the one worst thing his students do and he/she will say they hate that the student leaves the throttles together. Subtle changes of one of the throttles will make the harmonic go away.

After half an hour of the throbbing wah-wah-wah you get tired. After four hours you are ready to kick something. Latching the throttles together would take away your ability to remove the harmonic. Of course, there is no harmonic in the game, so do what you like.

[RogueRunner]

Unlocked in A10 but locked in Black Shark.

[sobek]

Also, in real life there is a harmonic while flying any multi-engine aircraft.

 

To be correct, it's not a harmonic, it's called a difference tone. ;)

 

Harmonics are integer multiples of the base frequency and therefore have a higher frequency than the base. The difference tone is the sum of both original signals, amplitude modulated with the difference of both original frequencies. It's also called beat or beating wave in english (Schwebung in German).

Edited December 23, 2010 by sobek