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Flight Yokes: The Best for Last
by Ed "Lozhechnik" Reddy with special guest reviewer Brendan "CDNAV8TR" Goss |
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Quality/Reliability CDNAV8TR: As a commercial pilot, I can honestly say that these controls are in my opinion the best flight controls I have ever used. The case is made out of high quality steel, with a baked steel powered finish. The yoke is coated in a aluminum powder simulating a real commercial flight yoke. The rocker switches and buttons are commercial aviation quality they click with precision and with a solid feel. If this yoke were attached to a SAAB 340, I would not be able to tell it was made for a Personal Computer. I also felt the quality of the yoke when I flew a Mosquito twin engine WWII fighter/bomber in FS:SDOE. I rotated at speed and as I pulled the yoke back into my chest it moved as smooth as silk. Left and right corrections were fluid. When I reached altitude I released the control to test its return to center and the plane didn't budge an inch from course. I found that the more I flew with this yoke, the more my flying was precise and smooth compared to a traditional joystick. The Mosquito responded beautifully to all flight adjustments, increasing my sensation of realism.
Loz: A month ago I had a chance to fly at Bombardier's training center in Montreal. The controls in their full motion cockpits are of the same quality as the PFC Cirrus yoke. I needed both hands and a hard pull on the yoke to lift the Global jet into the air however the Cirrus can be flown with your pinkie in smooth adjustments. A quick peak into the control box revealed high quality brass springs, numerous potentiometers to measure exact movement, and high quality steel components on the inside. This is without a doubt the best made flight control currently in the market today and you can expect many years of trouble free use. The pedals fall into the same quality category as the yoke. The pedals are mounted on a durable powder coated aluminum base. The all-metal components are top-notch construction and mimic real functioning rudder pedals you will find in real aircraft. Their movements are fluid and spike free. When flying I had no foot fatigue adjusting the rudders to correct my position on final approach or while making small adjustments to my course. Whenever I landed, I pressed forward on the pedals to engage the brakes, as I would have done had I been flying a real aircraft. CDNAV8TR: These rudder pedals operate in the same manner as the aircraft I fly on a daily basis for a living - right down to the brakes. They are well crafted and designed to offer fluid movement to ensure accuracy. The base is designed on a downward slope to enhance comfort and to match the angle of your legs. The rudders travel a large amount of distance both left and right to make your heading corrections a lot more accurate. Flying the P-38 in SDOE, I was able to make strafing runs and bomber intercepts firing slightly left and right with amazing precision. It is amazing how much improvement there is in my flying with a good set of rudder pedals. Dog Fighting is easier because I can fly with precise and accurate movements - something I can not get out of traditional pedals. Quality/Reliability Score:
Value For the Money CDNAV8TR: A Thrustmaster TQS, F-22 Pro and Elite rudder pedals would cost $440 USD(suggested retail price). That is a lot of dough to consider I'm buying molded plastic with some metal components. The USB Flight Yoke from CH is $110, and the G-Force costs only $30. |
The Cirrus Yoke (Jet style) costs a cool $595, rudder pedals $395 and the PAL is $149. For the entire set it would cost $1142 + S&H (suggested retail price). Ouch. The Yoke is a bit over priced in my opinion, but then again you're getting commercial quality products. The rudder pedals cost just two hundred less but they are only rudder pedals. For the yoke and rudder pedal set, I would be willing to pay at least $600-700, but not much more. PFC do however offer their Beech style Cirrus Yoke, Rudder Pedals, and PAL for a surprising $899 but it doesn't have all the button functions as the Jet Yoke. Lifetime Investment Loz: When I learned the cost of the set, my heart sank. I was ready to pull out my credit card and tell PFC that I wanted to keep the yoke and rudders. If you want the best out there then PFC is the only choice. The cost is high but you are getting the best the industry has to offer. It's a toss up in my opinion, high price for high quality. The PAL is in my opinion worth 1/3 of what they are asking. There are better products out there for lest money. The yoke is not far off from it's true value, but the rudder pedals could be a lot cheaper. When I asked about the price of construction, Mike at PFC said that because they do not sell the numbers like Thrustmaster, the amount of detail and high quality of materials demand that price. When I examined the yoke internally, I have to agree with Mike on the quality to demand $600 for this exquisite piece of craftsmanship. The rudder pedals in my opinion are a notch about Thrustmasters Elite pedals, but are a tad expensive. Value Score:
Summary I love the PFC yoke and rudder pedals. If I were serious about yoke flying, this set would be sitting on my desk if I could afford it. The PAL in my opinion is not a good device and other companies make better products for a lot less. The rudder set gets my approval for its excellent build quality. I'm giving the Cirrus Jet Yoke COMBATSIM.COM's™ TOP PICK award. CDNAV8TR: I too love the Yoke from PFC. It has "HOLY COW" qualities and is the best home flight control I have ever used. Two big thumbs up! The rudder set is over priced in my opinion. The PAL is an interesting device but it seems better suited as a restaurant ordering till than a game pad. Overall, I am very impressed with the quality of the products from PFC and I look forward to seeing their new devices. Brendan "CDNAV8TR" Goss is a flight instructor with Red Arrow Aviation in Calgary Alberta and is a former Cadet Instructor and Airborne trained with the Canadian Armed Forces.  Cirrus Jet Yoke Join a discussion forum on this article by clicking HERE.
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