Thrustmaster HOTAS Magnetic Base (Compatible with PC)

I have 4 Warthog HOTAS systems, one stretching back to the first run when it was first offered. I also have the Cougar / TQS from before the Warthog. I use the original Warthog and Cougar to this day and when I noticed a growing clunk in the Cougar base around center (worn bearing from years of use) I decided to upgrade the base to this Magnetic one, and still use the Cougar stick...Worked perfectly, once attached, right outta the box. First, this magnetic base feels a LOT different than the original Warthog. Its much smoother and it glides in and out of axis-center (independently) without a significant center feel. It does snap to center nicely. More specifically though, there is no discernable difference in pulling force between the roll and pitch axis, when moving, say, to 050 DEG or 180 DEG or 290 DEG. The same pull is required so your arm / wrist itself must determine where to put the stick. You don't get a "tug" or holding force along the roll axis to stay centered, as you pull back on pitch. Some might not like that, but I find it realistic, based on my own IRL military pilot experience in multiple tactical aircraft. What I do notice though, is that without that distinctive off intended axis tug from the original base, you can wander off to an off-axis input if your stick isn't centered with your arm. Just like IRL. In time I am certain I will have the muscle memory to prevent that, but for now, I do notice occasional off axis input by my own doing. Nonetheless, it tracks very precisely, as you would expect. No noticeable jitter yet (3 weeks of use). There is no rubber gasket as the stick base interface. Rather, the post transitions to a visible black "ball" joint that has a 1-3mm gap from the case, leading into the actual base itself. This might be an issue over time with particulate matter getting into the base. Keep the trail mix away from this stick The base is no bigger than the original, so if you can live with / need that size of base plate, you are set. I have mine setting nicely on the arm extensions I built for my home pit, and it works fine, weighty enough to be stable in most situations. But to cap it all, the second my son tried it, he stated, "Oh boy I'm getting one of these!"

Paired with the F-16 joystick, this base is unbeatable for it's realistic feel and precision.

About 100 flight hours logged. The base is super solid and stays in place while your jank and roll. Holes are predrilled for ease of mounting to other hardware. The base separates for a more streamlined mount setup as well. Love the fact that you can swap out the cyclic for a different airframe as well. Thrustmaster higher end products are tried and true. I came to this after trying other devices where I was required to open them, troubleshoot them, wait month for parts, repair them with replacement parts, and reassemble them afterwards. If you prefer to fly rather than fuss, go with this.

I love it and use it every weekend! Seamless integration with my Cougar setup. Another win for Thrustmaster!

Very realistic and solid. When paired with a compatible grip, it will embarrass your other cheap, plastic peripherals. You'll feel like you must upgrade everything else to match. It feels like it will last forever. I think the mechanical parts are all metal (not sure, but there's nothing on it that looks or feels like plastic). The "tracking" of the axis' is as expected, perfect. The USB cable is plenty long (at least 6') and feels high quality. The base is recognized in Microsoft Flight Simulator and DCS as the Thrustmaster Warthog joystick. Not all perfect, though. The baseplate is pretty large. It's 1/8th or 3/16th" steel, but pretty wide and long. I guess it's great for desktop use (it has nice non-skid rubber pads at each corner), but if you want to mount it in a cockpit simulator - especially if you want it in the middle - you may have to cut it to a smaller size. You almost have to use the included baseplate because it is also the bottom cover for the internals. Also (and this is a positive and a negative), the orientation angle for a Thrustmaster stick (grip) to the base is fixed, which makes it very quick and easy to mount a grip, as well as almost impossible to damage the connector while mounting (at least this is the case for my F/A-18 stick). However, when you mount the stick, it can only be oriented directly in line with the pitch axis. That's perfect if you use your joystick on a desktop, sitting to the side of a keyboard, or if you mount it on one side of a cockpit simulator, but if you center mount your joystick, you want it twisted in the yaw axis to match your natural wrist angle when you reach between your legs to grab it, while keeping the pitch and roll angles in line with, and perpendicular to the airframe (I hear that the stick in the actual aircraft is twisted 31 degrees, but I seem to prefer about 15). You can't do this with the stock setup (not without some disassembly and reassembly at least). If you buy a Verpil branded extension (the curved one), the wired connector can twist before the mechanical coupling is tightened, so it can give you the correct ergonomic wrist angle. I don't know if this is possible with other brands of extensions. The base springs are perfect for using a compatible grip without an extension, but I use the fairly heavy F/A-18 grip on a 22 cm extender, and it's fine, but the springs could be a bit stiffer. Overall, I love this joystick base and I hope its longevity will match its quality feel. I highly recommend it with the F/A-18 grip and I'm sure its just as good with any other compatible one.

Don't be afraid to purchased "used". A LOT of times, this is just simply being sold separately from the stick. A lot of times the pair is purchased but only the new stick is needed. If mine was "used", I couldn't tell at all. And works just fine.

All my sticks from different makers general started acting up first because of it gets most of the usage. Helicopters, warbirds are really rough on sticks and face it, TM ain't cheap. If I am going to start flying helis or have a WW2 phase I swap out my base which takes no time. Then when back into the modern era it is back to the main stick. Even if you don't plan swapping it is a good idea to have a backup especially during price gouging and artificial shortages.

Produto excelente

Excellent produit !! Très apprécié

Now that Thrustmaster has gone modular - this is a must buy if you have the funds. I picked this up with the new F16 stick and am totally pleased with the purchase. Planning on getting the F18 stick down the road to add to my collection. The base plate can be removed so you can mount the main base to any mounting you like (either home made) or something like the monstertech HOTAS mounts.

Produto com qualidade excelente e entrega rápida.

Merveilleux achat combiné avec le manche FA-18 est impressionnant. La possibilité de changer de manche ajoute une plus grande immersion dans les simulateurs.