VKB-SIM

Hi all from Australia,

I just joined forum and am faced with a dilemma. My X-55 HOTAS has just broke at the throttle and I need a new setup for DCS especially with the F-14 coming out soon.
I like the look of the Gunfighter Pro Mk.II ‘Modern Combat Edition' however it's not a full HOTAS setup. I know that there were photo's floating around of a pretty good looking Throttle setup with extras that could be added on to it but don't know where they are in development of that.
Can anyone help me out with some updated news?

Crossing my fingers that Aerogator throws you a bone here. The only things they've said recently are that it is still in the queue, and there's a lengthy thread on the IL-2 forums with the designer actually discussing things with potential users. But nothing concrete has come out for a while as to timeline and final feature set. In your shoes I would consider a substitute throttle of some kind as a stopgap measure at the very least.

(I myself am using the MGC-Pro on Gunfighter II, with an X56 throttle and still deciding what to do with my left hand upgrade - Kosmosima LH stick or wait for TECS throttle system. The only thing I don't have to decide is - will it be VKB to match the stick I already have and have been extremely satisfied with.)

AFAIK the price would be around 200$ (without VAT (EU) and shipping). Last info is from late summer 2018 (back then they tested the ergonomics). I dont know in which phase the development is now. The throttle will have more than one detent, could be installed by the user, in different positions along each throttle axis.

This is the image I had seen.

It is a very very long thread, but on IL-2 forums there's a discussion with the designer and others from VKB about TECS development, with much evolution. Might skip the first 20-30 pages even, and of course you may wish to read translated. All links to follow are from there.

A couple more recent highlights have been shown in other threads but from about September 2018 there was a test printing of the right side throttle handle, which appears slightly different than both renders shown above in control placement: https://forum.il2sturmovik.ru/topic/668 ... ent=641685

Pages 55-58ish seem to be about the evolution of the adjustable stops for the throttle travel. A printed test of how it seems to have ended up is here: https://forum.il2sturmovik.ru/topic/668 ... ent=649265 ...but then there were posts just after this in Dec where UIV said there was a different 'rail' that he was very pleased with, that I have not seen shown yet, so don't take that image as gospel either. In a January post of this year UIV also warned that old renders and images were not very representative, but also sounded very positive: https://forum.il2sturmovik.ru/topic/668 ... ent=666494 ...in fact discussion of the rail (throttle horizontal movement?) all seems very excitedly positive after that, smoothness and precision and uniqueness all claimed.

One other thing I think I picked up from the thread was a debate about modularity - replacement or swap not just of front and back panels, but actually the throttle handle as well, to go from air to space sim features. But that may be my misunderstanding, and the intent may be closer to what Kosmosima has implemented as a couple of controls on the handles can be swapped for preference.

From that thread (currently >60 pages) I do not have an impression that release is soon. But then again, UIV has forbidden new pictures which might imply they are preparing a surprise.

And now I look like a complete VKB stalker don't I?