VKB-SIM

Hello,
Got started recently in flight sims.
Currently I mostly play/learn the F/A 18 in DCS.

I've bought the gladiator NXT and I use the little lever thingy as throttle while I'm waiting for the TECS.
As you can imagine it's really hard to control the throttle, I always overshoot since the lever is so small.
I use a rotary encoder to finetune the throttle axe but it's a pain in the ass.

I'm on the fence about getting a THQ while waiting for the TECS since I can imagine it can still take many months before it comes out.
My main concern is paying 100 euros for a THQ which will be obsolete for my usages after I get the TECS.

If you have a *real* throttle, what would you still use the THQ for?

Looking for examples for modern fighter planes and warbirds.

It's cute and flocks together with NXT so well
place the real throttle in left and THQ in right so that you can fly fighters and GA together.

TECS is base don jets throttle and is solution for jets (and spaceships), but not so much for GA and WWII warbird's, for these you need more than two axes.

Even the extra axis in dials in TECS expansion modules will e no much practical for adjust things like propeller pitch, mixture, water radiator, oil radiator, cowl flaps... where the THQ levers provide a visual feedback of the adjust.

So get the THQ now and latter pair with TECS, unless you fly only jets (or spaceships), if is the case no reason for get THQ.

Dunno ... I get by pretty well in WW2 warbirds with a Gladiator NXT Evo and TM TWCS combo - which probably has less controls/axes on it (the TWCS) than the TECS. And I only have the KG12-grip on my Evo which is pretty sparsely equipped when it comes to buttons. Granted: I only fly dark side (Luftwaffe) planes and most of them have many functions automated (mixture, prop pitch, radiators, etc). But even in the ones that are more complicated, I get by. The dials on the Evo's base are actually pretty nice to use as radiator controls. Since I have a dedicated throttle, the Evo's throttle is free and I use it for things like setting IL-2's Dora-9 water thermostat. The two wheels come in handy for oil- and coolant-radiator shutters in the 110 E-2 or in bombers. Plus I use the buttons above each to switch the radiator in question from automatic to manual (if the plane has that function). Yes: I have to take my left hand off the throttle for all this, but since you don't change these settings too often and probably not in the middle of a fight, it's no big deal. For prop pitch I simply copied the real world method of the 109 and 190 and use the middle thumb-hat on my TWCS. Up/down to control pitch, forward to switch from automatic to manual control (where applicable).

I'm 99% sure that I will buy the TECS once it comes out, but for someone who wants to take their first step into HOTAS-territory, I would recommend *any* sort of decent, entry-level throttle with as many buttons/hats as possible (not sure if there are any around these days besides the Thrustmaster). Any throttle is better than no throttle at all. Of course, with the TM you're getting old tech (pot in there AFAIK, no contactless sensor), but it doesn't cost that much, it's available everywhere and it'll transform your in-game experience. I paid €80 for mine and see it as a placeholder until VKB start selling the TECS. And I absolutely wouldn't want to fly without it.

You should probably also look into rudder pedals and head-tracking. Both will transform your flying experience even further (head-tracking especially is a huge game-changer) plus they free up functions on your stick and (if you have one) throttle. Getting a head-tracker alone freed up one hat-switch plus a look-up-modifier for me, so I've been using that hat for elevator/stabilizer-trim for years now.

Oh, and... good afternoon, sokol!

S.

I use THQ in Star Citizen for mining.

I use the THQ for Elite Dangerous. The left axis for Supercruise/Jump and the middle one for SuperCruise Throttle.
Buttons for the system and Galaxy map and for fixed Throttle presets (75%, 50% etc)
And of course for older games like X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, Univiversal Combat, etc.