CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB ( 200-615 ), Black

This review will talk about both the CH Rudder Pedals and the CH Flight Yoke USB.I finally got around to purchasing these rudder pedals from Amazon after accepting that I was NEVER going to find this item in stores. (...)Getting to the point...these pedals are a must have for serious flightsimmers...especially if you own Microsoft Flight Simulator and like to fly general aviation or the large commercial heavies. I also purchased the USB CH Flight Yoke for $99.74; the difference these 2 items make to the simming experience can't be stressed enough. If you ever got the guilty feeling after mastering the greased landing with the Boeing 747 or other heavy aircraft (the feeling that it's unrealistically easy), then this is the next level. It takes a lot more concentration and coordination to master flight using yoke and rudder as opposed to just a joystick or keyboard...just keep your hands off the yoke while going down the runway or taxiing, and you should be able to keep things in order! You may also consider purchasing the CH Throttle; that's going to be next on my list, because using the throttle controls as they are postitioned on the yoke are a little inconvenient for some aircraft that require constant changes in throttle position.Overall, I'm satisfied with the construction of the pedals; they weigh in at around 6 pounds and feel fairly solid and sturdy. The motion is fairly smooth with the application of both rudder and toe brakes. They work well. Not much more you can say about that. The same can be said about the construction of the yoke...fairly solid considering. I would like to have seen a little less tension on the yoke personally. Unless you are trimmed close to overtrimmed status, you have to give it a good pull to get airborne. I haven't studied it long enough to see how that REALLY compares between heavy versus light aircraft. But again, I think that only speaks to the construction of the unit and the strength of the clamp setup; pulling back on that unit with a fair amount of force and the unit doesn't budge from the desk. The yoke may take some getting used to based on where it will sit on your desk...in my case, there is about a half an inch beneath the fastened clamps to allow for my slide out keyboard tray, which was enough space in my case. I could see a potential problem in that area for others.I've read about complaints with the clamp system on the yoke, but I'd like to meet the guy that can think of a better solution to keep the unit stationary on your desktop...no problems with my particular desk and the clamps. What I've read is that people with lips or other unperfect edges may have problems since the surface area of the clamps is small. Again, not a problem with my particular desk. Another con that I read about and can somewhat concur with is the trim quality. I find myself having to adjust the elevator trim more frequently with changes in speed than with my joystick...on approach this can be viewed as a nuisance or part of the greater challenge. I'll have to give it some time to decide on that one. It may be that it's just easier overall with a joystick. I was looking for more realism and a greater challenge when I purchased the yoke and rudder.Installation was a breeze in Windows XP; just plug them in and they are ready to go. They come with a cd with any drivers that may not be installed already, and also games (so, I've heard...MSFS is my favorite past time, probably wouldn't fly anything else that I don't already own anyway). Another good thing about this unit and MSFS is that it is recognized as a separate controller. I have used the pedals in combination with the flight yoke as well as my Saitek X52 Flight Control system when I needed a joystick and not a yoke for flying fighters or even general aviation aircraft that have sticks and not yokes.Finally, both the yoke and rudder are a very good investment for the hobby. You'll find yourself enjoying the hobby more and actually steering clear of the autopilot controls. Hope this gives you some things to think about.

As a retired airline pilot I've been using a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick to fly an MD 83 on X-Plane 11 to keep up my IFR flying skills. The joystick had a Z axis rudder function, throttle, and enough buttons to operate most of the necessary controls. With the anticipated release of the new MS Flight Sim 20 I decided to upgrade my cockpit with a yoke and rudder pedals.After watching many videos and reading reviews I decided on the CH products. I've used them for just a few hours, and I am extremely pleased. X-Plane recognized them immediately, so I was able to customize the controls, including using one throttle lever to operate both engines. What I didn't expect is that the simulator worked so much better using this yoke. Instead of tossing around as usual like a fighter jet, the MD-83 behaved like the stable airliner it is. That made instrument flying easier and more realistic.I recommend it for anyone interested in flying general aviation aircraft. It is reasonably priced, and the included levers means you don't have to buy a separate throttle quadrant. It is made of heavy duty plastic with metal clamp screws. Since I don't intend to beat it with a hammer I don't see why it shouldn't last indefinitely. Same can be said for the CH rudder/brake pedals, which are also working well.In closing, I would say get this yoke which is well made, inexpensive and saves you the cost of a quadrant. Note that this setup is not recommended for games or combat flying, where a joystick would be more appropriate.

Alright people, listen up. This is the review you want. If you are like a normal person and can't afford the $600-$1000 yoke from PFC without getting divorced then you are undoubtedly comparing this yoke (or the CH Eclipse, same thing really) to the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke. Well I've had both, complete with their respective rudder pedals and throttles and I have returned one and kept the other. Continue reading to find which one got the boot.CH Products Flight Sim YokePros:Exceptionally preciseCheaperCons:Feels flimsyThe CH Flight Sim yoke is undoubtedly the better choice between these two. Zero binding, and as much precision as you will ever need. I can apply inputs into the CH yoke using my pinky finger with an almost unnoticeable amount of force and that input makes it into the simulation. I run this yoke with high sensitivity and ZERO deadzone. Every single fault the Saitek Yoke has the CH doesn't. The CH Yoke does struggle a bit when you are applying inputs near the maximum range of the pitch or roll simply because the springs associated with those are at their limits. It's not a problem really and you can fly that way it's just more difficult. It's also worth pointing out that if you are looking into yokes, you probably aren't flying fighter jets and wont spend much time at the limits of the controls anyway. The Saitek yokes faults are extreme, and come into play at a range in the controls that you are going to spend 90% of your flight time. Whereas the CH yokes faults are trivial and come into play at a range in the controls that, if you are flying well, you wont even encounter. I denoted one star from the CH yoke for build quality. It simply does not feel as sturdy as the Saitek yoke, and I definitely attach and reattach the yoke with more caution, but I will gladly live with the fault because it works so well otherwise. The throttle axis's on top of the CH yoke are an afterthought. This yoke is the cheaper of the two and I suggest getting the CH standalone quadrant (as I did) because it is very, very good. It's also multi engine capable and adds 12 hard buttons and 6 soft buttons and the end of each axis throw.Saitek Pro FlightPros:Feels sturdyLooks awesomeIncluded (and superior to CH version) throttle quadrantCons:Fundamentally ineffectiveHorrendous binding, regardless of lubricationFirst, I bought the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke, which comes with their throttle quadrant, and I also bought the Pro Flight Rudder Pedals. I've had great luck with Saitek products in the past, albeit prior to the madcatz buyout so I gave them a shot first. Out of the box, sitting on the desk they look and feel awesome, but that's about where the fun stops. In practice that yoke is terrible. The Saitek yoke has HUGE indentations in the pitch and roll axis on center, meaning any type of small/precise input is impossible. Other reviews have made this claim before, so I will do my best to explain just how this impacts gameplay. If you need to make a slight input with the Saitek yoke, you begin applying that input to the yoke with an amount of force which should be adequate, but it isn't, because that amount of force isn't enough to overcome the indentation. When you do overcome the indentation, the input which is translated in the game, is significantly more than what you wanted. This complaint doesn't translate into words well, but trust me, its a huge deal. I read this same complaint before I bought it, thinking it didn't sound like such a big deal. With this fault, landing anything, especially in any type of winds, ends up in this "tank slapping" motion where you put a small input in, but eventually have to move to a larger input to actually push past the indention, then you had to do the opposite action to correct the over input. This is just awful and I returned the Saitek Yoke in 3 days.In addition to that deal breaker, the mechanisms inside the yoke are poorly designed also. It makes no difference what type of lubrication or the amount thereof you apply to the yoke shaft, there will be significant binding. Especially with any pitch input while you have already applied a roll input.It does come with the Saitek throttle quadrant which is in a different universe than the axis levers on top of the CH yoke. However, the CH Flight sim yoke is also cheaper, allowing you to possibly get the standalone CH Throttle quadrant, which is exceptional, and multi engine capable.Extra's and accompanying accessories.The Saitek throttle is great, they make a standalone version that is USB if you want it. Compared to the throttle levers on the CH yoke they don't even compare. I currently use those for flaps, spoilers, etc. Consequently, the CH yoke being cheaper overall makes it possible to also get the CH standalone throttle quadrant, which is really good. I have it set up for throttle/prop/mix on a twin engine but it comes with different knobs and can easily be converted into a 4 engine quadrant, then you could use the axis on top of the CH yoke for the axis you gave up. Simply more options.The Saitek rudder pedals always seemed better than the CH ones when I was shopping, and they were great. I really enjoyed how the were spread out wide away from each other. The adjustable length is kind of a gimmick really because the largest setting is the only usable adult size. The adjustable tension, while a major selling point for me, proved less useful in practice. Even with the lowest resistance, and cabinet liner/grip tape under the pedals, the resistance was so high that I was pushing the pedals around the floor. You'd have to construct some type a keeper to use them without that issue. Consequently, when I returned the Saitek yoke I also returned the saitek pedals bought all CH products stuff because I didn't want to mix and match. The CH pedals are larger than what I inferred through all the pictures I saw. Also, a lot of youtube videos show the rudder action and it seems to have very little resistance, and this for the most part is true. However, in those videos they move the rudders back and forth with their hands to demonstrate. In real practice, the weight of your opposite foot adds a very nice amount of resistance to the pedals and I am surprisingly satisfied with how these pedals turned out. Also, the CH yoke build quality issue doesn't extend to the throttle quadrant or pedals. Both of those items seem much sturdier.For what it's worth, I also found the included "CH Control Manager" software much better than the saitek offering, albeit with a steeper leaning curve.Additionally, if you have a space requirement under the desk concerning the mounting types. The CH products mounting tools take up maybe 2", very slim. However, the Saitek tools are very large, box style, and while sturdier take up a good 5-6".The different version debate.I know what you are thinking, "but what about the CH Eclipse yoke, and the Saitek Cessna Yoke". Well I don't have any hands on comparison but I have seen photographs/videos that show the internals of the Ch Pro Flight Yoke and the CH Eclipse Yoke to be identical. So if you think the CH Eclipse yoke's trim wheels and light up buttons are worth the extra $80 or so, knock your socks off, I didn't, but more importantly if you do go that route I don't think you'll be doing any better or worse in how it primarily functions compared to what I said here about the CH Flight Sim Yoke.In regards to the Saitek Cessna Yoke, I know it rotates a full 180 in the roll axis but I honestly don't know if they addressed any of the previous Saitek issues. If I am frank, I am also so satisfied with my CH Flight Sim Yoke that I don't care enough to find out. I was so overwhelmingly disappointed with the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke that I most likely will never purchase a Saitek product again.In closing.If you are an adult, who enjoys flight simulation for the simulation of it, and is capable of taking care of the items you own. If you have any vested interest in flight and know it's principles and how to fly correctly, please dear god please, get a CH yoke, and not the Saitek. The precision it offers will pay dividends in your simulation and really take your enjoyment to the next level.Consequently, if you find yourself constantly breaking your belongings, don't know where the realism settings are in your flight sim, and are more interested in the bling of your PC peripherals, then by all means, get the Saitek.I give the CH flight Sim Yoke a solid 4, and the only thing I would change to give it a 5 is a more robust feel.