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Hellshade

Best pedals for OFF?

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My beautiful wife says she will get me flight sim pedals for my birthday in August. Does anyone have any recommendations as to the best kind to get for Over Flanders Fields? I definately married the right woman who really does love me for who I am!

 

Hellshade

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I guess I should ask first if I would be better off getting a force feedback joystick so I can feel the plane about to stall out, etc or the pedals so I can turn better? I presume the pedals would allow for more accurate and responsive turning than a twisty stick would?

 

Hellshade

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Pedals do allow more rudder control than a twisty stick, but pedals over a FF stick is all a matter of preference.

 

Actually, the best thing of all for combat flying is the TrackIR before anything else. You can now get the TrackIR 4 for $99 and that should really help you in combat (plus immersion).

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Pedals are Head and Shoulders above the twisty stick, but with one leg, it makes the game, work. I leave them hooked up, as occasionaly I'm in the mood.

 

Less and less as I age

 

This is also something I am wondering. How comfortable is it to fly with pedals for extended periods of time? Do your legs always feel cramped up or tense trying to hold them in the right place? Do you end up micro-correcting every second you fly? How much better is the turn performance?

 

Panama - I already have the TrackIR4. I got it for OFF and I can't imagine flying without it. I also have a nice big 28" monitor to really fill up my view! I just wasn't sure if FF joystick or pedals was the next best step for immersion.

 

Hellshade

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My beautiful wife says she will get me flight sim pedals for my birthday in August. Does anyone have any recommendations as to the best kind to get for Over Flanders Fields? I definately married the right woman who really does love me for who I am!

 

I guess I should ask first if I would be better off getting a force feedback joystick so I can feel the plane about to stall out, etc or the pedals so I can turn better? I presume the pedals would allow for more accurate and responsive turning than a twisty stick would?

 

This is also something I am wondering. How comfortable is it to fly with pedals for extended periods of time? Do your legs always feel cramped up or tense trying to hold them in the right place? Do you end up micro-correcting every second you fly?

 

Hellshade

Does she have any sisters?

 

I think the pedals will add more of the "feel" of flying than a FFB Stick

 

I've had CH Pedals for 3 1/2 years now with no issues

Only problem is they slide easily on carpet (Double Sided Tape)

 

There's only a light return spring so fatigue is a non-issue

 

I don't think of it as micro-correcting just make small movements as necessary

After a while, you'll forget they're there

 

Besides the Saiteks, I think someone posted a complete Stick, Throttle, Pedal set-up recently

Don't know the manufacturer though

 

HTH,

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Does she have any sisters?

 

I've had CH Pedals for 3 1/2 years now with no issues

Only problem is they slide easily on carpet (Double Sided Tape)

 

There's only a light return spring so fatigue is a non-issue

HTH,

 

Yes, she has two but I got the only pretty one. Sorry.

 

Starting to sound like the CH Pedals are the way to go then. I have a plastic mat under my rolling chair to make it roll easier than on the carpet. I could just double side tape the pedals to that then and be off and flying. It must add a whole new dimension to the immersion factor when using them to line up the targets. The twisty stick sometimes gets to be a pain in the wrist after awhile. This would eliminate that while making the game more exciting. Does the sensitivity change depending on which aircraft in OFF you are flying?

 

Hellshade

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Guest British_eh

Hi there:

 

CH Pedals for ~ 1 1/2 yrs. No problem, no fatigue, and much better than TIR, oops, I mean twisty stick. I have the Saitech X52 system, which is not Force Feedback, but I find the numerous buttons on both the stick, and the throtle, to be advantageous, especially with TIR.

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

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Yes, she has two but I got the only pretty one. Sorry.

 

...Does the sensitivity change depending on which aircraft in OFF you are flying?

 

Hellshade

Cousins???

 

Rudder effectiveness changes from crate to crate just like ailerons/elevators

 

Just remembered another issue with the CH Peds

I kept spiking my landings when flying cfs3

Found the brakes to be reversed

Couldn't find a fix in the software so I landed brakes applied then released them - not good

 

When I found OFF, it became a non-issue

But if WWII/Jets are important for you, you may want to check it out

Probably a fix somewhere if not a CH software update

 

You'll also need to make adjustments to the OFF Controls when installing the peds

OFF/cfs3 will recognize them as a new joystick

Goto Controls\Axis Commands

Delete Twisty Rudder on the Joystick

Delete Ailerons/Elevators on the Peds

 

Enjoy,

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I have a plastic mat under my rolling chair to make it roll easier than on the carpet. I could just double side tape the pedals to that then and be off and flying.

 

The CH pedals have four rubber grip pads like you see on the bottom of some joysticks. I have my CH's on hardwood and they don't move an inch. That said, I've been flying with them for years: Microsoft FS9, IL-2, OFF, etc. and I wouldn't fly without them again. It certainly takes some getting used to, but once you've mastered them you forget you have them. Your feet will act more or less of their own accord.

 

Best advice I can give you is to move them back and forth until you're comfortable, but then don't put your entire foot on the pedal. When I'm doing something that requires low movement and high finesse like landing and cruising (keeping those from hunting) I keep my feet on the base of the unit and manipulate the pedals with my toes. When I need a longer throw from the pedals I will put the balls of my feet on the lower part of the pedal. This gives much better accuracy and less leg fatigue.

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Logitech has the complete FFB set-up, but it ain't available till September, and it costs $300 List

 

 

The logitech system looks interesting but you can get a CH fighterstik, throttle, and pedals for the same price if you shop around and CH products are known to be quite reliable and long lasting. I know a lot of people here like the logitech force feedback stick but for the most part, logitech sticks have a reputation for being short lived. (That's why they are generally called Logicrap in the Aces High forums.) For OFF you could get the combat stick which has fewer buttons than the fighter stick and is a little cheaper. The fighter stick, pro-throttle, and pedals combo have more buttons than you will ever use in OFF. If you fly IL2, Aces High, or a jet sim, however, you will want all those buttons on the fighterstick. Provantage had the best pricing on CH gear last time I checked.

 

I have the best of all worlds, a custom force feedback CH fighterstick with CH throttle and pedals thanks to Homeboy's enginuity and skills. It's even customized for my left handedness. Thank you Homeboy. :good: Unfortunately CH discontinued force feedback sticks years ago so you can't buy one. :sad:

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Cousins???

 

When I found OFF, it became a non-issue

But if WWII/Jets are important for you, you may want to check it out

Probably a fix somewhere if not a CH software update

 

You'll also need to make adjustments to the OFF Controls when installing the peds

OFF/cfs3 will recognize them as a new joystick

Goto Controls\Axis Commands

Delete Twisty Rudder on the Joystick

Delete Ailerons/Elevators on the Peds

 

Enjoy,

 

Married. All of her friends are married too. It's not a fair world, is it? For what it's worth though, she can't bring herself to watch war or action movies at all. I generally have to wait until she's at college to pop in a good movie...and by then I'm usually at 5,000 to 10,000 feet and scanning the skies looking for a fight in my trusty triplane.

 

I have BoBII, CFS3 (obviously) and CFS2 but I just don't get nearly as much enjoyment out of them as I do OFF BHaH. I might play CFS2 if it supported TIR but it doesn't, so that pretty much kills it for me. Besides, the WWI dogfights, though slower, are more exciting to me anyways. You have to get close to score solid hits usually. You're often on the razors edge between lining up a kill and stalling out your plane or dropping into a spin. The pedals I think will only make that more exciting. So anyways, I'm not worried if it has issues with other flight sims.

 

I'll remember the pedal and stick command changes. Thank you.

 

Hellshade

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Besides, the WWI dogfights, though slower, are more exciting to me anyways. You have to get close to score solid hits usually. You're often on the razors edge between lining up a kill and stalling out your plane or dropping into a spin. The pedals I think will only make that more exciting.

 

Hellshade

Ain't that the truth!

They may have us in linear speed but in angular speed we're just as fast ...and more exciting

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Hellshade,

 

So far no-one has put in their two cents worth on the Saitek rudder pedals. I have been flying every flight sim I can get my hands on...WW1, WW2, jets, choppers...for a long time now, and I just got around to buying my first set of pedals.

 

The Saitek pedals are great. Adjustable toe length, and it says they have adjustable tension, but I can't make mine budge. Immaterial really, I like the tension how it is (or perhaps I got used to it).

 

Software installed perfectly. I did have trouble at first in OFF in that the toe brakes act as elevators so you have to remove their axes' effects, but the very helpful community here, as always, answered immediately with clear instructions and I was able to remove them with no problems.

 

You are able to profile the pedals so that if you wish to use the toe brakes in another flight sim (or even if you are able to use them as accelerator and brake in a driving game - don't know if you can do that but I'm guessing with the individual mapping you could), you are able to add them back on.

 

They are rugged construction, and the only issue I have with mine are that I contact the slide-under keyboard drawer when it is extended, but that is merely MY "office" and wont be a problem for anyone else. I have a lino floor, and double sided velcro tape comes supplied with the pedals, but I haven't used it, and they don't slip very much at all. I find that the pedal movement is so easy that you don't have to SHOVE them forwards or backwards.

 

For total immersion, you need rudder pedals, they make you feel ....right. After many years of twisty stick rudders, I wasn't disappointed at all. I find that applying full rudder in a tight turn, then maybe reversing it (say, if you're in a spin and are attempting to get out of it), your wrist ends up at all unnatural angles. I have weakened wrists due to being shoved off my motorcycle a few times too many by inconsiderate stupid blind car drivers, so I notice the strain easily. It helps if you also have a joystick that allows you to disable the mechanical twist FUNCTION as well as the electrical signal. (The Saitek X-52 has this ability).

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I just got a set of CH pedals (used on craigslist) and they are fantastic! They dont move at all on my linoleum floor, they are really solid, and it took about 15 minutes of flying to get the feel for them. After so many years of flying with the twist stick, I still find myself twisting quickly for adjustmen even as my feet move the pedals, heh!

But it's so intuitive, it's natural. Almost no learning curve at all for flying (at least that's the way it seems after just a few flights).

 

 

Just remembered another issue with the CH Peds

I kept spiking my landings when flying cfs3

Found the brakes to be reversed

Couldn't find a fix in the software so I landed brakes applied then released them - not good

 

When I found OFF, it became a non-issue

 

Duce, do you have to disable the breaks for OFF? I'm assuming you are referring to the up down motion at the end of the pedal (that you'd manipulate with your toes) as opposed to the sliding forward/backward motion. For comfort I have my feet on the whole pedal and use the ball of my foot for control, tho if the breaks work, then I'm going to have to disable them somehow....

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I went for the pedals and my wife ordered them tonight, even though my birthday isn't for over a month. I definately married the right girl. :yes:

I'll get the force feedback joystick eventually, but with the pedals on sale for 30% off I figured now was the best time to snag a pair. I hope once I master using them they will provide an even more immersive and exciting flying experience in Over Flanders Field. I thought I read somewhere the responsiveness of the pedals was twice as good as using a twisty stick. I'll find out in about 10 days.

 

Uncleal, I plane to try them in the Sopwith Triplane, the Camel and the SE5a. I don't know that I will master 3 planes with them, but I'm going to have a hell of a lot of fun chasing Huns down!

 

Hellshade

Edited by Hellshade

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uncleal:

I would like to remove the brakes too, but I'm not quite sure I understand you when you say "In Controls you Delete the Function of the brakes from the Pedals" ??? What Controls are you talking about ???

Edited by Panama Red

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Guest British_eh
uncleal:

I would like to remove the brakes too, but I'm not quite sure I understand you when you say "In Controls you Delete the Function of the brakes from the Pedals" ??? What Controls are you talking about ???

 

 

Start your Mission as normal. When your plane is ready to start or you are flying, > Pause >Esc..then see the Drop down Bpx. Select > Controls. In the box select typr of controller, Pedals. Then scroll down to see about Deleting "brakes" ( a CFS3 issue). Hit delete. YOu can always restore it later if needed. Save config as Mine.

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

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British_eh:

Thank you, I had always just used the defaul controls, and this worked great. :good:

 

Panama Red

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