I'll add myself to the list of former Cougar owners. While it's being metal is cool, but after waiting for parts from TM, I decided I'd rather fly than have a cool stick.
The poster who said you would have to mod it stated a fact. Yes the stick is metal, but add another $400-600 in mods to get it where other sticks already are.
I sold it and purchased the Saitek stick. It works great. I'm thinking about getting the CH stuff after Xmas. I'm not unhappy with the X45, but I really miss rudder pedals, and I really really like my friends CH setup.