HoneyComb Flight Yoke I Real Pilot Review!

The honeycomb alpha flight control yoke is one of the hottest yokes to hit the market, here is a quick review of my first impressions and thoughts about this product. I am a real world airline pilot who's logged thousands of hours behind real flight control yokes.

[@EagleOne49]

Thanks for a very thorough and informative review. I have an X-55 HOTAS setup in the same manner - throttle on the left. I fly everything, primarily GA, with this setup. Seeing this review is making me re-think that strategy.

[@mogumogu3686]

Thank you for a great review Captain V1..this yoke looks like the perfect mix of capability and affordability.I purchased the Collimata Concorde this weekend and have been pleasantly surprised by how wonderful that bird is to fly.Have a great weekend.

[@V1Sim]

Mogu Mogu excellent to hear! I have been eyeing that aircraft myself!

[@Dontcopit]

Got mine yesterday, it is bloody awesome! I haven't flown a plane since I was 16/17/18 when I got my Restricted Licence at 16 in a C152, then I flew C172's C182's and V35B's. Started jumping out of them at 18. I flew FSX last night, with this yoke, far cry from the keyboard as I didn't have anything else to fly with, and it was wonderful. My TPR doesn't arrive for a couple of days, so just flying around straight and level and a few attempted night landings, well apart from a slight delay issue which sensitivity settings can fix, this thing was awesome! Combined with trim from a Saitek MFD panel for Pitch control, it was brilliant. Mine is stiff too, but, trim fixes it. My Warthog Throttle and Stick arrive tomorrow, will probably try running a video on it if I can clean up this mess of a desk which is covered in more USB devices than I can cope with space wise. Side note, you NEED rudders. I cannot fly without them. I never got a straight head wind during flight training, always had it either pissing down with rain, with a 15+ knot cross wind at Jandakot airpor during take off and landing. You just have to have it. Auto rudder just sucks.

[@singleproppilot]

My biggest complaint with PC yokes is that they don’t provide enough resistance in the longitudinal axis to simulate air loads on the elevators. First time I ever flew a real airplane I was surprised how much force it took to push or pull against the trim. After I started flying for real I stopped using my CH yoke because it just didn’t feel realistic anymore. So it’s good to hear that this device provides some real resistance to keep you from overcontrolling the airplane.

[@C42210]

That’s the reason I don’t spend 250$ to buy this alpha yoke. I prefer to buy a flight yoke system and make some modifications which enhance the flight experience.

[@faceplant755]

What I really want to see is something with variable loads like a real plane. I fly irl and especially when you do slow flight the load depends on where your trim setting is. From flying in sims I’ve kind of forgotten how important trim is because I can just pull up without the excess force that would happen irl. Also the force should increase the farther you pull or push to simulate the added resistance with higher elevator angles.

[@Chucklesrailarchive]

I agree 100%. I have a cross trainer which you can control the resistance electronically just the sort of thing these yokes need.

[@Chucklesrailarchive]

@@faceplant755I quite agree did you ever find one?

[@scottishwings9648]

Fab video! Had always wondered how realistic the ballooning effect is on flap changes, thanks for the tip. Oh, and great review! Thanks..

[@XP72official]

Great informative review. Thanks

[@rigor.m9422]

Fly it with the 320 and watch your audience go completely insane ;)

[@V1Sim]

rigor m haha I don’t I will end up doing that 😂

[@benderandownz]

Wait..... thats illegal

[@wheepylive9040]

@@V1Sim is it going to be restocked??? :(

[@johanndaart7326]

If the pitch is so stiff that your desk moves as seen on the vid, then stiffer desk/mounting point would definitely help to increase precision of pitch inputs.

[@granferthegeek4273]

I got one too and couldn't agree more. I really just threw my old saitek yoke in the dumpster (OK I'll take it to the recycle place 🙄) love your content.

[@V1Sim]

thanks! Glad to hear it

[@SopwithTheCamel]

The normal location for pitch trim is on the left side of the yoke. Resistance in pitch is a highly desirable. Dynamic resistance is by various methods standard on airliners, so the faster you go the harder it is to push/pull the yoke. The best I've had was goflights 737 yoke which was very stiff but a brilliant to sim fly with.

[@Treasureson78RPM]

I plan to start flight training soon and I want to upgrade my flight simulator setup so I can practice paterns and maneuvers. I am trying to decide between the Saitek and the Honeycomb flight sim yoke. After watching this, I really want the Honeycomb yoke. Looks realistic and the quality looks great.

[@IvanMelon]

Thanks for the vid, V1-Sim. Very useful and with something that I do really appreciate: right to the point. One question: what so cool plugin you're using for showing the v/speed, G force, flare and more stuff at touchdown?

[@blumac9801]

I might pick one of these up when it’s back in stock

[@harpoon_bakery162]

did you end up getting one?

[@dtz1000]

@@harpoon_bakery162 I bet he never got it as the price is a bit ridiculous. It costs three times more than the Logitech yoke and that comes with a throttle as well!

[@Marsvinking]

Ordered one, and also ordered the Quadrant, but wont be shipped until we've reached some time in the summer. Hope my yoke wont be as stiff on the pitch, great review btw. Also do you reccomend any Rudder Pedals ? for now im using the saitek rudder pedals.

[@Topcat1952]

Thanks for your thoughts and experience with this yoke. I got one about 2 months ago but have put off using it until now. QUESTION: In regards to the Mags/Starter on the bottom right corner - obviously it is designed for single-engine piston, but I am wondering if you have any special set up for a twin piston? Or, do you only use it for single and click on the monitor to activate/start the number 2 engine? Thanks again!

[@coastflyer]

My *only* thought about this yoke is the pitch axis which, to me, is short. My guess is that they made it firm because of how short it is. Otherwise, It looks perfect. They nailed what switches to put on it and the roll axis looks close to perfect. Construction, also, looks rock solid. Perhaps, someday, they'll make a second version with a much longer "pitch up" axis.

[@captainsman]

The amount of force needed on the pitch axis and the thin shaft are a worry, look forward to updates in a year to two from now. Thanks for the review.

[@oscarvg77]

Crear video! received the fantastic yoke a few days ago, and the first thing is that I am delighted! but I have noticed the picth very hard. My question is, is this how it is in real life? or is there any way to make it softer? Thank you very much in advance! excuse my english

[@albertod4161]

That's freakin sweet 👍

[@romulus7611]

Great review, just one thing you didn't mention. Do both pitch and roll axes auto center when released and if so how strong and how fast (snappy) is that action?

[@V1Sim]

yes they do, for pitch its very quick, roll is a little slower but still quick. Thanks!

[@muitosabao]

is this how it happens in real airplanes?

[@jhoanmartinez2668]

I hope they restock soon and they release their throttle,i really want one.

[@harpoon_bakery162]

it will take quite a bit of desk-space to get them both on it. There goes your office desk, lol.

[@Alan_Edwards]

What rudder pedals to you use/like? Just curios. Building a PC in preparation for MS Flight Simulator 2020 and looking to get this Yoke and Throttle Quadrant when it comes out. Also looking at the MFG Crosswind V2 rudder pedals. Appreciate any thoughts on this setup.

[@pitchpowerbank]

Hi V1, please fly the Navajo with this yoke 😍

[@patrickx0788]

hey good video can you use the yoke with the Logitech flight pedals and throttle quadrant

[@Ahmedblaser]

Like you I have the X-56 on my left to fly with a stick and I have the TQ6 on my right to fly with a yoke... So I have a dual setup.

[@V1Sim]

gonna have to do something similar !

[@ianrobertcope]

There's a few issues I believe, particularly with the 737 Zibo Mod. The Pitch response needs tweaking which I can't quite sort yet, hopefully I can sort through the response curve adjustments. Any advice always appreciated thks. (Retired Airline Pilot Boeing /Airbus)

[@Ahmedblaser]

V1 since you are a RL pilot you would highly enjoy the Brunner FFB hardware even more, albeit being a bit expensive...

[@V1Sim]

haha yea Im sure id enjoy it but I also need to pay mortgage ;)

[@pietdewit-fietsspecialist4586]

Are there inside for roll and pitch control potentiometers or Hall/Magnet sensors

[@freddiecharriez]

Good job

[@exploring_thailand]

Nice review. Which airfield where you at?

[@kimchi2780]

My Diagma is stiff as well. It has a metal cage and is quite heavy and beefy. Wonder how it compares to the Honeycomb.

[@Michael-ig8ne]

OMG A REAL PILOT REVIEWS IT! OH MY GOD!

[@nordemoniac]

7:12 That’s what she said 🤠

[@patrickmusson4571]

Honeycomb has a throttle quadrant with twin throttles, twin mixture, twin prop adjustment, autopilot buttons, and a trim wheel located to the left of the throttles.

[@Stringbean421]

I know and it looks bloody awesome! I want it.

[@handoromper7987]

Looks great but the position of the buttons are annoying as the Yoke gets in the way. Not sure if ill get one as I'm happy with my logitech but want the feel of the Honeycomb

[@Stringbean421]

This review doesn't mention anything about dead-zone. Some reports I've read have been saying their is a dead zone in the middle. I'm surprised this real-life pilot didn't mention anything.

[@TheSithTeacher]

I have the same problem with the pitch trim button being on the left side and this is a no go for me. Honeycomb should give us the opportunity to swap the pitch and aileron trim mechanically when needed, then I'll consider buying it.

[@rockandrollfish]

Is trimming or maintaining level flight any easier with the Honeycomb yoke? Trimming a Cherokee, a 172, or a 150 for level flight is so much easier in the real world. I find myself using the autopilot because I get tired of fighting the sim.

[@peejay1943]

Do you use F2 for the throttle until we get a proper throttle unit?

[@billolgaau]

There are no springs in there, there are Bunjie Rubber straps which for the Ailerons are fine but much too heavy for the Elevator. (I did fly real Aircraft for 35 years BTW) It wouldn't be too difficult to fix that- That said I love the yoke- don't use the program & use FSUIPC & Spad.Next to set it up.

[@Jamboliner]

You should consider using your throttle quadrant for trim. I that should work.

[@gringoloco8576]

Trim is not the issue. The yoke must have rubber bands inside that are extremely firm. Calibrating trim buttons isn't going to help. This is a hardware issue.

[@jhoanmartinez2668]

Can’t wait to see you do some butter landings

[@airste172]

Along with all the niceties that Honeycomb offers, there are also plenty of bugaboos, one of them being the ridiculous amount of resistance (tension) in the elevator axis. The slight advantage to that is that it forces you to trim as you would need to do in a real aircraft. The length of throw (forward to back) is also much shorter that in a real aircraft which makes it more difficult to precisely control the pitch without over controlling. The 180 degrees of yoke rotation is nice, but the ONLY time that the yoke goes to full deflection during normal operations in a real aircraft is during taxiing in a strong crosswind. Another peeve I have with Honeycomb is the starter switch location (on the right side of the yoke). Just try to use the starter and operate the throttle at the same time... and how hard would it have been for them to make the "start' position spring loaded?!

[@tupchurch]

I noticed in another review that pitch didn't sound smooth, maybe try to grease but I don't think I would spend $250 unless it was flawless.

[@smokingspitfire1197]

I think the pitch centre spring is so stiff for longevity. So that its still going to be satisfactory, even if a bit lighter, later in life.

[@V1Sim]

SmokingSpitfire Very possible!

[@ericc7936]

my yoke was delivered this past week and i find the pitch very stiff how do i change the pitch axis? would it be ok to ask you thru a couple of comments what some of the buttons do? novice yoke user. this alpha yoke may be above my skills.

[@crazeeboix]

Are you using the hat switch to look right and left? Does the hat switch return the camera back to center automatically?

[@V1Sim]

Taylor Champagne no I use TrackIR mostly, but the hat switch does not return to center. Perhaps if bound that way it would work

[@davidjd123]

i gotta get one b4 slight sim 2020 takes off.

[@romulus7611]

Another question, how easy is it to remove and attach the yoke to the desk using clamps? Is it something you could realistically dismount when not in use (multi-function desk here).

[@V1Sim]

Yes, it can be easily removed. I did not use the “suction” style mount, so what happens is you mount the “adapter plate” to your desk and the C clamps clap down on the plat, the yoke then sets down right on top and you slide it forward to “lock” in place. Hope that makes some sense? But yes it can be removed relatively easily and only 1 simple USB cable to unplug if need be

[@soarandskor.aviation]

V1-Simulations so there is a way to mount this yoke with suction, as I really want this your, but I’m curious as to how I’m gonna linnet it because my desk has a drawer underneath it

[@einsaan]

What plug-in or add-on are you using for the landing analysis? I am using one but not the same as in your video. Thanks.

[@V1Sim]

einsaan hmm Are you taking about the one that pops up with geeen lettering? If so that’s just a landing plugin I googled for and it popped up on the store, if you go to one of my stream videos I should have a link in description. If your talking about the one on the left of the screen I can no longer find a link to that plugin it seems to be removed

[@V1Sim]

Will this link work? Hopefully I’m posting from my Phone forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/43586-a-new-landing-rate-display/

[@einsaan]

Thanks for your reply and the link. I have downloaded it and will try it out. I was using xgs landing previously but it does not have the flare and nose rate that this one has.

[@kmcat]

You can change the pitch trim, if you unscrew the panel it's on, just rotate the switch.

[@V1Sim]

omg if this is true you are my hero. Will look into this over the weekend, thank you

[@kmcat]

@@V1Sim Just like to add that's what I think you might be able to do? If the two switches are ANDed together, that might be an issue. I would take the switch cover off, loosen the switch bolt turn 90o

[@gringoloco8576]

@@V1Sim did you find a solution to the rubber bands? This thing is way too firm. I fly real 172s and this is way too firm a feel.

[@Bren39]

I think you should be able to open the top lid and swap the trim buttons. Might require a little bit of soldering.

[@wheepylive9040]

Is it goin to be restocked tho

[@ericc7936]

can i start a two engine plane with this yoke? if so how? thanks.

[@pedrojose4250]

mine is 12 or 15 years old and still works like first day :D

[@FedoraSnatcher]

how is your honeycomb yoke 15 years old

[@konzeptzwei]

what is the name of the plugin that rates your landing?

[@jimdery2920]

Your comments re pitch axis. Isn’t it designed to emulate stick force per g?

[@technovan1133]

what is the software landing rate you are using?

[@SuperRealityKid]

OK. First off, the Honeycomb is a good yoke, far better than the Saitek but it has flaws. I even tried to get some reaction from Honeycomb to my issue but no reply was forthcoming, nada. That's not very polite so I set out to find my own solution. The issue is that the pitch control, during fine movements in the flare, is slightly jerky, or sticky but definitely not smooth. This is a real shame because they already have the solution partially licked by using linear bearings on the double rail guide mechanism under the hood. They strangely proceed to use a nylon bush to guide the yokes spindle and I discovered that this is where the stickiness comes from. As an engineer, and always trying to improve a product already on the market, I dismantled the yoke and removed the spindle boss that the shaft of the yoke runs through. I removed the nylon bush and replaced it with a linear bearing after a little turning and reworking and it has transformed the yoke. No more jerky, sticky resistance to contend with. These linear bearings are SO cheap, under £10 for 12 number, linear bearings !! They out perform the nylon bush by miles. I fly a real world GA aeroplane and don't expect a jerky action and now my Honeycomb yoke copies the feel more accurately. I would urge Honeycomb to make this improvement in manufacture. It will not be an expensive thing to do. I'd be quite happy to convert the yokes of anyone interested in making this undoubted improvement to their simulator experience. I'd also be happy to talk to Honeycomb as well, if they are interested in improving their product. Ps. I also have a mod to increase the roll resistance. These methods would invalidate the warranty but, personally, I would prefer a more accurate simulation experience.

[@biteme0973]

its alright if in the northern hemisphere but double the cost for us poor aussies

[@masteryoda498]

kevin morris That’s right, I had to pay $429 (AUD), for my Honeycomb yoke after a two month wait, but it was well worth the wait, it’s a great yoke, it leaves CH and Saitek for dead.

[@richardwilson9434]

@@masteryoda498 where did you get it from, can it be bought from a local supplier or has to be bought from overseas

[@richardwilson9434]

@@jamesleicher Thanks James will check them out

[@Brooks__EU]

Wich equals about 1.5 times the price of the northern hemisphere. I pay 250 Euros and in AUS D that equals 395 euros.

[@anonharingenamn]

In Sweden it's €300 at the moment :(

[@slaapzz]

update on the stiffness?

[@EVELYNEMIL]

Phenomenal.

[@V1Sim]

EVELYNEMIL thank you very much

[@dazecm]

Pitch travel could have been better. It's a tad over 5 inches. Eight inches would have been better. As you also point out, the pitch tension is constant and too stiff close in. Ideally travel tension would be looser in the 1-2 inch range and gradually get stronger further out.

[@viperro4542]

How is it after 2 years? Any issues? Is the pitch better?

[@V1Sim]

No it is not, I actually have replaced mine with the TCA Boeing yoke. I also suffered from the sockets getting loose and causing issues with the buttons on the yoke. If you are strictly a GA simmer you will enjoy it if it lasts, but if you fly any jets might want to the Boeing TCA yoke

[@davidkim6422]

I'm just speculating since I don't use yoke, but maybe the vertical control stiffness is to simulate typical forces resisting your input due to the aircraft's vertical static stability characteristics? Or to simulate control stiffening?

[@V1Sim]

perhaps, but even then it still seems a tad more aggressive then one would feel with aerodynamic stiffness. It almost feels like an extremely out of trim type stiffness, so to counter it I must use excessive trim in the sim which is kind of unrealistic and also a bad habit in real life to use. Still tho its not a game breaker and a great yoke

[@romulus7611]

@@V1Sim Wonder if there is a hardware modification that would reduce the stiffness. I bet someone will investigate that before too long!

[@NickiRepenning]

There are several reasons for the tension we ended up with. We spent several months on dialing in the tension on both axis and where it ended up is due to multiple reasons. • Tolerances The elevator axis is rolling on dual lineal bearings that maximizes lifespan and ensures the ability to make minute adjustments without the yoke being jerky. Unfortunately the same bearings also require a fairly high level of tension loading to avoid the return to the CenterPoint location to exceeds our max tolerance of 3 mm. The lighter the load, the bigger the tolerance. • Center Detent The tension was also carefully chosen to find the perfect compromise between tension and detent. The target was not to feel any detent we going over the center point. (under normal operation - If you pull the elevator from min to max then you will feel a detent, but that is not how you fly) • Trimming We also put a great deal of focus on getting a realistic trim feel on the yoke when flying GA aircrafts. A higher tension level gives a more realistic feel of trimming out the tension of the yoke. • Realistic Moment We took a few different aircraft types up and measures the Nm moment of the elevator axis at cruise speed as the tension increases with airflow over the elevator and horizontal stabilizer or in some cases the stabilator. The current tension is very close to the median tension of the aircrafts we tested against. • Movement Most of the flying is done within one inch of movement around the center point, so the most realistic feel need to be in the area. At the end of the day; too light or too heavy is a subjective opinion. If you watch the KZbin review that Austin Meyer from Laminar Research made, then you'll find that he finds the elevator axis on the lighter side, and lighter than the Yoko Yoke. I personally think that it's a little heavier than the Yoko Yoke. Hopefully we have chosen a good middle ground that works for the majority of people.

[@V1Sim]

@@NickiRepenning thanks for the detailed explanation!

[@gringoloco8576]

@@NickiRepenning I think there needs to be some way the user can adjust this. I know I've heard honeycomb claim this is a normal level for a Cessna 172 but I fly real ones all the time and it's probably double the amount of force normally required. Not sure what planes were used to measure the forces but it's far too stiff. Can you supply alternate bands? That we could swap out.

[@urb6857]

What if these guys made some pedals

[@stefzac9707]

Hieuoy or a throttle

[@Liwii123]

@@stefzac9707 They are making a throttle but its not for sale yet

[@darengardner6219]

Apparently they are

[@Voltomess]

@@stefzac9707 throttle is going to be released fall 2020 for $250

[@darnedghost2008]

Do you think it´s possible to use this yoke without rudderpedals? (can´t use my legs )

[@Stringbean421]

No, not really. You'll need rudder pedals with any yoke. Otherwise, you'll have to stick with some kind of joystick with a twist action doubling for the rudder.

[@darnedghost2008]

@@Stringbean421 Thanks, i bougt the thrustmaster 16000M Works well for me :)

[@FedoraSnatcher]

@@Stringbean421 simpy not true

[@DasPenguin85]

You should use the rotaries on your throttle for pitch trim. Problem solved.

[@davidharris425]

I think you can get from amazon

[@harpoon_bakery162]

sold out

[@Cloudybox12]

I use the Yoko yoke and the Thrustmaster warthog throttle on the right side. You can’t go wrong with that throttle

[@Cloudybox12]

Maciek Skórnik It is perfect. Landing gear,flap switch,TOGA are all programmed. I can’t recommend it enough

[@Cloudybox12]

Togapower I wish I could load a picture of my setup. It’s really hard to beat the Yoko and Thrustmaster

[@xdiver01]

@@Cloudybox12 Hi Jeff, I was used to my TM Warthog, so I bought the TM TCA pack Airbus, bad idea my friend... The Throttle of the TCA pack is a plastic toy compared to the TM WH Throttle, so I had the idea to do what you mentioned above (to put the WH Throttle on the right side), do you still use this setup? Tks

[@Cloudybox12]

@@xdiver01 Yes. I use the Yoko yoke and the Thrustmaster throttle. It’s a $250 throttle and surely not a plastic piece of junk.

[@harleydeandickinson6784]

“A little firm” my damn watch stopped

[@JohnJonesRocketCity]

😂😂😂

[@guli41]

How much was it

[@haykodjan]

They should’ve put more pitch then roll

[@giocc]

Anybody worried for the soft-touch finish of the handles? In my experience ALL soft-touch paints I've ever come across will become an unberable sticky goo in a couple of years (even more so from the regular contact with skin grease). I would hate for the yoke to become unusable after a while, unless you perform an excruciating cleaning treatment which would not definitely leave it as nice as before.

[@V1Sim]

Giorgio Croci Candiani it seems like a very high quality finish I don’t think it will degrade but only time will tell I guess. Hoping it doesn’t!

[@bomberze]

3:25 make 6 = Down 4= UP

[@lewishlyd]

1st

[@entityself3104]

Yes you are :)

[@filip_z_konopii]

Where can I to Buy one? Is not aviable even on honeycomb site...

[@Dertheus]

i bought one off mypilotstore.com

[@FedoraSnatcher]

@@Dertheus ayy me too

[@Dertheus]

@@FedoraSnatcher I cancelled my order 1 day before it shipped so I could have enough money for a new pc build 😭 bought a logitech 3d pro tho

[@FedoraSnatcher]

@@Dertheus i cancelled mine too LOL

[@Dertheus]

@@FedoraSnatcher hahaha why

[@joshuaespinoza5082]

Maybe you got some ikea furniture? Who knows?

[@mehmetturkmen7753]

you have lights on the yoke and you are using your mouse to turn on the lights😂

[@wakeboarder82]

I was thinking the same thing. And the switches are set up exactly to match the plane he’s flying!

[@Aleksandar6ix]

It's not a spring, it's elastic bands...that's why the control feel is so inconsistent between roll and pitch and the major reason why I refuse to buy this yoke at this time. Much happier with my CH Yoke. As for the throttles, I have the same ones but mounted to my right.

[@volprich]

9 people work at Logitech

[@dtz1000]

I'm sure it's great but the price is ridiculous. It costs three times more than the Logitech yoke and that comes with a throttle as well.

[@markslandingsandaviationvi3123]

I thought it was a Face Reveal+Yoke Reveal?

[@vasiliborodin4291]

With all due respect, when you demonstrate the pitch your desk seems to be very, very unstable and wobbly... I would invest in a much stronger one.

[@DB-be9wy]

What’s the point in reviewing this thing. You can’t buy it anywhere...

[@baldguyadventure]

I got mine at Marv Golden Pilot Supplies. They were in stock 11-12-19.

[@captainzeppos]

Is this the typical flight sim controller that should be costing no more than $60 but it's miraculously $199 in the States and $330 around the globe just because it's made for flight enthusiast suckers?

[@captainzeppos]

@Sam who is "us"? You and your mama?