Simped F16/USB vs. MFG Crosswind

[@DBSTH0R]

+NoneTaken Mine haven't sagged one bit, and I use them at least 2 times a week. Ever since this review was posted. Not sure why you think the composite material would sag in the first place? The details about this material aren't available widely, but from testing lets just say they can withstand a person weighing 80kg jumping on them and not break. ;)

[@DBSTH0R]

A followup comment 4 years later - no "sagginess" present. I've only had to retighten few screws since the pedas startet to sqeek a bit. Still going strong as day one, which is now some 8-9 years ago...

[@MFGCrosswind]

I just wanted to make clear - I was aware of different flying style preference from a start and, like others stated, pedals are well prepared to be fitted with other style of foot plates. I intend to produce "combat" style footrests where heels rest on the floor, just didn't have time to do it yet

[@JYCrazy1]

Hi Milan, I'm considering buying a set of these pedals as they're so much better value for the money than the big brands. Have you ever made the combat footrests you talked about? I can't see them on your website. Lastly are these available in black? Thanks a lot

[@kingpinda2]

If you develop them even now in 2019 i will buy them instantously.

[@skywatcher808]

Thank you for taking the time to produce this video. The comparison was very fair, and did not dwell on the negatives of either product. Instead, you focused on the positives. Actually, there really weren't any negatives in both rudder pedal assemblies. They are good products that both makers can be proud to put their names on. Excellent review. Once again, thank you. Aloha! K Inouye Honolulu, Hawaii

[@damonmarkrobertson]

This is the detailed review we all needed. Thank you!

[@Sirmellowman]

I have the MFG's and I have to say if you are going to get them the hydrolic damper is a must. these pedals are freaking amazing I literally cannot imagine a better rudder pedal experience after using these. they are just out of this world good.

[@DBSTH0R]

I do have it, and I agree completely. 😎

[@d.e.b.b5788]

terrific review. for +rovpilot1, as the pedals themselves are removeable and adjustable, you can set them up any way you want, or even make your own pedal parts to connect to the crosswind and set them up similar to the simpeds, for example, you can make two wide aluminum plates similar to the simpeds and bolt them up to the crosswind; just measure, drill two holes, and you're done. I really like these pedals, I hope Milan keeps making them and perhaps options for those who want to customize their crosswinds, such as you need to.

[@Scott11078]

I didn't notice how long ago this was made. After about 20 odd years of wishing I had a complete flight set up I finally made it happen. Crosswinds are now at version 3 and ship to the US for under $400.00. And they ship FAST I ordered Winwing panels X56 for its throttle, you may be wondering why not stick with winwing. The answer is long story and maybe in the future and gunfighter 3 F-14 edition. All ordered within 3 days of each other. The Crosswinds arrived a full week before anything else. The throttle was the only thing ordered stateside and took so long a package on horseback in 1880 would have arrived quicker than the throttle did 3 weeks after my order from Croatia, and China. My kid is 8 years old and the way these pedals feel I'll have to add them in my will they feel ready to stand the test of time. You taught me several things I had yet to learn about my pedals. The only visual difference is the V3 on mine and they also come in a very dark color option too.

[@DBSTH0R]

Although I passed on the test sample in this video, my own V1 S/N 0007 are still going strong to this day. I've only had to re-tighten the screws after continuous use some 4 years in. Milan promised a "combat style" feet rests long time ago, however nothing materialized. Until userbase stepped in with a 3D printed mod: forums.eagle.ru/topic/256148-mfg-crosswind-f-16-combat-pedals/?_fromLogout=1 I would love to do a followup review, but struggling to find the time. I can only recommend if you wish to further improve your rudder pedal experience. :) You can find my written review in the linked thread. Thank you for the comment.

[@Scott11078]

@@DBSTH0R Have you heard of someone that goes by the tag Replika? I'll double check on the spelling. He actually makes several different feet styles plus another mod. The V3 is actually produced with pretty drilled holes for the mod. Here's the guys site, he will be making things a bit more exciting to say the least. www.replikagear.com/

[@DBSTH0R]

@@Scott11078 Yeah I know about Hegykc. He and Milan were working together last time I spoke with him several years back. Not sure how far their cooperation has gone, but I sense Milan had few things to say about Hegykc's joystick designs. I see he also makes a WWII themed rests, nice! Thanks for the heads up. The added bonus of his version is that you can mount them on 3 different positions vertically, whilst the F-16 pedal I linked can only be mounted sideways on 2 different width positions. While nice to have, I would still mount them at their lowest mounting points (highest pedal rest position). Just spotted that damping mod... :)

[@DedicatedBomberSquad]

Excellent video, thanks for the review Thor. Loved the DBS shots near the end!

[@TheWorfster]

That was one of the best comparo/reviews I've seen on this site. I own Simpeds (gameport) and wondered what I would have to do if I ever left the Thrustmaster Camp. You provided the answer... Thanks Worf

[@DBSTH0R]

You're welcome.

[@mepis8042]

Fantastic review, very comprehensive and objective. I was on the fence about these pedals, not anymore ;)

[@DBSTH0R]

Thanks. Not sure I'll have time to do more videos, but I will try.

[@alpenjon]

Indeed, great review.

[@Panzerlang]

Superb review sir. :)

[@Asgar1205]

man I wish I could afford them. they seem to be absolutely amazing

[@Asgar1205]

256 plus shipping, however much that is for the US

[@Asgar1205]

i ordered them one day after my comment since i got a full refund for my old Saitek pedals :D they should ship any day now

[@babithefriendlyghost]

Hey, great video. Do these work with flight sim 2020?! Thanks!

[@DBSTH0R]

Thanks. They should work with any flight sim. :)

[@homermorisson9135]

Better late than never: excellent review, and while I wasn't either interested nor even aware of the Simped F16s, the comparison was still very interesting, as I understood this basically as the Simpeds being the old king of the ring, at the end of their era, while the Crosswinds are now the new high end pedals of choice. And as usual with simmers owning a Warthog HOTAS (I do too, awesome hardware!) my friendly advice: "Warthog" isn't pronounced with a "th" (as in "the"), but as a two syllable word, i.e. "wart'hog", consisting of the two words "wart" and "hog" actually and referring to the animal that is called a warthog, which the A-10 also was named after, due to it simply bristling with weapons, same as the animal more or less.

[@DBSTH0R]

Thank you for the friendly advice and nice comments. If you are looking for a quality set of rudder pedals, VKB (completely metal) are also a valid option next to MFGs. Unlike the old days when you had only the Simpeds if you wanted something better - we do have more options today. :)

[@homermorisson9135]

I did look at the VKB Mk IVs, and while I do like the all metal build for its durability, I have to say that to me personally, the MFG Crosswinds look far, far better -- both visually (I actually really love the white finish!), as well as construction-/feature-wise. I prefer having full pedals, and actual toe brakes (the VKB website speaks of "virtual" toe brakes), and while the VKBs are probably the product of choice for people preferring the Combat-style, I would use the pedals from my regular gaming chair, not hardmounted to a sim rig, so I too would benefit from the Crosswind's adjustable pedal angle; with the VKBs, I'd probably also have to set my chair to the lowest height possible to get the right angle for my heels to rest on the ground. Overall, to me, without having had either actually at home to test yet, the Crosswinds look much better and seem to fit my gaming profile much better also... and as an added bonus with the Crosswinds' look: they don't look like the typical nerdy hardcore sim controller, they actually look like a designer piece, especially in the original white scheme -- so even potential marital partners not into gaming might still appreciate them just for the way they look... I know I do very much appreciate it when you can actually *see* at first glance that a product is extremely well made, extremely high build quality, made with an eye for and attention to detail. Yeah, I enjoy that very much. =)

[@DBSTH0R]

Well, Milan is in the furniture business so I guess there is some design experience visible on his pedals. Also, he had to save weight (under 5kg) in order to lower shipping costs. Al of this complemented the design. Feature wise, if for nothing else the cam profile is such a great feature - VBK implemented it only later on, hence me recommending them to everyone. FYI MFG are now offered in gray color (not available at the time of this review).

[@nonetaken7873]

Three years later, has the Crosswind composite material sagged much? I'm thinking the composite will slowly bend or sag under the weight of the pilots feet or even just the weight of the pedal.

[@bibostin1182]

Hi there, obviously this is quite some time after you have made this review but do you think that simped pedals would still hold up to today's standards? from all of the forumn scrounging that i have done it seems that the specific model you have retailed for about 250-270 Euros although i may be very off with that considering all i have to go off of is the wayback machine and old forum posts. would you think that at the current date getting a pair for around 120 euros is still worth it? (i found a private seller who is offering for that much.) thanks very much for your time.

[@DBSTH0R]

I've only had them for little over a year before Milan contacted me about his Crosswinds. So I can't tell how durable they are. In the end it depends on how well you maintain or abuse your equipment. :) I'd say they are perfectly capable by todays standards, and will, without a question of a doubt, still be leaps and bounds better than Saitek's rudder pedals for instance. I haven't tested Thrustmaster's new pedals that have been released not so long ago so I can't compare them with them. But in general they should do an excellent job in any flight sim you intend to pair them with. As for the price - 120€ is ok I guess. It all depends on their condition. Mine were in mint condition and I sold them for about 160€ IIRC... Again, at the time of transaction they were just over a year old. Hope this helps.

[@homermorisson9135]

Definitely better than the crap you get from Saitek... I had the Combat Rudder Pedals from Saitek, even the new version under Logitech leadership, hoping that maybe Logitech might have improved on the shoddy quality both with Saitek hardware and software products, but... well, I used them for about 60 minutes the first day, and they worked reasonably well. The next day, wanting to use them again, they didn't work anymore, the potentiometer for the rudder axis was already broken and constantly reported a full rudder right output, 100%, the entire time, no matter which position the actual pedals were in... so yeah, 60 minutes of usage with Star Citizen and the Saitek pedals were already broken. Financially I am not in a position to just easily go ahead and buy high end pedals like the Crosswinds, and likewise I also had to save up quite some time for my Warthog HOTAS, but I can only say this one thing: if you buy cheap, you will buy twice! It really is soooo worth it investing in real quality, as can be clearly seen with the Warthog... I have it for 5 years now already, and it never once gave me any trouble, it never once had any bugs, defects or issues, it still looks utterly brilliant, and what's more: the TARGET software from Thrustmaster, and especially the entire scripting language they developed to access the hardware directly at the HardwareDirectX interface, and the sheer flexibility this gives you in programming and customizing the Warthog -- that alone is worth the asking price, if you ask me. And same goes for high end pedals... you will have so much more fun using them because of proper build quality, proper materials, proper software support -- even if you need to save up for them quite a while, it definitely is worth it!

[@MrRedrooster53]

Great video thor if you could upload some gameplay of dcs i would greatly appreciate it from jingles

[@DBSTH0R]

UPDATE: Simpeds sold! P-51D rudder take off technique can be seen here: kZThXV1x6RA

[@nerves]

fantastic review!

[@general99411]

How did you manage to get the auto rudder to off in dcs ?

[@DBSTH0R]

It is under "MISC" settings, for all WWII birds, helicopters and other modules.

[@viewer54322]

my simped f16 pedals have developed a squeak/slight rough feel when pushing the right pedal. Its not the spring. Bearing also looks good. Anyone else have this issue?

[@DBSTH0R]

Mine started squeaking after few years on almost all joints - solved this by re-tightening them all. Should be easy to solve. If not, perhaps a touch of grease on the problematic joint would be needed but I don't think that's the case.

[@viewer54322]

@@DBSTH0R I was inspecting it to try to look for areas to tighten it up and noticed that the screech/squeak was coming from a small ball bearing under the black arm. It rolls on a rectangular piece of metal and I assume it must be part of the sensor that detects the Z axis. I tried using a thin piece of paper to wipe away any debris on the ball bearing and now the pedals show as being off center in games/calibration. I think I need to open it up to fix the issue but am doing some research first. Will update.

[@DBSTH0R]

@@viewer54322 You can easily re-calibrate it with the software Milan included. I did it after tightening everything back together. No problem. :) Good luck with solving this.

[@viewer54322]

@@DBSTH0R much appreciated, sorry I may have poorly worded my initial post but I am talking about the hoffman simPed f16 pedals. The issue was solved by unplugging and replugging in the usb. A slight squeak remains in the ball bearing. Will look into what type of lube is appropriate for it. I assume the ball bearing moving along the metal strip is what determines the Z axis position.

[@DBSTH0R]

@@viewer54322 Ah, that explains it. Still, IIRC they too had calibration software....

[@DouxJesusMarieJoseph]

Hi, do the Simped pedals have ball bearings inside ?

[@DBSTH0R]

+Oli Wood I am not sure. Sold them short after posting this video. Might had ball bearing on the main rudder lever. Would have to look it up.

[@Nick871203]

damn is it really worth getting the crosswinds just for games like star citizen or elite? i do not do flight sims, mostly use joysticks for space fighter games like the ones i mentioned, altho i do enjoy ArmA 3 as well. just trying to think if its worth investing in these bad boys for just the few games i am into.. altho i do imagin i be playing star citizen for a very very long time. so i need my gameplay experiance to be comfterble

[@homermorisson9135]

Well, it really depends on you and your own preferences... if you want to play Star Citizen or any other game, especially those with a realistic/semi-realistic flight model, with a high end and precise joystick, you will *need* high end and precise rudder pedals as well, because the only other alternative to pedals would be a joystick with a twist axis, but in my opinion based on having had 10+ joysticks/HOTAS sets over the years, twist axis joysticks are only suited for arcade games, not even remotely for sim-level games... and Star Citizen has a quite bespoke flight system too, or rather it will eventually have, once it is done™ -- it will be very similar to what you would get from a WWII flight sim on the one hand, on the other hand however it will of course support the full 6DOF range of movement. That said, if you use a HOTAS set, you will definitely want to use pedals for SC, but especially so for ARMA 3 too, if you want to pilot helicopters for instance... high resolution and high precision pedals will likely instantly make you a better helicopter pilot, if you know what you are doing in general. You should however also always keep in mind that SC is meant to be completely controller/input agnostic, i.e. you will be able to play the game with HOTAS, HOMAK, Gamepad, or even any combination of those options, so if comfortable gameplay is your number one concern, you should think about how you'll approach the whole issue that in SC, you not only pilot spaceships, but you will also drive vehicles and explore locations on foot in 1st person mode -- especially the latter will be plenty weird and decidedly inefficient if done with a joystick, even more so because of the whole "Inner Thought"-system SC employs for interaction with your environment. Personally, I do the full monty: HOTAS for piloting most ships, HOMAK for operating shipboard systems outside of helm/piloting, Gamepad for any kind of vehicle, both spaceworthy "bikes", as well as land vehicles, and HOMAK again for 1st person ground action. So in my case, basically the only time I even use the HOTAS (+pedals once my knee is finally replaced...) is when piloting a ship, but even in that somewhat limited use case for SC, for me personally high end pedals like the Crosswinds would definitely be worth it, especially given the fact that SC has open PvP and is an extremely skill-based game, so while I'm already not the greatest fighter pilot in the world, I wouldn't want shoddy pedals to ruin my precision even more than I already do myself. ;)

[@dg_actual6750]

AWESOMEE!!!!!!!

[@prestrashno]

Bit će moje kad-tad ;)

[@johnnygwalker]

Im interested in simped.

[@DBSTH0R]

Sold them a couple of months ago.

[@charltheron2769]

One of the best and straightforward reviews I ever saw of FlightSim hardware; on par with pilot Maksim Savelev's review of GunFighter Modern Combat Grip flightstick by VKB-Sims (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqS8n39jn7d6orM) Bravo sir. I ordered prompto the MFG's. I am in the market for a decent THROTTLE for desktop play too; both VIRPIL's (MONGOOS T-50 THROTTLE has been sent to production recently) and VKB-Sim's TECS (Twin Engine Control System, further down the production line) has cornered my interest. Would you recommend anything else in the meantime if the above two takes longer then anticipated to get to the market?

[@theeltea]

8:49 BRD, eh?

[@DBSTH0R]

All MFG. :)

[@DBSTH0R]

Thank you!

[@erfho8y]

F15*

[@erfho8y]

or is it just me?

[@erfho8y]

erfho8y nvm it looked like a 5

[@DBSTH0R]

erfho8y It is definitely 16. :)

[@ralph_f16simulator]

Nice pedals, but nowhere near F16 sorry :-) And both feet are off the ground in the steps, which is sometime not desirable