WinWing F-15EX Eagle II Throttle Grip Review

Рет қаралды 6,956

Күн бұрын

A recommendable addition to any HOTAS setup, doesn't matter if your stick and base is from WinWing themselves, Virpil, VKB or someone else: The F-15EX Eagle II Metal HOTAS grip.
Thanks to WinWing for sending me over the review samples! There were no strings attached - they just asked for a honest review.
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Пікірлер: 50

@martenmichaelis2028 8 ай бұрын

Wo hast du den gekauft?Normalerweise werden die Sachen von Wingwing vom Zoll abgefangen, da die Produkte von Wingwing nicht CE zertifiziert sind und somit nicht in die EU eingeführt werden dürfen. LG, Marten

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

Mein Review Sample kam direkt von WinWing. War ganz normal im Zoll, steckte dort eine Weile fest und kam dann durch. Das mit dem CE wäre mir neu. Es gibt haufenweise Leute aus der EU mit WinWing Produkten. //edit: interessant. Mich mal eingelesen. Danke für den Hinweis. Aber von "normalerweise abgefangen" kann ich im Netz nichts erkennen. In einem deutschen Forum lediglich Meldungen im Sinne von "kam an" und "meins auch".

@crevetta6128 7 ай бұрын

From an ergonomic pov, would you recommend the F18 grip, F15E or F15EX? The EX seems overkill for me i don't need that many buttons

@WatchMysh 7 ай бұрын

I don't have the F18 grip, sorry. But the F15 grip is very... I'd say "tidy" in its layout. The EX is great because of the additional tiny rotary. I use it for zoom and zoom reset. That's why I use it on my sim rig instead of the regular F15 grip.

@blaze7885 5 ай бұрын

just before i buy at the end have u bought the f15 e or ex and if u did do u suggest it ?

@crevetta6128 5 ай бұрын

@@blaze7885 Hi mate, I bought the 15EX, didn't play as much as I want due to life stuff but i feel like it was the best option due to the 2 wheel axes on it to use as zoom. However, there are so many buttons i couldn't assign them all for my f16/f14. EDIT: Buy the throttle with the detent, i feel like it's a must

@alexandershugayev 4 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot for the video. I've got the same model including the base. I'm very new to FS and have little to no knowledge on an airplane misc. controls, just a few basic ones. What are the common or recommended bindings for the grip controls one can use in MSFS for example?

@flamethrower82 4 ай бұрын

In US aircraft, the right stick is usually dedicated to weaponry, targeting, trim, and countermeasures. The left throttle controls are usually dedicated to radar, RWR (missile warning system), precision targeting, and speed controls. You can easily find out what the HOTAS (Hands on throttle and stick) standard controls are if you look up "[plane] HOTAS controls".

@alexandershugayev 4 ай бұрын

@@flamethrower82 Thanks a lot - I'll do more digging but the more I read the more I realize that for flying cessna, for example, I might need a regular yoke as well. Not that its impossible to use the stick but for simplicity sake.

@WatchMysh 4 ай бұрын

You can easily fly a Cessna with your stick. No need for a yoke unless you just want a more authentic experience.

@alexandershugayev 4 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh Agree and I do realize that I'm at the typical nub stage of believing that I need more stuff just like big boys :)

@flamethrower82 4 ай бұрын

If it makes you feel better, even stunt planes use flight sticks. It's just a lot quicker at maneuvering. A yoke is basically a steering wheel that can move back and forth as well, but don't plan on flying fast jets with it. And don't try to race with it. Yokes aren't built for Formula 1 racing. Cirrus actually uses flight sticks as well (ie the SR22). Mind you, Cirrus and Airbus put the stick on the left and throttle on the right, but it's a simple adaptation. @@alexandershugayev

@Yolo_Swagins 8 ай бұрын

Does it work with X4? If not, which similliar controller would you recommend for X4?

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

It should. But I can't give recommendations because I only play X4 with m/k.

@CajunJosh 6 ай бұрын

Do you know if the mini joystick on the back of the throttle grip uses a hall sensor or potentiometers?

@WatchMysh 6 ай бұрын

They explicitely say "hall thumb wheel" in the documentation but only "mini stick" without any further description. So I guess it uses a potentiometer. But I asked WinWing to make sure. Will keep you updated.

@CajunJosh 6 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh Appreciate it. Thanks to your review and 10 Percent True's I've now got a Orion2 F16 stick and F15 throttle on the way.

@WatchMysh 6 ай бұрын

@@CajunJosh Awesome! :) You'll not be disappointed!

@WatchMysh 6 ай бұрын

@@CajunJosh Got an answer from WinWing It uses a potentiometer.

@CajunJosh 6 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh appreciate you checking. Wish it were hall but there are enough four way hats to make up for they slew when it inevitably starts drifting and getting noisy.

@theskyscav 8 ай бұрын

Nice review, what’s it max height when fully assembled? And I thought the switch was a 3 way.

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

Which switch? It's often a bit complicated to word precisely. The switch you probably mean is 2-way but 3-stage. I'll check max height... Just a moment.

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

Height is around 22cm

@theskyscav 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh the one on the left hand grip. The up / down. Thanks.

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

@@theskyscav Yes, it's 3-stage 2-way spring loaded.

@theskyscav 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh Thank you.

@chaosmaxx5459 5 ай бұрын

Does somebody hawe some place to get bindings For DCS / MSFS i just got this exact same model, and binding in simulation is hell... ( im new to flight sim) :)

@WatchMysh 5 ай бұрын

DCS keybinding is a tedious process. I'd ask on r/hotas or r/hoggit :) I'm quite sure someone has some general bindings for your there. Or at least you'll get pointed into the right direction.

@chaosmaxx5459 5 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh thanks man, at this point I need any help that I can get XD

@EbonySeraphim 7 ай бұрын

Because I'm a DCS pilot and not a space sim pilot, I prefer the my main joystick for whatever module to be replica style if reasonably possible. I have an F-16EX and TM F/A-18+Virpil WardBRD base covering 4 modules -- A/10C+F-16C and the F/A-18+F-15C/E, and I always use a Virpil CM3 throttle because all throttles and collectives are just too different. I believe adding extra controls is absolutely wonderful and necessary for cross module functionality, DCS modifier buttons, and the beastly Apache. However, Winwing's problem is they are feature quantity over quality. I can deal with extra controls that aren't that trivial to reach and use, but if this is ever done at the expense of the core replica control, that's when it's a problem and WinWing does this. My F-16EX TMS down is an unreliable control probably because that switch has an extra "depress" functionality and I really dislike it. In order to unstick it, I have to depress or hit TMS left+right. TMS left and right will do something in the relevant modules so that's bad, so best case is you can depress to unstick so I can use TMS down --- but is this what I want to be thinking in such an immersive sim after paying $300? Not at all. The Thrustmaster F/A-18 grip and what TM has been doing since has been sensible in terms of giving me extra controls, but don't make the core ones harder to use. WinWing F-16 throttle has the same problem I think with the antenna elevation knob -- because they put a 4-way+push on top of it (the real jet has no button), reviewers have complained the rotation functionality is actually really hard to use. Thrustmaster's F-16 TQS grip on the other hand, puts a single button there, the (replica) knob is still easily usable and so is the button. I can go further with the F-16EX grip -- the single nosewheel steering button is turned into a 4-way+push as well, and though it's reachable, and pretty usable -- it really isn't all that obvious which direction you're actuating and I wouldn't put any controls there that are difficult or annoying to reverse for a given module. It would have been better if all they did was expand to make the NWS button a 2 position switch + push.

@WatchMysh 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for your detailed comment! Sure, I get your points. :) I personally don't have any of these problems (stiction, guessing directions to actuate etc.) though. Also I really like the extended functionality because I play all kinds of games, including space sims. The F16-EX is my preferred grip at the moment and arguably the best I've ever had. Fits my needs and style very well. Well ... we're all different and so there are different products on the market. Also can't comment on the F-16 throttle comparisons. Don't own any of them and also never could try them out anywhere. But judging from the videos I watched TM has some quality issues going on their F-16 throttle which don't go well together with the comparably high price they ask for it. What's your assessment? Do you own both and would share some thoughts on them?

@EbonySeraphim 7 ай бұрын

@@WatchMyshI can't comment directly on the F-16 throttle comparisons either. I simply have watched probably 5-10ish reviews for both the TM and WW offerings and paid close attention to any complaints about using any of the basic controls. For the TM offering, there's only one complaint that you can't quite reach the zoom view lever with your thumb while your hand is on the stick. Everything is easy and intuitive to use, as designed. With Winwing's offering, 3 (maybe more) reviewers mentioned the antenna elevation knob being difficult, or downright impossible to operate. This is kind of what I'm referring to when I bring up my TMS down stiction issue even though mine is QC and the other is by design. I'm suggesting that the only reason my TMS down button has stiction, is because it's a more complicated 4-way hat + push instead of just the 4-way hat it is supposed to be. If you're going to add controls, please do it without introducing QC issues to the replica controls, and especially WW shouldn't do it if it makes the replica controls harder to use. Because the Apache CPG right hand grip (TEDAC) has so many controls, this is why the F-16EX even has a serious place. Only that joystick grip and perhaps the Virpil Contellation Alpha Prime have enough controls to map that beast, and it is HOCAS so I get the advertisement to say "more buttons = better" there. I just don't find it as valid for the throttles when VKB Stecs, Virpil CM3, and Orion2 + normal F-15E grips are all just fine for the Apache left hand grips on either seat. The downside of more controls is basic: more controls is worse when you can't easily distinguish them OR if you can't easily be sure you have 'activated' it when you attempt to and must rely on observing the results. Real cockpit HOTASes are designed with those principles in mind -- the pilot cannot be "unsure" if they activated sometime, and they must be sure of it's distinction versus other actions they could attempt to do. Even in space sims, it's at least annoying, slows you down, or reduces immersion because you're thinking too hard about if you're using your controls correctly.

@TheProtector737 8 ай бұрын

Will you review the STECS?

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

Yep. Already recording. :)

@TheProtector737 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh 😀

@TheProtector737 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchMysh What do you think compared with the F-15EX grip?

@WatchMysh 8 ай бұрын

@@TheProtector737 Still testing so this may change but so far: Its ergonomics are great because the STECS doesn't need to follow a classic design. F15EX is more tailored towards "feeling real"... But ergonomics are still good, though. It's tough to make a recommendation... They are both great. I guess I'll use the EX on my sim rig and the STECS on the desktop. My perfect throttle would be the Orion2 base with a STECS grip.

@WatchMysh 7 ай бұрын

@@TheProtector737 STECS review is up!