I’ve been playing sim for about maybe 2-3 months now and fell in love with the game mode and mostly use Japanese fighters and decided to get a hotas. I dont have pedals yet so thats probably contributing but I’m having a lot of trouble dogfighting with it. All I can really do is boom and zoom a bit easier now but using the planes I like the most like A7M2 and A6M3 is a bit of a struggle. I’m assuming its an issue with lacking pedals but I manage to stall zeros of all things in turnfights…
Pedals are a huge necessity. I myself used a twist stick for rudder control at first, but realized how much I was missing out on when I finally got some pedals.
-Pedals are required for coordinated flight. This video will explain why it’s important.
-Pedals will allow you to ride the very edges of your flight envelope without stalling.
-Pedals will add another dimension of control to your gunnery.
-Pedals are very helpful to guide a damaged plane back to base.
Knowing what I know now, I would never be satisfied trying to fly without pedals.
If you’re looking for a suggestion on any good products, I use the VKB T-Rudders. They lack a brake axis, because of their design. But they are very good for a desk and rolling chair setup. The design also feels more intuitive than traditional pedals IMO.
Ah yes, that old spiral:
…wouldn’t fly anymore without HOTAS
then
…wouldn’t fly anymore without Pedals
then
…wouldn’t fly anymore without Headtracking
then
…wouldn’t fly anymore without VR
Been there, done that, wondering what’s next! = )
Of course each “new tech” you get is an investment, and not everybody is fortunate enough to be able afford it, but if it’s a hobby you enjoy and want to do for a while, I recommend invest as much as you can.
Sheesh, we really came far in those 25 years since I started flying planes on computers.
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