Posted December 31, 1969 by Scott Parrino

Fly the virtual skies with an authentic and high-quality stick.

If anyone here who has watched the movie Top Gun and said to themselves, ?I want to be Maverick and fly an F-14? raise your hands. Well now you can, almost. Actually, it is more of an F-16.

CH Product?s FighterStick is their top joystick of their lineup and from the looks of it they were not holding back. Authentically modeled after the United States Air Force F-16?s you can rest assured the immersion level is high for PC fighter jet pilots. Of course, other flight simulator enthusiasts will enjoy the level of detail as well on the FighterStick.

Immersion isn?t just the only thing the FighterStick comes with. Boasting two push buttons, a nice bright red trigger, a mode switch button, three 4-way hat switches and one 8-way hat. Installing the Control Manager software that is standard with all CH products you can program up to 132 functions. Combine that with a side slide throttle on the base and x and y-axis trim rotaries you can operate flight simulators with just the FighterStick alone. All of this is wrapped in a sleek black design with red and gray buttons. Like many of CH?s products, the gaudiness is minimal to keep an authentic, professional look that is sure to impress anyone passing by your desk. On my desk, where everything is pretty much black and gray, the FighterStick looks like a natural addition.

The preciseness and ease of use is a very important aspect of a joystick. You don?t want a stick that requires a strong arm to use nor one that is constantly off-center or spiking. The FighterStick doesn?t disappoint, as it is very easy move the stick around with little or no effort. There was a bit of a problem whenever you crossed the middle of the axis, whether pulling back and then going forward, or rolling left to right, you would hit the center and it would upset the smooth transition. While it took some getting used to, beginners may have problems if they aren?t used to it. I was spoiled by the Saitek X52?s digital input and with this I was getting frustrated with the FighterStick. Practice makes perfect and after hours of flying I didn?t notice it anymore.



The grip is comfortable yet the joystick itself is huge. I don?t brag about the size of my hands, but I had to really stretch my thumb to reach the top hat and button. It became such a nuisance that I un-mapped the functions of those buttons at the top which lowered the amount of functions for me to use. There have been numerous suggestions to make a custom-made hand rest to raise it, ensuring an easier reach on the 8-way hat and button at top. Although a design like Saitek?s X52 hand rest adjuster would be welcome, I believe it would compromise the authentic look of the FighterStick.

The throttle on the base of the stick feels kind of loose but I believe it isn?t meant for serious usage as most PC pilots pair up the FighterStick with the Pro Throttle. The trim rotaries are functional in a very precise way. This added a better sense of control on long flights where you wanted to stay level through changing winds and turbulence.



Overall the FighterStick is a great joystick. The quality, the detail, and the amount of buttons and hat switches enable the pilot to load up any flight sim and not have a problem with being tied to the keyboard. The price for the FighterStick comes in at $150, which is a tad steep for some gamers, but if you want to pay for a quality joystick that won?t disappoint serious PC flight simulator enthusiasts, CH Products is your company.