Stealth 2000 H.o.t.a.s.s. Review - By Mark "Frugal" Bush
There are many seriously
dedicated simmers out there that spend much of their spare time in their
workshops (and much of their bank balance) making home built cockpits.
Having always considered myself a very dedicated hard core simmer I would
like to say that I fall into this category. Unfortunately I am unable
to say this because I have no spare time, I don't have a workshop and
my wife removes the bank balance from the equation before I get a sniff
of it. That being said I have about as much talent in the woodworking
department as my kids have in the behaving department.
As you can imagine I was very pleased when someone decided to make a
product that gives the non handymen amongst us a little bit of that home
cockpit feel. This is exactly what Fighter Systems have done with their
H.O.T.A.S.S. It is not a heated cushion as the name might suggest but
rather a Hands On Throttle And Stick Support or more simply put, a stand
that allows you to place your hotas in a realistic position.
The particular HOTASS that I received is the new Stealth 2000 Black unit
that costs $99.95. The unit itself consists of a semi circular base and
2 towers, one tower for the Joystick and a slightly shorter tower for
the throttle. (an extra tower can be purchased at a cost of $24.95).
The joystick tower can be placed in the centre like in the Hornet or
as a side stick like the Viper. I was also lucky enough to be supplied
an RPI or rudder pedal integrator. This bolts to the base and keeps your
rudder pedals held firmly in place and costs $16.95. Fighter Systems
also threw in a keyboard stand that positions your keyboard at a 45 degree
angle.
I must admit that I was quite excited when the HOTASS arrived as this
is something I have been in need of for a very long time. The packaging
was very good and had kept the unit safe during it's journey across the
Atlantic. Upon opening the box lots of Styrofoam chips spilled out onto
the floor giving the wife something to moan about, this made her very
happy and the large amount of bubble wrap that surrounded the unit kept
the kids happy for hours on end. So as you can see this unit is fun for
all the family.
The instructions were very clear and so some 4 hours later I was up and
running, ok let me qualify that. 15 minutes later I had assembled the
HOTASS using the supplied allen screws and allen key. It then took me
the best part of 4 hours to sort out the absolute mess of tangled wires
that had gathered under my desk over the last year or so. I am not kidding
it was an absolute nightmare under there with joystick, throtle and rudder
leads tied up with speaker wires and power leads and my steering wheel
and microphone. If the HOTASS serves no other purpose than to make this
mess of wires a thing of the past then it will be worth the price. Considering
the problem was caused in the main by me swapping my stick and throttle
in and out it should no longer be a problem. My throttle and stick now
are a permanent fixture.
The whole thing fits nicely into my little corner and is completely unobtrusive
but strangely sexy (if you are into that sort of thing :) This was very
important to me as my main PC is in my living room (I keep it here so
that my family still get to see me ;) The Joystick and throttle are held
in place on the towers with velcro, the rudders are attached to the RPI
in the same manner. I must admit that I was a little concerned that velcro
would not be strong enough for the job. Anyone that's ever used an F22pro
will know that the tension is very strong and I was convinced that the
base would pull away from the tower during dogfights. This worry was
unfounded as Fighter Systems appear to have found super strong velcro,
this stuff would probably hold your walls up, as a result removing the
stick from the tower requires real effort.
So how does it perform? Well to be honest I would have to say that this
is probably the most significant enhancement to my set up after the F22pro
and TQS. These may seem like strong words but as you can see from the
pictures my desk space is so limited that I am unable to place my hotas
on my desk (not that this would be a good position anyway). Instead I
have had to use a dinner tray on my lap to support the hotas in the past.
This wouldn't be so bad if the dinner tray didn't have a floral design.
You can't imagine how hard it is to suspend your disbelief for a prolonged
period when you have flowers in your cockpit. I have had to convince
myself that I am a sensitive 90's fighter pilot.
Not any more, now in my jet black cockpit (which matches the rest of
my furniture) I am now butch, brooding (yet pleasantly colour co-ordinated)
tough guy fighter pilot. Flying with the HOTASS is a whole new experience.
I can now lean back in my chair with my arms in a natural position. Also
the stick and throttle no longer slide around or tip when I use my rudder
pedals (which also no longer move). I often find myself resting my hand
on my throttle or grabbing my stick (yes I said stick :) even when I'm
not flying. I have found my hands resting on my hotas several times while
writing this review. This is probably both a reflection on how good the
HOTASS is and also what a sad git I am :) I dunno there is just something
real comforting about the feel of a Thrustmaster hotas :)
So would I recommend the HOTASS? Sure I would, if you have the money
to spare then it is well worth the outlay. It may seem quite expensive
but it is solidly made and you have to consider that this is a pretty
specialised market. Let's be honest these things are not going to be
mass produced and sold in the high street so the price is going to reflect
the low volumes. I may be Frugal, but quality costs and the HOTASS is
definitely quality.
