Thrustmaster T16000M FCS - Ambidextrous Flight Control System with H.E.A.R.T HallEffect AccuRate Technology for PC

This is a great quality joystick, giving consistent performance while on a budget. You can grip the surface well, it feels responsive and is quite compatible with multiple systems due to its plug-and-play capabilities. It is fun to use it and quite entertaining. This is a great choice if you would like a cheap but durable joystick for flight simulators and such.

I've used Thrustmaster products since the 90's and never had any issues with them and this is no different.Years ago I was using a Saitek X52 and when that started failing I decided to purchase a budget joystick so got the Thrustmaster T.Flight Stick X back in 2016 when it was on sale. Although the T.Flight Stick X is 8 years old it still works fine but I missed my separate throttle so started looking for a replacement.After extensive research, reading reviews and tests I opted for this, the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Hotas and one of the deciding factors was the precision of the joystick. I had originally thought about the Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S or Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog but the T16000M came out as my final choice.I fly mainly in DCS World and the precision of the joystick really shines through, especially in dogfights. It also works well in X-Plane and Ace Combat, although you will need to configure Ace Combat 7 manually in the config files.As this comes with the throttle I generally reassign the small sliding throttle on the joystick itself to another function, more often than not in DCS I use it as a zoom function. There are plenty of buttons to assign on the joystick itself, personally I mainly use the right side for engine controls and use the left side for things I use more often in flight as I can tap them with my thumb.The throttle also has plenty of buttons to assign and also has a dedicated analogue hat which is excellent in DCS for moving the camera around on targetting pods, you can assign the click of the analogue hat to something like target locking. There is also a rotary control on the top, left side of the throttle which is handy, again my main use in DCS is either zoom levels on the targetting display or I use it as the throttle for helicopters, leaving the throttle slide free for collective.One big plus of the throttle setup, that I was a little sceptical of was the rocker paddles on the rear. I use these as rudder control and I've got just as much control as I used to get with my dedicated pedals, takes a bit of getting used too but it's really impressive and saved me having to buy separate pedals and having another bulky box sat around.There are reviews that mention the plastic construction, yes it is plastic but then it's good quality and metal where it counts, my previous Thrustmaster that's 8 years old and still working is all plastic construction so not sure why some people have issues with it. End of the day if you want all metal then expect to pay 4x the cost of the T16000M and even some of them are plastic just with metal switches.One noticeable thing, which was mentioned in a number of reviews is the throttle slide action can feel a little but sticky. I did notice that out the box, it's not horrendous but can effect precision in something like DCS. There is an adjustment screw on the underside for the throttle action and I found loosening that off quite a bit helped make it more fluid, also being more gentle with the action and not forcefully pushing and pulling the throttle helped a lot. There is an after market slide you can fit but for me personally that won't be considered until the warranty has expired, as it is with the screw adjustment and being a bit more gentle using it I found it to be fine.If you want more button assignments you can use the Thrustmaster Target software that's free, personally I don't bother and I map everything I need to the throttle and joystick and then the rest of the commands I use voice control through Voice Attack.In all I think the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Hotas is an excellent choice for some precision flying, especially if you get it while on offer like I did.

Arrived a day earlier than expected, but still had to wait about 7 days from ordering ( came from France to UK - kept in touch with seller who was extremely helpful - thank you ). Unboxed and connected joystick and throttle to a 4 USB 3rd gen 'gang', bought separately but advertised to go with this package on Amazon at the bottom of the seller's advert for an extra cost, the rudder pedal's RJ12 connector fits into the throttle body, which has it's own USB connector ( all 3rd gen ). Read the leaflets ( 1 for each controller - joystick - throttle - rudder / pedals ), went to Thrustmaster's website and downloaded manuals and drivers and calibration software easily - couldn't wait so took a Cessna 172P training aircraft for a little 'taxi' on the tarmac ( I'm really new to Flightgear 2021 ), and all was well except for the rudder / pedals - found another driver 'all-in' software pack on the Thrustmaster website and downloaded that too. So far all is well and looking forward to learning to fly ! ( The last time I looked the package was £20 cheaper - during the Covid pandemic prices went up - everyone sheltering from Covid wanted to learn to fly so prices went up as the bundle became scarce I believe - so should be a little cheaper now. If you get this bundle YouTube has plenty of videos reviewing the bundle - and I can't argue with anything I came across so far - Happy Days !! Overall, pleased with the experience and taking to the skies soon hopefully ! Simulator bought for this was Flightgear 2021 - 6 disk pack - World scenery - Over 50 aircrafts including a helicopter or two - Tutorial disk with vocal instructions - Many World airports. Patience is the key to learning to fly with Flightgear - A flight simulator many flight trainees use on PC which is more real World experience including air traffic controller vocals - more a starter to real flying than a game for shooting things so beware. Can be intensive, but, if you want to get very close to the real thing Flightgear's right up your alley for this bundle. Finally, Flightgear does use up quite a heavy amount of PC resources, so consider something more like a good flying game if all you want to use this bundle for is to just get into the skies and shoot down an enemy with this flight controller kit. Flightgear uses openGL settings and a graphics card similar to Nvidia GeForce 1050 Ti GTX which is what I have, and a CPU starting around 3300- 3600 MHz. Find out all you can before buying a flight sim to use with this kit. All in all pleased. 4 Stars for now simply because there is better out there but is so much more expensive. This a great 'middle of the road' piece of kit. ( This meets my budget, and first-time learning to fly experience with Flightgear 2021 ! ) Good luck ! UPDATE: Having tried to get the Thrusmaster T16000m fcs running with Flightgear, I've since had to get a Thrustmaster T.RJ12 USB ADAPTER for the pedal's T.RJ12 connector, which doesn't register in Flightgear if plugged into the throttle female T.RJ12 connector, and a USB 3.0 HUB to accommodate 3 USB 3.0 connectors, ( 1 for the joystick, and throttle and pedals ). You will also have to at some point learn .XML or HTML language for the odd programming and script writing to be able to change some settings ! Having said all of that...I wanted Flightgear for the helicopter tutorials and I'm going to stubbornly continue my quest ! p.s. If you prefer to get a Microsoft Flight Sim' be very well aware of what you will need, and whether the version you get for this Thrustmaster package has been discontinued. And if you think it's all hard work, I've seen some cracking flight simulator rigs that have taken over the lives and provide a lot of entertainment for some !! A labour of love ! Good luck !