Saitek X65 - A Tale of Two Joysticks

I've been using this for testing and making profiles for Combat-Helo since the weekend. This is a really odd stick. It's perhaps the best built joystick out of the box I've ever had the privilege of using. And quite a looker too. The textured metal feel, the metal triggers and even a couple of the HATs. Oddly this level of build isn't consistent with several hats made from what feels like a poor quality plastic. But it wasn't broken or badly assembled, and nothing has broken yet.

If you didn't know, the X65 is a force sensing stick. It doesn't move and is really sensitive to tiny amounts of hand pressure along the x/y and rotation axis. The amount of pressure you apply is translated into a direction. It makes fine control a joy since there are no springs or rubber boots to interfere with your intent. Apart from the plastic hats I don't have anything to say about the stick. Just really nice to hold, use, and with no moving parts it should be reliable. Guiding the Apache in Combat-Helo around for landing can be tricky made easier by the X65.

Then there's the throttle. *sigh*

Again beautifully made except for the dual throttle tension adjuster, a tiny hex screw on the underside made from the softest metal on the planet designed to dissolve on contact with anything heavier than neutrinos. The dual-throttle operation set to the weakest tension setting requires quite a lot of force. More force than is comfortable or practical for a helicopter collective that might require a good percentage of travel quickly. The perfect combo would be a separate collective controller and then just use the dual throttle for the engine levers. Also it has a rather unpleasant sounding 'gloop' noise when operated, like there's a lot of grease inside being moved around. The noises are almost pornographicly sticky.

So we have a super sensitive joystick perfect for fine control. And a near impossible-to-move dual throttle controller that needs to be nailed down (which is why it comes with a heavy steel plate).

All in one neat package. A tale of two joysticks.