CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB ( 200-615 )

The yoke felt very much like the Cessna's that I fly (C172R), albeit a bit lighter weight. The resistance was a little surprising, very stiff, which is good for cross country flying. It took a little getting used to the button locations, especially the hat switch, but after a few hours it falls right into my grasp. Having an 8-position hat switch sure makes the landing pattern easier to fly, and with all the buttons on the yoke I don't need to touch the keyboard. The trim wheel was very stiff, so I wouldn't use it to trim the airplane, just to adjust the joystick centering during calibration.

SELF CENTERING OR NOT???

I was concerned about the lack of center detent when I initially read the literature. But this doesn't mean the joystick doesn't self-center. It snaps back to center with about 1/4 inches of center play, just like in a real airplane.


The only Yoke for the masses   July 3, 2003
Red Baron (Atlanta, GA United States)
130 out of 130 found this review helpful

This yoke is the only choice in this price range except for the similar and slightly cheaper LE version that comes with one throttle lever instead of three. I agree that it is a little bit overpriced and plasticky but you'd end up paying ten times more for a more realistic product.

I just bought it anticipating the release of MS Flight Simulator 2004 and I can't wait to fly some civilian aircraft with it in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I've successfully flown tons of He-111 bomber missions in IL-2 Sturmovik Forgotten Battles and the yoke has worked great there and added tons of realism. It's a bit mushy though and it's too bad it does not have a dead-on center. I had to correct my straight flight path almost constantly.

I was glad I didn't have to touch the software CD that came with. I just plugged it in, Windows XP recognized it immediately, and I assigned functions to the buttons and axis inside the game with no problems.

CH Products last forever (I've used their Flightstick Pro for 10 years now), they have good customer support, and they're all made in the USA.


Works Great w/ my MSFS2004   October 24, 2003
Anthony J. Sequeira (Boylston, MA USA)
56 out of 56 found this review helpful

I really wanted a yoke for FS2004 - I use that program to practice IFR flight. When I discovered that USB yokes are $very expensive - I was very disapointed - then I found these CH products. Sure it is plastic - but it is well worth it I believe. I almost did not buy it because of reviews here, but I am sure glad I did. XP recognized the yoke right away - and there was no need for a software installation. (I guess the CD that ships with the yoke is for lesser Windows Versions). I then launched FS2004 and sure enough - it recognized the CH Yoke and had already set up all of the assignments for all buttons and levers. Took off from ORH and loved the product from that moment . . .I am sure the "real" yokes are better, but who the hell wnats to spend that much money. . . .next I plan on purchasing their rudder pedals.


Absolutely the best flight sim setup available   January 15, 2004
W. Prince (Orlando, Florida)
50 out of 50 found this review helpful

Let me start by saying that this setup is not for the typical gamer or the flight simmer that likes to yank n bank. This setup is more for fans of Flight Sim, and other more "serious" simulators out there that focus more on reality than action. That being said...

For the price this setup cannot be beat. I treated myself to the CH Yoke Pro USB and USB Rudder Pedals about 8 months ago, and I am still greatly enjoying them today. I probably paid about twentyfive more for each (Fifty total) at that time, but even at that price it was a great deal considering the quality and entertainment I've received from them. I've always been a big fan of flight sims and I must say that this rig in conjuntion with MS Flight Sim 2004 is the best commercial flight sim there has ever been. The level of realism increases immensely with the use of the yoke and rudder pedals.

Also, with the number of buttons and levers on the yoke, you almost don't need to use the keyboad at all. Just about everything you need is right at your fingertips; Throttle, Mixture, Prop Pitch, Gear Up/Down, Flaps Up/Down, 8-Way View Hat, Rudder Trim, Elevator Trim, plus 4 other misc buttons to do more stuff with. Note that all of the buttons and levers can be customized to anything you like. MS Flight Sim immediately recognizes this yoke and sets it up with a default set of controls that does just about everything you need.

Another really nice feature is the rudder pedals have independant variable braking (something I didn't know that real planes even have) which means you can break the left and right wheels independantly. This is done by each foot pedal being pushed in the typical way a gas or break pedal would work on a steering wheel setup. This is not only used for braking, but also as an aid in steering. Of course the pedals also slide forward and back for rudder control, all exactly the way a real plane works. This adds an even higher level of realism that no joystick can reproduce.

A review would seem biased if I didn't mention something I didn't like about the product, but I can honestly say that I am perfectly happy with it, and have nothing bad to say. The yoke and pedals are built solid and meant to last, and the performance is flawless. So all I can say is if you enjoy flight sims, or if you're toying with the idea of getting your pilots license, then this setup is a must. I have no regrets on my purchase, and it's even cheaper now. I hope that doesn't mean they are going away, but if it does make sure to get one before they do.


Nice, but overpriced.   June 15, 2003
J. Turner (Houston, Texas United States)
43 out of 48 found this review helpful

This yoke works great with Microsoft Flight Simulator and other flight simulators. Installation is painlessyjust plug in the USB connector and install the driver. The buttons and switches on the yoke are automatically mapped to various functions in MS flight simulator (no configuration necessary), such as changing the view. Without pressing a key, you can change the view from inside the aircraft cabin to a 3D chase view, or looking up at you aircraft from the tower, which a flick of your thumb.

This yoke even has a small plastic wheel that even acts like a trim wheel.

However, it feels like what it is-- a... plastic yoke. The thickness of my desk wasnyt thick enough, so I had to use a book or two to get the clamps to firmly grip my desk and even then it wasnyt totally stable. Also, unlike a real airplane yoke, you can pull back (or push forward) and it wonyt totally return to neutral. This may be a problem with the software, but I was disappointed. I had high expectations because of the high price that simply werenyt met.