Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick
by Thrustmaster
(Click here)
Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: ThrustmasterAudio: English (Original Language)
Format: CD
Platform: Windows
Model: 2960534
Color: Black
Product features:
- Replica of the US Air Force F-16 block 52 controller (Stick and throttle)
- Used by US Air Force for pilot training - a reference in the aircraft sector
- Endorsed by the Virtual Thunderbirds and the Russian Knights
- Simple connection using full speed USB. Response time 8 x faster than traditional USB plugs
- 28 buttons and multiple hat switches. All programmable: 100% customization
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (3.3 Feet/1.0 Meter)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to Mini-B Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
Digital camera reviews of Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick
Digital camera Review: A Hobby unto Itself. Softcore Simmers Beware.
Summary: 3 Stars
For two years I owned a Thrustmaster Cougar HOTAS, touted as the ultimate flight simmer's controller, and in that time I all but stopped simming. Honestly, in two years I flew perhaps a dozen hours at most. Before the Cougar, I simmed much more--off and on for years--and did so on lousy to middling equipment: bargain-bin trash, a CH Flightstick, and later, a CH Combatstick USB. By then I found myself playing Falcon 4.0 religiously, so when it became "necessary" to pick up a throttle, I passed over the homely CH Pro Throttle and reached for the sexy, uber-F16 controller, the Cougar.
Next to the Cougar, any other controller looks like it came free with a Happy Meal. It's so sleek yet solid and rugged--it's simply gorgeous. You'll find yourself ogling it, polishing it, displaying it, and even fashioning dust covers for it. You'll also appreciate its features, ergonomics and simplicity. The trigger is dual-stage. Every button on the throttle falls under a finger. And that throttle, along with gameport rudder pedals (should you have them), plugs directly into the stick base, forging a single mega-controller with a gazillion buttons and axes, all routed to your PC through a single USB plug. Elegant.
Packaged with the Cougar comes a simmer's dream date: a 183-page manual, your guide to the complex software suite that drives the Cougar. You'll want to take it to bed, curl up under a reading lamp and spend the night with it. But that's where the problems start. It doesn't illuminate; it obfuscates. If the Cougar Reference Manual concerned baseball, chapter one would be "The Infield Fly Rule," and the first page would delve into the Old English etymology of "field." In other words, one must learn Cougar-programming in spite of it. Expect to spend several Saturdays getting nowhere. Expect to procrastinate, and, for the thin-skinned among you, expect to give up. And that's too bad, because the point of owning a Cougar, besides its looks, is to harness its powerful programming features for your own purposes.
Ultimately, though, the Cougar is a piece of hardware, and yes, a great looking one. So how does it feel? In a word, STIFF. As a former (and current) CH user, I found it difficult to make small, discreet motions with the stick and tiring to hold precise bank angles. I also found it tough to move the throttle; to paraphrase another reviewer, it's tough to get it going, and once going, tough to stop on a dime (though to be fair, it's the only throttle I've tried). Then there's the issue of bad potentiometers, a common Cougar complaint. Bad pots mean dead axes, and dirty pots mean "spiking" or sudden input surges. I experienced neither. Yet reading Cougar forums induces a nagging fear that those pots will eventually require replacement, or at least periodic cleaning. That's off-putting, to say the least; I thought the whole point of buying the best is so you don't have to do this. In fact, many a happy Cougar owner does this and more, tackling its shortcomings through third-party upgrades: new potentiometers, softer springs, precision-machined brass gimbals, aluminum switch casings, and so on. These mods require not only cash--lots of it--but time, technical expertise and a modest workshop, complete with soldering iron, multimeter and an assortment of lubricants and cleansers. Even getting the Cougar to work as advertised with CH Products' Pro Pedals Gameport (arguably the standard in analog pedals) takes a rewiring job. Not exactly plug-and-play.
Clearly, there's a type of simmer who revels in this. He's the kind of person who loves to work on his car over the weekend. Personally, I'd rather drive my car and leave repairs to my local mechanic. In the case of the Cougar, unfortunately, that mechanic is you, baby, you! Do yourself a favor and take a personality test before buying one. If you lack the tinkerer temperament, not to mention time (sims take enough time already!), engineering smarts and excess cash, consider looking elsewhere. Or you just might end up doing what I did: nothing. I let my Cougar sit idle until one day I sold it.
Summary of Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick
Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick. When you¿re looking for the best of the best in flight simulation, three words come to mind: precision, realism and performance. The new partnership between Thrustmaster and the Virtual Thunderbirds demonstrates the perfect union of these concepts, bringing the most advanced flight stick on the market to the most skilled hands in aerial simulation. Thrustmaster¿s HOTAS Cougar is unlike any other simulation device on the market. A replica of the legendary F-16, the benchmark in terms of modern fighter planes, the HOTAS is the product of long and considerable investment in Research and Development. Thrustmaster¿s partnership with the prestigious U.S. Air Force adds unique credibility to the HOTAS, since the product¿s functionalities are in every way identical to the controls of the real aircraft. The Virtual Thunderbirds, a leading aerobatic simulation group, are well-known for their skills at reproducing aerial shows performed by the United States Air Force¿s Thunderbirds demonstration squadron, composed solely of F-16 fighter aircraft. A replica crafted for performance. Our all-metal HOTAS Cougar is a real powerhouse of technologies, featuring 28 programmable buttons, adjustable throttle resistance, adjustable Afterburner and Idle detents and a variety of programmable hat-switches, in particular. All of this results in formidable efficiency and great realism in aerial simulation games, notes Eric Mindjimba of Thrustmaster¿s International Marketing Department. We are very happy to be collaborating with leading members of the simulation community such as the Virtual Thunderbirds, as this gives rise to far-reaching ambassadors able to demonstrate all the possibilities offered by the HOTAS Cougar. Co-engineered in collaboration with US Air Force and used by US Air Force for pilot training - a reference in the aircraft sector. Endorsed by the Virtual Thunderbirds and the Russian Knights.The most realistic flight simulation controller is here: the HOTAS Cougar, lifelike in design, lifelike in performance. This is truly "Hands on Throttle and Stick" gameplay. Based on the actual controller found in F-16 fighter aircraft, the HOTAS transports you to the furthest reaches of flight-simulation technology. From the second you grab hold of both the stick and the throttle, you notice the difference. All metal, black, and ready for business--that is the HOTAS. This controller offers up to 28 programmable buttons, multiple programmable hat switches, and adjustable resistance for the throttle, afterburner, and idle detent. These are just a few of the many features of this revolutionary stick and throttle combo. Without question, the HOTAS Cougar is the controller for true flight enthusiasts.
Electronics Features
Cameras and Photo
Most talked about in Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster/ He 2960673 Dual Trigger 2 -1 Rumble ForceThrustmaster/He; PlayStation2; CE
New T Wireless 3 In 1 Rumble Force Ps3 Ps2 All Buttons Mini Stick Fully ProgrammableThrustmaster; CE
Thrustmaster 2960694 T Flight Stick X Flightstick for PlayStation 3 / PCThrustmaster; Windows XP; CE
Best price: $38.86
Ferrari 2-1 Rumble WheelThrustmaster; Windows XP; CE
Thrustmaster Ferrari Universal Challenge 5-in-1 Racing Wheel - Wheel and pedals setThrustmaster; Windows 2000; CE
Best price: $29.61
Price in other shops:
Wii Silicone Protective Case (White)Hercules Computer Technology; Thrustmaster; Release date: 2008-01-01; Nintendo Wii; Video Games
Price in other shops:
T-Charge White Lacquered (Dual Charger and Docking Station for 2 Sets of Wii Remotes & Nunchucks)ThrustMaster; Thrustmaster; Release date: 2008-09-19; Nintendo Wii; Video Games
Best price: $29.99
Price in other shops:
THRUSTMASTER 2-in-1 Dual Trigger ControllerThrustMaster; Thrustmaster; Windows; Video Games
Similar digital cameras
Falcon 4.0: Allied ForceAtari; Atari; Release date: 2005-06-28; Windows Vista; Video Games
Best price: $19.99
MFD Cougar Multifunctional Cockpit PanelHercules; CE
Best price: $47.99
Price in other shops:
CH Products Pro Pedals USB Flight Simulator Pedals ( 300-111 )CH PRODUCTS; Windows Vista; CE
Best price: $109.99
Price in other shops: