Getting the right controller setup for your favorite flight, space, or driving sims can be a challenge. Full HOTAS kits, consisting of pedals, stick, and throttle quadrant can cost quite a lot of money. Thankfully, Thrustmaster has come to the rescue with the T.Flight Full Kit X. The Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X is an all in one box containing everything you need to start flying – all for a very inexpensive price point.
The T.Flight Full Kit X consists of three main parts – the flight stick and throttle units as well as a set of rudder pedals. Those with a keen eye might recognize the stick and throttle as the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One unit. This stick and throttle setup can link together in a jigsaw like fashion, essentially becoming one peripheral. It can also be separated out into to individual components to be better integrated into your desktop cockpit arrangement. The T.Flight HOTAS One is not modeled after any particular aircraft or spacecraft – it is a generic, ergonomic design by Thrustmaster. The feel of the stick and throttle is comfortable, with the body of each being mostly plastic. It doesn’t feel anywhere near as realistic as the Thrustmaster Warthog but it isn’t meant to – it also doesn’t have the Warthog’s much steeper price point. The T.Flight HOTAS One has enough buttons to assign essential functions to your sim or game but probably not enough to get a true “hands on throttle and stick” experience in something like DCS World. One very interesting feature of the T.Flight HOTAS One is that it has two built-in rudder controls. One is in the stick itself, which can be unlocked to twist clockwise and counter clockwise. I haven’t seen a rotating stick since the old Microsoft Force Feedback 2 (loved that venerable flight stick) and it is a welcome option. You can also utilize the rudder via a lever underneath the throttle grip. It’s ingenious and also very welcome. However, having a rudder feature on the stick or throttle don’t mean too much when considering that the T.Flight Full Kit X comes with dedicated rudder pedals.
The TFRP (T.Flight Rudder Pedals) rudder pedals kit is solidly built using the S.M.A R.T – Sliding Motion Advanced Rail Tracks system for smooth sliding. I was very impressed by how smoothly the pedals would press – even with very small movements. A lot of cheap rudder pedals provide jarring, inelegant spasms when performing small corrections but not the TFRP. It also features independent brakes on each pedal which is a must for flight sims. The only real drawback with the TFRP is that the pedals are very close together – more resembling a racing pedal kit in spacing. This is most likely to save on cost as larger pedals need more materials and bigger packaging – but, I digress. Also, the pedals are not the biggest set ever and if you have Size 12+ (US sizing) feet you may need to remove the heel of the pedals to accommodate your clod hoppers.
I tested out this combo kit with both DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator. DCS World required a bit more decision-making as to which button to assign to which control. This is exacerbated by the fact that each aircraft in DCS World can have different controls. So you will probably need to rely on your keyboards quite a bit – however, once you have programmed all of that the actual functionality of the T.Flight Full Kit X in the sim is outstanding. The stick and throttle are smooth and provide for a very fun gaming experience. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the setup was far easier but the end result was the same – this is a great all-in-one flight sim peripheral boxed set.
Overall, the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X for PC and Xbox is an outstanding value well worth your hard-earned cash. It is available now for $199.99 and will let anyone get flying on your Xbox or PC gaming platform.
