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| Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar Flight Control System | 
 enlarge | Brand: ThrustMaster
Category: CE
List Price: $259.99
Buy New: $183.00
You Save: $76.99 (30%)
New (18) Used (1) from $175.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 5094
Format: Cd
Platform: Windows
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 17
Dimensions (in): 12.6 x 17.2 x 10.2
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: 2960534
Model: 2960534
UPC: 663296403087
EAN: 0663296403087
ASIN: B000062SSB
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 almost perfect July 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
best system you can buy, but only problems are the throttle control will not work , it cannot be calibrated , its a software problem that thrust master will not fix , in fact they haven't done anything with it for a couple years now , so i suggest YOU BUY THE JOYSTICK BUT NOT THE THROTTLE CONTROL. THE THROTTLE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK UNTILL THRUST MASTER PUTS OUT A PATCH FOR IT , BUT THEY HAVNT DONE ANYTHING IN 2 YEARS TO FIX IT NOR DO I THINK THEY WILL ,,,, BOTTOM LINE JUST GET THE JOYSTICK CUZ THROTTLE WIL NOT WORK RIGHT
 Heft and Feel cannot excuse nor overcome the problems. April 23, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I've had a flawless CH Fighterstick, Pro rudder and Pro throttle for about the last 2 years, but I always wanted to experience the supposed "nirvana" only a metal HOTAS was purported to deliver. So I finally bought the Cougar a few months ago. As much as I've want this setup to be my "go-to" hotas, I cannot get past the shoddy workmanship. If you're a die-hard fan of the COUGAR in spite of any logic to the contrary then you won't want to read any further. But if you're on the fence, let me tell you - believe what you've been reading in these reviews by people like me who WANTED this thing to work but had to come to a painful conclusion in the end.
Right out of the box on mine, one of the buttons on the throttle is misaligned making proper use almost impossible without a fix and one of the rotaries has no center detent. I have since read that these are issues that can be fixed via the Cougar community either by doing it yourself or buying better quality aftermarket parts to put in the stick. And while I'm on the throttle, it has the most annoying detents of anything I've ever handled. Although there are only two detents, the flat spot between the entrance and exit of each detent gives the feeling of having 4 separate detents while you try in vain to make small throttle adjustments in those areas. I suppose you could make an argument that for JET fighters alone it could be viewed as a potential positive, but what if you fly many different kinds like a piper cub or helicopter in FSX or a WW2 fighter in IL2? Then you're simply out of luck as the detents make small adjustments nearly impossible no matter where the resistance adjustment knob is set. Once again the Cougar community banded together with a number of fixes - some of which you can do yourself and others which grab another bundle of cash for higher quality aftermarket parts.
The stick feels fine ... that is until you actual fly with it. Pull it out of the box and you say "ooooooooh yes, this feels the way a joystick should". Then you put it in place, start moving it through its range of motions and realize, this is going to take some getting use to. The springs are unusually tight ... and yet there is a noticeable slop in the center position in spite of all the excessive resistance. The stick itself is apparently OK, but the pinky lever has no tactile feedback, and feels broken when using it even though it is not. The HAT switches are void of any positive tactile feedback as well (no clicks in to position)and finding the diagonal positions on the fly is usually a matter of trial and error. It's more like you point the HAT in the general direction then fine tune it until you find the NW, SW, NE or SE position.
Can you fly with a Cougar in spite of all the deficiencies? Sure you can ... just like you could fly with any $20 joystick for that matter. But I couldn't help continually wondering why I should HAVE to compensate for so many idiosyncrasies and quality control issues when the Cougar is touted as the "pinnacle of flight controllers" by so many owners. This stick is packed with potential ... but that is ALL it's packed with and in the end you'll have to take it upon yourself to finish an unfinished product on your own - at great expense in both time and money - about 3 to 4 times the cost of the HOTAS itself for those who wonder.
It's disheartening to wrap your hands on something you dearly hoped would finally be your favorite item only to find out it is a candy coated piece of crap but that's the way it is. And plenty of Cougar owners prove that this sentiment is not unusual by hanging onto a Cougar HOTAS that sits unused on the shelf - perhaps as a reminder of how close we came to "feeling" like we finally found our love if only .......
My recommendation - if like me all you really lacked in your CH gear was the metal skeleton is to take your $600-$700 of aftermarket modding money needed to fix the Cougar properly and instead have a metal casting custom made for your CH gear. Then put the CH parts into it and you'll have feel you feel you felt you lacked, but you'lll also have QUALITY. Or better yet, spit the Cougar Koolaid out entirely and once again appreciate the simple beauty of a precision HOTAS that works regardless of "feel". Get a CH setup and be done with it. The difference in quality between the two is like night and day.
 Very good Item! April 18, 2008
this is wonderful!
a genuine article -- it is similar and textures are also good.
In Mac (OS9) in which Iiput sprocket is installed, even if it remains as it is, it can use to some extent. Although the present state was also able to use a stick, a throttle and a hat switch, and main buttons,
the button or knob which neither Iiput sprocket nor game software supports cannot be used.
It seems that Mac can also use almost all functions since the setup is saved in hardware at a joy stick if there is a Windows machine and the key of a keyboard will be assigned with the program software for Windows.
In that case, it seems that it becomes the same reaction as the case where the USB keyboard for Windows is used by Mac.
It purchased in order to use by Mac also recklessly, but it is not likely to be necessary to become useless investment.
Should have bought earlier!!! April 3, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
So you will know about my bonafides, I am a former Senior Systems Engineer from Link Flight Simulation. I have handled a LOT of control systems in that career, and they all had a specific feel to them.
The Cougar has that feel. It is nice and firm, heavy and accurate. The only thing I have against it, is the fact that I did not discover this controller much earlier. I saw it on the shelves much earlier, but expected it to be just another game controller. It is NOT! This has a professional heft, coldness to the touch, and smotheness of the control that this system outrates the nearest competition by at least 10 times. I just put away two Saitek 45 HOTAS systems in favor of this one. I am building a flight simulator cockpit, and this is the system I will use in it!!!
The only HOTAS for serious Flight Simmers January 18, 2008
I've had my Cougar for just over a month, and it is quite a departure from the Saitek controllers I've used for the past 7 years. I've worn out 2 X-36s and an X-45 over that time. Several folks in my virtual wing have used their same Cougar for that same amount of time, so the extra expense of a Cougar over multiple disposable Saiteks is a great bargain.
This HOTAS works flawlessly as long as you install/setup correctly. I suggest you visit http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/ for the updated software and proper installation and setup instructions.
If you are a serious fighter sim enthusiast, click "buy now"!
PS
I also bought CH Pro Pedals along with the Cougar, and they work together with no problems.
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