INTRODUCTION

   The 90's were without doubt the golden era/decade for space and flight simulator fans, especially if you happened to own a PC or an Amiga. Games like A-10 Tank Killer, F-14 Tomcat Fleet Defender, Mig-29 Fulcrum, Gunship 2000, Frontier Elite II, Flight Simulator, the entire Wing Commander Saga, Star Wars X-Wing & T-Fighter, Falcon 4.0, Janes ATF and many others defined the PC and console gaming scene of the 90's (and of course the flight and space simulator genre as a whole). Unfortunately for reasons i never did understand it took the market no less than roughly 15 years to once again start paying attention to flight and space simulator fans. So, it's really no coincidence that when Chris Roberts announced Star Citizen and Squadron 42 roughly a decade ago thousands all over the world rushed to sign up, just as they did with Elite Dangerous, DCS World, No Mans Sky and others (yes, as did i). So if you happen to enjoy space and flight simulators as much as i do the next step for optimal experience is a good stick and so today I'll be testing the T.Flight Full Kit X by Thrustmaster.

   A designer and manufacturer of interactive entertainment equipment and accessories, listed on the stock market since 1998 and a major player in the market since 1984, Guillemot Corporation (€60.9 million in 2019) focuses its activities on its two flagship brands: Hercules for the digital hardware and peripherals segment and Thrustmaster for PC and console gaming accessories. The Group is currently present in eleven countries, including France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, the United States, Canada, Italy, Belgium, China, Hong Kong and Romania, and distributes its products in more than one hundred countries worldwide, with the aim of offering high-performance and user-friendly products to maximize user satisfaction with interactive digital entertainment.

   Unlike most HOTAS sets out there which only consist by a stick and a throttle the T.Flight Full Kit X by Thrustmaster combines the T.Flight HOTAS one stick and throttle together with the TFRP rudder system (pedals) which will certainly add to the overall experience and realism of any flight and/or space simulator. As it's clear from its box (and even the name) the T.Flight Full Kit X was actually primarily designed for Microsoft's XBOX (X/S/One) console but as expected it also works flawlessly with the PC as well and so that's particularly good news if you happen to own one or both. Now the T.Flight HOTAS doesn't just feature roll, pitch, rudder and throttle controls, it also features yawn and sports a grand total of 15 buttons across both devices which you can map/configure in your favourite games. Even though as already mentioned the throttle of the T.Flight HOTAS does come with a basic rudder controller the TFRP rudder system with its S.M.A.R.T (sliding motion advanced rail track - tracks made out of industrial grade aluminum for durability and smooth sliding motion) technology and two large pedals (10 inch/25cm long - 45 EU show size) doesn't just allow for much easier and precise/accurate rudder control but it also frees up two extra buttons which you could end up using for something entirely different. Well, it's been a while since i had something similar here so let's see what Thrustmaster has been up to all this time.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The T.Flight Full Kit X by Thrustmaster arrived inside a large box that has a large product picture at the front alongside the company and Xbox logos.

Thrustmaster has dedicated the right side of the box to the TFRP rudder system and the left side to the T.Flight HOTAS set.

At the rear of the box, we find the product features in 20 languages.

Along with the T.Flight HOTAS and the TFRP rudder system the box also contains an Allen key and the user manual.

THE T.FLIGHT FULL KIT X

The 2-piece T.Flight HOTAS set is primarily made out of plastic and follows an similar design with past models by Thrustmaster.

Three buttons are located at the base of the stick and four more at the top (5 if you also count the HAT switch).

At the front of the base, we see the TFRP rudder system port and an XBOX/PC selector switch.

The throttle on the other hand has a total of 8 buttons on top (including the rudder) and 3 at the rear of the base.

Moving to the TFRP rudder system quality is good overall and as expected just the two pedals are here (lacks tension adjustment however).

As mentioned earlier the T.Flight HOTAS set is made out of 2 pieces but you can attach them together if you don't have the necessary space (or if being this close suits your gameplay better).

On the other hand, if you do have the space or if you prefer a more "realistic" setup you can position them roughly 60cm away from each other (plenty of room to put them on both sides of your keyboard).

If you haven't read my last HOTAS review many years back you'll probably be wondering what I've been using to date and well even though it doesn't perform quite as it did many years ago (throttle requires servicing quite often) i had a great run with the X-65F by Saitek paired with their somewhat large (but still good as new) rudder pedals.

USING THE T.FLIGHT FULL KIT X

Not as console guy myself so naturally i tested the T.Flight Full Kit X by Thrustmaster on my PC which as you can tell from the above screenshot requires drivers (not included with Windows).

Once you download and install the necessary drivers you should calibrate your T.Flight Full Kit X cause right out of the box it will most likely not work as good as it could (didn't in my case).

For my tests i used numerous flight and space simulators including Star Citizen, Star Wars Squadrons and Elite Dangerous screenshots of which you can see above.

CONCLUSION

   Even though my two very first flight sticks were the Top Gun and Top Gun Afterburner II models (again by Thrustmaster) i have to admit that i later turned towards Saitek and their X52 and X52 Pro models followed by the X-55 and X-65F both of which clearly introduced a whole new level of build quality and innovation (if i recall correctly the X-65F was based on the F-22 stick and throttle). Unfortunately, ever since Saitek closed its doors many years back (was acquired by Logitech) Thrustmaster was the only name left the flight and space simulator community could rely upon for such products (other manufacturers have since joined but are clearly not as popular). The T.Flight Full Kit X may not be the top such product in the Thrustmaster lineup (the Warthog Hotas is – review soon) and as mentioned earlier it’s based on older designs (minus the TFRP rudder system of course) but it’s still a good overall choice for people who don’t want to go overboard in terms of budget. The stick is honestly not quite as accurate as my old X65F (which makes sense since the X65F alone used to retail for over twice as much as the entire T.Flight Full Kit X does) so it does need some more getting used to but the throttle works well and as for the TFRP rudder system well it’s actually very good at what it does (still tension adjustment would be nice to have). Build quality is good, not stellar by any means but more than enough for the vast majority of consumers out there (Thrustmaster obviously had to think about final cost so cutting some corners was expected). The cord that connects the stick to the throttle is long enough for even the largest keyboards (perhaps not ergonomic ones) but it would be great if Thrustmaster had used a longer one, better have more length and not need it than need it and not have it.

   Thrustmaster has indeed done a great job when it comes to pricing since the T.Flight Full Kit X currently retails for just USD199.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 169.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). All said and done the T.Flight Full Kit X is a complete, yet affordable product for people looking to enjoy all the current and upcoming flight and space simulators without breaking the bank and since it does work as advertised and ticks most boxes it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Good Accuracy / Precision
- 15 Available Buttons
- Single Or Two Pieces HOTAS
- TFRP Rudder System
- XBOX & PC Compatibility
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Accuracy / Precision (Could Be Better)
- No Tension Adjustment (Throttle / Rudders)
- Stick Throttle Cord Length (For Some)