Trimming : hat or wheel ?

[Dominique]

I've always been trimming my aircraft with one of the "hats" on my joystick, elevator up and down, rudder left and right.

I wonder whether a trimming wheel would add some value to my simming, considering how the trim works in FSX/P3D and its limitations. What do you, guys, use ? And if you use a wheel, is it only for elevator or for rudder too ?

[Killratio]

I use a full sized wheel for elevator and rudder trims. I wouldn't be without them!

The natural feel makes all the difference, particularly to fine adjustment

[tbaac]

Its an interesting question.

Flying the T6 I used a 4-way hat for elevator and rudder trim.
It worked reasonably well.

On the other hand, I recently bought an FSX add-on from Steam with some missions and documentation on instrument flying.
The first mission is a basic checkride in a 172 to make sure you're up to speed on the basics.
I used the hat switch on my my joystick in that case as well and would have preferred the more precise control of the trim wheel.

So my theory is it depends what you're flying.
I have a Saitek Cessna Trim Wheel and its fastened to the same bracket as the Saitek Throttle Quadrant I have so sitting one above the over almost.
I thought about selling the trim wheel a while back but decided against it.

My experience is that the trim wheel gives more precise control, while the hat switch allows large changes to be made more quickly.
Killratio does a lot more flying than me though I suspect

[G-BJPS]

I'm still using one of my Saitek Throttle quad axis!
I've Been using that for almost 2 years now, since getting my PC.

It works really well because you have very fine control like you would with a wheel.
The 'proper' trim type switches on my Yoke are used for view zoom in-out and flaps.

J

[DHenriques_]

I've always been trimming my aircraft with one of the "hats" on my joystick, elevator up and down, rudder left and right.

I wonder whether a trimming wheel would add some value to my simming, considering how the trim works in FSX/P3D and its limitations. What do you, guys, use ? And if you use a wheel, is it only for elevator or for rudder too ?

Scott sent me an extra Saitek trim wheel he had and since installing it I've found it essential for the serious simmer. Before using the trim wheel I had my trim assigned to a hat on the CH Fighterstick. Both work well but the wheel is much more sensitive and realistic. Its range causes a much smoother response in pitch.
Dudley Henriques

[Ian P]

I have to agree with Dudley and those above who say it is really good to have a trim wheel.

When I got the T-6 and started flying it, I was trying to trim it out and using the buttons on my joystick, I found myself fiddling with power/prop/speed to match the trim setting, which is very much the wrong way around. My trim wheel has now finally been relocated, after a very deliberate search. When I first saw it, I thought it was a gimmick - it really isn't.

Ian P.

[Ron Attwood]

Saitek trimwheel. Don't leave the ground without it.

[Dominique]

Thank you very much all, almost unanimous ! I suppose then that a wheel would nicely complement my Warthog combo and as my 67th birthday looms at a (too) close horizon...

A question though for my fellow P3Ders. It seems that V3 and the Saitek wheel didn't go along so well early on. Is there a real issue here ? I do not see any other trimwheel at the usual marketplaces.

PS I see that you use the wheel for pitch only, not for the rudder.

[dvm]

Trim wheels are way to go. The input configurator in most Accu-Sim aircraft makes it possible to have trim wheels for all three axis. I am using a home made console with three trim wheels. They have 270 degrees of travel so it is possible to make very fine trim adjustments. I would never go back to a button assignment for trim.

[Alfredson007]

I'm still using one of my Saitek Throttle quad axis!
I've Been using that for almost 2 years now, since getting my PC.

It works really well because you have very fine control like you would with a wheel.
The 'proper' trim type switches on my Yoke are used for view zoom in-out and flaps.

J

I also have tried to use Saitek's axis as an elevator trim but .. while it works pretty well for Spitfire for some reason, i specifically find it very hard for the finiest adjustments. (i am not using fsuipc or anything though) ... so i generally do not use it as a trim :\

[G-BJPS]

I'm still using one of my Saitek Throttle quad axis!
I've Been using that for almost 2 years now, since getting my PC.

It works really well because you have very fine control like you would with a wheel.
The 'proper' trim type switches on my Yoke are used for view zoom in-out and flaps.

J

I also have tried to use Saitek's axis as an elevator trim but .. while it works pretty well for Spitfire for some reason, i specifically find it very hard for the finiest adjustments. (i am not using fsuipc or anything though) ... so i generally do not use it as a trim :\

I forgot to mention i have rudder pedals as well so i dont have anything bound to rudder trim.

Yeah a throttle axis works great for elevator trim no fsuipc here either.

All my aircraft are fine with it including the Spitfire, maybe check your settings in case you have something wrong. Also A2A are so good at flight modeling that we will feel the differences between each aircraft too no doubt

[Shalomar]

I use the Saitek trim wheel and it has made a huge difference to my flying. It is almost as important to me as TrackIR.

That being said, there are some issues that I am willing to put up with that you will have to get used to.

First, when you first fire up the sim, often themovements of the trim wheel are not seen by the sim. So as part of preflight often you have to turn the trim wheel till it is recognized then set takeoff trim. This is strictly a preflight issue. The wheel then works perfectly until you change speed while the autopilot is on. Often the autopilot makes changes to trim so that there is a disconnect between the trim wheel setting and your actual trim setting. If you leave a pitch coupled autopilot on down to minimums and manage your airspeed carefully you should be set for landing. But if you attempt to adjust trim wheel even slightly your trim setting will snap back to the position of your trim wheel. So basically you have to decide whether to adjust trim higher up or not at all if you have been flying with a pitch coupled autopilot. That being said, this issue has never caused me to crash. But it is something real pilots don't have to think about so it can take away from the immersion slightly. Personally I think the increase in precision when hand flying is well worth it.

The final issue is tbat Saitek is in between factories and they have a major backlog on merchandise. I have been waiting to buy a new throttle quadrant for four months. Good luck finding a new trim wheel, and plenty of people are price gouging used ones.

Donald

[chadryan]

I love my Saitek trim wheel and would feel lost without it

[pjc747]

I have buttons 3 & 4 on the top of my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro set as trim up/down. I find in real life I like to use electric trim to make small adjustments when in an easy cruise, especially in less stable weather situations. When I'm fooling around with personal short-field challenges or one-wheel landings, I like the wheel, but electric trim is much more civilized in cruise (when autopilot is unavailable).

I use a full sized wheel for elevator and rudder trims. I wouldn't be without them!

The natural feel makes all the difference, particularly to fine adjustment

[n421nj]

Trim wheel here. Best $50 spent.