While browsing the `favourite joystick` thread it got me wondering why Spitfire (and Hurricane) joysticks bend at the center while 109 (and other fighters) sticks pivot from the floor? I thought this was to do with space but as the 109 had the same (or possibly less) cockpit space the added complexity doesn’t seem to make sense. Was it just a case of British over engineering?
By: knifeedgeturn - 22nd January 2013 at 15:22
Is it simply leverage? it is always said that looping a spitfire can be achieved with two fingers, but it is heavy in the roll, and that is presumably because only the top section of the stick moves. (for aileron control)
By: Rocketeer - 22nd January 2013 at 15:06
Interesting question. Some is likley tradition and some engineering. The lineage of UK columns being like that goes back – but then again, some are poles to the floor as it were (BD Defiant, Whirly etc).
The engineering bit comes about from not wanting mechanical cross coupling between the control axes – i.e. don’t want an inadvertent/sympathetic lateral/roll control input when making a longitudinal/pich input an vice versa.
Thought you were gonna ask the usual question about spade grip vs ‘modern’ fighter grip!! Which was positioning of controls in cockpit (i.e. swapping hands on takeoff from throttle to U/C control) and high stick forces related
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January 22, 2013 at 12:16 pm