Thrustmaster F/A 18 Grip Add On (Compatible with PC)

Gave as a gift, they loved it. Thing is heavy and built high quality.

I recently added the Thrustmaster F/A 18 Grip Add On to my flight simulation setup, and it has taken my flying experience to a whole new level! This grip is designed with incredible attention to detail, replicating the feel and functionality of the real F/A-18 fighter jet controls. The ergonomics of the grip are outstanding—it fits comfortably in my hand and allows for precise control during flying. The various buttons and switches are well-placed and tactile, making it easy to operate while maintaining focus on the simulation. The integrated throttle control provides excellent responsiveness, enhancing my overall maneuverability. Installation was a breeze; it connects seamlessly with compatible Thrustmaster bases, and I appreciate how easy it is to configure within my flight simulation software. The customizable settings allow me to tailor the controls to my preferences, which is a significant plus for serious gamers.

This is the most frustrating item I have, its not just mine and others on ED forums. I have been flying thrustmaster for about 4 yrs. I have the viper mission pack as well as the F-18 flight stick. Everything I got was from Amazon, and I've had issue with all. Fortunately I was able to get some help from thrustmaster, but it took months of communication with them and then shipping them the item. Waiting for them to try to fix it, all this happens after your 30 day warranty expires. I purchased the AVA it didnt come when it was supposed to. Then why excited me, goes to plug it in at 7 pm, it doesn't work. I have a Sim pit so having to set this up and remove my OG base was not easy. So I flip out, start trouble shooting and nothing about 2hr later nothing. I gave up and was ready to return, and still might. I look online because nothing on YouTube about this but paid influencer. Oh I had gotten the firmware and driver, still nothing. Finally on ED forums they game me some tricks and was able to get it to expect my keybinds. After setting that up, I go to play and now with all that crazy work. My thrustmaster mission pack didn't work. So I had to get that to work, amd honestly dont really known how I did but I'll take it. So would I recommend, if you like the fight and have nothing else to lose. You got this.....

Extremely well made, smooth and realistic, and in my opinion, the best on the market.

I’ve had this grip for about 1-1/2 years now and I must say Thrustmaster did an outstanding job on it! No issues so far with it. Really adds to the immersion in game and the1:1 replica is a real game changer. If you have this and the F-18 throttle another company sells, it makes for some pretty fluid HOTAS functions like selecting the Litening targeting pod on your right DDI with the castle switch followed by a double press of the undesignate/nose wheel steering button on the control stick to un-stow the pod and then using the TDC slew on the throttle to look around and then designate a target. Really makes you feel like you’re flying the really thing! Apparently some people actually replace a few of the factory switches with real mil-spec switches, those things are a bit expensive lol. Maybe I’ll look into that some more down the road. Definitely worth the price!!

The joystick itself is excellent, but the pins they use to connect it to the base are weak and very easy to bend. This can make your joystick unusable if you do not know how to repair the pins (which fortunately we could as electronics engineers). If you are wondering how the pins could get bent, the answer is that in a battle, the player could twist the stick which could make the connection loose and possibly bend the pins. It really does not make sense to use this weak array of pins when much better connections would be possible such as USB from the stick to the base. USB would provide a single stronger connection point that is easier to repair or replace if it gets damaged.

If you own the Thrustmaster Warthog stick, you'll know exactly what you're getting with this stick. The build quality is over similar quality and has a great feel and weight to it. The button all automatically import into DCS and it is very easy to use. I primarily flight the Harrier and bought this still specifically for that module and can say that it is close enough to the actual Harrier stick you won't notice. The biggest upgrades to this stick over the A-10 Warthog stick is the push button on the hats. 2 of the 4-way hats also have a push down button. Next is the WP-Increment button followed by the 2 way wheel with a click. This isn't actually on the real flight stick but it is incredibly useful especially for control the FOV and zoom on the TGP/Maverick. Any regular Harrier pilot should have this stick.

I am a big fan of flight sims (primarily DCS) and getting a joystick grip that mimics the jets I fly in the simulator adds a tremendous amount of immersion. The grip feels to be the same level or high quality than the Thrustmaster Warthog grip. The head of the grip is significantly larger which can be a pro or con. The hat switches all have a distinctive 'click' when activated so there's no ambiguity around when a button has been depressed. Speaking of buttons, the level of force to activate the main trigger, pickle button feels significantly heavier which I find to be a positive -- they don't feel like toys with very little resistance. The grip is not 100% metal as with the Warthog grip but it's not a detractor. The parts of the handle that you interact with is metal and it feels solid. One other thing to note is that the Hornet grip has fewer buttons than the Warthog grip, so if you were looking for a single grip to cover all your bases, the Warthog grip may be a better option. The grip pairs nicely with the Warthog base or with the higher end Virpil base. While the grip is expensive, it is worth the price and I'm glad Thrustmaster continues to make products to cater to our niche flight sim market.