# Ideas for physically setting up a HOTAS system for military flight sims?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [June 20, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916 "2016-06-20T20:50:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916/1 "2016-06-20T20:50:40Z")

</div>

I noticed that Falcon 4 has received a lot of updates and mods so I’ve dusted off my old HOTAS setup:

> **[X52 Pro Flight System - Fully Integrated Stick and Throttle Flight...](https://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.html)**
>
> X52 Pro Flight System was developed using customer feedback from our previous award-winning stick and throttle controllers

Problem is that the desk I have is too high to place the throttle and stick on comfortatably.

Does anyone have any ideas for a comfortable setup, what do you use?

Thanks 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916/2 "2016-06-20T23:00:10Z")

</div>

If you wanted a more authentic F16 feel you could build some side panels for your chair or perhaps some platforms that extend from your desk at about the height of the bottom of your elbows. Mount the stick on the right side and the throttle on the left.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916/3 "2016-06-21T19:30:53Z")

</div>

> [@Richard\_Pearse](#):
>
> If you wanted a more authentic F16 feel you could build some side panels for your chair or perhaps some platforms that extend from your desk at about the height of the bottom of your elbows. Mount the stick on the right side and the throttle on the left.

Ready-made, unfortunately I don’t have £290 to spare! _(or really anywhere to put it…)_

> **[Playseat® Air Force : Amazon.co.uk: PC &amp; Video Games](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playseat-Air-Force-PS4-Xbox/dp/B00BFW17EA)**
>
> Playseat® Air Force : Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-physically-setting-up-a-hotas-system-for-military-flight-sims/757916/4 "2016-06-21T21:35:34Z")

</div>

I made plywood platforms that clamp onto my chair’s armrests for my Thrustmaster Warthog.

It’s not the best solution, to be honest. All the adjustment points make the armrests too bouncy when fully involved in a dogfight in Elite Dangerous. I think a better solution would be to use the armrest mounting bolts on the underside of the chair and making something more stable.

One day I hope to have enough room to build a whole cockpit, but that’s probably a long ways off.