What's the best Logitech flight stick for digital fighter jets?

Home flight simulators have never offered as many training or proficiency benefits as today’s products. With a middle tier computer and a commercially available software program (for less than $100), you can fly instrument approaches, practice chandelles, or even get a better understanding of your electronic flight bag. Too often the term “simmer” (someone who uses a program for simulation/training purposes) is substituted with “gamer.” It’s important to distinguish what camp today’s mission applies to, but as Jack Nicholson taught us 40 years ago, all work and no play makes for an unhappy situation. 

For that reason the flight sim department at Sporty’s wanted to rate the current Logitech brand of flight simulator sticks available to the community and give our feedback on how best to complement today’s digital fighter aircraft with hardware. 

Logitech Flight Sim Joystick

The Logitech Flight Sim Joystick is the ideal starter stick for anyone wanting to experiment with flight simulation. For under $50 you will have a stick that covers pitch, roll, yaw (twisting of the stick clockwise and counterclockwise), and throttle control with a lever at the base. The hat switch on top of the stick helps with changing views and the additional 12 buttons can be customized to your liking. Lastly, this stick is plug and play with today’s programs, reducing time needed to get airborne and buzzing the tower.

Logitech X52 Flight Stick and Throttle 

The middle tier option for Logitech is the X52 Flight Stick and Throttle. This piece builds on the previous version with a significant change in the throttle lever. The X52 moves the throttle lever onto its own platform, which opens the door to left seat/right seat or center seat ops, configuring the throttle to whichever side you want. This stick and throttle also has an illuminated LCD display on the throttle lever and allows customization through saved profiles within the hardware. 

Logitech X56 HOTAS RGB Throttle and Stick 

The X56 is the cream of the crop when it comes to flight sticks. Similar to the X52, it uses separate bases for both the stick and the throttle. The stick comes with four tension springs, allowing precise adjustments, and the throttle lever itself has a tension knob to adjust rotation pressure. The Logitech X56 incorporates a lot of metal components, and is the only flight stick we sell at Sporty’s with resetting switches (similar to what you’ll find in today’s attack aircraft). Lastly, it includes 189 programmable controls—ensuring even the more experienced simmers will appreciate the customizable options and features. For a comprehensive review, check out our Pilot Report here.

Learn more:

• Shop all flight simulator sticks here
• Shop all flight simulator products here 
• Complete the look of a fighter pilot: flight suit, shades, cap

From all of us at Sporty’s flight simulation department, enjoy those target-rich environments—and never loose the need for speed.