My experience with combat flight sims goes all the way back to Hellcat Ace on the Commodore 64, circa 1984. The cockpit was blocky and minimalistic, the “world” was represented by a two-color horizon, and there wasn’t any flight physics to speak of. And for flight controls, I used a simple one-button joystick. Game after game, decade after decade, the flight sim genre slowly evolved alongside more powerful hardware and improved graphics.
Flight Sim Nostalgia
Through it all, I continued to use some sort of joystick, then a flight stick, and eventually a HOTAS. I primarily played combat sims, only dabbling in regular flight sims. Even when I was flying a Cessna, taking a small jet for a joyride, or doing my best to land a 747, I flew each aircraft with whatever flight stick I was using at the time. I knew I wasn’t getting an authentic experience using a combat-style stick with non-combat aircraft, but I figured it was “good enough.” It wasn’t until Honeycomb Aeronautical offered to send me a review of their recently released Alpha Flight Controls Lite that I realized just how much more realistic flying a craft with the correct style of controls is.
Alpha Flight Controls Lite: What Is It?
Honeycomb is known for its quality flight controls, which include the Alpha Flight Controls, Bravo Throttle Quadrant, and Charlie Rudder Pedals. Quality doesn’t come cheap, and a complete set of Honeycomb hardware runs $799.99 when bundled, or $950 if purchased a la carte. That’s a large pill to swallow if you’re experiencing flight sims for the first time. And to be honest, it may be more than a beginner can handle.
Enter the Alpha Flight Controls Lite, the first entry into Honeycomb’s new lineup of beginner-focused hardware. Keeping the quality of the Alpha Flight Controls, Honeycomb has stripped away some of the extra bells and whistles that would appeal to a more experienced simmer. This allows the Alpha Lite to squeak in under the $300 threshold, making the price a bit more palatable.
The Alpha Flight Controls Lite still packs all the features you’ll need as a beginner. The primary controller is a professional-style two-handled yoke system, which mimics what you’ll see in many of the popular flight sim aircraft. Like a real-life yoke, the handle slides forward and backward for pitch control and features 180-degree left and right rotation.
The left handle is topped with an 8-way hat switch, a 2-way vertical rocker switch, and a small programmable button. You’ll also find a second programmable “trigger button” on the back of the left handle. On the top of the right-side handle, you’ll find a 2-way horizontal rocker switch and two more programmable buttons. It’s not a lot, but this complement of buttons and switches is enough to give you enough flight and camera inputs to quickly get up and running in any flight sim, while leaving the more advanced controls on your keyboard.
Alpha Flight Controls Lite: Unboxing and Setup
There’s not much to talk about when unboxing the Alpha Flight Controls Lite. The single box contains the base, clamps, and main unit, all snugly placed within a big chunk of fitted foam.
Installation is pretty straightforward. Simply clamp the base to your desk and slide the control box onto it. You then tighten the two feet on the base to fully secure it to your desk for a solid, slip-free setup. There’s just one USB-C to USB-A cord that goes from the back of the control box to your PC, and voila, you are ready to fly.
Windows 11 immediately recognized the Alpha Flight Controls Lite, and a quick test verified that all the buttons and yoke were working properly.
Alpha Flight Controls Lite: Take Off
Configuring the Alpha Lite in flight simulators is a quick and straightforward process. Microsoft Flight Simulator 20 automatically recognizes the Alpha Light, so it’s just plug and fly with a default control mapping already configured. Just like any control device, you can alter the button layout, but the default setup is very intuitive and covers all of the basics a new pilot will need to get started.
MSFS24 and X-Plane 12 both recognize the Alpha Lite, but there isn’t a built-in layout, so you’ll have to configure the controls yourself. If you’re new to flight sims, this may seem daunting at first. There are so many options in modern flight sims, it can be confusing on what you need to get off the ground. Fortunately, Honeycomb is targeting a beginner audience here, and has a quick-start guide on its website that walks you through setting up the key mapping for a good default layout, which includes flight and camera controls. Similar to MSFS24, X-Plane recognizes the Alpha Lite, but leaves you on your own to configure it. Things are a little different, but I just followed a similar layout to the one used in the Microsoft sims.
Once in-game, the Alpha Flight Controls Lite works flawlessly. Although the slick’s plastic yoke lacks the nicer feel of more expensive sticks, the entire unit still feels sturdy. I never had any problems with the base sliding around my desktop. Initially, the tapered sticks on the yoke felt a little weird in my hands, probably due to my familiarity with flight sticks, but I quickly grew accustomed to it.
The button layout also works well. All the buttons are well-placed for easy access, allowing me to use them without having to move my hand around to reach each button. The only issue I have is with the firmness of the large two-way hat switches. I want something that can be tapped quickly, and these switches aren’t that.
Throughout all the flying I did across the three flight sims, I never experienced any mechanical issues. The yoke pushes forward and pulls back smoothly, and the 180-degree left and right turn angle allows for precise control of the plane’s roll. All inputs transferred from the yoke to the screen without any perceivable lag, jitters, or errant movements.
After using the Alpha, I’m not sure how I lived without a traditional yoke. A joystick or HOTAS never felt right when flying a Cessna or commercial jet, and although I’ve never flown a plane in real life, the Alpha Lite creates an authentic feeling. It’s the right tool for the job.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to recreating a realistic experience, the Alpha Lite only goes so far. It is missing the extra built-in switches found on the base of the Alpha Flight Controls, and when you can get the Logitech G Pro Flight System – a competing entry-level yoke that also includes a throttle quadrant – for $20 less, you have to question whether the Alpha Lite is priced too high.
To answer that question, I went out and purchased the Logitech Flight Yoke System to make a hands-on comparison. And it didn’t take long to realize that, yes, the Alpha Flight Controls is worth its price tag. The Alpha Lite, even without the extra accessories, outperforms the Logitech controller in every way. Anyone who catches the flight-sim bug will immediately start thinking about upgrades, and the Alpha Lite’s quality will allow you to transfer it into a more advanced system. The Logitech controller and throttle feel cheap in comparison, and are basically a throw-away device when it’s time to get serious about flying.
Honeycomb may have removed some of the extra buttons and switches – yes, we always want more buttons and switches – that are packed into its more expensive model, but the Alpha Lite is still made with the same quality components. In the long run, those few missing switches won’t even be missed; you’ll just have more justification to buy the Bravo Throttle Quadrant Lite when it releases.
