I recently had the chance to expand my flight sim cockpit with Honeycomb Aeronautical’s Alpha Flight Controls Lite and Sierra TPM Module, and the new gear has definitely found permanent space Living In My GameSpace. In the past, I’ve used a Logitech HOTAS setup, but even on a large desk, there just isn’t enough space to fit the HOTAS in with my new Honeycomb setup. Thankfully, Honeycomb recently introduced the Foxtrot Aviation Stick, and they were nice enough to send one over for review. With its single-stick design, the Foxtrot is small enough to fit into my current Honeycomb setup without knocking something off the desk, but can it replace my current HOTAS setup? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.
Honeycomb Foxtrot Aviation Stick – Features
The Honeycomb Foxtrot Aviation Stick has all of the basic inputs you’d expect from a flight stick. On top of the ambidextrous stick, you’ll find an 8-way POV switch, 4 action buttons, and 2 up/down rocker switches. The front of the stick isn’t quite as full, with only a single trigger near the top.
The stick provides smooth X and Y-axis movement with no center indent. Linear tension for each axis can be adjusted using two hex screws at the base’s bottom, allowing you to set a comfortable resistance level. The stick also has left and right twist for Z-axis control if you don’t have a set of dedicated rudder pedals.
Along the right side of the base are three dials. The top dial has three positions marked for APU off, run, and start. The middle dial serves as a four-way radio communications switch – Nav 1, Nav 2, Com 1, and Com 2 – with a rotary encoder for frequency input. The bottom switch is a five-way Autopilot switch with a rotary encoder with indents for IAS, VS, HDG, CRS, and ALT.
Along the bottom of the base are five two-way switches labeled for Beacon, Landing, Taxi, Nav, and Strobe lights. Additional functionality on the base includes a Menu button above four programmable buttons on the left, and three programmable system buttons at the top right corner.
All of the basic functions can be assigned by downloading and importing an .xml file from the Honeycomb website. These can be further customized to your liking within your flight sim of choice.
Honeycomb Foxtrot Aviation Stick – Use and Final Thoughts
After going full General Aviation with the Alpha Controls Lite and Sierra TPM Module recently, taking hold of the Foxtrot Flight Stick was like stepping into my favorite pair of sneakers. The stick is comfortable in hand, and the response was precise and immediate. All of the buttons and controls on the stick are well-placed and easy to activate. And the ability to individually adjust the X and Y-axis tension is an over-the-top convenience that you don’t find on most sticks.
The extra buttons on the base of the stick help move your most-used controls, like flaps and landing gear, onto a single controller, and the inclusion of navigation and communication dials adds significant value to the unit. The row of light toggles is a nice addition to the Foxtrot, and can be reassigned to other functions that you find necessary.
Even so, I would much rather replace the switches with some sort of throttle control. As a single-stick setup, the lack of a throttle control is a glaring omission. Even something as simple as a slider or small lever would be a welcome addition to the Foxtrot. Working with what it has, I programmed one of the rocker switches to increase and decrease throttle, but it just isn’t as precise as a dedicated control.
The Foxtrot’s generic design will work well with any private or commercial aircraft, but it does fall short in the authenticity department. At its list price of $149.99 (you can find it on Amazon for $119.99), the Foxtrot Aviation Stick is a good buy, depending on your use case. If you mostly fly stick-controlled aircraft, have limited space, or don’t want to spend several hundred dollars on dedicated light, autopilot, and comms modules, then the Foxtrot might be the perfect fit for your flight sim needs. On the flip side, while it’s hard to deny that the Foxtrot Flight Stick is more versatile than a flight yoke – flying a yoke-controlled aircraft with a flight stick is much easier than doing the opposite – you won’t get the same authentic feel from its generic stick design. The single-stick design also falls short in combat simulators compared to a HOTAS combo.
