Why Rudder Pedals Are So Important In DCS & Other Flight Sims (Cap, Skil & Kelso)

I have a picture of Cap coming out of hospital just surviving and first thing: "To the rudder pedal !" !!

BTW, i just want to say I'm glad you're doing better. Thanks for the video as always.

Amazing timing on this vid, just had my pedals deliverd and hour prior to the upload. Ive been using the twist on the joystick for both the X52 and X56 for about 2 years can`t wait to see the diffrence now. Will report my findings !

My pedals arrived a few hours ago... It's like precognition 😅 For the last few years I've used the twist on the x56.

Another tidbit, having pedals with a Tension adjuster is very handy. Legs tend to be strong and, at least for me, it can feel like the pedals aren’t there till tension is increased.

A rudder is a must in a dog fight. It's also more and more useful in dropping precision dumb bombs.

twist grip worked fine for me to start DCS and only flying jets but as soon as i started flying warbirds it was starting to be a struggle but when i started flying heli's i quickly got a set of pedals and that was a game changer (only thing that prolonged my buying pedals was the fact they cost more then the Stick + Throttle)

There’s 2 ways to steer a plane at low speed. Differential braking or nose wheel steering. If a plane has one it doesn’t generally have the other. So for the Harrier it has NWS but no differential braking so you wouldn’t be able to use the brakes to steer. The train you can have the NWS switch on the stick is so you can steer at low speed on the takeoff roll & then release it once it’s fast enough for the rudder to work. If you buses the brakes on a real jet on takeoff you’d blow the tyres in seconds and your takeoff roll would be greatly extended, especially with a heavy load. I’m takeoff and lending checks one of the checks is feet off the brakes (for NWS planes) so you don’t inadvertently blow the tyres or damage the airframe in some way.

I made do using the Coolie Hat on my Thrustmaster Warthog to control the torque on the Kamov and Hip for years, they were manageable, but then the Hind came out and that finally made me break down and get a set of pedals and a Track IR. Turns out that was the right move because the Apache came out soon after, and I could not be half as good an Apache pilot if I didn't have my pedals.

I used to watch your videos while I was hospitalized myself while recovering from surgery to remove a tumor....small world

Cap in 2026 - tries a DCS neural implant.

Wow, I was just looking into rudder pedals

I just started DCS a couple months ago. Had 2x VKB Glad NXT's from playing Star Citizen. Bought the STECS throttle and played DCS for a few weeks using the right stick twist for rudder and worked okay as you mentioned. Right after that I ordered and received my VKB MK V Rudder Pedals it has been a game changer in gameplay precision but also a wrist saver from the twist axis of my stick.

Awesome video lads I have been looking to get myself a set of rudder pedals and I found this video very useful

Twisting the grip worked for me for decades. On gliders eg. where you don't have to use 30 buttons on the stick I didn't find issues. Quite got used to it. But now I'm comin to dcs, needed another stick with bells, and whistles. Temporarily I use a gamcontoller axis stuck to the base of the stick, 2nd axis as brakes. Till I get some proper pedals. Issue with pedals is that they make you get stuck in your chair in a fixed position, your movements are more limited.

For mission planners and Cap: the USA started using drone aircraft in 1942, the aircraft used was called "Interstate TDR" It got the axe for a few reasons.. 1) the navy and Army air corps where very susceptible with it, 2) in the 50 missions flown there was 30+ odd successful hits W/ NO american lives lost. They didn't like that is had a very low chance to lose soldiers and sailors, not honorable and sporting. Anyway, I was wondering if you could do something with this idea in mind on if it was accepted and was used often would the pacific war would have gone better and faster and if they would have also started to use them against the Germans at the same time.. The wiki is under the "Interstate TDR" title and I've only seen a few YT video's I found 9 but I'm sure there is more. I don't know how or what you could set it up as but you guys don't fail to have idea's and entertaining and educational video.. Good luck and keep on keeping on and enjoy the bloody video g... Sim... 👍👍👍

Cool Vid CAP GR! 😉

I'm set up for small planes. I have a yoke and pedals. My joystick setup broke long ago and I never replaced it. Makes flying jets quite a challenge. One of these days, I'll replace it and get a second stand for it.

It's going to forever remain one of those nice-but-niche things, because the available options are basically too expensive to be regarded as anything but a luxury item. Most of us have to make use with a Z axis on the flight stick to try emulating it.

Try flying with a keyboard and mouse, I am actually starting to get pretty good at it. I got a bronze star on the F15c fighting migs and bombers. But I will have my stick throttle VR and pedals this week.