Me and my joysticks or how to turn a hobby into a job (and vice versa)

I caught myself thinking - I have been flying in flight simulators since 1989, but have never bought myself a joystick. I'll tell you how it happened.
I grew up in the village of Murmashi of the Murmansk region , and because this village is the airport of the city of Murmansk, then everything was somehow connected with aviation.
At school, the fathers of all had either dispatchers, pilots, or helicopter pilots; a wonderful Young Technicians Station worked with an absolutely wonderful aircraft model section, in which, for example, Alexei, three-time world champion, honored master of sports of the USSR, created his models Koryapin, near my house was the Aviation Museum (according to the current tradition, there is now a restaurant), and right across the road was the old military airfield Murmashi . How could you not get sick of aviation?
And then it was time for the Spectrum, and of course my friends and I began to fly in Tomahawk

F19 and ATF

(in general, my first “aviasim” was the “bomber” program for the MK-52 )))
Spectrum I bought my father with a joystick, it was a primitive discrete device that connected directly to the cursor buttons, that's exactly the same -

I dreamed of entering MAI and designing airplanes, but then perestroika broke out and our large family ended up in the Krasnodar Territory, where it was no longer up to the planes, and I quickly ran away from local poverty into the army.
Who would have thought that I would have to repair the joystick there? =))
When I became a contractor , a technician of the military fire brigade, we began to repair this car.


So there is a monitor installation (a large water cannon at the top), controlled by hydraulics using a discrete joystick mounted on the site of the tank commander:

The system is quite simple - there is no own hydraulic system in the tank, there is a pneumatic system, which is also connected to the two hydraulic cylinders of the mast. Inside the body of the joystick there are 4 giant Soviet military "micro buttons", which are pressed by the protrusions of the handle of the joystick when it is rejected. When the circuit is closed, the corresponding electromechanical valve in the channel of the pneumatic system opens, the air presses on the hydraulic cylinder piston, and that moves the carriage.

After the army I had to somehow survive, and there was no time for flying and joysticks, but in the end in 2003 I ended up in Moscow as a sales manager at Defender
Do I have to say that I asked for a joystick as a gift for my first birthday? =)
It was Thrustmaster Afterburner 2 , which was presented to me with the words: “Well, you and a fool, it would be better if we bought you a microwave” =)

Well, who has a joystick, he should play Stormtrooper IL-2 ! I firmly settled on the official game forum and even moderated there for several years. Therefore, I did not miss the topic, where a person who has not flown for a long time, decided to present his joystick HOTAS Cougar

So I got the coolest kit at that time for a flight simulator. But there was a nuance - even Thrustmaster Afterburner 2 for 2500 rubles, although HOTAS Cougar for 12 000 rubles, and the problem is the same - the noise of damned resistors !
Here is a video explaining the problem on the example of the steering wheels, but in the joysticks the same.

I couldn’t fly normally on Thrustmaster Afterburner about half a year later, and after a year it was possible only to control a bomber, there was no talk of maneuvering fighters fighting, and that's why I joined squadron 14TBAP ( 14th Heavy Bomber Regiment ). And I got HOTAS Cougar with already killed resistors and with all the external coolness, it was impossible to get normal precise control with it.
We had to find a solution. The official 1C forum was not suitable for this, so I moved to the Sukhoi.ru forum
It was natural to look for a solution in proximity sensors. At that moment, everyone heard Saitek X52 , the first joystick on the Hall sensors, respectively, people were looking for solutions on this base. Here, for example, how Cougar is reworked on Hall sensors.
All this was good, but not for my crooked pens. A ready solution was needed, and only the WKB group offered it.
They sold ready-made sensors and magnets to them, which were mounted on regular Cougar attachments. These were no longer Hall sensors, but magnetic resistors based on KMZ-41.
But the toad convincingly suggested that $ 40 for two sensors is a bust. And then I thought - we have a large company that sells gaming devices for PCs as well, wouldn't Defender really want to get a joystick in the range on a modern electronic base?
I contacted WKB , agreed that they would assemble a demonstration prototype based on the first joystick found, and this was such a model:

The calculation was to show him to our director, and try to interest him in the organization of production. It was, judging by the forum, in March 2007, the prototype was ready in May. And here it so happened that just at this time the owner of a factory that makes gaming devices for Defender came to us from China.
I showed him a prototype, he became interested, and our director gave the go-ahead for further work.
The company was ready to buy sensor technology from the VKB and a controller for them to be installed in Defender joysticks. Do I have to say that, on joy, they gave me a set of sensors for the Cougar ? =)))
')
I believed that the revision of the already finished joystick is not the right way, that a new joystick, a new design, should be developed for a new electronics.
At that moment I was a sales manager and I could offer something to production only through a product manager who worked with a factory of gaming devices. I formulated my vision of a new gaming set (and I assumed that it should be a set of RUS - Aircraft Control Handles and RUD - Engine Control Handles ), and the manager sent it to the Chinese.
Here is what they did:

I brought the concept to the discussion of Sukhoy.ru forum users and naturally received the answer that it is certainly good, but something less “plagiaristic” and closer to domestic aviation would be better, like this =))


The problem was that the 3D modeler was Chinese, and to explain this wish was very problematic. But what good are Internet forums - there you just can’t meet anyone!
The right person appeared . grOOmi works as an engineer in KNAAPO and perfectly models in 3D.
So, on the basis of the ergonomics of the handle of the Su-34 fighter-bomber, the RUS began to emerge.

Now the joystick has acquired a decent look of the handle of a modern Russian aircraft.
From the unique solutions I would like to note the double upper trigger, the concept of which was invented by me, implemented by grOOmi and remade by the Chinese =))
The idea was to give the user to press with the index finger either of the triggers separately or both at the same time, while retaining a look similar to a real pen:

And that's what happened in the end:


I also suggested making a massive metal plate at the base and releasing its edges beyond the plastic case, so that the joystick could be secured with clamps or screws through the holes. A similar scheme was subsequently used by Logitech in the G940 joystick. Of course, I want to think that they saw this decision =)


In general, we designed the joystick and handed it over to the Chinese. But then I left Defender.
They took me a subscription, that I would not be engaged in developing joysticks for another year and a half, and I started to develop Gametrix gaming devices together with WKB , but in the position of project manager.

In Gametrix everything had to start from scratch, in fact, and the name was not there. The name of the brand Gametrix came up with VicVega , a man known at Cyberfight , for which he thanks a lot .

It was decided to modify the standard Chinese devices with electronics from WKB .
In general, I didn’t have any experience with the Chinese at that time, I’ve never been abroad.
I traveled to CeBit , to Hong-Kong Fair , scored catalogs, drove through factories in Shenzhen, and it was decided to do under Gametrix steering wheels , vibronakidki , tracker and RUD .
There were problems - the sea is bottled. I first wanted to write in detail how we worked on these products, to tell about the tremendous difference in engineering thinking of Russian developers and Chinese engineers, about the stupid investor greed, which led to huge losses of time and, as a result, investor money, about how we ended up rented an apartment and lived in China for a year, but it would have been so voluminous that, I think, few would have mastered it, and most importantly, it would lead us away from the main theme of the post - from joysticks =)

So, when I left Defender , other people began to be engaged in the project of the new joystick, with a predictable result.
The whole story is reflected on the forum, so it is easy to tell.
The prototype of our model, the factory manufactured in August 2008


I through the third hand gave him hold. The sensations were indescribable. When they gave me a prototype, I thought I understood how mothers feel about their newborns, I really wanted to swaddle and rock him. As Doc Emmett Brown said: “At last I did something that WORKS !!!” .
But of course the Chinese have walked through our design "hard sandpaper." First, they completely changed the mechanics of the joystick, and second, they added a twist (rotation of the handle around the vertical axis) and the axis of the gas in the form of an unintelligible wheel to the left of the handle. In general, the prototype required serious improvements that there was no one to do.
Now it is touching to read the forum: “ Joy will go into a series in the near future ” was said the same in August 2008. The joystick went to the series only in the summer of 2011.

How did it happen. VKB sold Defender a complete set of documentation for the sensor and controller of the joystick, and a full-fledged working prototype was assembled, which was sent to the factory along with the documentation. I was opposed to giving the Chinese development, but I did not decide. As a result, the Chinese could not reproduce the electronics, even with a working prototype and complete documentation!
All that they could do is to assemble “based on” our design, Saitek design and electronics from the gamepad (sic!) Defender R4 nedojoyk , which went on sale.


Two years later, in 2010, we were in this factory, where we were persuaded to teach the Chinese to make working joysticks on magnetic resistors. Since our developer and soul were rooting for our child, we agreed to finish the Defender joystick for free.
You will not believe what was the main snag. The Chinese engineers, having all the necessary datasheets, could not understand that the Hall sensor and the magnetic resistor are two different things. And that for the operation of a magnetic resistor requires a diametrically magnetised magnet.

To make it clear - at that time the only joystick on contactless magnetic sensors (known to the Chinese) was the Saitek X52 ENG, and it works on the basis of Hall sensors , respectively, to determine the deviation you need to move the magnets away from the sensor, while the magnetic resistor measures the deviations of the magnet poles , i.e., it requires for work that a diametrically magnetised magnet rotates around an axis.
The Chinese, who, according to a long-standing national tradition, invent nothing but copy, two years tried to make our sensors work, moving the magnets of axial magnetization back and moving towards it, they thought that our constructive made a mistake, and Saitek did it all right.

We also made a lot of comments to the constructive, forcing to correct what else could be corrected, and little could be corrected already, since tullingi (molds) were already ready.

As a result, the joystick brought and put into production. For the first time, serial samples were shown at Computerx 2011 in Taipei. A special stand with the game IL-2 Sturmovik was made for him, and for 4 days I taught everyone to shoot down Japanese bombers. Without exaggeration, the stand was very popular .



And in October, I was forced to leave the Gametrix project and returned to Defender. On that day, when I returned, the joysticks Defender Cobra M5 first went on sale. The circle is closed.

The joystick was demonstrated at Igromir 2011 at the “World of Aircraft” game stand and the users and game developers ( Gaijin Entertainment ) really liked it.

UPD Now this project is called War Thunder .

Komenty on the Internet is also very pleased. Most buyers do not stint on thanks , and believe me, this is not the company's employees =)): “I purchased this device a month ago. They drew the design, styled by the Su 27 handle, functionality in the form of a volley fire system, a lower trigger, a three-mode switch that allows you to hang three functions on one button, and of course the presence of Mars in a joystick of this price category is simply nowhere to be found. It works great and terrible to me Nraitsa :)
Conclusions: great joystick in terms of price, quality, functionality. The highest accuracy and smoothness of management. My opinion - in this device Defender has surpassed not only himself, but many of his more eminent brethren . "

Do I have to say that after the exhibition one of the joysticks was at my house? =) Cougar I have already sold by that time.
By the way, VKB developed an upgrade kit , which turns an ordinary joystick into a Cobra MK I / II joystick with the extreme quality of mechanics and electronics , I do not exaggerate.



But the history of free devices does not end there =)
This is what my space for flight now looks like:


Everything is assembled and integrated into a single convenient complex thanks to the company GameSTUL .

Generally guys specialize in gaming chairs for racing. At the same Igromir 2011, their car simulators stood at ALL stands where there were races, including the stand of Sony .
But GameSTUL is also developing game sites for pilots, and here’s the result of the first experiment, they gave me a surprise! Donated =)

The playing place is a reliable metal frame with a large number of attachment points.
Now all my devices have found a place. An adjustable stand is provided for fixing the steering wheel in the center, on which the joystick is fixed with screws (I knew, I knew that the holes in the base would be useful!). In front of him, I installed a frame on which the keyboard is mounted, the monitor was bolted over it.


All sizes of the system are regulated by moving the bearing parts in the slots and are rigidly fixed with bolts


Top right, I secured the shelf for the mouse.
With this shelf is connected here is a story. After the IL-2 enthusiasm, I played tightly in World War II Online: Battleground Europe , I still think and I am sure that this is the best in the world simulator of the battlefield of the Second World War, no one could do anything like that. But in Russia, the game is not popular, because of hardcore and paid. Accordingly, there sits a bunch of burgs and ours who live abroad . And then a Soskvadovist tells me, they say, one friend in my Germany makes special playing places for the rudders, he is looking for a distributor in Russia, do you want to do it? Well, why not, especially, everything is so beautiful :


I requested a sample. Yes, with the rendering the difference is striking! The handicraft is assembled, the panels are fixed with a zaklepochnik, the system is not stable, when you play, you don’t twist the steering wheel as you hold the table. In general, I did not like it. And the sample remained! As a mouse shelf, it is even nothing =)


With ore the story is like that. Initially, the joystick was designed as a two-component . But after I left the throttle, there was no one to design, so the Chinese went the beaten track, copying the Saitek X52 throttle shape and weaving it with buttons and hats to the best of their understanding. It turned out that they had :


There is a single USB-connected ORE on the market, this is the CH Pro Throttle .


At a price of 4200 rubles , he does not enjoy particular popularity - for such money, you can take a full set of RUS and RUD Saitek X52 , and even on Hall sensors.
Accordingly, we decided to close this gap: we collected the throttle on a magnetic resistor, changed the color, made a “rubber” coating, one comrade drew us a cool picture of the Su-27 for drawing on the hull, paid for the necessary changes to the molds, and recently started to sell the price is 1350 rubles .
I dare to assert that he is no worse than CHO from CH .


Included with the GameSTUL gaming chair are metal frames, they fit perfectly to the size of the base of the ORE, I secured it with a thick ribbon. It should be like a glove. And behind it is the A4Tech G100 gaming keyboard.


I am now engaged in a tight flight simulator Ka-50 Black Shark , but there are no extra buttons in it.

The important point is feedback. There is a ButtKicker fastener on the GameSTUL frame , but as you already understand, I also have a vibronacaid . It seemed unreasonable to lay it on top of such a wonderful chair, especially since there is a zipper on the chair, which allows you to remove the cover without serious consequences. So, I ruthlessly opened the cape, cut out the seats inside the chair, and moved the motors inside the chair. Now the whole chair vibrates during the game, which, as they say, delivers =)

I also have a tracker. The tracker, if anyone does not know, is a device for controlling the review by turning the head. I use the HeadJoy tracker . Of course, it does not look very presentable, but it copes well with its task. Of course, I don’t put a radiator on my forehead with a rubber band, I fixed it with a screw on the microphone bar:


Well and traditionally - HeadJoy was presented to me by the commander of the squad RKKA in World War II Online: Battleground Europe Vitya Kuznec .A unique person, a former helicopter pilot, flew Mi-24s in Yugoslavia and Chechnya, and now he is peacefully piloting the Yak-18T. And he gave me the HeadJoy because Gennadich (old-school residents of the city will understand) gave him his TrackIr. Circulation devices in nature! =)

But the CH pedals were given to me for a while, to drive, and this is so far the only sadness. Is it really necessary to buy pedals? It would violate the established tradition =)

And pedals, by the way, rubbish. Not only are they on resistors)), they are also stuck! When moving, the left pedal in one position bites, gets stuck and has to push it further. Judging by the forums, this is a standard problem that can be treated by grinding off some kind of protrusion inside the body. For a device that costs 6000 rubles and the inscription Made in USA, this is at least strange.

By the way. Along with the GameSTUL pedals, I still had to pitch such a twist , since both RUS and RUD are easily attached to their structure:

This is the “changer”The Cougar on the market is the Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG , a complete replica of the A-10 Thunderbolt American attack aircraft . Seriously, what to say, and, unlike Cougar , the RUS WARTHOG operates on the basis of a contactless 3D Hall (from the company Melexis , these are the halls of the new generation, Triaxis technology ) . It works extremely accurately, but I have the same complaint about it as Cougar ’s, it’s very tight for me. Half an hour of active flight and the hand is very tired. In addition, the buttons are made extremely tight.
Push them really hard. In general, I tried and set aside. We do not live like this (set costs 13,000 rubles), and with Cobra I can actively fly for hours.

Immediately, I agree in advance that my playing place looks like the miserable attempts of Krivorukov Samodelkin, that there are a million examples of really cool cockpits for virtual flights, but the main thing for me is that it is reliable, stable and ergonomic.

Now the guys from GameSTUL are doing just such beauty. This playing place can already be called a simulator for the pilot of the Robinson helicopter.


Well, in conclusion, I can say that work on all sorts of interesting projects for Defender continues. I am now a “product development manager,” there are a lot of developers with interesting ideas in Russia, something we are now trying to introduce into mass production. Unfortunately, I am bound by the NDA and I cannot announce our developments so far, but I dare to assure you that these will be interesting and, I hope, useful devices. Returning to the name of the post, my hobby is now work, and work is a hobby. To work as a holiday is about me =))

Why did I write all this? But for what - if there are ideas that fit into the range of Defender - you are welcome, we will discuss. You can make money on it. For example, WKB now have their office in China.
Thank you all for your attention.
ICQ 344-369-356
Skype kos_nikolay