Part 3. Last entry in my freakin essay! I got the mouse plugged into port 2 and WAA LA! Instant camera to look anywhere I want. Hold the left button and scan anywhere, including all the way backward. Right button zooms! It is awesome! There can be confusion as to which way you looking and which way you are flying! It takes practise. I was using the tophat and mouse in conjunction with good results. Definately the way to go. By the way, you can see your six in a bubble top (i.e. P47). Without the mouse, the tophat WILL NOT.

I found the zoom to be indispensible. In the last fight at Sicily and the first in Korsun, there is no way I would have found the ground targets without it. Tanks and trucks blend right into the ground and are pretty small. I had trouble even using the zoom. Without it would have been pure luck. It also will zoom on planes and you can see which way they are going. Using it sneaking up from behind allows right on targetting from a distance. In a bombers case, you can open fire still out of the bombers gun range. It is more than useful.

I got into a real sim dogfight with a 1 on 1 situation last fight of the night. I found him immediately and had no problem closing in. I was going to open fire but I wanted to see how close I could get and see if I could stay with him, just for the hell of it. He lost me in a turn and I fumbled around too much before I located him again off in the distance. The zoom worked perfectly in tracking his direction. I again closed in and this time opened fire leading his plane in a shallow turning dive, then the the damn system lost contact and disconnected us both. Pissed me off!!!! But the TM and mouse gave me a whole new meaning to the word simulation.

So here it is, my recommendations. I give the Thrustmaster Hotas a thumbs up as a LOW COST (hell, just save your lunch money for a week and get one!) INTRODUCTORY flight stick that will enhance your simulated flight and combat experience. In conjuction with a mouse, I give it a BIG thumbs up. I give it a thumbs down if you are only going to fly in arcade. The sony controller is superior to the stick in that mode.

One more comment. Do you need a Lexus or Malibu? Do you like zoom (I wont go without it)? Is money an issue (should be)? Do you want to be champion of the world (who cares)? I have no regrets.