Left or Right Hand

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Towering Cu and Howard Hughes where are you? What do you reckon?

I am happy either way, in my years of watching people switch from left to right and vice verca, most seem to be equally at home either way, where people do struggle is tuning radios with the wrong hand!

They tend to switch hand on the yoke and change the radios 'cross handed'!:;)4:

 

If I had a personal prefernce it would be the conventional left hand yoke, right hand throttle, but then again I was never a fighter jock!;)

 

PS: I have just stumbled across this aircraft, looks like another one on the wish list.

 

 

[Guest High Plains Drifter]

If I had a personal prefernce it would be the conventional left hand yoke, right hand throttle

 

Howard,

 

What do you mean... conventional... some of the worlds greatest aeroplanes, the Cub / Super Cub, Stearman, Pitts, Husky, Decafe and Drifter are left hand throttle.

 

 

HPD

 

 

[drifter_driver]

some how left throttle and centre/right stick seems more natural to me than the other way around, or may be its just me!!

 

and you are right HPD the worlds greatest aircraft e.g. F15's,F16's,Drifter's are all this configuration :big_grin:;)

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

What do you mean... conventional... some of the worlds greatest aeroplanes, the Cub / Super Cub, Stearman, Pitts, Husky, Decafe and Drifter are left hand throttle.

Yeh, but all those aircraft have the wheels on back to front too!;)

PS: Don't pick on me I'm only new...

 

 

[Guest Bendorn]

I don't see why the throttle can't be moved from left to right or back, what ever your preference is, if you've got a centre stick. Couple of spanners and she'd be done.

 

I'm right handed and I find for those minute delicate changes, my right hand is 100% better and the left.

 

At then end of the day, I just want one..............;)

 

 

[Ben Longden]

At then end of the day, I just want one..............;)

Me too.....

 

Ben

 

 

[skybum]

My two cents worth. in favour of right stick left throttle. Having said that, I have found that a stick between your legs is THE most natural way to fly. "How do I stear this thing?" "Just lean into the corner" even rudder useage feels natural as you lean.

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

vote for centre stick

 

Most of my experience is in the Sapphire and Titan Tornado. The stick is in the centre. Being right handed I am most comfortable during take off or landing with the stick in the right hand, and throttle in the left. With the stick in the centre, I can hold the stick with my left hand while I write, adjust anything with small controls, or just have a rest, with my right hand.

 

If you put the stick on the right hand side, left handers will be unhappy, and you won't be able to swap hands when necessary.

 

If you put the stick on the left hand side, right handers will be unhappy, and you won't be able to swap hands when necessary.

 

If you make the stick position moveable, you up the up the costs in development time, certification complexity, and manufacture.

 

I think more people would be satisfied with the stick in the centre.

 

Jack. :):)

 

 

[Ultralights]

i think almost all millitary tndem and single seat fighters are left handed throttle and centre stick, i know Hawks and hornets are.. though HUD and radio controls are on the throttle as well.

 

 

[Guest check-in]

Of more importance than left throttle, right stick or vice versa is the rest of the cockpit layout. Particularly brakes, if they are not toe-operated. On my Sonex brakes, flaps and trim are on the left with stick obviously intended to be in right hand. But the GPS, radios and carb heat are on the right, so I have to change hands in flight for those anyway. Therefore, and because I am right handed, when punching GPS or writing etc, I find that I generally fly with stick in left hand except for takeoff and landing.

 

In my other life I have to swap seats in quite complex aircraft. The stick and throttle (thrust lever) is never a problem, and neither is landing on the centreline from either seat. But finding the radios, trim buttons etc with the opposite hand is always a bit confusing for the first few sectors, so that sometimes I will knock out the auto-pilot when all I wanted to do was talk on the radio. The one that always gets a laugh from the co-pilot is trying to transmit on the radio by pressing the clock timer (identical button = poor ergonomics).

 

If building, I would recommend paying close attention to the ergonomics re radios, brakes, flaps, trim etc and just go for the stick/throttle combination that is easiest to design those others around so it best suits you.