Fixing winwing MFSSB base

[Truls Engebakken-Fjell]

So the Winwing MFSSB base for the F16 is a cool piece of hardware, however there’s always been something off.
The “realistic” mode seem to be anything but realistic according to F16 pilots or pilots who have flown civilian aircraft with a force sensing stick. The force only mode seems to the most realistic one, but it has a serious downside and that is the fact the MFSSB has big nasty dead zone, the completely ruins how it’s supposed to be, trying to do accurate flying like AAR with a big ass dead zone isn’t very nice.
So many have used the movement + force. But that’s not ideal either.
I’ve had the MFSSB for almost two years now and never quite been happy with it. I got kinda used it it. But it always felt off.
I regularly goodled and asked others what settings they used to get the base working right, and you have as many answers as people.
Then doing one of my semi regular googelings I found out that for like a year people have found out the dead zone is because of a giant gap(2-3mm) between the roller bearings and sensors, that causes the dead zone as the force sensing won’t kick in until the roller bearings hit the sensor. There are several ways of fixing this, the MacGyver way just shove anything between the two bearings and the sensor, you can use a 3d printed part, or you can even use metal.
I did the cheap MacGyver way, and cut small strips of plastic from some random battery package, 3 layers of this thin plastic works well, so 6 small strips. And it works, it really does, dead zone is gone. The F16 answers as soon as you start using force on it.
To test I did a quick and easy dogfight with a MiG29. With some acrobatics and low flying to test the stick after winning. Stuff like trying to hit a slow moving damaged mig with guns used to be kinda a pain, with the dead zone, so getting the thing on the thing could be more complicated than it should be. But it was much easier now.
So in case you are using the WW MFSSB and have that problem with the base, just find what solution you want, shove it in there, and set the settings to force only and everything is great now.

 

 

 

[Thomaston]

I don’t have the flight stick but do you have a photo of where the plastic was applied?

I like how the pilot shift with the g-force.

[Truls Engebakken-Fjell]

Thomaston wrote:

I don’t have the flight stick but do you have a photo of where the plastic was applied? I like how the pilot shift with the g-force.

 

You can see it here.

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/winwing-orion-2-mfssb-force-sense-only-bushing

That purple bit. However you only need to fill the parts that touch the sensors. So I filled only the lower part with my cut up plastic strips

 

[Thomaston]

Thanks. Looks like a simple fix. I’m guessing wrapping something like a rubber band wouldn’t do, the softness would dampen the response?

I’m wondering if othr control sticks with similar response/deadzone issue oculd be fixed in similar way?

[Truls Engebakken-Fjell]

Thomaston wrote:

Thanks. Looks like a simple fix. I’m guessing wrapping something like a rubber band wouldn’t do, the softness would dampen the response? I’m wondering if othr control sticks with similar response/deadzone issue oculd be fixed in similar way?

Someone did try rubbber.  But they quickly became warped as the stick it made use up to 6kg force for full deflection.

Mabye some really hard rubber might work.

Normal sticks use springs, and dead zones usually happen as the spring gets worn. And a simple spring change fixes that.

Some of the low priced sticks uses a ball thing (made of plastic) they generally always have some dead zone and it just gets worse. And not really something you can fix.  (Except buying a better stick.

[Thomaston]

Thanks, I’ll look into replacing spring on my flight controller. Those spiffy Virpil flight sticks are way too expensive for my casual gaming needs.

[Truls Engebakken-Fjell]

Thomaston wrote:

Thanks, I’ll look into replacing spring on my flight controller. Those spiffy Virpil flight sticks are way too expensive for my casual gaming needs.

You can take a look at this

https://uk.winwingsim.com/mobileview/goods-details.html?id=551

 

UK store, so no taxes etc. There’s also a UK and Australian store.

Sadly Norway is nothing. So I have to pay hundreds in shipping and taxes.

[Author]

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