I've been going through a lot of iterations of control schemes trying to find the one that suits me best. None of my more serious HOTAS have a twisty rudder on the stick, which I find very helpful.

My current setup includes a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro (nice stick for the price), and the throttle from y X65F--the stick from the X65 was just too cumbersome for space flight). Among other things I've tried is a MS Sidewinder 2 in combination with the keyboard

My current setup is working pretty well, but I still can't help but feel that a traditional HOTAS (twisty grip or not) isn't really suited for 6DOF space flight. Because the throttle input doesn't require a smooth action as you would in an airplane, I've taken to using the "manual range" rotary for the throttle control because it's quick to adjust and has a nice center detent (and the press action to jump), the bottom rotary press for ahead-target select, the thumb button for boost, and the detachable panel buttons for landing gear, etc, and finally the two secondary thumb-activated HATS for energy distribution and cycling through friendly targets respectfully. The primary buttons on the Logitech stick are POV for lateral thrusters, the top two thumb buttons for page cycling in the panels, and the bottom two for hostile target cycling (I'm not using the base-mounted buttons on the stick, but I'll probably find some use for them. I only use the keyboard for toggling flight assist (space) and silent running (enter). I plan to play with the throttle extra panel's buttons, to add a few more functions.

I've looked into things like 3D Connexion's 3D mice for my left hand, but they're a bit pricey and I'm not sure I'd gain much.

I'm wondering how other people have arranged their setups? I also keep thinking it's a real shame CH Products doesn't update their sim controls with things like twisty grips and a throttle with more controls.

Anyways, I'm just looking for ideas. It pretty much took me this long to figure out which controls were important, and which didn't matter enough to move from their default keyboard positions.

(PS--Sorry for the rambling post, but I'm very sleepy).

(PPS--I'm also starting to have doubts about using my TrackIR. Though I love it, and it's great for immersion, regardless of the various profile's offered and my own custom attempts as well as damping/speed settings, it's control system implementation isn't great for the precision necessary to use the panels comfrtably, though I suspect this will be worked out in later versions).

I've been using a Warthog HOTAS and Saitek Combat pedals with rousing success myself

Sounds like you just need to get everything dialed in and customized perfectly. I've been using the TrackIR with the side screens with success as well!

You use your rudder pedals for yaw? I've been thinking about plugging in the rudder pedals, but the most popular setup seems to be using them for lateral translation, but I have this well covered via hat switches. Since yaw doesn't do a whole lot, the rudder pedals may be worth a try for yaw.

Don't get me wrong, I can control my ship quite naturally, but kind of what I'm getting at is, even though ED was clearly designed with an X-52 in mind, airplane controls and spaceship controls are really pretty different things. Granted, ED doesn't use a true Newtonian flight model, so it's closer to an airplane in practice, but I can't help but wonder if there is some better idea out there if I were just able to think outside the flight simming box enough.

I too use a HAT switch for lateral thrusters (the trim switch on the hog is nice and giant for that). Rudders are indeed for yaw, which is only really used for landing and aiming correction anyway so they fit the bill nicely IMO.

I haven't really thought outside of the box too much, it's basically like flying a plane with directional thrusters thrown in.

I use the mini stick on the CH throttle for lateral thrust and the Rudders for yaw.

Yep, that's how I'm flying my spaceship.

As we're in the process of moving and the joystick is packed away, I've been using mouse and keyboard with great success. I haven't tried any combat (well, beyond the first couple of scenarios anyway), but for cargo runs, mouse and keyboard are very easy and effective.

What's everyone with an x52 using to move around? I have an x52 pro but I'm moving right now so I don't have it setup and I'm DYING to get into some space and flying sims again!

Stick for pitch and roll, CH pro pedals for yaw, and hat switches for the other thrusters? Maybe the hat on the throttle or the mouse control mini stick nub thing?

Check out Saitek's X-55. Very, very nice HOTAS - with twisty stick. I don't have peddles, or want them, so I stick with Saitek.

The X-55 does indeed look pretty good. If that were available when I bought my X-65F, I probably would have gone that route instead. I do hate Saitek/Mad Catz' programming software with a passion, and their reputation for support leaves something to be desired, but those are (usually) more inconveniences that you forget about once you get everything set up properly, and in my experience the "Pro" hardware itself is about as robust as anything on the market short of CH's products.

I'm on my fourth control incarnation at the moment. First was just the X-65F, but my hands are too small to use the stick hat switches for thrusters without having to shift my grip around, thereby adding unwanted noise (bar adding annoying large deadzones) to the force sensors at a time when I'm trying to make delicate maneuvers. Then I switched to my G940 setup (subbing my X65 throttle, for the G940 throttle, which is crap). I did note that the analog thumbstick on the G940 is brilliant for thruster control, but but the stick is a bit sloppy in games that don't support FFB. Then I tried my old X-45, but it has gone wonky.

Then, and this lasted quite a while, I just used my old MS Sidewinder and the keyboard. This actually worked quite well all things considered, but having to move my left hand across the keyboard for various commands and not having a throttle control always in hand proved too cumbersome. Also, as I believe I stated above, the MS stick is showing it's age and has a bit of a slop problem.

I then considered ordering a Saitek AV8R (on sale for 60% off in the US = $20 with free shipping through the official website), which is actually a very nice sub-HOTAS league stick, but it only has four buttons including the trigger and a HAT at the top of the stick, which is too few. I did briefly experiment with a two-stick setup, which could conceivably work. It seemed okay to me, but all of my sticks are thoroughly dexters, which is what lead me to look into the AV8R in the first place as it is one of few sticks of reasonable quality that is legitimately ambidextrous.

So... finally, after all this mostly pointless messing around, all this lead me to what I described in my initial post, which I'm reasonably pleased with. My only gripe is is using digital inputs for the thrusters, but that's a minor concern. Oh, and I also bought a copy of Voice Attack, but until FD adds more control bindings, I haven't been using it too much lately (but direct controls for things buried in panels like powering down systems, requesting landing clearance, other comms functions, etc. would be massively useful).

Anyways, I think the bottom line is that there isn't really any correct way to do it barring some new control device, and it's flexible enough to support just about any control scheme without losing much.

Another thing I'd be interested in trying, though I've never seen one, is a 6DOF yolk--Imagine a ball-and-socket joint connecting to an otherwise nearly typical yolk allowing you to rotate it along RX, RY and RZ (pitch, roll, and yaw respectively), and then also translate it in X, Y, and Z (lateral, thrust, vertical-- depending on your coordinate system of course). That would be highly interesting and possibly quite practical. Of course, the shaft mechanism would be fantastically complex and expensive to fabricate, but I'd be interested to know if anyone has ever seen such a thing. Should ED and SC prove popular enough, maybe we'll see one some day. Not holding my breath.

The bottom line is that I'm pretty much daydreaming about unnecessary perfection, and since what I have now is fine and good for immersion, I'll be sticking with it.

Really, fact of the matter is that an Xbox 360 pad is actually probably close to the ideal setup, but that would kill the immersion dead and you'd never get fine enough control on those stubby little sticks. For those that can master it, though, it would surely be excellent for travelling.

And yes, sorry again for the massively long and wordy post. Sometimes I just have to put these things in writing.

(Edit: I definitely did not intentionally make "Saitek" a hyperlink--is that new board feature (okay by me if it is), or something to do with my browser?)