I have good old Sidewinder pro so Im in temptation...to pick up x52pro or Saitek rudder pedals? Can I get through with rudder twist on joystick or I must buy a pedals?

Yes

Pedals are highly recommended. A friend of mine flies with a twist stick and has a really hard time taking off. The twist axis just isn't precise enough. Plus, coordinating turns with a twist joystick is also much harder (because the axes are not really independant).

Rudder is a much bigger factor for maneuverability in RoF than it is in IL2.

Sorry that was a bit short, but I couldnt fly without my pedals. Although you "could" get away with a twist joystick.

I also couldnt do without my Track IR.

I already have trackir 4 pro....thanks guys for your answers....as I predicted....pedals will be

I would recommend the pedals too. Not just for this one, but any flight sim is enhanced by them.
I have the Saitek and they are quite good. Not too expensive and work very well. Toe brakes are great for games that support it (FSX, for one). They seem to be well built and should hold up for years, with normal use. Full tension on the adjuster is a little weak, but still offers enough resistance so returning to center is easily felt.

I'll join the chorus and say, yes, rudder pedals are a "must have" for any dedicated flight simmer and most certainly for RoF. I wouldn't be able to take off without them, since it seems you have to gently rock the pedals back and forth in order to keep these birds heading straight (or somewhat straight LOL) down the tarmac.

I also fly IL-2: 1946 and Battle of Britain II: Wings Of Victory...and while pedals are helpful in IL-2, they're essential in BoBII in order to take off in my Spitfire with its cantilevered landing gear!

I've been flying sims for many years with the twist grip of my SWFF2 before I bought my Saitek rudder pedals. Rudder pedals are IMO no 'must' but certainly nice to have. I consider the importance of hardware as decent joystick-> TIR-> rudder pedals.

An absolute must. Infact, more important than the joystick and throttle (when the Dr1 gets into the game anyway)

During slow flight when responsiveness of ailerons becomes null - using rudder to return to horizontal flight is required. Otherwise aircraft can get into a spin. So, yes, having rudders is a must.

Having rudder control -- either a twist stick or pedals -- is essential.

Pedals are more realistic than a twist stick but a good set costs (minimum) $100 in addition to what you paid for the stick.

My twist stick (Saitek Cyborg Evo Force) does just fine for me.

But you really need some sort of rudder control beyond your keyboard.

HT

Doesn't ROF have a rudder co-ordination tab like FSX? A sort of auto rudder that applies rudder when you bank left or right. I seem to remember reading about it early on, I don't have the sim yet so I can't check. Its not an ideal situation but it could help people with an old crusty joystick get into the game.

I used to use the auto co-ordination option in my early FS95 days before I had a twist stick or pedals

I just checked thru the controls section, and I don't see anything like that.. and I'm not sure it would work too well with this sim anyhow. As alluded above, with these early craft you end up sometimes using the rudder in unusual ways (ie non-coordinated when ailerons lose authority).

And yeah, good rudder control is essential. It's very sensitive in these craft and a fine touch is required. I have an X45 and the rocker-bar on the throttle works fine.. but I think a twist-stick would be tough.

I recently received a set of CH pedals to go with my Saitek X52 Pro. IMO rudder pedals are a must, you don't realize how much a twist stick held you back until you start using pedals. I found that I could use the rudder much more effectively using pedals instead of the twist because the twist will contort your arm/wrist into awkward positions if you are trying to fly uncoordinated in combat, i.e. I could never easily slip my nose with the stick while trying to get guns on in a head on pass, with pedals I find myself naturally doing it.

Well darn it!

I was hoping having rudder pedals was going to be my secret weapon online.

personally, I think rudder pedals are a must in any flight sim. The twisting joystick just doesn't make me feel like I'm flying an airplane.

Variable yaw control is a must have, but rudder pedals are 100 times better than any twist stick or rocker system. I don't know how I went so long just using a twist stick.

You can actually make a perfectly straight take off run with rudder pedals. Keeping turns coordinated is essential, as doing so makes shooting easier, reduces drag, and reduces the chance for an unintended stall and spin.

Someone already mentioned the slow flight, specially with the N28, the ailerons become totally ineffective on it when it is near stall.

I have found with the Fokker, that you can't really snap roll it unless you use aileron opposite of your rudder. It has such a mild stall that it is hard to snap roll, so that down aileron on the side you are trying to snap roll to, will help that wing stall first. There are so many nice realistic touches to this sim.

In a maneuver like that I think a twist stick would have your arm/wrist/hand in an awkward position.

I have the Saitek X-45 setup. The rudder works with a rocker on the throttle grip. This works very well if you just don't have the room for pedals.
Stay away from the twist stick, as everyone has mentioned.

Guys,

Autorudder can be enabled in the mission set-up before each flight right along with all your other realism settings.

Jason

I haven't tried the auto rudder on RoF, but I think you would be at a bigger disadvantage using it than using a rocker or twist stick.