Yoke
Control yoke for the Cessna 172SP — hardware selection, axis mapping, and mounting to the instrument panel.
Overview
The yoke provides aileron and elevator control — the primary flight control inputs. The Cessna 172SP uses a conventional dual yoke setup on a shared column. This build replicates both the left-seat (pilot) and right-seat (co-pilot) yokes, matching the real aircraft's side-by-side dual controls.
Hardware Options
Two approaches are being evaluated:
Option A — Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls
The Honeycomb Alpha is a purpose-built yoke for home sim use. It mounts to a desk or panel edge, provides realistic axis travel (180° rotation, ±15° fore/aft), and includes PTT, AP disconnect, and trim hat switch. USB HID, zero configuration needed in X-Plane.
Pros: Ready to use, good build quality, well-supported. Cons: Desk-mount only without modification; not visually integrated into the panel.
Option B — Custom-built yoke
A custom yoke using a PVC or aluminium column with Hall-effect sensors on both axes, mounted through the instrument panel on a proper column. More realistic appearance and feel.
Pros: Proper panel integration, full-scale dimensions. Cons: Significant fabrication work; requires custom USB HID interface.
Planned Integration
Regardless of hardware choice, the yoke axes map directly to:
sim/joystick/yoke_roll_ratio (aileron)
sim/joystick/yoke_pitch_ratio (elevator)
Trim is handled by a dedicated hat switch or rocker switch on the yoke column.
Status
Hardware decision pending. Leaning toward Honeycomb Alpha as Phase 1, with a custom column build as a later upgrade.