Rudder Pedals

After adding the a Flight Yoke to an airplane simulator set-up the next thing I would look for is to free my hands some more and use a set of rudder pedals.

Once again I’ll repeat that it isn’t necessary to have this item to pilot your flying simulator, but we are all enthusiasts here and the fact is we WANT them rather than need them. If you want to truly feel like you’re in that cockpit, then the closer we can get to controlling the aircraft like the real deal, the better.

So what do rudders pedals do?

Flight rudder pedals basically serve two functions, the first is control of the airplanes yaw. If you’re not familiar with yaw, it is the side to side rotation of the aircraft around it’s own centre of gravity. For a full explanation see this NASA link.

However in addition to the yaw, pedals from both Saitek and CH Products can also provide control of the aircrafts braking system. Simulating toe brakes for bringing an aircraft to a stop on the tarmac by simultaneous use of the pedals, or independent differential braking (one pedal at a time) that can be used to turn an aircraft.

Unlike the pedals on cars,more expensive flight simulator pedals will often have a range of slide motion as would be found in a real aircraft. To allow the pedals to be used for driving games in addition to flight simulators, tensioning adjustments can be made and pins / block attachments inserted to prevent the sliding motion.

Construction

Flying simulator pedals are on the whole very sturdily constructed using a combination of metal, heavy duty plastic and rubberised grips. Build quality needs to be sturdy to withstand the knocks they will take under your desk.

Some come in a one size format big enough for a male adults foot, whilst others actually have adjustable length for a more precise fit. The size is not usually the problem however, this area is reserved for the responsiveness and tension.

Most pedals will therefore have a tensioning spring or similar device to allow you to set the feel of the pedals to your individual requirements.

Price

Rudder pedals can start from as little as $60 for a basic pair. For a more expensive solution, possibly bundled with other devices you can pay upwards of $300. So there should be a rudder pedal option to fit most budgets.

So get on over to your favourite store, or check out some of the pedals shown in the article. Pedals really are a great addition to your airplane simulator.