The rumours are over and we now have our first official information of Thrustmaster’s newest grip. The F/A-18C Hornet HOTAS Add-on is a all metal grip designed for use specifically though not exclusively with the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet module. Here’s what we know!

Authentic Hornet stick experience

Thrustmasters new grip is a follow on the immensely successful Warthog. In a poll run on the DCS World forum some months ago, a large majority of responses showed that they were flying using the Warthog. So the Hornet as follow on makes plenty of sense.

Here are the key features:

• Life-size, 1:1 scale replica of the F/A-18C Hornet™ flight stick handle.
• Metal design (grip), with durable, industrial-grade materials for an authentic feel and maximum product lifespan.
• 19 action buttons, including a realistic 2-step trigger and one 8-direction “Point of View” hat switch. The same number of inputs as the HOTAS Warthog control stick.
• Native integration in the game DCS (sold separately) via the dedicated F/A-18C module.
• Nearly identical stick to that used in the AV-8B Night Attack and F-15E Strike Eagle.
• Backwards-compatible with two best-selling Thrustmaster joystick bases: HOTAS Warthog and HOTAS Cougar (sold separately): easily swap your HOTAS Warthog and HOTAS Cougar with the flight grip.

Reviews are out

Several members of the community have been using the new grip for some time now and their reviews are now out. The following videos by Ralfi, Spudknocker and Jabbers.

Some interesting notes include the automatic mapping of controls for DCS, the compatibility with the older Cougar base from Thrustmaster, the compatibility with VIRPIL’s WarBRD base, and the attention to detail in trying to make this as authentic as possible.

Pre-orders are open, your thoughts?

Thrustmaster is charging $229.99 for the new grip with availability starting July 25th. Pre-orders can be done on Thrustmaster’s website.

I’m very excited to check this out at FS-Expo 2019 tomorrow. I’ll be doing a follow up post as soon as I can. Stay tuned!

Is the most authentic Hornet experience possible something you want or is this a little too pricey for you? Let me know in the comments.