2024 is poised to be an exciting year for flight simmers, especially those keen on piloting twin-engine Airbus aircraft. Fenix has their A320 Block 2, INIBuilds’ has their upcoming A320NEO and A350. Additionally, Aerosoft’s much-anticipated A330 is expected to hit the shelves… eventually.
For enthusiasts eager to complement these new launches with an upgrade to their throttle setups, ProDesksim presents an enticing offer with their Airbus A319-A321 Advanced addon/mod package compatible with the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant. Let’s find out if it’s worth picking up.
Bottom Line
Bottom Line, this product delivers an authentic Airbus experience and boasts impressive aesthetics considering its 3D printed construction. The product offers replacement throttle levers, flap and speed brake levers, as well as detents for flaps and speed brakes. Optional upgrade add-ons include an arming speed brake lever and engine start switches. The price ranges from $110 to $185 depending on the chosen options, which is steep. Despite the cost, I would genuinely recommend considering this item for any simmer who likes flying the A320 series.
A crucial disclaimer that I want to emphasize upfront in this video: using this addon will void the warranty on your throttle quadrant. Honeycomb does not offer support for attaching third-party parts to your quadrant, so proceed with caution.
Throttle Levers
This set boasts fully functional throttle levers, complete with auto throttle disconnect switches on both levers and a reverse thrust detent. These can be paired with detent settings that you can set your throttles into for Climb, Flex, and TOGA. All of the buttons function as advertised, and, the reverse thrust engage levers provide a satisfying click when activated, adding to the tactile experience of using the controls.
I’ll note that if you are looking for these levers to function also for the A330 and A350 series, the only difference in the package would be the reverse thrust levers, as those aircraft use an alternate reverse thrust lever design.
The detents function seamlessly, providing a satisfying click with each transition. However, one notable drawback is the absence of a reverse thrust detent. The throttle levers are larger than the default Bravo levers, increasing the likelihood of inadvertently engaging the reverser detent when intending to move to idle. In actual Airbus aircraft, it’s impossible to surpass the idle detent without activating the reverse thrust gates – and while incorporating such functionality would likely increase the product’s cost significantly, it would have been beneficial if the detent covers at least included the reverse thrust zone and perhaps added additional detents to indicate when the throttle passes idle. This enhancement could improve the user experience.
Examining the throttles closely reveals that their sizing feels appropriate and offers a satisfying grip. Despite being 3D printed, they maintain a smooth texture and feel comfortable in hand. However, scrutiny uncovers some shortcomings, particularly with the grainy appearance of the sides, which fails to replicate the shiny finish of real throttles. This is especially frustrating as the manufacturer has achieved shiny throttle levers for their 737 model.
The throttles also have an attachment to mark what detent your throttles are sitting in. It’s relatively simple, but it gets the job done. This part was actually a recent addition the developer has added to the product. If you already own this set, and would like this part – the developer has told me that you can reach out to them directly on their website, and they will send you this widget free of charge.
An optional upgrade for this set includes a pair of engine start switches priced at $39. While these switches possess an appealing appearance and appropriate shape, I find it tough to recommend them. Practically, their functionality becomes cumbersome without the ability to adjust the engine start mode simultaneously. This results in a reliance on using the mouse to set engines to start before toggling the starters on the Bravo. Additionally, these switches fail to mimic the functional movement of real switches, as they lack the gate mechanism that requires pulling back to lock them into the on or off position. Consequently, accidental actuation becomes all too easy, detracting from the overall user experience. I honestly can’t recommend getting this upgrade for the product.
Flaps
This set features a spring loaded flap that enables you to pull the flap lever in the same method that you can pull the flap lever on a real airbus. It has 4 different detents, same as the airbus, and features a gate at the end that prevents you from leaving the 4 prescribed flap settings
While the flap lever functions adequately, it doesn’t entirely replicate the real Airbus experience. Feedback from a friend who is an A320 pilot revealed that smoothly transitioning the flap lever from flaps up to flaps full isn’t possible in reality. Notably, there are gates at flaps 1 and flaps 3 that interrupt the transition process, which the current product iteration lacks. It’s worth mentioning that the developer has successfully implemented similar features in their Boeing series of products, so hopefully that is a function they can integrate here as well – in a future version.
Aesthetically, the flap lever is ok: it deviates from the rounded top cover design of real Airbus levers, and an exposed screw is oddly visible. While the flap detent cover presents well, the fonts don’t precisely match those on the real Airbus, and the “Full” designation at the bottom should be in all uppercase.
Speed Brakes
The speed brake design in the base package is all right. The speed brake operates statically, progressing through detents similarly to throttle levers, with detents at up, half, and full – similar to the real airbus. The absence of a gate at the full marker poses a risk of accidental exceedance, a puzzling oversight considering the solutions implemented in other designs like the flaps.
The optional upgrade package introduces a speed brake arming mechanism for an additional $35. It is functional, and has the notable feature of having a white marking on the shaft. From talking with my pilot friend – this is a critical visual cue real Airbus pilots use to verify that the speed brake is armed. One function it is missing is that the speedbrake lever is not supposed to be movable when it is armed the position. Additionally, the lever, is relatively short, but that is understandable considering limited spacing on the bravo, and it does have a significant amount of play, lacking sturdiness and undermining the overall user experience.
Setup/Removal
Setting up and removing this package from the Bravo is straightforward, requiring just two additional steps compared to the default Bravo product, involving the installation of detent covers – this process takes less than 30 seconds to complete. For storage, utilizing the box in which the levers were delivered proves to be practical. The box offers ample space, slightly larger than Honeycomb boxes, which facilitates easy storage on a shelf.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my experience with this product has been largely positive, offering a unique Airbus-like experience with the throttle quadrant. While the design is appealing and the functionality meets expectations, it does have its imperfections. Personally, I highly recommend acquiring the base product for the throttle quadrant and considering the arming spoiler mechanism if budget allows. The base product, priced at $110, may seem steep for a Bravo addon, but for enthusiasts of the Airbus series, it’s a worthwhile investment.
If this product interests you – the developers have offered fans of FSElite a 10% off coupon code on their store – which you can access by using the code FSELITE10.
