For what feels an eternity now, I have trusted my flight sim experience to a Thrustmaster T1.6000 flight stick. It has served me well for over 5 years and, in my opinion, is still the budget king in the category. But after years of use, as anything, it started showing some very noticeable signs of wear.
At the beginning, it was the potentiometers on the base slider and twist stick giving away, which wasn't mission-critical for me. Then, I started losing sensitivity in the front buttons and, finally, the trigger. I opened up my stick several times to do repairs, so it wasn't due to a lack of trying that my trusty T1.6K from Thrustmaster finally decided to become unplayable.
This is when I decided to give Winwing a try with the generous help from Aaron, since I wasn't able to acquire it at the time. It took months to get to my country, but I finally got a knock on the door earlier this week. Let's take a quick look at this marvelous stick!
DISCLAIMER: This article was NOT sponsored by WINWING in any way, shape or form. As well, we acquired this item with our own means, this was not a free sample provided by WINWING. We have full editorial control of this content
URSA MINOR: PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
Even though this stick is considered an "entry level" piece of hardware, along with other competitors like the VKB Gladiator, the Ursa Minor seems to be packed with features that, in practicality, position it on a higher tier. Personally, when looking for a quality flight stick to replace my T1.6000, I looked for certain features that were a must: Hall-effect sensors for the main axis movement, more than one hat switch and a plenty of face buttons. Hat switches were my priority, as I struggled to map everything I needed in DCS for more complex aircraft.
Thankfully, the Ursa minor offered all of that and more. I went from one to four hat switches, plus a mini-stick. It also has hall effect sensors on all of its axis, including the twist (Z) axis, with the only potentiometer being the base slider. It has over 40 inputs available, with more possible if you decide to turn the mini-stick into another hat switch.
These are usually features you see on higher-tier sticks, putting the Ursa Minor firmly ahead of other sticks in its price range (~USD $110) such as the X.52, X.56, the venerable T1.6000. The only stick that would be in direct competition is VKB's Gladiator.
In terms of comfort, it is alright. It does feel a bit thin and the small non-adjustable palm rest can leave you wanting for more. That being said, for an average sized hand (adult male), all buttons are easily accessible and tactile.
The monochrome ambient lighting is quite pleasing and adjustable through software. It was made in such a way that it is impossible to distinguish between the individual LEDs, leaving you with a very eye-catching base lit up with white diffusers. Even during daytime, these lights are visible and add to the overall premium aesthetic this stick offers.
SOFTWARE AND IN-GAME USE
To configure the stick properly, you will need to download Winwing's proprietary software: SimApp Pro. This program is... quite primitive. While it does let you connect your stick directly to games such as DCS and allows you to configure certain aspects of the Ursa Minor, it does require an accountb to be created to even access some of those features. To create an account, it will require you to give them your phone number on sign-up.
Some connectivity features include interactions between the game that will affect the lighting, or even the until now unmentioned vibration motor that comes included within the stick.
Once in-game, whether you have activated the additional features through SimApp or not, you will be welcomed by a flight simmer's favorite activity: control mapping. This stick does not have default mappings for DCS World, not even axis controls, so you will have to do all of that by hand and with a lot of patience.
Now that we are actually able to use the flight stick as God intended, you will most likely find the experience to be quite a breath of fresh air, especially if you came from a stick such as the T1.6000. The more interesting aspect to me, and the one that jumped at me immediately upon trying to take off on my Phantom, was the feel the solid gimbals had on the movement.
You can clearly feel when you are on one axis or another, unlike with the gimbal on the T1.6000. When I am rolling, I feel as if I was gliding through a narrow channel and, as soon as I input some pitch, you feel the merge of both axis working in unison. It is extremely responsive and sensitive, that goes for pitch, roll and yaw. I have found the experience to be extremely appealing and quite a step up from my trusty T1.6K.
All the buttons are tactile, and the two stage trigger demands some force for you to activate its second stage. I have absolutely zero complaints in regard to the buttons and the built of this stick, Winwing really did an amazing job here.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
Yes. I am one happy customer. If you have a T.Flight Hotas 4 or even a TWCS set-up from Thrustmaster, getting an Ursa Minor is quite the step in the right direction for your flight simming experience. Its only downside is the software package and its absurd limitations, but the stick does not need it to function in the slightest.
I am glad this stick is now in my hands, let's see how long this one lasts me. I will take care of it like I did my 5-year-old T1.6K, so expect a long-term report in the future.
Stay safe and happy flights!
About the Author
Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos
Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter | Discord: Cubeboy
.png)