AVSIM Commercial Hardware Review Saitek - X52 Flight Control

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AVSIM Commercial Hardware Review 

Saitek - X52 Flight Control System 

Publisher: Saitek 

HOTAS 

Product Information 

Description: Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS). 

file:///C|/AVSIM/Reviews/Saitek/Saitek.htm (1 of 12)10/09/2006 4:38:20 AM


Reviewed by: Brian Fletcher AVSIM Sr Staff Reviewer - September 11, 2006 

Introduction 

Even though the vast majority of simmers use some type of joystick, if you do not have 

one of only a handful of Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) controllers that can operate 

all of the necessary functions in Flight Sim, then you need to pay close attention to this 

review. 

What separates the X52 from most other HOTAS controllers is that it has the ability to 

control every function in every Flight Simulator that I tested it with, which completely 

eliminates the need to use the keyboard. Plus, the throttle portion of the X52 has a mouse 

control feature which can be used in place of a normal mouse to move the cursor in any 

sim, and in fact, in most Windows programs and games. 

The X52 is a two-piece HOTAS; one of which is the stick / joystick portion, and the other 

being the throttle. Combined, the two controllers provide the simmer with an enormous 

amount of functions and controls that can be tripled by use of the mode selector, which 

allows you to designated three different functions for each button and switch. 

One of the eye catching features of the X52 is the LED display built into the base of the 

throttle controller. This provides the date, GMT, two additional time zones defined as you 

wish, mode selected, profile information, and has a chronometer of sorts. Also pleasing to 

the eye are the 11 lighted buttons, which can be adjusted to provide dim to bright blue 

backlighting, or no lighting at all if you so choose. 

But the biggest selling point for me is the comfort of the X52. Because this HOTAS is in 

two pieces, you can place the joystick and throttle wherever you wish, and the rubber 

grips and 5 position adjustable palm rest provide maximum comfort and minimal fatigue. 

And to top it all off, both of the X52 controllers are constructed of part metal and part hard 

plastic, which combine to form an extremely resilient HOTAS. 

Of course, not every simmer will become as fond of the X52 as I have, and after almost 

two decades of flight simming I can understand why. I have found that many sim 

enthusiasts grow attached to their joysticks, especially after modifying them to fit their 

needs. In fact, it took years of prodding from my fellow simmers before I entertained the 

idea of upgrading from my Microsoft Sidewinder to the Saitek X45, the predecessor of the 

X52. 

In this review I am going to show you what the Saitek X52 has to offer, and why I was 

willing to give it a chance. You can then decide if it is something worth looking into, and 

you can also determine for yourself if the cost-value is suitable. To do this I am going to 

cover the controller and the SST Programming Software, which allows you to configure the 

X52 to your liking and lets you save profiles for different Sims and users. 

We will begin this review by visiting Saitek’s website at http//:www.saitek.com, where the 



X52 can be purchased for $99.00, which is reasonably discounted from the $160.00 I had 

to pay at a leading US electronics store. While visiting the website I took notes of what 

features Saitek claims the X52 to have and compared them to my findings. Now let’s go 

find out why this HOTAS is more than just another controller, but a real “Flight Control 

System”. 

Installation 

The Saitek X52 is accompanied by an installation 

CD including manuals, drivers, and the SST 

Programming Software. You can choose which of 

these items you wish to install, but the driver will 

be required in order for your controller to function 

properly. To do this, you will need to click on the 

box next to “Install drivers and SST Programming 

Software”, and then follow the onscreen 

instructions. During this process, Windows will 

detect the hardware and you follow the 

instructions given. 

After the driver is installed, you will be asked 

whether or not you wish to install the SST Software, which I highly recommend doing. This 

step will only take a brief moment and will place a shortcut to the program on your 

desktop. Though you do not need to install this program in order for the X52 to function 

properly, it does provide a user-friendly interface for programming the X52 to your liking. 

You may also use the installation CD to view the manual for the SST Software, which is a 

fairly inclusive walk-through of how to use the program. 

Even though the X52 driver is included on the CD, you should visit the Saitek website on a 

regular basis to ensure that you always have the most recently updated drivers. The driver 

downloads are free and easy to install, plus they will keep your controller performing to its 

maximum potential. While at the website, you can also visit the FAQ page to answer any 

questions you may have about the X52 and download SST profiles. 

The Joystick 

The joystick portion of the X52 sits atop a part metal, part plastic base measuring 

approximately 7” wide, 7” deep and about 2” high. There is a 1 ¾” gap between the base 

and the bottom of the stick where the coil spring is located, which when combined with the 

7 ½” height of the stick itself, makes for an overall height of about 9 ¼” inches off the 

base and 11 ¼ inches off your desktop. 

The base can be mounted to your desktop by use of the two existing holes in the front 

right and rear left of the base, or by using the four supplied suction cups, but the weight of 

the base will keep it in place on just about any surface, keeping you from having to drill 

holes in your desk. However, if you would like to mount the base, but do not want to ruin 

your desk, you can use screw clamps (not included). 



On the front of the base you will notice three 

spring loaded 2-way toggle switches. These 

switches are numbered T1 through T6, and all 

have a blue back light seen through the center 

handle of the switches. To the right of the 

switches is a green light that indicates the 

controller is plugged in and activated, just in case 

you have turned off the backlighting. 

Moving up on the joystick, you will come across a 

pull out lock for the rudder twist feature. When 

pushed in, the joystick will twist a little over an 

inch either direction to allow you to control the 

rudders, but when pulled out, this axis will not move. I should note however, that even 

with the rudder lock pulled out, it is possible to twist the joystick just enough to affect the 

rudder movement but this lock will keep you from accidentally twisting the joystick during 

forceful maneuvers. 

Next to the rudder axis lock is the palm rest, which can be relocated to one of five 

positions to fit any simmer's flying hand. To adjust the palm rest you will need to loosen 

the nut on the back of the joystick enough to pull the palm rest out of the inset, and 

simply reposition it and tighten the nut. Unfortunately for the south paws out there, the 

palm rest can only be positioned on the right side of the joystick, just as the throttle is 

designed to be used with the left hand. 

While you’re adjusting the joystick to your liking, you will notice two trigger buttons 

located on the backside of the stick. The lower trigger controls one function by a sliding 

movement, and the upper trigger has two stages to control two different functions. The 

first stage of the upper trigger is activated by depressing the trigger up to the half-way 

point, and the second stage is activated by continuing to depress the trigger further, which 

is indicated by a clicking sound. 



On the top of the stick is where the bulk of the buttons are located, which include two 8way 

hat switches, two fire buttons, an additional button with a spring loaded safety cover, 

a flat button, and a three way rotary knob used to select one of three modes, or up to six 

when used in conjunction with the pinkie trigger. The mode you are in can be deciphered 

by the light to the left side of the rotary knob that changes from green to orange to pink. 

We will learn more about mode selection when we discuss the SST Programming Software. 

In addition to the aforementioned features, Saitek has also included what they call a 

precision centering mechanism that “…uses non contact technology on the X and Y axis 

and constant spring force to reduce free play and improve control and durability". What 

this means for the simmer is swift response, constant tension, and a long service life for 

your joystick. 

From any angle, the joystick portion of the X52 is, in my opinion, just about as good as it 

gets. I have found it to be comfortable and I am pleased with the array of buttons, 

switches, and knobs which, as I will explain later, can be configured to function the 

controls however you want them to, in most Flight Simulators. But there is more to the 

X52 than the joystick; let’s go take a look at the throttle. 

The Throttle 

The throttle portion of the X52 is just as eventful, if not more so, than the joystick. This 

controller begins with a base similar in size to the joystick base that can be mounted in the 

same manner, but includes a built-in LED display to keep you informed of a number of 

things. The top line of the blue backlit display notifies you of what mode you are in from 

mode 1 to mode 3. This is changed by the rotary knob on the joystick. As you change the 

mode on the joystick, the number in the top left corner of the LED display will change 



instantaneously. 

Also included in the display is the date, GMT, and 

two additional times as defined by the user. You 

can choose to set one of the digital clocks to the 

time zone of your departure and the other to your 

arrival area time zone, or perhaps you might set 

one to your home time and another to a fellow 

simmer's time zone. Also included in this display is 

a counter, which can be combined with the other 

features to make a decent digital chronometer of 

sorts. 

And finally, in the center of the display is my 

favorite feature; the profile name. This is where 

the title that you have given your selected profile 

will be displayed, which can be changed through 

the SST Programming Software. Below the display you will notice three buttons, one titled 

“function”, another labeled “start/stop” and the last titled “reset”. These buttons are used 

to change the time displayed, start and stop the digital counter, and reset the counter to 

zero. 

The throttle handle is positioned on the left side of the LED display behind a green on/off 

indicator light, and is rather large when compared to the throttles built in to most 

joysticks. The base of the throttle handle has markings indicating when the throttle is set 

to 0, 50, 100, and eight points in between. The accuracy of these markings all depends on 

how well you have the throttle controller calibrated. 

The left side of the throttle handle does not contain any buttons, but it does have a rubber 

grip designed to conform to your hand comfortably. There is one scroll wheel with a built 

in button that resides on the back of the throttle where your forefinger would rest, but the 

rest of the features are conveniently located to the right side of the throttle handle, which 

makes for easy access by your thumb. 

The buttons in this area include: two rotary controls, an 8-way hat switch, three fire type 

buttons, a slider, and a mouse controller that includes a 360 degree rotating lever and a 

metal button to act as the left click feature. This mouse feature can be used in place of 

your typical mouse, and can be used to make menu selections, move sub-panels, or 

anything else. The only downside to this mouse controller is that there is no button to act 

as a right click. 



In addition to the previously mentioned functions of the throttle, there is another feature 

that I found to be helpful in many situations. I am referring to the two detents in the 

throttle axis that indicate when the throttle is set to idle, and when it reaches the 

afterburner level. Of course the actual idle and afterburner setting may be affected by the 

controller calibration and the sim aircraft itself. 

All in all, I found the throttle portion of the X52 to be a perfect companion for the joystick. 

I like the tension in the throttle axis, which is not enough to force the base to move, but 

more than enough to prevent any accidental movement. And when you combine the 

buttons, knobs, slider, and rotaries with those on the joystick, you have all you need to fly 

without the mouse and keyboard. But in order to be able to chuck the keyboard for good, 

you will need to be able to triple the functions provided, so let’s go find out how to do that. 

SST Programming Software 

The Saitek Smart Technology (SST) Software is an easy to use program that allows you to 

assign functions to each of the buttons, knobs, switches, slider, and rotaries on the X52. 

You can use this program to make as many profiles as you want, which means that you 

can set up your X52 for each simulator that you use. Since the SST overrides the in-game 

controller configuration settings, you will not have to reassign each function if you reinstall 

a Sim. 

The main page of this software is divided into three sections; the top menu bar, the left 

controller identification screen, and the button data menu on the right. The menu bar 

gives you the option to change to a full screen data view, save and load profiles, print the 

button assignments, and access the help menu. You can experiment with the menu option 

to configure the program to your liking, but I find it to be best as it is displayed by default. 



The left side of the screen displays both the joystick and throttle portion of the X52, with 

one being front and center, and the other to the back left side of the screen. You can 

change which controller is closest by simply clicking on it. While selected, you can use the 

mouse to rotate the controller to any position you choose, which will allow you a clear view 

of the button you want to configure. 

To configure a button, you can left click on it which will highlight the applicable data field 

on the right side of the screen. In the data field you will need to use your keyboard to 

depress the key function that you want that button to operate. After doing this, you can 

then click on the top portion of that button's data field and enter a description of that 

function. 

For example, if I wanted to configure the “C” button on my joystick to extend and retract 

the spoilers, then I would start by left clicking on the button on the model of the X52 on 

the left side of the screen. Then I would enter the keyboard command that operates the 

spoilers, in FS9 that would be the “ / ” (forward slash). Once assigned, I can then type in a 

reminder in the top portion of the “C” buttons data field. Perhaps something along the 

lines of “Spoilers extend / retract” or just “Spoilers” would be suitable. 

Using the mode selector you can also designate five additional key commands to that 

same button. You simply need to change the mode from the 



drop down mode menu on the top of the screen and follow the above steps. While using 

Flight Sim you can change which mode you are in by rotating the rotary knob on the top 

right portion of the joystick, plus you can use the pinkie trigger in conjunction with the 

rotary knob to switch through three additional modes. 

You can also use the SST Software to program multiple and combination keystrokes. This 

will allow you to use the buttons to operate functions in the Sim that would normally 

require you to press two or more buttons simultaneously or repeatedly. A good example of 

this is the sub panels in FS9 that are opened by use of the “shift” plus applicable number 

key. Instead of having to use your keyboard to open and close these panels, you can 

simply assign a key in the same manner as above, but by adding the subsequent key 

command to the button data. 

In addition to assigning commands, you can also configure the hat switches and slider to 

your liking. There are a number of ways that you can alter their function and assign what 

and how they operate. This procedure takes a little time to master, but the SST Software 

manual will tell you all that you need to know to configure these, and in deed all, of the 

functions of the X52. 

Test System 

Compaq Presario SR1232 

AMD Athlon 2.2 GHz 

2 GB Ram 

NVIDIA Ge Force FX5500 

StarLogic 21” Flat Panel 

Monitor @ 1024 X 768 

CH USB Flight Yoke 

CH USB Rudder Pedals 

Saitek X52 Flight Control 

System 

FTP 290 Throttle Quadrant 

Bose 5:1 Surround Sound 

Laptop 

Toshiba Satellite 

1.6 GHz Intel Celeron M 

512 MB DDR2 SD Ram 

Intel Graphics Media 

Accelerator 900 

Flying Time: 

44 hours 

Conclusion 

file:///C|/AVSIM/Reviews/Saitek/Saitek.htm (9 of 12)10/09/2006 4:38:20 AM 

Given the seemingly endless functions, the comfortable 

and authentic design, and the arguably reasonable price 

tag of $99.00 USD, I consider the Saitek X52 to be one of 

the finest HOTAS controllers available. Some of the 

features, such as the separate throttle control, LED 

display, and adjustable button lighting add to my cosmetic 

likes of this controller. And other functions, such as the 

rudder twist, adjustable palm rest, conveniently placed 

buttons and switches, mouse controller, and mode 

selector, find my approval as well. 

There are two aspects of this HOTAS that have made it a 

must have in my home cockpit. The first being the ability 

to function all necessary Flight Sim controls without 

accessing my keyboard and mouse, and the second being 

the comfort. The latter feature is what has made it so 

difficult for me to upgrade joysticks throughout the years, 

but I have definitely found a keeper with the X52. 

Of course, I cannot possibly suggest that every simmer 

will feel the same way I do about the Saitek X52 Flight 

Control System, but I do think that if you were to give this 

HOTAS a chance, you will likely find it to grow on you. 

Perhaps the best way to determine if this controller is for 

you or not, is to visit your local retail electronics store 

where you can get an up close an personal look at the


display model. I employed that tactic myself before purchasing my X52. 

If the $99.00 price tag is a concern to you, then you might want to consider the fact that 

this HOTAS comes with one of the most important features of all…survivability. Not only is 

the X52 constructed well, but given the trend of joysticks over the past decade, I don’t see 

it going out of style anytime soon. And with FS-X right around the corner, this might be 

the perfect time to get your home cockpit in order. 

So in case you haven’t noticed, I am definitely very fond of the X52, and I place my seal of 

approval all over it. I have not found any notable problems with either of the two units 

making up this HOTAS, and even though I have had a few problems trying to get certain 

features to function properly in different Flight Sims, I have managed to overcome those 

problems with help from the folks at Saitek. 

In conclusion, I can only say that I absolutely love my X52 and couldn’t imagine having to 

fly HOTAS equipped sim aircraft without it. And even though I may not be willing to 

suggest that you hurry up and get one for yourself, I do highly recommend giving this 

product serious consideration. It is, after all, a great way to add that extra bit of frame 

rate friendly realism to Flight Sim. 


What I Like About The Saitek X52


● The cost-value seems very reasonable to me. 

● There are numerous buttons, switches, rotaries, etc. 

● The X52 can eliminate the need to use the keyboard and 

mouse for simming. 

● I am more than satisfied with the comfort of each 

controller. 

● The adjustable blue backlighting of the buttons is a 

cosmetic plus. 

● Both the joystick and throttle are constructed to handle 

the most intense simmers aggression. 

● The weighted bases keep the controllers in place very 

well, or you can use the mounting options. 

What I Don't Like About The Saitek X52 

● The throttle controller is designed to be used with the 

left hand, which may not accommodate all simmers. 

● Even though the twist action can be locked, the joystick 

can still be twisted slightly, allowing rudder movement. 

● The X52 is not as compatible with some Sims as it is 

with the Microsoft series (FS and CFS). 

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Standard Disclaimer 

The review above is a subjective assessment of the product by 

the author. There is no connection between the producer and 

the reviewer, and we feel this review is unbiased and truly 

reflects the performance of the product in the simming 

environment. This disclaimer is posted here in order to provide 

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AVSIM Commercial Hardware Review Saitek - X52 Flight Control

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