Saitek PZ55 Pro Flight Switch Panel

Saitek PZ55 Pro Flight Switch Panel From Saitek List Price: $99.99 Price: $86.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days Ships from and sold by Amazon.com 31 new or used available from $79.00 Average customer review:

Product Description

Feel like a real pilot with realistic clearly labelled controls in easy reach with the PZ55 Pro Flight Switch Panel from Saitek. Features include switches for engine on and off, landing gear, a large selection of cockpit controls, works with Flight Sim X, LED's for landing gear matching the status in the game. Works with XP, XP64, and Vista.

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Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Saitek
• Model: PZ55
• Platform: Windows XP
• Dimensions: 12.40" h x 4.60" w x 5.70" l, 1.59 pounds

Features

• Flight switch panel for flight sims
• Engine on and off switch
• Landing gear and cockpit control switches
• Works with Microsoft Flight Sim X
• Works with XP, XP64, and Vista

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Editorial Reviews

Manufacturer Description
Upgrade your flight simulation experience for Microsoft Flight Simulator X with the Saitek Pro Flight Switch Panel. Whether attached to the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System, free standing on a desk or mounted into your own cockpit setup, the Pro Flight Switch Panel is an ideal way to expand the number of controls for your flight simulation setup. Control your landing gear, engine power, landing lights and 11 other important aircraft functions from one compact unit.

Features include:

• Realistic landing gear control with LEDs indicating actual gear status from Microsoft FSX
• Start your aircraft engines and access other cockpit functions with ease
• Conveniently attaches to the base of the Pro Flight Yoke System (sold separately)
• Connectivity: USB 1.1/2.0
• Works with: Windows XP, XP64 and Vista (all versions)

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Customer Reviews

Getting there is half the fun
This is a interesting little piece of plastic. And I recommend and enjoy it with some unfortunate reservations. Be aware of a few little things that make you go, "Huh, what were they thinking?"

It ships with a hex tool to unscrew the screws on the companion pro flight throttle for mounting. Problem is, it's the wrong size....way too small...so you will need a #3 hex tool handy if you want to mount to the companion yoke. Also, the instructions suggest using the 2 inner screw mount points. I suggest you use 2 mount points wider apart, other wise the panel will sway from side to side.

The mounting bracket is quite flimsy. So much so that when you flip switches the panel console moves, front to back. Disappointingly poor engineering design especially when you see they have plans to hang more stuff off this in time to come.

The mag switch is mixed up (L/R should be R/L)

You can't assign or change functions to switches on this unit as you can with the yoke or throttle.

The Saitek website doesn't tell you what driver version is the latest much less what issues it addresses.

OK, that's the annoying stupid stuff.

The good stuff:


There is a new driver available on the Saitek web site!


The inoperative cowl flap switch has been fixed with driver rev 6.5.8.4 (But it's either open or closed, nothing incremental.)

The inoperative deice switch has been fixed with driver rev 6.5.8.4 (Still, if it's not implemented in FSX, why designate a switch for it?)

The incorrect landing gear light sequence has been fixed with driver rev 6.5.8.4 (Green is down, Red is in transit, Amber is gone)


Everything else is really nice and I do enjoy not having to look for all these switches on keyboards or screens. Simply plug it into the back of the companion yoke and run a quick program which installs as an FSX (simconnect?) plugin and thats it.

My test flights were on a system running Vista 64 with an FSX default C172, a default Mooney Bravo and everything worked except the cowl flaps and as noted above. Also worked with an add on Eaglesoft Cirrus SR22. So, pretty successful for out of the box. And it looks cool.

But for silly oversights, Saitek could have had a brilliant unit here instead of just a good one. They need to pay attention to detail. Makes you wonder who is in charge of things there...and why?

So, it's 4 out of 5 now with the new driver.

Waste of Money
Let me start off first by saying that I have the "Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals", the "Saitek Pro Flight Yoke with Three-Lever Throttle", and the "Saitek X52 Pro Flight System". All of these hardware components are great and I highly recommend them.

However, given the good quality of the above Saitek equipment, I was extremely disappointed to see the poor quality of the Saitek PZ55 Pro Flight Switch Panel. Both the Yoke mount and the velcro straps (desk mount) feel flimsy and the whole assembly moves when hitting the switches or moving the landing gear lever. You would do better attaching your keyboard to the top of the yoke with velcro (I do).

Also, of all the possible functionality to put on a panel, Saitek gives simple light function as opposed to some of the more challenging functionality to operate with the mouse such as radio/frequency tuning, autopilot settings, trim functions etc. I think it is more important to give me functionality over those controls I will constantly have to operate during flight, not one time events like turning on the engine and landing gears.

Saitek really missed an opportunity to offer some additional useful functionality to its customers. And for $100, this piece of equipment does no better than the keyboard you already have. This product is a waste of money and a huge disappointment considering that Saitek has done much better in the past.

A nice addition to Flight simulator X
I've now had a good amount of time to put the Saitek Pro Flight Switch Panel. I use it in conjunction with my CH Products yoke, pedals and throttle quadrant Clearly, Saitek saw this as an addon for its yoke, sine you can screw this item into the to off the yoke. While that may save desk space, I don't recall having ever seen an aircraft with these controls in that position.

I mounted mine on my desktop to the right of my yoke and to the left of my throttle quadrant. That seems to be a convenient location for ease of use. I used the supplied Velcro strips. I agree with the other reviewer that this is not the best way to mount the product on the desk as it does, indeed allow the unit to wobble. The wobble can be minimized by placing your fingers on the top of the unit and working the panel's switches with your thumb. There are numerous other ways the average person could mount this product more securely. A little ingenuity is all it takes.

For the default aircraft or the less complex addon aircraft, the switches on this panel will take you from cold and dark to ready to taxi. For the more complex aircraft from PMDG or Level D, it will still require using some additional mouse clicks to do the job.

Starting anywhere from one to four engines is simple with this unit...perhaps overly simple, but remember, this product is under a hundred bucks.

The master "bat", "alt" and master avionics switches are only useful if you like to start up in a cold and dark cockpit. The cowl flaps switch is useful only for propeller driven aircraft. The lighting switches are good for almost any aircraft, as are the pitot heat, de-ice switches and landing gear lever.

All in all, I am quite satisfied with this product. In addition to adding to the realism of the simulation,it has allowed me to re program several switches on my yoke and throttle quadrant for other purposes.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not five, is that it would have been so simple for Saitek to provide removable clamps for desktop mounting.