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Rebuilding Choplifter Flight Stick

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migraineman:

I recently purchased a Choplifter flight stick.  It's missing a roll pin and a handful of screws, but is otherwise in decent shape.  I disassembled it, and gave it a good cleaning - there was a healthy layer of gunge throughout. 

 

Having taken the assembly down to parts for painting, I'm noticing that the restrictor plate is round, is very hard, and has a circular metal sleeve.  This has been this way for a while, as evidenced by a circular scar on the joystick shaft.  I'm wondering, should there be some rubber or urethane bumper bonded to the metal sleeve?  I'm tempted to get a piece of urethane tubing and sleeve the joystick to give a little compliance to the limit stop. 



TopJimmyCooks:

I don't know about whether there was originally a resilient bumper on the restrictor, but there are people here who do and who will respond.  However, the sleeve sounds reversible and you should give it a try - if you like it better than the metal on metal, go with it. 

I can't recall any game where the joystick hits a metal stop, but again, not an original controls expert here.  Cool flight stick. 

D_Harris:

The Nintendo games have metal restrictors that the "bare" joystick moves around in.

This thread reminded me that I also have to put out feelers for a Choplifter Joystick. (The Gorf joystick I have is not authentic enough for me).

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

TopJimmyCooks:

Good info D_, thanks.  Should a choplifter have a rubber interface with the restrictor?

D_Harris:


--- Quote from: TopJimmyCooks on June 19, 2011, 06:44:51 pm ---Good info D_, thanks.  Should a choplifter have a rubber interface with the restrictor?

--- End quote ---

Pics can only tell you so much, but if that was a good idea I'd think it would have been originally made that way.

A "rubber interface" might interfere with the throw distance and directional changes, and it definitely be a chore to maintain, because you'd have to keep replacing it every few games.

There's a reason why metal-to-metal is the way these joystick shafts contact the restrictor. Especially in the longer flight sticks where the force of wear is greater than with conventional ball/bat top joysticks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

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