Rebuilding Choplifter Flight Stick

[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]

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

Pics can only tell you so much, but if that was a good idea I'd think it would have been originally made that way.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

[TopJimmyCooks]

So there's an answer for migraineman - the choplifter stick is probably original as shown and has a metal restrictor.  Cool.  Later. 

[migraineman]

Thanks for the responses.  I hadn't seen one like this before, and the metal-on-metal interface seems wrong.  I'm having trouble finding a suitable materials for a sleeve on the joystick shaft - it's 7/8" diameter, which isn't a friendly tubing size.  I may take some weatherstrip adhesive and stick a strip of Garlock-brand fiber-reinforced rubber sheet on the inside face of the metal restrictor ring.  If it's problematic, I can scrape it off and return it to the original configuration.

[SavannahLion]

Just a thought....

try to find something that is vinyl based. I believe that is what is used in the manufacture of certain types of gears specifically due to the "slipperiness" of vinyl against metal. Where you're going to find something? Not sure, maybe the reprap service uses vinyl. I'm not sure I don't recall what plastic was used.

[Encryptor]

Is that really a Choplifter joystick? It doesn't look like either image on KLOV. It looks more like a M.A.C.H. 3 joystick.

[migraineman]

You're right, it doesn't look like it came from Choplifter.  It's mostly consistent with M.A.C.H. 3, though the wiring mess I have contains two orange buttons, two yellow buttons, and two tall Atari volcano buttons.  I don't see the Atari buttons on the M.A.C.H 3 panel.  I'm going to have to dig a little.  Sorry for the confusion, the eBay seller said it was from Choplifter, and I don't have a reference beyond the images on KLOV.

[Encryptor]

No need to be sorry. I only brought it up to help you get the right information. I have a stick very similar to the MACH 3 stick. I'm sure there a many others that used that stick as well. Maybe the seller took it from some kind of conversion or something. Who knows. I tried to find some detailed pictures of that stick but haven't been able to yet. I'm not sure where you found the one with the yolk but I'm guessing that's not a dedicated Choplifter either.

[D_Harris]

Has anyone yet found a picture of an original Choplifter joystick?

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[Vigo]

Has anyone yet found a picture of an original Choplifter joystick?

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

This?