Tailgunner Joystick Question...

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I know Tailgunner is probably not the most common game out there...

Anyone know if the joystick has spring return to center or does it have more of a friction clutch design where it stays where you leave it. The pic on KLOV looks like it doesn't have a return to center mechanism.

Does anyone have one or has played with an original one? I'm working on getting a joystick made and I have the option of going with or without return to center capability. I kind of want to go with return to center capability but don't want to if that isn't the way the stick was originally designed.

Thanks
Jim
 
Got an upright or cockpit?

In answer to your question, I've never seen either with a return. The upright had a two axis potentiometer style stick similar to the original apple II controller.
 
Does anyone have one or has played with an original one? I'm working on getting a joystick made and I have the option of going with or without return to center capability. I kind of want to go with return to center capability but don't want to if that isn't the way the stick was originally designed.

Cinematronics, maker of Tail Gunner, also made a few baseball games (World Series, etc) that had basically the same joystick, but with auto-centering hardware. IIRC, the centering hardware can be removed; it's outside the housing.

There's a control panel on ebay right now that you can look at; comes with two joysticks (one with auto center, one held in place by a spring).

Edit: double checked my notes; pots between Tail Gunner and World Series are the same, but not sure if you can use the entire joystick hardware or not.
 
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Thanks guys... all great info!

I have an upright. The stick stays where you leave it.

Ok good... I have another question for you then... is the 360deg motion of movement square as shown on the KLOV pic? It looks to me as if it is... So the way the stick behaves when you move it around in a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion at the extreme end of travel is actually a square pattern vs. traditional circular pattern. Am I correct?

Thanks again!
 
Thanks guys... all great info!



Ok good... I have another question for you then... is the 360deg motion of movement square as shown on the KLOV pic? It looks to me as if it is... So the way the stick behaves when you move it around in a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion at the extreme end of travel is actually a square pattern vs. traditional circular pattern. Am I correct?

Thanks again!

Correct. PM me I will send you detailed pics.
 
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