Product Description

Add a new dimension to your flight simulation experience with this Pro Flight Multi Panel from Saitek! The Pro Flight Multi Panel is designed to work with the Flight Simulator X and 2004, and can be mounted onto the Pro Flight Yoke System, allowing you to add an autopilot control to your home cockpit set-up. There's no need to bring the features up on screen they operate in just the same way as switches and other controllers pilots use in real life. Meanwhile, the settings, scroll wheel and light indicators heighten the experience further.Connectivity: USB 1.1/2.0 Compatibility: Windows XP, XP64 & Vista (all versions)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5629 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Saitek
• Model: PZ70
• Released on: 2009-07-03
• Platform: No Operating System
• Format: Unknown format
• Subtitled in: German
• Dimensions: 5.35" h x 5.12" w x 12.44" l, 1.68 pounds

Features

• Add a new dimension to your flight simulation experience with this Pro Flight Multi Panel from Saitek! The Pro Flight Multi Panel is designed to work with the Flight Simulator X and 2004, and can be mounted onto the Pro Flight Yoke System, allowing you to add an autopilot control to your home cockpit set-up. There's no need to bring the features up on screen they operate in just the same way as switches and other controllers pilots use in real life. Meanwhile, the settings, scroll wheel and lig
• ht indicators heighten the experience further.Connectivity: USB 1.1/2.0 Compatibility: Windows XP, XP64 & Vista (all versions)
• SAITEK

Manufacturer's Description

Works with Microsoft Flight Simulator X and 2004

LED displays work fully in real time with Flight Simulator X and 2004, removing the need to bring the autopilot up on screen

Use the dial to adjust frequency units incrementally for quicker selection of your required frequency

Mounts onto the Pro Flight Yoke System (sold separately) or into your own home cockpit setup

Compatible: Windows XP/XP 64 and Vista

Customer Reviews

If you're only going to buy one Saitek panel, get this one
After my scathing review of the saitek flight instrument panels (FIP), and disappointment with the controls on the RADIO panel- i wasn't expecting too much from the MULTI panel.

Once again, saitek issued an allen key too small to unscrew the screws on top of the yoke, in order to mount the multi panel. So have your own allen key handy to remove the Yoke screws.

I actually intended on stacking the 3 saitek panels on top of each other. There are several problems with this:
1) combined they are very high, so mounting them on top of the yoke makes it hard to see over (even for a 6' fella like me).
2) if they aren't mounted to the yoke, they will fall over as soon as you press a button - so you'll need to drill some holes in your desk or something to mount them to the desk.

It's also unfortunate that if you mount the 3 panels on top of each other, and you seperately mount the FIPs on top of the yoke (the logical place to mount them), the screw holes on the side of the FIPs will not align with any of the screw holes on the side of the radio/switch/multi panels. If they did, this would be the answer to the stacked panel stability problem - and be quite cool having everything joined together.

I ended up putting my MULTI panel on top of the yoke, the SWITCH panel hanging off the MULTI panel to the left, and the RADIO panel hanging off the MULTI panel to the right. I put the FIPs on top of the MULTI panel. This leaves room for the mouse to hide under the RADIO panel, which is convienient.

Back to the Multi panel though...

The left black control knob is very tight, but not as bad as the Radio panels black knob.

The silver knob is unfortunately on the cheap and nasty side again (a la radio panel). Whilst changing the autopilot settings with the silver knob, the values dont change evenly, meaning you need to move the silver knob back and forth a lot to get the desired value. i.e. the altitude settings should increase by 100ft per indent, but sometimes it skips 200 at a time and it is hit and miss trying to get the exact value you want.
Its basically the sort of switch you'd expect on a toy you picked up for £5 from someone selling junk chinese toys on the back of a truck, not a £100 flight sim instrument.

The yellow buttons aren't all straight. Some are angled slightly up, others slightly down. Minor, but helps to detract from the quality of the product.

The writing on the yellow buttons is painted on the outside, which is bound to wear off over time. Out of the box, part of my IAS button writing was already scratched off!

The flaps up/down level also seems a little cheap, probably because it sticks out enough that your fingers can reach around and feel that it is hollow.

The trim control feels spot on however, not tight or loose. Very smooth.

But how is it in use ?

Quite cool actually. I had never used the autopilot feature in FSX before (or in real life for that matter).
But having the controls right in front of you, not having to fumble to change the settings with the mouse (tricky when using trackir at the same time), is amazing.
Its AWESOME being able to change the heading/speed/altitude settings quickly, push the engage button and let the plane fly itself whilst you're off to get another beer, press the button again to disengage when you want... No mouse required !

Having a dedicated Flaps lever is great too

Horrid silver knob aside, this panel is recommended. If you haven't got any of the panels yet, pick this one up first