Flight Stick · X-Plane 12
Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition (Sidestick + Throttle Quadrant)
- Mid-Range
- Hall-effect sensors
- PC and Xbox
- 8 axes · 45 buttons
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X-Plane 12 Performance Score
- Sensors30% 100
- Throttle & Rudder25% 100
- Build Quality15% 50
- Platforms15% 100
- Adjustability15% 57
Biggest contributor: sensors (30% of the score), rated 100/100. How we score
Verdict for X-Plane 12
The Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X Airbus suits X-Plane 12 simmers flying airliners, since the separate throttle quadrant lets you set climb thrust and leave it while you trim. The trade-off is rudder by twisting the stick and fixed spring tension you can't adjust.
Updated October 2026
Pros & Cons for X-Plane 12
Strengths
- Hall-effect sensors on the main axes read the stick with magnets instead of rubbing contacts, so the center stays put and the nose doesn't wander when you click off the autopilot on short final.
- You get a real throttle unit rather than a small lever stuck on the stick base, which is rare for what this money usually buys — set climb thrust on the quadrant and leave it there while you watch the speed tape.
- It's a 1:1 Airbus A320 sidestick replica with 8 axes and 45 programmable inputs, so an Airbus fan can map gear, flaps, autopilot modes and lights without reaching for the keyboard, and the ambidextrous grip means you can run it on the captain's left-hand side.
Trade-offs
- Rudder comes from twisting the grip, and twisting a stick while holding a bank is fiddly, so a gusty crosswind landing or a tight taxiway turn in X-Plane 12 takes practice until you add pedals.
- Spring tension is fixed and the body is plastic, so you can't soften or firm up the centering force for long hand-flown legs — the next step up in price is where you find adjustable tension and metal construction.
Full Specifications
- Sensors
- Hall effect (contactless)
- Throttle
- Its own throttle unit
- Rudder
- Twist grip
- Grip
- Either hand (ambidextrous)
- Spring tension
- Fixed
- Build
- Plastic
- Axes
- 8
- Buttons
- 45
- Works on
- PC, Xbox
- Released
- 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good Flight Stick for X-Plane 12?
Yes, and it scores 86.0/100 for X-Plane 12, especially if your hangar is full of Airbus jets. It shines on a hand-flown departure, where the contactless Hall-effect sensors hold a steady center and the quadrant holds your climb thrust setting. It shows its limits in warbirds and taildraggers, where twist rudder and fixed spring tension are less fun than pedals and adjustable centering.
Is it worth the price for X-Plane 12?
For the money you usually get a stick with a small throttle lever bolted to the base, so a detachable throttle quadrant plus contactless sensors in one box is good value for airliner flying. Spend more and you're buying adjustable tension, metal parts and rudder pedals, not better sensors.
Which platforms does it work on?
It works on PC and Xbox, and X-Plane 12 is a computer sim, so for this game you'll be plugging it into your PC. If you also fly on a console, make sure you buy this X version — the non-X Officer Pack is the same idea but PC only.
Do I need rudder pedals with it?
No, you don't need them to start, because rudder is built in as a twist of the grip and no pedals come in the box. Add pedals such as the TFRP set once taxiing straight and holding centerline in a crosswind starts to annoy you, and unassign the twist axis in X-Plane so the two inputs don't fight each other.
How should I configure this in X-Plane 12?
First open the joystick page in X-Plane 12 and check pitch, roll, yaw and the quadrant levers are all assigned to the right axes before you fly. If the nose feels twitchy, add a small null zone (X-Plane's name for a dead zone around center) and soften the response curve on pitch and roll, and set the throttle levers so idle sits where your hand naturally rests.