The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the most successful mass produced light aircraft in history, yet it exists in a price range far beyond the reach of mortals. Its controls, however, can be yours for $450, courtesy of Mad Catz.
Mad Catz is now shipping a trio of officially licensed Cessna products to PC; the Cessna Yoke, Cessna Rudder Pedals and the Cessna Trim Wheel. Each piece is a lovingly crafted facsimile based on the controls of a real 172, right down to the vice grips used to connect them to your PC desk. Did you know real Cessna's came with PC desks? They don't; I'm lying. Still they're as close as a PC desk-clamping product can get to the real thing without having your entire office flung into a tree, exploding on impact.
"The Cessna range of Saitek Pro Flight products supports our initiative to reach new customers and enhances our position in the flight simulation market." said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "We believe that leveraging our Saitek Pro Flight products with a brand as recognizable as Cessna will open up a sizable new audience of flight schools, pilots and flight enthusiasts and is consistent with our strategy to build specialty products that evoke a passionate consumer response."
The three controllers are now available at the GameShark Store for $449.99, and Mad Catz is even throwing in a $100 flight panel controller in for good measure. I don't even play flight sims and I want these, just so I can make realistic plane whooshing noises between news posts.