How do I set up a Honeycomb Alpha yoke in MSFS 2020?
Connect the Honeycomb Alpha before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Options > Controls Options, select the yoke and duplicate its default profile. Bind Ailerons Axis and Elevator Axis, verify full travel, then map trim and panel switches with position-specific commands while removing assignments that conflict with other controllers.
These steps assume the PC version of MSFS 2020. Basic Alpha axes and buttons are normally detected as a USB game controller without separate profile software.
How do I configure the Alpha profile in MSFS 2020?
Use a copied device profile rather than altering or relying blindly on the supplied preset.
- Mount and connect the yoke. Secure it firmly, leave enough cable slack for full pitch movement and connect it before starting the simulator. A direct PC USB port is preferable to an unpowered hub.
- Select the Honeycomb device. Open Options > Controls Options and choose the Alpha from the device row. Use the Preset Manager to duplicate the default preset or create a new profile if none is supplied.
- Inspect existing assignments. Set the filter to Assigned and check what MSFS loaded automatically. Keep sensible mappings, but use Search by Input to find buttons or axes assigned to more than one command.
- Assign the flight axes. Set roll to Ailerons Axis and pitch to Elevator Axis. Move the yoke through its complete travel when scanning the input, then check that the on-screen indicator reaches both ends.
- Set the direction. Turn the yoke left and pull it back while watching the cockpit controls. If either axis moves oppositely, enable Reverse Axis for that axis rather than trying to correct it with the sensitivity curve.
- Map trim and switches. Assign the trim rocker to elevator trim up and down. For the master, avionics, lighting and ignition controls, prefer explicit position commands over generic toggle commands.
- Apply and test the profile. Load a simple default piston aircraft, test every control on the ground and confirm that nothing moves unless you operate the corresponding control.
If the Alpha is being combined with pedals, a throttle quadrant or another controller, our guide to combining PC flight controls without conflicting assignments covers the wider multi-device setup. The Alpha itself provides no throttle, rudder or toe-brake axes.
Which MSFS 2020 controls should I bind?
The normal centred axis commands are correct for the Alpha's pitch and roll movement; directional or 0-to-100% variants are not.
| Alpha control | Recommended MSFS assignment | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Roll | Ailerons Axis | Aileron Left/Right and Ailerons Axis (0 to 100%) |
| Pitch | Elevator Axis | Elevator Up/Down and Elevator Axis (0 to 100%) |
| Trim rocker | Elevator Trim Up and Elevator Trim Down | Assigning it as an analogue axis |
| Two-position panel switches | Explicit On/Off or Set commands where available | Toggle commands that can fall out of step |
| Ignition selector | Position-specific magneto and starter commands | One generic ignition toggle |
Selecting a 0 to 100% axis for a self-centring yoke is a common mistake. It can place the simulated control at half travel, prevent correct centring or make one direction behave differently from the other.
Ignition and magneto mappings are mainly useful in piston aircraft. Turbines and some complex add-on aircraft may use different system logic, so a switch that works in a default piston aircraft may legitimately do nothing there.
What sensitivity settings work best for the Honeycomb Alpha?
Start with a linear response and change it only to solve a specific handling or hardware problem.
- Leave positive and negative Sensitivity at zero initially.
- Use a zero Dead Zone unless the input indicator flickers while the yoke is untouched; then add only enough to stop the movement.
- Keep Neutral at zero for normally calibrated pitch and roll axes.
- Leave Extremity Dead Zone at zero if the input reaches both endpoints.
- Keep reactivity near its default response. Reducing it introduces control lag, which is particularly noticeable during the flare.
If an aircraft feels too lively around the centre, apply a small negative sensitivity adjustment equally on both sides and retest. Do not use large dead zones to hide a calibration fault, and remember that one sensitivity curve will not reproduce the control feel of every aircraft.
Why is the Honeycomb Alpha not detected?
If the Alpha is missing from Controls Options, first establish whether Windows or MSFS is failing to recognise it.
- Close MSFS, reconnect the yoke and try a direct USB port.
- Run
joy.cplin Windows and open the device properties. Confirm that pitch, roll and buttons register there. - If Windows does not see it, check the cable, USB port and any hub before changing simulator settings.
- If Windows sees it but MSFS does not, restart the simulator with the yoke already connected and cycle through every device shown in Controls Options.
- Set the control filter to All. A blank screen under the Assigned filter can simply mean that the selected profile has no bindings yet.
Our controller-detection and profile reset steps for MSFS 2020 cover the remaining Windows and simulator checks.
Why do the yoke or switches move by themselves?
Uncommanded movement usually comes from duplicate bindings, toggle commands or an assistance feature taking control.
- Use Search by Input on every connected device. Remove pitch and roll assignments from throttles, gamepads or unused controller axes.
- If brakes activate when the yoke moves, trace and remove the accidental brake binding rather than adding a dead zone to the yoke.
- Replace Toggle assignments on latching switches with explicit On/Off commands where those commands are available.
- Disable piloting assistance or AI control while testing. Otherwise the simulator may move a control immediately after the Alpha sends its command.
- Test panel switches in a default aircraft. Some add-ons use custom electrical or ignition events that standard MSFS bindings cannot operate.
MSFS 2020 profiles are stored per device, so it is sensible to keep a clean general-aviation Alpha profile and a separate profile for aircraft needing different switch logic. Select the required profile before loading the flight.
Can I use the Honeycomb Alpha with MSFS 2020 on Xbox?
Xbox Series X|S requires an Xbox-compatible Honeycomb configuration, such as the Alpha XPC and any connection hardware required by its companion controls. The original PC-only Alpha cannot be made Xbox-compatible by changing MSFS bindings; the procedure above is primarily for the PC version.