In today’s Peripheral Spotlight, we’re pleased to highlight the Yawman Arrow! The brainchild of Yawman’s co-founder Thomas Nield, the Arrow is designed for simmers on the go who want a complete flight control peripheral device that doesn’t make any sacrifices to sim features and input precision but is small enough to fit into a laptop bag.
Nield initially built the first 3D printed prototypes of the device that would eventually become the Arrow to satisfy his own personal needs. After a hiatus, he returned to flight simulation in 2020 for recreation and avionics research. Wanting a minimal setup and valuing desk space, he wanted something that allowed easy flight simming, even for 15 minutes between work and family. He also wanted to flight sim while traveling or taking work breaks at coffee shops. Inspired by handheld controls in game consoles, drone piloting, and RC model aircraft hobbyists, Nield built the Arrow to roughly the same size and form factor of a typical console gamepad.
After testing and refining several different prototypes, Thomas realized that there must be many other flight sim enthusiasts who also have a need for a similar product. He enlisted the help of veteran aviation industry journalist Jon Ostrower, and together they founded Yawman to mass produce the Arrow and bring it to market.
Despite its small handheld form factor, the Yawman Arrow is packed with features desired by flight simmers but not found on standard gamepads. The Arrow includes seven axes, 21 buttons, a trim wheel, mechanically-linked triggers for rudder control, two vernier-style engine controls, and a programmable “six pack” for operating the autopilot and other flight functions in an easy and intuitive manner. It’s an uncompromising all-in-one device that can serve as your only control peripheral no matter what type of aircraft you prefer to fly, from basic “stick and rudder” GA planes to widebody jetliners with complex flight management systems or even helicopters!
The Yawman Arrow is proudly manufactured in the USA and has an MSRP of USD $199. It is available to purchase directly from Yawman’s website or from Sporty’s Pilot Shop (USA/Can) or Aerosoft (Europe).