TCA Airbus Review
Steve | G-LOC MEDIA
Flight simulation enthusiast and YouTuber
The Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant is the obvious choice for anyone whose main aircraft in MSFS or X-Plane is the Airbus A320 - officially endorsed, plug and play out of the box, with detents that are genuinely some of the best feeling on any throttle at this price point. The flat buttons and gear lever could be slightly better but neither is a deal breaker, and the removable detents make this more versatile than the Airbus branding suggests. If the A320 is your thing this is a complete no-brainer, and if you see it discounted as part of the Captain's Pack, snap it up immediately.
Pros
- Here you go: Pros: Officially endorsed Airbus product that genuinely looks and feels the part
- Build quality is solid and does not feel cheap despite being all plastic
- Hall Effect sensors mean no potentiometers and effectively unlimited lifespan
- Detents are outstanding, they feel great and sound great every single time
- Detents can be removed in seconds making it usable across many aircraft types
- Completely plug and play with the Airbus A320 in MSFS, no setup required
- Intuitive layout you can use with your eyes shut, brilliant for VR users
- Reverse thrust is well implemented
- Engine switch quality and weighting is genuinely nice
- Additional quadrant add-on matches the main unit perfectly in feel and design
- Captain's Pack bundles everything together for the best overall value
Cons
- Two flat black buttons feel underwhelming and lack travel and click
- Gear lever is a touch too small and too light
- No push and pull on the flap lever
- Not the most versatile option if you fly a broad mix of aircraft types
- Prop and single engine GA simmers would be better served elsewhere
Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant Review
The Best Airbus Throttle for Flight Sim?The Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant is an officially endorsed Airbus product and it absolutely looks the part. In this review we're covering the main throttle quadrant and the additional quadrant add-on together, going through everything from design and build quality through to performance, features, and who it's actually best suited for.
Design and Build Quality
Let's start with the design. Thrustmaster have done a genuinely good job of capturing that Airbus feel -the colours, the layout, the switches, the buttons, and right down to the shape of the throttle handles themselves. Everything about it reads Airbus and that's exactly what you'd expect from an officially endorsed product.The whole unit is plastic but that's not something to be concerned about here. Thrustmaster consistently does a great job with build quality across their product range and the TCA Airbus Quadrant is no different - it does not feel cheap. If anything it feels slightly better than the TCA Boeing Quadrant Edition. The additional quadrant add-on is identical in design and feel so from here everything said covers both units as one complete system.
Key Features
Hall Effect Sensors
Thrustmaster's contactless Hall Effect technology means no potentiometers and effectively an unlimited lifespan on the throttle axes. It's accurate, reliable, and reassuring to have at this price point.Removable Detents
This is a genuinely great feature. The detents can be disabled by simply unscrewing the plastic parts on the bottom of the throttle and flipping them around. Takes seconds and makes this throttle usable across a much wider range of aircraft beyond just the Airbus. A very welcome addition for anyone who flies more than one plane.The Detents Themselves
These deserve a special mention because they are really, really good. They feel great, they sound great, and that combination is genuinely satisfying every single time. It's hard to overstate how much the quality of the detents adds to the Airbus flying experience.Reverse Thrust
No surprise that this is included on an Airbus throttle but worth noting it's well implemented and again lends itself to other aircraft types beyond the A320.Engine Switches
Smaller versions of what you'd find on the real Airbus. The quality and weighting on the switches is genuinely nice and they could easily be repurposed for other aircraft functions.Parking Brake
Cool design, clearly inspired by the real Airbus. No complaints here.Plug and Play with MSFS
Out of the box this is ready to go with Microsoft Flight Simulator and the Airbus A320 - no button assignment, no configuration, no messing around. Load into the A320 and the profile is already there. The levers move as they should. It all just works. This makes it particularly great for VR users who don't want to be fiddling with settings.Once you've spent a bit of time with the layout it becomes completely intuitive - you could genuinely use this with your eyes shut, which is exactly what you want from a throttle in VR.
What Could Be Better
The Flat Buttons
The two flat black buttons are the weakest point on the whole unit. They won't ever fail but they feel a bit underwhelming. A little more travel and a clickier feel would have made a big difference. Not a deal breaker but if you had to point at something that lets the build quality down slightly, it's these.The Gear Lever
It sounds good but it needs to be a touch bigger and have a little more stiffness to it. It's a minor gripe but at this price point you notice it.No Push and Pull on the Flap Lever
A small omission but worth flagging for Airbus purists who want the full authentic feel.Price and Value
The Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant isn't cheap but it's also not what I'd call expensive — it's fairly priced for what you get. If you ever see it discounted, snap it up immediately.The best deal in the range is the Captain's Pack which bundles the throttle quadrant, flaps, air brake, and the TCA Airbus stick all together. If you're going all-in on an Airbus setup that's the way to do it and represents the best value across the whole range.
Who Is the Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant For?
Buy it if:
The Airbus A320 is your main aircraft in MSFS or X-Plane — this is an absolute no-brainer
You want a plug and play throttle that works immediately with no setup
You fly in VR and need something intuitive you can use without looking
You want those brilliant detents and the authentic Airbus throttle feel
You fly a variety of aircraft and want the option to remove the detents
Look elsewhere if:
You primarily fly props or single engine GA aircraft - the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant or even the budget Logitech option would be a better fit
You fly a broad mix of aircraft types and want maximum versatility - the Honeycomb Bravo is worth considering as an alternative
Final Verdict
If the Airbus A320 is your main plane the Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Quadrant is a complete no-brainer. The build quality is great, the detents are genuinely excellent, the plug and play experience with MSFS is seamless, and it just feels right when you're flying an Airbus. That extra layer of immersion is exactly what this throttle is designed to deliver and it absolutely delivers it.For Airbus simmers this is the one. For everyone else it depends on what you fly and how versatile you need your throttle to be.
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