CTI's inductive industrial joystick is the most reliable and durable joystick available anywhere in the world today - so it’s no surprise that you can find it on a helicopter that has been used by the UK military for decades.
Gazelle helicopters have taken part in conflicts around the world. The British military have used them for reconnaissance, troop deployment, direction of artillery fire, helicopter training, and the evacuation of casualties.
During the Falklands War, the Gazelle played a valuable role operating from the flight decks of Royal Navy ships.

And at the heart of the Gazelle’s 2018 cockpit is the CTI F-Series joystick,which uses inductive coil sensor technology which cannot be affected by changes in temperature, age, or usage.
The Gazelle’s development began when the a French Army needed for a lightweight observation helicopter.

The design needed to require minimal maintenance and therefore low running costs. Many of the components used were designed to last for up to 1,200 flying hours before needing to be replaced.
So it’s no surprise that as the helicopters have been developed, CTI’s industrial joystick has become part of the Gazelle. The most reliable and durable joystick available anywhere in the world today, it experiences none of the wear issues of potentiometer or hall effect joysticks.
There is never a "drifting" issue of the calibrated voltage setting as the ratio of coil windings remains constant.
The coil sensor is not prone to the wear issues of potentiometer joysticks or degradation of material composition in hall effect joysticks.
With only three moving parts - a stainless steel shaft, a spring-guide, and a spring - the joystick’s design features threaded brass inserts instead of just clearance holes for the mounting holes, protecting the body from cracking due to shock or vibration during use.

With a range of custom options, the joysticks meet aerospace, medical and military standards, ensuring  the highest reliability over the widest operating temperature range.
In 2016, the Ministry of Defence decided to keep the Army Air Corps’ Gazelles in service for another nine years - making the Gazelle the oldest helicopter in the country’s active inventory, with over 50 years of service.
It held up better than any other helicopter model during the war in Afghanistan, whilst other helicopters struggled with the demands of the environment. Around 80% of the Gazelles were available for planned operations rather than being out of action.

CTI Electronics Corporation is a trusted Nexus Components supplier, which manufactures industrial computer peripherals such as joysticks, keypads, pointing devices and keyboards.

Clients including BAE Systems, Boeing and US Homeland Security rely on the company’s reliable and durable products, which can withstand the harshest environments.

The full range of CTI joysticks supplied by Nexus can be found on our website http://www.nexuscomponents.co.uk/Manufacturers/Products/CTI%20ELECTRONICS