Before the story, I would like to say that the Redbird Alloy RD1 is the best in the six rudder pedals* (see the list at the end of the story) I’ve ever used in my two decades’ flight simulation experience.

To be honest, the purchase of this Alloy RD1 rudder pedals was unintended.  My original plan was to get another Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder TPR to replace my over 10-years old Saitek Cessna Pedals.

But unfortunately or fortunately, there were no stock from all vendors at that time (July 2021) and none of them could confirm whether new stock would arrive by end of the year.

Since I had already decided to take a bold step to get the Alloy TH1 at that time, I persuaded myself to go further to get the Alloy RD1 as well.

Frankly, its price tag, $549 (now $599) plus over $100 shipping, wasn’t attractive, nor does its appearance (the retro-looking isn’t my favorite).  I really was a bit hesitated when I placed my order.

Thank goodness, since I started using the rudders six months ago, I am fully impressed by its performance.  And in my opinion, it even out-performs the Thrustmaster TPR I am having on my other setup and the VirtualFly Ruddo I used before.

Following is my review :
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CONSTRUCTION & Placement

The Redbird Alloy RD1 is fully made from metal.  The materials are of high quality and the finish is nice and clean.

It is no doubt sturdy and robust and obviously durable as well with dimensions as follows:
In a way, the Alloy RD1 is none too big.  But it does require a pretty long foot-print from front to back (depth). 
My shoes are 44 US size.  The depth of the Alloy RD1 is more than double my shoe length.  Even more, the pedals are positioned in the center a little closer to the front.

In my case, the allowable space (or distance) from my seat to the front wall under my table is only 30 inches.  That means the 22-inch deep Alloy RD1 will sit pretty close to my chair and I need to find enough space to properly stretch my legs.

In the end, I had to remove two of the lowest supporting backboards from my table in order to barely fit the Alloy RD1 against the wall,

Furthermore, as the distance between the two pedals is narrow, just 2.5 inches, compared to the 9.5 inches on the Thrustmaster TPR, it took me a while to adapt to this “realistic” design completely.
However, the height (or the distance) from the bottom edge of the pedal to the top plate of the unit is adequately good.  I can rest my heels on the top plate for a long time comfortably.

The Redbird Alloy RD1 weighs 18.7 lbs.  Its bottom side has glued with some soft damping pads, and the package includes a sheet of anti-slip floor mat as well.   

Together with its long foot-print, the Alloy RD1 can stay on the ground firmly without the need of any assisted anchorings.

In this aspect, even the Thrustmaster TPR and VirtualFly Ruddo can’t compare with it, not to mentioned the other much lighter, plastic-made rudders on the market.
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Installation

The Alloy RD1 requires no extra software.  It is recognized instantly as a plug-n-play gaming device via the USB 2.0 port in the rear end of the unit.

It is compatible with FSX, P3D, MSFS 2020 and X-Plane on Windows and Mac OS platforms.

I connected the Alloy RD1 via a non-powered USB 3.0 hub to my computer since August last year.  No anomaly encountered so far.

However, before putting the Alloy RD1 to work, the company recommends users to calibrate the rudders properly first.

The package comes with a color-printed calibration guide.  And the company’s website also has a YouTube video teaching users how to calibrate the rudder, which I reported in my Post 715 last year.

But do expect to spend some times in properly calibrating and finetuning the rudder pedals to your hardware and software configurations.

To be continued…

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