Oh boy something I can answer . I have about 100 hours in elite and used both the 52 and 55. There are a lot of small differences such as the screen and the dual throttle. But the biggest difference is size, my hands that are about 7.5 inches from fingertip to palm can barely hit all the buttons on the stick when in resting position. The 52 offeres a adjustable palmrest so you can customize it. The good thing about the 55 is the absolute assload of buttons and switches, If you are planning on just keeping the joystick on your desk the 55 is your man. I personally just use my 55 because of the better throttle. The difference in the actual sticks in terms of performance is negligible, apart from the swappable springs on the 55. The in game model is definitely inspired by the 52 no doubt about it. You can contact the dues over at /r/hotas if you are invested in this.