Servo Assist?

Having worked in the commercial aviation industry for a good portion of my adult life up to and including 747 jumbo jets I've yet to see control columns as robust as these on the Thunderhawk so my supposition is that the servo assists are actually in the control columns. Cumbersome but viable I suppose.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/vDZeIvU.jpg[/url]


I was hoping that the cockpit paraphenalia would disguise the fact that the pilots had no legs (being actually Rhino machinegunners) but no such luck.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/nrm8cS8.jpg[/url]


So I need a rational as to why they are lower extremity deficient.........

[url]http://i.imgur.com/2PVM0zQ.jpg[/url]