Several questions about Saitek x52

[wealthysoup]

I got a  Saitek x52 for christmas (which is an absolutley amazing controller) but i am not sure about how to program certain commands with the sst profiling software that came with it. So i have a few questions to ask:

1. How can I set the slider control on the throttle to do mixture control in fs 2004?
2. If the pinkie switch is set as a shift button then do you hold that then press another button for more commands?
3.Like 1 but how can i programme my rotary control on my throttle to do rudder trim?

Thanks for your time any help would be very much appreciated.

[Ecko]

1. One should be able to do it in the FS2004 "Settings" - "Assignments" - "Joystick Axes", but I've tried several times, it doesn't work (at least not for me).
You can assign it to one of the many (POV) HAT switches though.


2. Never tried it, but it would be really cool, and I think it's possible. But I've had my current settings for about 8 months now, so I can't change my settings without getting really confused the first couple of times I use them.  ;D

3. I've had loads of problems with the rotary control. I tried to use it for the mixture, then the rudder (got that one working, really nice for taxiing the heavies. ). If you want to use it for rudder trim, do this; Open the SST programmer, then select Rotary1 or -2. Press the little arrow button and select "Bands" instead of "Axis".
Then set the band at 50%, and assign 0-50% to rudder trim left, and 50-100% to rudder trim right.
(I don't know whether 0-50% is left, and 50-100% is right, or if it's the other way around)

NOTE- I haven't tried number 3 myself as I'm happy with my current rudder trim setting, but it should work, as this is how you program bands.

I hope this helps!

[wealthysoup]

ok thanks for that ecko (gets thinking about how to make slider do mixture control) I can get my small rotary working for elevator trim in the sim but the large one doesnt want to do much in fs  :'(
Well ill just have to try and see what I can do

[Soulmoon]

I've had the same problems, and the same ideas...

Which frustrates me, because the manual specificly suggets using the rotaries for prop and fuel mixture.  >:(

[JRoc]

2. If the pinkie switch is set as a shift button then do you hold that then press another button for more commands?

That's exactly how it works.

In SST there's the dropdown menu that says Mode 1 by default.  Bring it down to Mode 1 + Pinkie, then program more buttons in the same manner as normal.

When all done, you press the pinkie switch while pressing another control to activate the command.

[Fozzer]

I spot a spring on the base of the Saitek X52 joystick...
Does that mean that the the joystick springs "return to centre" when released...?
Which is the last thing we need on an aircraft simulator...!
My present joystick, a Logitech Wingman Force-3D joystick remains exactly wherever it is left.. the same as a joystick or yoke on a REAL aeroplane...!

We definitely don't need return-to-centre springs on a joystick...!

What do you reckon, regarding the X52 stick...?

Paul...!

[Hagar]

I spot a spring on the base of the Saitek X52 joystick...
Does that mean that the the joystick springs "return to centre" when released...?
Which is the last thing we need on an aircraft simulator...!
My present joystick, a Logitech Wingman Force-3D joystick remains exactly wherever it is left.. the same as a joystick or yoke on a REAL aeroplane...!

We definitely don't need return-to-centre springs on a joystick...!

Not quite true once it's in the air Paul. The airflow acts as a 'spring' by naturally returning the controls to neutral.

[Fozzer]

Not quite true once it's in the air Paul. The airflow acts as a 'spring' by naturally returning the controls to neutral.

I dunno, Doug....

Whilst flying in a real Cessna 152 I found that if I banked to the right to change direction, the aircraft would continue banking to the right even when I released my hold on the yoke, and it was necessary to swing the yoke to the left and over-correct, to recover the course, which is the case with the John and Martha King video in the Sim.
This is the reason while I abandoned all my spring-return-to-centre joysticks and replaced them with "force-feedback type" joysticks, (with all the "force" effects cancelled), which have no spring and therefore don't auto return to centre when released...!
I note that pilots manually force their joysticks/yokes to over-correct  when correcting a course.
Motor car steering wheels auto-return-to-centre because of the toe-in applied to the front wheels.
The same auto-return effect doesn't seem to affect aircraft steering.
Whether it does on very fast jets where the airflow pressure over the ailerons may balance them out, I don't know..?
But on my little slow piston babies, it doesn't seem to have very much effect, and changing direction involves some serious manual juggling with the yoke/joystick......not a spring in sight...LOL...!
Any further comments, Lads...?

Paul....Spring is on it's way...!!!

[Hagar]

I dunno, Doug....

Whilst flying in a real Cessna 152 I found that if I banked to the right to change direction, the aircraft would continue banking to the right even when I released my hold on the yoke, and it was necessary to swing the yoke to the left and over-correct, to recover the course, which is the case with the John and Martha King video in the Sim.

I think you're mistaken about that Paul. Apart from any natural stability an aircraft will stay exactly where it's put after the controls are centralised. This is the reason you have to move the controls in the reverse direction to return to straight & level after any manoeuvre. If you think about it the airflow over hinged control surfaces would quite naturally return them to neutral which is just as positive as any spring. You have to overcome this resistance to move the controls which is partly the reason they're counter-balanced in some way.

I've never used a force-feedback type joystick so don't know if this is accounted for in the software. If not I wouldn't say it's all that authentic & prefer the centralising springs which like every other R/C modeller I also use on my radio control transmitter.

PS. The faster you go the stronger this effect will be which is the reason for most high-performance aircraft having servo-assisted control surfaces. It would be almost impossible to fly a high-speed aircraft without powered controls. This type of system has an artificial "feel" or self-centring device incorporated in it for the benefit of the pilot. The simplest form of self-centring device is the return springs fitted to a conventional gaming joystick & the sticks on my R/C transmitter.

[SilverFox441]

Fozzer, just because the stick centres doesn't mean that the plane returns to level flight. The stability of the plane means that some planes will naturally level out, some will stay in the attitude they were left at. For most planes opposite force will be required to return to straight and level flight, some planes even require opposite stick to halt a roll that doesn't dampen out after the stick is centred.

In any light aircraft the slipstream should be more than sufficient to centre the stick once released. If it doesn't I would seriously look for a place to get maintenance on the flight control system! If the stick doesn't want to naturally centre there is far too much drag in the pulleys and cables. Slipstream effects are even used to good effect in trim systems. Trim tabs are nothing more than small control surface that cause deflection of the primary surface...through air pressure.

As Doug pointed out higher performance aircraft will ahve an artificial feel system to duplicate this effect. The pilot's dependance on this feel is so strong that when the F-16 was designed it was neccessary to rebuild the sidestick to allow for motion (it had been fixed and pressure sensitive) just so they could fit a feel system.

The spring loading on a gaming joystick is designed to mimic this and to provide back pressure on the stick based on deflection.