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The NWS/undesignate control is modified depending on weight on wheels status. Is it possible to do the same thing with other controls? For example, could I use one button for wheel brakes when on the ground and for something else when airborne? Or maybe use landing gear up/down status?

The NWS/undesignate control is modified depending on weight on wheels status. Is it possible to do the same thing with other controls? For example, could I use one button for wheel brakes when on the ground and for something else when airborne?

I agree, it can be trimmed hands off - that is, no stick force required. I guess my question is more about inertia than about stability. A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and neither the DCS P-47 nor the F-18 model that very well. It's sort of like balancing on top of a rubber ball. And I do agree about fly-by-wire. The F18, for example, was designed to be aerodynamically unstable for maneuverability, with inflight stability maintained electronically. But in the real world inertia is not a fly-by-wire function; it's just there. It has to be modeled into the sim. The NASA report is interesting. Doesn't sound like they were very impressed with the machine. How soon they forget.

The DCS aircraft I've flown have less inertial stability than they should -- if the real F18 flew like the DCS version I would never have made it aboard the carrier in one piece. The P47, unfortunately, is the worst. It's a beautifully modeled aircraft but it flies almost like it's made of balsa wood. It's hard to look around the cockpit when it won't trim to hands off and stay where you put it. And it's almost impossible to fly formation. Tuning the flight control axis adjusts the sensitivity and range of the controls but does not affect stability. Is there any way to increase the effective mass of the aircraft? Or am I imagining this? Bob

Solved -- turns out that if I click "exit" 3 times on the aforesaid P51 key screen and wait a while the SU25 mission comes up. Weird, but it works. BTW, I agree that it's a beta, but it never hurts to ask!!

OK, I figured that one out. Next is how to fly. When I try Training the program locks up. When I try any SU25 mission I get the P-51D activation screen requiring a key. When I try to back out of that screen the program locks up. Is there a way to get out of full screen so I can have conversations like this one without having to go through the multiple screens to shut down and restart DCS. Again I'm probably missing something simple. I hope instructions on the basics are part of the beta process. Thanks

Thanks for all the info, but ..... I still don't know the basics, like starting the motors. The key commands have no effect except for a couple of the view keys. All I see in the controls screen is a blank bunch of keys which have no meaning to me and no apparent effect. No SU25 option, no drop down menus, no axis assignment list. The video does a nice job with the weapons systems, but I'll have to fly first. Obviously I'm in another world.

I'd like to fly the su25 to try DCS before I buy an aircraft. Where are the basic commands for operating the simulator and the aircraft? After freezing the sim several times by trying to select "training" I finally found a reference in the forum which led me to the su25 single mission, where there only a few commands, like starting the engines, and they didn't work. When I look at the A10 there's lots of info, but I'm not going to spend $$ before I've even seen if the sim works for me. Probably I'm missing something simple, but help me anyway. Thanks.