Throttles wont go from idle to off

[AnthonyD5189]

I have a Warthog HOTAS. I have the throttle idle/off set as throttle button 30(left engine) and 29(right engine). I have no problems having the throttles move from off to idle for start up. But on shut down they will not move from idle to off. Any ideas?

 

EDIT: Also just tried clearing the idle/off bindings and going to a straight this switch is idle, this switch is off. Still will not go from idle to off.

Edited November 26, 2016 by AnthonyD5189

[Andrew8604]

Are one or both throttle levers hovering just above the idle position, even though they seem physically all the way back?

 

I have a GoFlight Throttle Quadrant -- okay, it's meant for airliners, but it works. I set two levers for the throttles. I also have a CH Throttle Quadrant connected (kind of a hodge-podge of joystick levers and stuff). I use the 'joystick button' paddle-switches on the CH TQ.

 

Anyway, I too, noticed one of the engines would not shut down when I hit the "throttle off" button for it. The other shut down. The one throttle lever is floating just a bit above idle. That seems to keep the button from working. So I hold that throttle lever down with a finger (seems to get it to that 'idle' position, then) and press the 'throttle off' button and hold it until the visual cockpit throttle lever moves to off. Also seems that if I hit the throttle off joystick buttons too fast (not long enough - less than a 1/4-sec, maybe) it doesn't work. (I could be wrong on that, have to test it again). My work around was to hold it for a second.

 

BTW, I'm guessing that on the real F-5, if you slam the throttle levers back hard, it might 'bounce' over the idle/off gates and to shut-off. I've read of that happening to an A-6A Intruder driver (but that was the fictitious "Flight of the Intruder" story--still, I bet that part was based on it actually happening to some...in combat!!). Otherwise, you have to lift the throttle lifts to pass the idle gates to the off position, as shown visually in this simulation. Since no one makes real F-5 throttle lever hardware for Windows PCs, we have the joystick buttons or keyboard keys to emulate it.

 

Imagine, you're over enemy territory, at night, and evading a SAM after momentarily 'popping up' above 500' AGL to maybe 1500'. In the excitement you slam the throttles back to perform a dive...and right past idle to shut-off. And the ground is dark, black--you can't visually see how high you are...Yikes!

[AnthonyD5189]

Hm, that might just have done it. I also went in and checked the curves and everything on the axis for the throttles. As of now it's working again. Thanks for the tip!