Better trim with the X52 Pro

[HiJack]

Trim the A-10C has bugged me for a long time; maybe this is due to the fact that I’m using the SAITEK X52 Pro and not the TM Warthog stick. In one of Wags videos he shows off a perfectly trimmed aircraft so I guess the TM Warthog is trimming better than the X52. I realize that a perfectly trimmed aircraft is not possible over time and you will always need to make small adjustments; but for god’s sake there should be possible to trim the aircraft for level flight! Well not with the X52 stick if you just program the key bindings directly in the SST profile. I’ve made my trim a macro command and adjusted the key press length. By doing this it is possible to get the straight and level flight for a longer period and then more easy to do the necessary small manual adjustments! Please mind you I’m on a Norwegian keyboard and the bindings are not the same for an English keyboard but the steps to do the programming is the same.

 

Start the SST profiler with your a-10C profile selected. Go to your Trim selected button and select to make a new advanced command for the UP arrow.

 

1. Name the command something. Mine is “Trim UP - FINE”

2. Press the key sequence for TRIM UP in the top key “Press” frame.

3. Right click one of the pressed buttons and select the “Quantize time” and set it to 0.000

4. Right click the key in the combination and set 0.050 as the delay.

5. Check the Macro checkbox.

 

You should now have these settings in the “Press” frame:

 

This will FINE tune the Trim but is very slow in trimming so you need to set the same key sequence in the “Repeat” frame as well. On my stick I’ve dedicated the “Throttle Hat switch” to both direct mode and switch mode to TRIM and therefore have two commands for Trim UP. Do this next step the same way as before but use the “Repeat” frame.

 

This is the Shifted keypress I use to quickly do the roughly trim. This is mostly the same as pressing the key combination directly but adds an advantage with the repeated button press I think.

 

 

Repeat the process for RIGHT, LEFT and DOWN trim combinations.

 

If you are short on configurable buttons on the stick you can program the Repeat in the same macro command but then you must set the repeat time delay the same as the FINE tune macro.

 

You should then end up with this configured macro:

 

This is the best settings I have found to get the TRIM as precise as possible. I have only done this with PITCH TRIM and AILERON TRIM but sure you can experiment with rudder trim in the same way.

 

For longer straight and level flight without the autopilot :D (HJ)

Edited December 12, 2011 by HiJack

[Caspet]

Thanks for this HiJack will give it a try even though I'm not having problems with my X52 pro trim. Maybe though I've just got used to it as it is :music_whistling:

[Steph-JJ]

It works pretty well.

THX :thumbup:

[sawbuck]

HiJack, thanks for this tip!!. After figuring out delay entry I tried it out and it does a pretty good job! I did drop the release to 0.025. For some reason all my axis and trims on the X52 Pro are ULTRA sensitive. Using this tio with the SST Macro bound to the keyboard key gives the P51D almost complete control of the drift. Still working at getting all 3 trims to the point where I can line up on a landing approach and actually get down without bouncing or angling and ending up a fire ball.

 

I'm counting/collecting pennies and hope someday to upgrade to a TM Warthog HOTAS. I'm getting weary of my sticky/loose/touchy X52 Pro..... or go back to boring arcade style games

[Winston 60]

Great info, HiJack.

[MrScott]

Is HIJACK Still around. All the post are so old

[CTBlankenship]

MrScott ... those machine specs are simply humiliating ... are you married LOL!!!

[Azorath]

Good to know that I'm not alone, gonna apply this to mine too thanks!