I want to set a dedicated axis for reverse thrust… but couldn’t find any axis for reverse thrust… Has anybody found a solution?
Thanks!
Well, the current method is to assign Toggle Reverse Thrust to a button. Then you use the same axis as your throttle. Throttle to zero, touch down, toggle reverse thrust, throttle up to stop, throttle to zero, toggle again, throttle up to taxi.
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It’s possible on PC, but needs the use of programming software. Joystick Gremlin (which also needs app called vJoy for creating virtual USB controllers) is free and works on all USB controllers.
One way would be to have two of your physical throttle axes bound to the same basic ingame throttle axis, and then in addition bind a virtual button (itself bound to reverse thrust ingame) to one of them. That way whenever you are giving input with the second throttle axis it’s automatically engaging reverse thrust, this transforms it into dedicated reverse thrust lever. Since you have two axes bound to same throttle axis, you’ll need to resolve the conflict somehow though. This option should work on most programming apps.
Second method (AFAIK, exclusive to Gremlin, haven’t seen other apps have this) is merging axes. You merge the two throttles into a single virtual axis (IIRC, “average” method) and then bind that virtual axis to the full range throttle axis (the one which includes the reverse range) ingame. Same method and principle that can be used to bind two car pedals into single aircraft rudder axis.
Edit - Oh I forgot another option: bind an axis to the ingame full range throttle and adjust curves so that it never goes to the forward thrust side and is always on reverse. Should also be possible on most programming software, but I don’t think the ingame curve editor is robust enough.
Yeah, that’s the accepted way and it’s what I do. In fact, if you think about it, it’s not a million miles from what you do IRL (in most jets anyway): thrust to zero, pull up the locks and levers back, levers to zero…
I use the regular throttle:1 axis, but in the Sensitivities screen I set the Neutral point to be where my physical throttles idle detent is. When I move it back below that point it enters Beta. No button assignments are necessary, and I have analogue reverse thrust assigned to a portion of the total axis.
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It’s true that you don’t need button for that, but then again the OP was asking about having a “dedicated” reverse thrust axis. AFAIK, those three methods I outlined are the only way.
It’s possible that he was asking the wrong question, but you can easily see the need. For example if you have TWCS then the full range throttle axis with reverse (which you use) isn’t that useful since there is no physical detent. On the other hand the default ingame method outlined by @OldpondGL is bit clunky. On the other hand you could assign reverse thrust on the lever in front of the throttle, so on landing you’d pull the regular throttle back and then apply the lever a bit for reverse thrust. Nicer setup IMO.
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I have Thustrmaster TCA Airbus throttles. I’ve assigned buttons 12 and 16 and I use throttle axis o-100 for 1 and 2 throttles.
So I pull up the levers and pull throttle all the way back to get reverse.
Hmm… I find that a number of these replies are different than what I had in my setup. For me, I don’t need to set anything separate to reverse thrust. But that being said though, different aircraft are coded differently. For example, I’m using my own Thrustmaster TCA Airbus quadrant, it has a full axis range of 0-100% scale, but the markings on the hardware itself is set so that 25% is the IDLE point, while anything below is the reverse zone.
So for FBW A32NX: I just use the Throttle 1/2 Axis 0-100%. And I set every sensitivity to linear. Then I use the EFB Flypad to configure the placement for the detents and which zone applies forward thrust, and which zone applies reverse thrust. All done using the same axis. All I need to do is pull back to IDLE to make the engines go to IDLE, and pull back to the reverse zone to deploy the reverse. The reverse power is adjustable based on the throttle placement.
For PMDG 737 and any other aircraft that doesn’t have the detents, I adjust the Neutral point. to determine at which lever position is the lowest IDLE thrust, then any entries that’s below that idle thrust will automatically go to reverse thrust. Again, all done using the same Axis, I never really see the need for a reverse axis, since by setting things up correctly, you’ll be able to have the same control on the reverse thrust as it is on the forward thrust.
I think having a separate Reverse axis is a bad idea though, and for good reason. The thing is, the sim receives input for all your controls simultaneously all the time. Having a separate forward and reverse thrust axis will introduce conflicting inputs. For example, if you’re flying, your throttle position would be somewhere on the forward thrust axis. But since you also bound your reverse axis, the sim is receiving the input for the reverse position. At best the reverse position is IDLE, but now the sim is receiving inputs from both axes. Forward thrust at around 70% for example, and an IDLE coming from the reverse. Then it gets confused, is it 70% forward thrust, or IDLE?
Same thing happens on landing, you pull back to IDLE on the forward thrust, then apply full reverse on the reverse axis, now the sim is confused if you want it to apply forward IDLE or full reverse at the same time.
So keeping them at the same axis as right now, I think it’s already good enough. That way the sim is never confused, you’re giving input on the axis position exactly where it is, so it depends on how you set it up that the sim interprets the power level of whether it is a forward/reverse thrust at any given time without conflicting inputs.
There is a button function - I think it´s called “Thrust reverse levers enable” (will have a look later, the flight sim is currently not running) and when going back to idle and pressing this button noticeable click and clack is heard, and the virtual cockpit thrust reverse levers are pulled upwards.
When now giving full thrust forward while the thrust reverse button is being pressed on the HOTAS, in the virtual cockpit the thrust lever is now going fully backward on the thrust reverse axis at the same time.
Finally a functional thrust reverser after all these years!
99% of all HOTAS thrust levers don´t have a reverse thrust axis so this is the only way.
At least as far as quick testing on the ground for these commands indicates the game uses the “on change” method where the last input given by the last active axis is the one registered (if you have AAO, you can also specifically choose the “on change” method). So unless you have hardware with a case of jitters it’s not actually a significant conflict.
In addition, the merge axis function on Joystick Gremlin works by resolving conflict at the level of the programming software with a set method, so even if anything else doesn’t work that one does.
Exactly my point, it won’t be just adding a new axis for the reverse thrust. It would require the entire simulator engine to be completely overhauled on the software level to make sure these types of conflicts don’t happen. Joystick gremlins are common on hardware nowadays that you can’t really completely eliminate them. Unless you’re getting your hardware from Level D simulator hardware suppliers, consumer-grade hardware will always have jitters here and there.
It’s really about finding the right balance in things, how do we make sure that the sim works on the majority of the most common hardware, while reducing the number of incompatibility and issues coming from those hardware on the software level.
There are many ways to get thrust reverser enabled. But they’re all depending on your hardware.
I also have the Logitech X-56 that I initially use for MSFS, that one doesn’t have a reverse zone or detents to use, so the way that I set my reverser in there is to use the lock slider mechanism to the SET THROTTLE REVERSE command. Whenever it’s engaged, the hardware will tell the sim to stop with the forward thrust on the axis, and changed to the reverse thrust on the same axis. But the actual thrust power itself is still dependent on the current throttle position.
So I would still have full manual axis control over the reverse thrust power. If I want full reverse, then I just push the throttle forward again, and while the slider lock is in the ON position, it will always tell the sim that it’s on Reverse mode, and the throttle power will be associated with the reverse thrust power. When I pull back to IDLE, I can just disengage the slider lock, releasing it from the Reverse mode and back to forward thrust, and I still use the throttle again to push forward to add more forward thrust.
I mean, these are some examples that can get things to work with manual reverse thrust power management using the same axis without the need for a separate reverse thrust axis. And it will never conflict because the forward/reverse thrust will depend on whether the slider is in the OFF/ON position It’s just a matter of how creative you are in setting up your hardware accordingly.
This is what I explained above, and I have been using this function the first time MSFS was released and I got my Logitech X-56 2 years ago. It’s always been there. It’s just not bound by default, and need some level of thinking outside the box and be creative with the setup to be able to utilise it the way you want it to.
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The problem with the mentioned workarounds is how it works for many aircraft in real life. Most turboprops like the PC12, Kodiak etc. taxi at BETA (reverse thrust).This is where the special sound during taxi comes from. With the throttle at idle they would speed up to 40 to 50 knots on flat surface. But even the developer of the Kodiak got this wrong or maybe just adapted to Asobos´s lack of correct reverse thrust application.
You mean they taxi backwards? I’m not familiar with turboprops, so it’s a genuine question… I would think that engineers would have make sure the fans are feathered appropriately so that on IDLE throttle, there’s literally no thrust.
Of course they taxi forward. But in order not to gain too much speed the thrust lever is in the beta postion and used to slow down the aircraft on ground / set to a specific speed. Toe brakes are only used if absolutely necessary. Also the condition lever is set to low idle.
I especially speak for the PC12 as I fly it real life
With aircraft that allow you to calibrate the throttles, the PMDG 737 and Fenix A320 being examples, it is possible to move the idle position/detent further up the axis, so that you have axis below it to use for reverse thrust.
I have a TM Warthog HOTAS, complete with a physical detent insert, and have set up my throttle levers on the Fenix A320 to provide all detents from full reverse to TO/GA, inclusive.
I tend to fly in VR, so the position of the levers relative to any labelling on the throttle is of no importance. The virtual levers in the cockpit, of course, reflect the correct detent positions.
Still, it’s the same process is it not? If in reality that the pilot has to slow down and maintain the taxiing speed by controlling the reverse throttle appropriately, if it is coded in the sim the same way, then you’d be doing the same thing.
It’s just a matter of adjusting the neutral point in the sensitivity page to determine at which point relative to your physical throttle control hardware that you want it to be “true idle”, so when you actually taxi the aircraft in the sim, you’re doing the same thing in your throttle as you would have in real life.
I found this to be tricky to configure and never achieved it to be realistic
Yes, but even before they were available, like in older version of the FBW A32NX or even the default A320. They didn’t have the throttle calibration function in the aircraft itself. That’s where we have to adjust the sensitivity and the neutral point, to determine where the IDLE point is, and any axis input below that will automatically become the reverse zone. And that has been working for a long time now.
The propeller pitch can be reversed using the power lever handle. Pulling the power lever to the idle stop, and then squeezing the lever’s trigger(s) or lifting them up and aft, past a gate, will put the prop into beta (or reverse) mode. Moving the throttle farther back increases the engine power, to increase the reverse thrust. It’s pretty intuitive. Since turboprop engines often do not run at power settings low enough to allow a normal taxi speed without using the brakes, beta mode helps to control taxi speeds. Beta operation produces the characteristic growl that accompanies most turboprops during taxi and after touchdown.
Without the physical detent insert, it might be tougher, but I can just use my throttle levers as they would be used in the real aircraft, without worrying about pressing a button and moving the levers in the wrong direction.