I finally have purchased a killer machine from Digital Storm,Core I7 960,6gb ram,Gforce 285,etc.A truly great machine.I have all sliders maxed,and even in Dreamteam KORD and KJFK,and Ultimate traffic 2,Im getting at worst 7fps,and it is a SMOOTH 7 .Ive noticed,however,that since installing FSX acceleration,I now have no option for prop or thrust reverse ion the menu,and also cant add any settings in.Its making it hard to land at some airports with no thrust reverse!Any suggestions?James Becker

I finally have purchased a killer machine from Digital Storm,Core I7 960,6gb ram,Gforce 285,etc.A truly great machine.I have all sliders maxed,and even in Dreamteam KORD and KJFK,and Ultimate traffic 2,Im getting at worst 7fps,and it is a SMOOTH 7 .Ive noticed,however,that since installing FSX acceleration,I now have no option for prop or thrust reverse ion the menu,and also cant add any settings in.Its making it hard to land at some airports with no thrust reverse!Any suggestions?James Becker

It's the "F2" button, you can also assign a joystick button to do it. (That's what I do)

Ive noticed,however,that since installing FSX acceleration,I now have no option for prop or thrust reverse ion the menu,and also cant add any settings in. Its making it hard to land at some airports with no thrust reverse! Any suggestions?

I, too, have searched in vain for a thrust (or prop) reverse command in FSX SP2 (no Acceleration) and I have come to the conclusion that there isn't one. What a travesty THAT is!We can, of course, drag the levers in the VC (or 2D cockpit) into reverse, but this doesn't work well at all since there is no way to drag all (nn) throttles into reverse at the same time. So you get reverse one engine at a time and quickly visit the Weedville Municipal Airport, located just beside every runway in the world.I did some online research, and apparently, the only way to get reverse on all (nn) engines simultaneously is via the F2 command... just keep holding it until you get reverse... by which time, of course, you'll have run off the end of the runway. This is SO far from satisfactory that I am convinced that I must have missed something- SURELY MS would have provided some accessible control for this crucial function in FSX, I just haven't found it yet. Hope springs eternal.

It's the "F2" button, you can also assign a joystick button to do it. (That's what I do)

Well, the F2 button is to "Quickly Reduce throttle," so it has to be spammed or held down to finally get into reverse, and what we are looking for here is a TOGGLE: Reverse/Forward. Same deal as spoilers: the / key toggles them up/down.Since "reverse thrust" is not anywhere on the FSX list of assignable control functions, how, exactly, did you assign a joystick control to do it?Thanks-

The complexity of the addon being flown will greatly effect the "F2" reverse thrust effect, too.If you are flying the default 737... Then you have to repeatedly press the button for it to engage. If you are flying something like PMDG, or even the Wilco 737 PIC, some have autothrottle toggles that disarm the moment you touch down (if you haven't disengaged autothrust on approach). So, all you have to do is press "F2" once, and the addon engages the Reversers like in a real 737. The same with more realistic Airbus addons, too. Once you retard the thrust levers, just hit "F2" once to engage reverse thrust. The autothrust (if still engaged) automatically shuts down since you are on the ground to assist in stopping the plane.

If you have hardware with leavers, you can assign thrust reversal through FSUIPC. By the way, did you allow for Accel. to remap key-commands during installation?Crewe

Well, the F2 button is to "Quickly Reduce throttle," so it has to be spammed or held down to finally get into reverse, and what we are looking for here is a TOGGLE: Reverse/Forward. Same deal as spoilers: the / key toggles them up/down.Since "reverse thrust" is not anywhere on the FSX list of assignable control functions, how, exactly, did you assign a joystick control to do it?Thanks-

I see what you mean!! I assigned a joystick button to my throttle set it to repeat at full ("Quickly Reduce throttle,"). Normally when I land, I set throttle to idle, then press and hold the button assigned. I have noticed though, as you state, if I press it once, it will engage, but not at full reverse power. Holding it spools it up to full. Not a problem for me as that is what I am use to doing.

OK,I see what happened.I have a new Microsoft keyboard,and it has an "F-LOCK" button that I didnt see.This is what activates F2.On Windows XP,I programmed it to be Thrust Reverse in the menu,but in Windows 7,it wont let you change the command name,soit looks like DECREASE ENGINES is the command for reverse thrust.

I, too, have searched in vain for a thrust (or prop) reverse command in FSX SP2 (no Acceleration) and I have come to the conclusion that there isn't one. What a travesty THAT is!

The default key assignment is set via the GUI, and saved to the Standard.xml file in theK:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\Controls folder as follows:

		<Entry>			<Key>F2</Key>			<Down>THROTTLE_DECR</Down>		</Entry>

You need to press and HOLD the F2 key for about 3 seconds for full "reverse thrust" to be applied.

You need to press and HOLD the F2 key for about 3 seconds for full "reverse thrust" to be applied.

Thank you! I just tried this using the default Lear, and it worked fine. I noticed, however, that once full reverse is achieved, releasing the F2 key does NOT stow the reverse buckets or reduce the throttle(s) back to idle. After some fiddling, I discovered two ways to come out of reverse:1. Press the F1 key ("Throttle Cut"); or2. Briefly move your throttle control off-idle and then back to idle.Frankly, both methods are "clunky." My rudder/nosewheel steering control is on my throttle device (no, I don't have pedals). Therefore, on landing rollout, one hand MUST be on the throttle control in order to have directional control. My Brakes control (although I may change it based on the dysfunctional Reverse in FSX) is on my joystick, which of course must be used by my OTHER hand (the one not on the throttle). So normally, I need both hands on my controls during landing rollout in order to maintain directional control and simultaneously apply brakes.Meanwhile, the F2 (Reverse) key is near the upper-left of my keyboard, and the slash ("/") key, which toggles the spoilers up and down, is near the lower-right of my keyboard. So with my third hand, I must simultaneously press keys at diagonally-opposite ends of my keyboard... one momentarily (spoiler toggle) and one must be held (F2 reverse). That seems like an extraordinary amount of finger-dancing at a critical phase of the flight... PLUS I have to let go of either the brakes or the nosewheel steering in order to get spoilers and/or reverse thrust. I'm just sayin. :( It sure would be "cleaner" to have a dedicated REVERSE in FSX, with separate "press" and "release" functions, such that the landing rollout sequence would be:1. Press and hold "reverse" control (deploys reversers or puts props in negative pitch)2. Advance throttle (which is what happens in RL airplanes) to provide variable retarding force3. Reduce throttle to idle4. Release "reverse" control (stows reversers or returns props to low positive pitch)Anyone know how this press-to-reverse, release-to-unreverse functionality (on the same button) could be emulated? I can't find separate "button down" and "button up" functions in FSX.

AFAIK, the F2 - reverse thrust method is the way it has always worked in FS.You might try something like this:

		<Entry>			<Key>F2</Key>			<Down>THROTTLE_DECR</Down>			 <Up>THROTTLE_CUT</Up>	  </Entry>

in your standard.xml key main section. Haven't tried it at all though.scott s..

Three hands? Finger dancing? XML edits? Where you get this from. All so you can fiddle with what is already there and working? Nuts.You press '/' just before touchdown (you CAN'T do reverse thrust until you touch down anyway-right? right!). You are not going to have to GO anywhere the next 5 seconds are you? Well then you can use 3 of those 5 seconds to hold the F2 down long enough (3 seconds is plenty) to invoke the max reverse thrust you are EVER going to get. Holding it down more than the 3 seconds is NOT required. You can lift finger and it will stay reversed until you hit F1. You won't get any more reverse thrust that what is found in 'GeneralEngine' section of cfg and is 'min_throttle_limit=-x.xxxxxx' (usually -0.25 to -0.35) NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU HOLD THE F2 KEY-and this is what you don't realize/understand. So now you can steer (left hand) and brake (right hand). Sounds simple to me (and is the way 'we' (all) have always done it, and done it successfully-CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG'-hehe).Chuck BNapamule

Meanwhile, the F2 (Reverse) key is near the upper-left of my keyboard, and the slash ("/") key

You could simply "arm" the spoilers (Ctrl-/) during your approach, so they'll deply automatically when your mains are on the ground......that would save some of the fumbling around... :(

You could simply "arm" the spoilers (Ctrl-/) during your approach, so they'll deply automatically when your mains are on the ground......that would save some of the fumbling around... :(

Yup, I could do that.... I'll try it just as soon as I locate the "Spoiler Arm" control on my new CS B727-200. Ah, there it is, right next to the "Autothrottle Enable" switch, just below the "Alt Preselect" and "Speed Hold" windows in the "Autoland" panel.... on the FMS console... ROFL! My CS B727's don't have ANY such amenities. I should have clarified WHAT I was flying to avoid confusion. Mea Culpa.My pedal-free setup leads to a variety of such control issues, and despite the fact that the rest of the FSX world has "been doing it this way in FSX for years" as others have pointed out, _I_ haven't been doing it in FSX at all with airliners that do not have modern automation (such as auto spoilers). There is also the distinct possibility that my CS B727-200 DOES have auto-spoilers (spoiler arm) and I just haven't found that function yet- there is no 2D panel in this airplane, just a stunningly-detailed VC, but some of the controls are somewhat elusive and hard to find. I've only had this airplane for a couple of weeks.Of course, like other things my B727-200 doesn't have that work anyway in FSX (GPS Nav, for example, which works if you assign a keypress or other control to the FSX VOR/GPS toggle function even though the airplane doesn't have a GPS/Nav switch OR a functional GPS), arming spoilers using the FSX default keypress may result in "auto spoilers" deploying at main-gear touchdown despite the fact that the aircraft is not so equipped. Film at 11:00.... :(

AFAIK, the F2 - reverse thrust method is the way it has always worked in FS.You might try something like this:

		<Entry>					  <Key>F2</Key>					  <Down>THROTTLE_DECR</Down>					   <Up>THROTTLE_CUT</Up>				</Entry>

in your standard.xml key main section. Haven't tried it at all though.scott s..

Scott, thank you for this. I had no idea that I could edit this file to "create" separate button down/up functions. My first version of MSFS (can't remember which one it was, probably ran under DOS or maybe on my Atari 2600 ) and/or whatever joystick I used then had separate, assignable button-down/button-up control functions in the UI, but FSX doesn't.Something else that just occurred to me: separate button-down/up functionality may be available in my current joystick+throttle setup options- I'll have to check that out too.I'll try your suggestion and see what happens! Thanks again.

Three hands? Finger dancing? XML edits? Where you get this from. All so you can fiddle with what is already there and working? Nuts.

Sorry if my frustration over mastering the B727-200 controls in FSX came across as stupidity, requiring barbs or chiding. "Where you get this from." (sic) is the difficulty I've been experiencing, which I believe I described in my OP. My "third hand" and "finger dancing" references were intended to be mildly humorous and self-deprecating. Thanks for pointing out how lame you think it is.

You press '/' just before touchdown

...thereby requiring that I let go of the stick during the flare or the throttle as I'm bringing the engines to idle over the numbers AND using my throttle-mounted rudder control to maintain directional control and runway alignment... not to mention dumping lift during the flare, assuring a gear-bender... Sorry, doesn't work for me. I have, however, assigned a throttle-device button to toggle spoilers, so this part of my original (apparently, pitiful) "whine" has been rendered moot.

You are not going to have to GO anywhere the next 5 seconds are you?

The sarcasm helped me a lot. Thanks.

hold the F2 down long enough (3 seconds is plenty) to invoke the max reverse thrust you are EVER going to get. Holding it down more than the 3 seconds is NOT required. You can lift finger and it will stay reversed until you hit F1. You won't get any more reverse thrust that what is found in 'GeneralEngine' section of cfg and is 'min_throttle_limit=-x.xxxxxx' (usually -0.25 to -0.35) NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU HOLD THE F2 KEY-and this is what you don't realize/understand.

Although it was obvious from my OP that I didn't originally understand that, thanks for reinforcing and restating my previous ignorance. However, three posts above (and 5-1/2 hours before) your thoughtful reply, I posted:

You need to press and HOLD the F2 key for about 3 seconds for full "reverse thrust" to be applied.

Thank you! I just tried this using the default Lear, and it worked fine. I noticed, however, that once full reverse is achieved, releasing the F2 key does NOT stow the reverse buckets or reduce the throttle(s) back to idle. After some fiddling, I discovered two ways to come out of reverse:1. Press the F1 key ("Throttle Cut"); or2. Briefly move your throttle control off-idle and then back to idle.

So it would appear (to me at least) that my original misunderstanding and/or ignorance had been cured by other, helpful posters and publicly acknowledged with gratitude by me- before your kind reply.I'm just an old pilot trying to have fun with and master a new, complex, non-automated airplane that I've never flown in RL in FSX, hampered by my lack of full simpit control devices. The reason for pointing out that I'm "old" is to explain why I don't find the rudeness and/or gratuitous put-downs so fashionable today to be enjoyable, constructive or even remotely justifiable."Nuts," indeed.Cordially,DougFAA Commercial/InstrumentsAOPA

Doug,I apologize for the unsolicited, or rude, frivolity. Meant no harm. That's just my way of saying I care. I realize you are hampered by your controls set up, but you can still make it work. Hang in there. The xml mod don't seem right to me. You let up on F2 and you get F1 (throttle cut)? Bogus.Seems like you're a prime candidate (don't go there) for using ILS aproach. This involves using AP and Aproach feature of AP. It should take you down to the threshold, perfectly lined up, and all you have to do is hit the 'Z' key (one finger and 'no hands', yoohoo, hello-haha) just before you do your 'flare'. This is how the 'real' pilots do it and some, not all, Sim pilots do it (I do it). Do you do it? (Getting on your nerves again-sorry). So that's one thing you can do.But if you want to hand land then use as much (up) PITCH TRIM as is necessary to relieve the pressure on you controls (hand, or joy) as you make your approach where if you DO let go of the stick you will not nose into ground. It is VITAL for those 'main wheel' landings. No amount of attention to your elevator control on approach is ever going to allow for CONSISTANT 'good landings' to be performed. Either use up Pitch Trim (keypad 1) or suffer with bad landings.And don't ever put pitch trim on any controler key or slider. AP 'Aproach' will automatically move pitch trim as required to keep aircraft on the glide slope, so that is another advantage to using ILS for landing. I can help sort out the details, step by step, via email (post your email in a PM here), until you can determine if ILS landing is for you. At any rate there might be some other details you might not be privy to and I wouldn't mind helping out. Let me know. Best Regards (from your local flying instructor with an attitude-hehe). But I don't yell or scream 'May Day..May Day' when you do something wrong, either, so I'm cool (ha). Remember: 'UP' PITCH TRIM IS VITAL-or else.Chuck BNapamulePS: I also have been 'simmining' since my Commodore 64 days. I am 69 years young and I'm crazy (don't go there) about simming. :-)