I am looking at the Q400 and was wondering what throttle quadrant controls are needed?

 

Can I fly it with just throttle and power, or do I need a mixture control also?

Should I have six controllers or will three suffice?

 

How difficult is it to fly/manage from the first officer's position?

 

I have the controllers, my issue is set up in that they will not bolt to my desk on the right-hand side. I would have to fly as first officer or try to rig up a desk-top mount for the controllers. (Saiteks)

 

Thanks in advance.

-david-

Well, I started off with an X-52 Pro, using the slider on the throttle for Condition, so you definitely *can* fly it with two throttle levers (or one if you are prepared to use mouse for Condition), but now I've got a yoke and a three axis Saitek.  There is no Prop control so if you have a three axis Saitek, you have one free for flaps or trim, again providing you are ok with using the mouse for startup.  In flight you very rarely move Throttle or Condition on one side only, so one quadrant is fine for that.

 

If you want to start doing emergency proceedures, you probably do need a second quadrant (if only to have one Throttle and one Condition per engine, with two spare for flaps or trim), but it's otherwise perfectly flyable with one.

 

As for flying it "as a first officer", I suspect you'll be flying from the Captain's seat, if only to have ready access to the HGS (Pro only) or the icing controls. You might just need to hold your nose about the throttle position in the VC.

Thanks Flying Penguin.

 

I have an X-55 so I guess I could use the slider there as well. I will have to give it some thought.

I have a neighbor who flies Q400s for Porter and I would love to try the 3.5 degree approach into CYTZ.

 

-david-

I have about 300+ hours flying the Q400 and all I use is a joystick with one throttle. Works fine.