Prepar3D Updated Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:41:56 GMT 6 min read

How do I configure the TCA Airbus throttle in Prepar3D?

By Ian StephensEditor-in-Chief

In short

Configure the TCA Airbus throttle quadrant in Prepar3D: assign both engine axes, align detents, set reverse thrust and fix duplicate bindings.

To configure the Thrustmaster TCA Airbus throttle quadrant in Prepar3D, verify and calibrate it with Thrustmaster’s supported procedure, remove automatic duplicate bindings, then assign the left and right levers to the Engine 1 and Engine 2 throttle axes. Set direction correctly, test full travel, and calibrate Airbus detents inside the aircraft add-on when supported.

Configure the TCA throttle axes in Prepar3D

The reliable baseline is one Prepar3D axis assignment per lever, with every combined-throttle duplicate removed.

Check the hardware first. Connect the quadrant, preferably directly to the PC while troubleshooting, and confirm that both lever axes move smoothly through their complete ranges in the Thrustmaster control panel. Use the calibration procedure intended for the exact model if an endpoint is missing. Our PC-side TCA firmware, calibration and reverse-gate checks cover this part in more detail.
Open Prepar3D’s Controls settings. This is normally under Options and Controls, although wording can differ between major Prepar3D versions. Select the TCA quadrant in the controller drop-down rather than editing all devices at once.
Remove automatic assignments. Delete any generic Throttle Axis assignment from the TCA and inspect every other connected joystick, yoke and pedal set for the same command. Prepar3D often assigns an axis automatically, which causes both engines to follow one lever or makes the throttles jump.
Assign each lever separately. Bind the left lever to the command labelled Throttle 1 Axis or Engine 1 Throttle Axis, and the right lever to the corresponding Engine 2 command. Move only one lever while detecting its axis so they are not accidentally swapped.
Set direction and response. Use the axis reversal option only if advancing a lever reduces thrust. Start with high or full sensitivity and a very small null zone; our guidance on Prepar3D throttle sensitivity and null-zone tuning explains how to correct incomplete travel without masking a hardware problem.
Test before loading a complex Airbus. Load a standard twin-engine aircraft, move one lever at a time, and confirm independent movement from idle to full thrust. If that works but an Airbus add-on does not, the remaining problem is almost certainly its aircraft-specific input or detent configuration.

Should I use Prepar3D axes or the aircraft’s input tool?

Use direct Prepar3D assignments unless the aircraft’s documentation explicitly requires its own controller interface or another custom input method.

Aircraft setup	Recommended method	What to avoid
Default or conventional Prepar3D aircraft	Separate Engine 1 and Engine 2 axes in Prepar3D	Leaving the combined throttle axis assigned as well
Airbus add-on with detent calibration	Prepar3D axes followed by calibration inside the aircraft, unless its instructions say otherwise	Trying to create detents with large P3D null zones
Add-on requiring a custom input interface	Use that interface alone	Keeping duplicate native P3D axes active

How do I align IDLE, CL, FLX/MCT and TOGA?

The TCA’s physical gates do not automatically tell Prepar3D that a lever is in an Airbus detent. Native Prepar3D sees an analogue position; the aircraft add-on must translate that position into IDLE, CL, FLX/MCT or TOGA.

If the aircraft provides a throttle-calibration page in its cockpit display, configuration panel or other supplied utility, record each requested position there. Calibrate both levers, include the reverse positions when offered, and define only a small acceptance band around each detent if the tool supports zones.

Do not distort the entire axis merely to make one detent line up. Keep the Prepar3D response close to linear, then use the aircraft’s detent calibration for fine alignment. Understanding what the Airbus thrust-lever detents command also prevents a common false alarm: with the levers in CL, Airbus autothrust can vary engine thrust without moving the physical levers.

How do I configure reverse thrust?

Use the aircraft add-on’s reverse-range calibration when it has one; otherwise use Prepar3D’s standard reverse-thrust command rather than assuming axis reversal enables reverse.

The Reverse checkbox beside an axis changes its direction only. It does not turn the below-idle portion of the TCA travel into reverse thrust. Advanced Airbus add-ons may recognise and calibrate that portion themselves, including reverse idle and maximum reverse.

For aircraft using standard Prepar3D controls, keep the analogue axis calibrated from idle to full forward thrust. If the reverse gate appears as a button, bind it to the appropriate throttle-decrease or reverse command; otherwise assign a convenient momentary button. Check the standard Prepar3D throttle and reverse-thrust commands before adding extra bindings.

Why do the engine switches get out of sync?

The TCA engine masters are maintained switches, while many Prepar3D commands are momentary toggles. A toggle can become inverted after an aircraft reload, a cockpit mouse action or a change of starting state.

Prefer separate on and off events when the aircraft exposes them. If an Airbus add-on supplies dedicated bindings for its engine masters or mode selector, use those instead of generic starter commands. Leave these switches unassigned when the aircraft offers no compatible event; the throttle axes will still work normally.

Common TCA throttle problems in Prepar3D

Symptom	Likely cause and fix
Both engines follow one lever	A combined `Throttle Axis` remains assigned. Remove it from the TCA and every other controller.
Left lever controls Engine 2	The engine-specific axes are swapped. Reassign them while moving only one lever at a time.
Thrust decreases when the lever advances	Reverse the axis once, either in Prepar3D or the device layer, but not in both.
Idle or full thrust cannot be reached	Verify hardware endpoints, then use high sensitivity and a minimal null zone. Recalibrate before changing detent settings.
Virtual levers flicker or jump	Look for duplicate assignments first. If none exist, inspect the hardware axes for noise and add only a small null zone.
Detents work in one Airbus but not another	Detent logic belongs to the aircraft add-on. Calibrate the quadrant separately for each add-on that provides its own system.
Reverse activates around normal idle	The physical reverse range has been compressed into the forward axis. Use the add-on’s reverse calibration or reserve the P3D axis for idle-to-full travel and bind reverse separately.
Thrust changes while the levers remain in CL	This is normal Airbus autothrust behaviour, provided the cockpit recognises the CL detent and the virtual levers are stable.