How do I configure the TCA Airbus throttle in Prepar3D?

To configure the Thrustmaster TCA Airbus throttle in Prepar3D, first verify both levers in Windows, remove every automatic or duplicate throttle binding, and assign the left and right axes to Engine 1 and Engine 2. Then set axis direction, test full travel, and calibrate detents and reverse inside the Airbus add-on when supported.

Configure the Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition in Prepar3D

The correct baseline is one Prepar3D engine axis per lever, with no combined-throttle assignment active on any connected controller.

1. Check the quadrant in Windows. Connect it directly to the PC while troubleshooting, then open the Windows game-controller panel or the Thrustmaster control panel. Both lever axes must move smoothly and reach stable endpoints. If they do not, use the calibration procedure intended for the exact model before opening Prepar3D; our PC-side TCA setup and hardware checks cover device detection, calibration and reverse-gate testing.
2. Select the TCA quadrant in Prepar3D. Open the simulator's Controls settings and choose the quadrant from the controller list. Menu wording and layout vary between major Prepar3D versions, but axis assignments and sensitivity settings are kept in the Controls area. Confirm that controllers are enabled.
3. Delete automatic throttle bindings. Remove any generic Throttle Axis assigned to the quadrant. Inspect every other joystick, yoke and throttle device as well; Prepar3D may have assigned the same command to a sidestick slider or another controller.
4. Assign the two levers separately. Bind the left lever to Throttle 1 Axis or the equivalent Engine 1 command, and the right lever to Throttle 2 Axis or Engine 2. Move only the intended lever during axis detection. See our explanation of mapping one throttle axis to each engine without conflicts if both engines still respond together.
5. Correct the direction and response. Advance each physical lever and watch the corresponding cockpit lever. Apply axis reversal once if thrust moves backwards—either in Prepar3D or another input layer, never both. Begin with sensitivity at or near maximum and a minimal null zone so the complete hardware range reaches the aircraft.
6. Test a conventional twin first. Load a simple twin-engine aircraft that uses standard Prepar3D controls. Verify that each lever moves only its assigned engine from idle to maximum thrust. If that works but a complex Airbus does not, the native assignments are sound and the remaining issue is aircraft-specific.
7. Calibrate the Airbus add-on. Open its supplied throttle or controller utility when one is provided. Record the requested forward detents and reverse positions there rather than trying to manufacture Airbus detents with large Prepar3D null zones.

These assignments assume a twin-engine Airbus. A four-engine add-on may require four axes, a second quadrant or an aircraft-specific scheme that groups engines behind each lever; use the input method supplied with that aircraft.

Does this apply to an Airbus joystick and throttle setup?

Yes—the TCA throttle configuration is unchanged when the quadrant is paired with a Thrustmaster Airbus sidestick, but the two devices must not share throttle duties.

Assign pitch, roll and any required rudder axis to the sidestick. Remove its small throttle-slider assignment when the quadrant is controlling thrust, including any automatically created combined or engine-specific throttle axis. A duplicate sidestick slider is a common reason the cockpit levers jump back after the quadrant is moved.

Should I use Prepar3D axes, the aircraft input tool or FSUIPC?

Use native Prepar3D axes unless the Airbus add-on explicitly requires a custom controller interface or you deliberately need FSUIPC's more detailed axis zoning.

Choose FSUIPC when the aircraft expects it or when native controls cannot provide the required idle and reverse zones. It is not a mandatory TCA driver. Use a release compatible with your Prepar3D version and follow our guide to calibrating per-engine throttles and reverse ranges through FSUIPC; delete the corresponding P3D axis assignments first.

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

The TCA's physical gates do not identify Airbus detents to Prepar3D; the aircraft add-on must translate raw analogue positions into IDLE, CL, FLX/MCT and TOGA.

Establish clean, full-range axes first. In the aircraft's calibration display or supplied utility, settle each lever in the centre of the requested gate and store that position. Calibrate the two levers independently, even when their displayed values appear similar, because their raw endpoints and gate positions may differ slightly.

If the utility supports acceptance bands, make each band wide enough to hold the detent without flickering but narrow enough that adjacent bands cannot overlap. Keep the Prepar3D response close to linear. Our three-layer Prepar3D calibration workflow for hardware, simulator axes and Airbus detents explains the separation between these settings.

Not every Prepar3D aircraft understands named Airbus detents. Conventional aircraft simply receive a continuous throttle position. In a correctly modelled Airbus, thrust changing while the levers remain in CL is normal autothrust operation; the physical and virtual levers do not chase the commanded engine thrust.

How do I configure reverse thrust on the TCA throttle?

Use the Airbus add-on's below-idle calibration when it supports the TCA reverse range; otherwise keep the analogue axis for forward thrust and bind a standard Prepar3D reverse or throttle-decrease command.

The axis reversal or invert setting only changes which end represents high thrust. It does not convert the travel below idle into reverse. When the aircraft provides dedicated calibration points, capture reverse idle and maximum reverse as instructed, then verify that reverse cannot activate while the levers are sitting at normal idle.

For aircraft using standard Prepar3D controls, a button generated by the reverse gate may be assigned to the appropriate reverse command. If the gate does not present a usable button, assign a momentary button elsewhere. Avoid stretching the entire forward axis merely to include reverse, because that compresses useful throttle resolution and can place reverse above physical idle.

Why do the TCA engine switches get out of sync?

The TCA engine masters are maintained switches, while many Prepar3D aircraft expose only momentary toggle events, so hardware and cockpit positions can become inverted after a reload or mouse operation.

Use separate on and off events when the aircraft supplies them. Complex Airbus add-ons may expose custom events for the engine masters and mode selector; those are preferable to generic starter or fuel commands. If only an unreliable toggle is available, leave the hardware switch unassigned and operate the cockpit control directly—the throttle axes will continue to work.

Common TCA Airbus throttle problems in Prepar3D

Most TCA throttle faults come from duplicate assignments, reversed axes or an Airbus add-on awaiting its own detent calibration.