Why does the rudder-centring key not work in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, Num Pad 5 centres aileron and rudder input when Num Lock is off and the key is assigned to Center Ailerons and Rudder. It may appear not to work if you press the number-row 5, a controller axis overrides it, or rudder trim is applied.

Which key centres the rudder on the keyboard?

The default key on the keyboard is 5 on the numeric keypad with Num Lock off; the 5 above the letter keys does not send the same command.

FSX calls the event Center Ailerons and Rudder because it neutralises both keyboard-applied controls. It is a one-time command, not a lock that holds the rudder against later input. Our reference for the default FSX keyboard controls explains the rest of the Num Lock-dependent keypad cluster.

How do I get Num Pad 5 working in FSX?

The quickest fix is to confirm the keypad mode and assignment before testing without connected controllers.

1. Turn Num Lock off. Hold Num Pad 0 or Num Pad Enter briefly to apply the default left or right rudder input, then press Num Pad 5. Use the dedicated keypad keys, not the main number row or main Enter key.
2. Check the command assignment. Open FSX Controls settings and inspect the Buttons/Keys assignments, showing all events if the list is filtered. Num Pad 5 should be assigned to Center Ailerons and Rudder. Do not confuse it with a rudder-trim command.
3. Reassign the command on a compact keyboard. Laptop and tenkeyless keyboards may have no true numeric keypad, and an Fn combination does not always emit the same keypad input. Assign Center Ailerons and Rudder to an unused key that FSX detects reliably.
4. Return focus to the flight window. Close the Controls screen, menus and any add-on text boxes, then select the main simulator window before trying the key. A focused dialogue box can consume the keystroke.
5. Test without controller input. Temporarily disable controllers in FSX, or close the simulator and restart it with the joystick and pedals disconnected. If Num Pad 5 now works, restore the hardware and remove duplicate rudder-axis assignments. When using pedals, follow our guide to assigning one rudder axis and configuring the toe brakes correctly.
6. Try a default FSX aircraft. If the command works there but not in one add-on, that aircraft may use custom control logic or simulate hydraulic pressure. Use its supplied control options rather than changing a working global assignment.

Resetting all controls to their defaults can restore Num Pad 5, but it can also erase custom keyboard, joystick and pedal assignments. Use that option only after noting the bindings you want to keep.

What if the rudder controls “no se mueven” (do not move)?

If the rudder does not move at all, Num Pad 5 is not a useful movement test because it only returns an already displaced control to neutral.

With Num Lock off, apply left and right rudder first using Num Pad 0 and Num Pad Enter, then use Num Pad 5. If neither direction moves the rudder on a default aircraft, check the keypad mode, keyboard focus and the separate Rudder Left and Rudder Right assignments.

A common mistake is to look at a rudder that is already centred and conclude that the centring key has failed. Use an external view or the cockpit control-position indication, where available, to confirm that you can first deflect the rudder and then return it to neutral.

If Num Pad 5 or the command is missing (“нету такого”)

The phrase нету такого means that there is no such key or option; the solution depends on which part is absent.

• No physical Num Pad 5: assign the combined centring command to another unused key. An embedded Fn keypad may work, but rebinding is usually more dependable.
• No separate rudder-centre entry: that is normal. The stock FSX event is the combined Center Ailerons and Rudder command.
• No combined command in the list: show all control events and check the keyboard assignments rather than a controller-specific subset. In a translated installation, the command name itself may be localised.

Why does the rudder centre and then move again?

A rudder that reaches neutral and immediately moves back is being given fresh input, usually by an analogue pedal or joystick axis.

FSX reads analogue axes continuously, so an off-centre pedal, twist grip or duplicate assignment replaces the one-time keyboard command almost immediately. Keep the rudder axis assigned to one device only, recalibrate that device and add a small null zone if its centre value fluctuates. Our broader rudder return-to-centre troubleshooting covers axis drift, dead zones, trim and duplicate bindings.

• If you fly with pedals, centre them physically before pressing Num Pad 5.
• If you fly only by keyboard, remove rudder-axis assignments from every connected joystick, yoke, throttle and game controller.
• Disable Auto-rudder temporarily while testing, as it can apply rudder in response to aileron input.
• If only one add-on is affected, check its yaw-damper, tiller and custom flight-control settings.

Why does the aircraft still yaw with the rudder centred?

If the rudder surface remains neutral but the aircraft keeps turning, the centring command has worked and another force or control input is moving the aircraft.

• Rudder trim is separate from direct rudder input and is not reset by Num Pad 5. Neutralise it with its own assigned control.
• Crosswind and propeller effects can yaw the aircraft despite neutral controls, particularly during take-off and at low airspeed.
• Asymmetric thrust or an engine failure requires corrective rudder rather than neutral rudder.
• Differential braking and nosewheel steering can continue turning the aircraft on the ground.
• Existing yaw rate does not disappear instantly when the control surface returns to centre.

If the aircraft persistently pulls to one side and the rudder does not remain visually centred, use these joystick and twist-rudder calibration checks to identify a mis-centred or drifting axis.