BMS 4.33 - New to BMS - (Is there a section to discuss matter related to BMS?)

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Just throwing this out there. Last night I bought myself a $6.99 copy of Falcon 4.0, and installed that as a well as BMS 4.33. So I've got my joystick connected and ready to rock and roll!

My question is where in this website do we go to discuss this game, I'm going through manuals (and there are heaps of them) but the best I've found so far are some YouTube videos on the basics.

I realize this game is a hugely complex one but that's the challenge and fun of it.

Can anyone of the Veterans-Gaming community who plays BMS 4.33 recommend my next steps?

cheers,

Kavelenko

Call Sign: ANVIL
Royal Australian Air force - RAAF

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

We use a combination of the TO-BMS1F-16CM-1 and TO-BMS1F-16CM-34-1-1 (we call them "Dash 1" & "Dash 34") manuals as well as the included Training Manual, supplemental checklists, and guides found in the sim under the Docs folder.

In the game, under Tactical Engagement, under the Training tab, are 23 training missions that follow the supplemental Training Manual.  You'd use those to learn the sim.

I learned by reading manuals, flying training missions and watching videos back when we were still flying Allied Force and these Red Viper tutorials crossed over just fine.  Refer to the manuals for any clarification for procedures, but for 99% of learning the F-16, you can follow the same tutorials to this day (as the operation of the F-16 remains unchanged except for a very minute few functions or procedures).

Here's the series I followed first: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6715E7C5F39AC02E  -- This series follows the original Falcon 4.0 manual to the letter (as in, the commentary from the youtuber is not his, but text from the manual) and he expands with graphics to explain concepts.  His English is very passable, but obviously not his first language.

And here are some more recent (but still not for current version 4.33.2) by Krause: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3E09AA94FF0EACEC

To start with, I'd go over lesson one, HQ Ramp Start video and fire up the sim to practice the procedure.  If you need to just fly around, use the Instant Action missions in the game (the enemies appear on radar after a few minutes of flying so you have some time to just cruise).  It's best to learn the systems in order, but you can skip certain parts to focus on others such as a certain weapon system like HARM (if you wanted to skip it and learn the next lesson first) - the lessons are not exactly built upon the preceding lesson, though they are in a mostly intelligent order.

 

As far as setting up controls, you will want to mimic the HOTAS from the F-16 as best you can, from Throttle Idle-Cutoff to NWS/Missile Step you gotta have these buttons somewhere because you cannot click them with a mouse in the cockpit like everything else (with the exception of Trim).  The HOTAS system on the F-16 uses 6 total 4-way HAT switches (TMS, DMS, CMS, Trim, Cursor, Comms) which all need to be accessed on your stick or throttle if possible, keyboard if not possible.  Using shift states and programming software for whatever flight stick you use can help, and BMS can be forced to work off a DirectX assignments file for even deeper customization.  Guides and controller profiles are easy to google, and there are some here under Downloads.

Feel free to post up questions here (I've moved this post to the correct section of the forums, "Falcon BMS 4 - Help and Support").

 

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Excellent advice SemlerPDX, exactly what I was looking for!

Yes, I'll work my way through the tutorials and get myself familiar before tackling a mission on a live server.

Its a lot of info to take in but us newbies gotta start somewhere.

I'm using an old Logitech Extreme 3D PRO stick for now but if I really enjoy the simulator I'll invest in a HOTAS joystick later.

[Brain]

Quote

As far as setting up controls, you will want to mimic the HOTAS from the F-16 as best you can, from Throttle Idle-Cutoff to NWS/Missile Step

Idle-Cutoff can be clicked on the left side of the throttle or by using ALT + i. You'll rarely need it so it's not really worth wasting a button.
Other than that I agree. Having all the real HOTAS commands will give you almost full control over the aircraft. All the 4-way switches might seem daunting but except TMS they all perform relatively simple tasks. TMS itself is context sensitive, depending on mode/display/weapon selected but there is a pattern to it.
Krause used key commands for a lot of it not long ago and I know of other less experienced players without a HOTAS, so it's certainly doable.

Programming your joystick with DX buttons is recommended but I find it tedious. As long as you follow your procedures and only press one button at a time you should be fine with using your joystick's profile editor to map key combinations. Only exception I made was the trigger and pickle button.

There is an abundance of tutorials on YT. I know JoNay did some good ones as well but can't remember all the others. Has been a while since I needed a tutorial but I know if you look for a certain topic you will find a video on it.

While ramp starting helps with the immersion I skipped it when starting with BMS. Most flights start on the taxi way anyways, because once you know how to do it there is no real challenge other than waiting and it takes long enough to set up a flight in the first place. It's really up to you.
Start with some BVR to be able to defend yourself, get used to how the radar operates and build up some muscle memory. Just DO NOT go up against Fulcrums/Flankers as their R-77 missiles are a nightmare for beginners. From there pick a basic a2g weapon like the GBU-12 to practice with the TGP and CCRP bombing mode. Congratulations, you can now shoot down planes and drop almost half the ordinance available in game ... you're becoming dangerous!

[CobaltUK]

15 hours ago, Kavelenko said:

Excellent advice SemlerPDX, exactly what I was looking for!

Yes, I'll work my way through the tutorials and get myself familiar before tackling a mission on a live server.

Its a lot of info to take in but us newbies gotta start somewhere.

I'm using an old Logitech Extreme 3D PRO stick for now but if I really enjoy the simulator I'll invest in a HOTAS joystick later.

There is no reason not to do some of your practice on the server. Even if you do not team up with another human each time you will be contributing to the war effort as  the campaign apparently benefits from human players beyond just their mission success and the opportunity is there sometimes to get knowledge and explanations from other players.

[=VG= Kavelenko]

I spent about two hours trying to find the switch to close the canopy! I finally found its location in one of the manuals so now at least I can close the lid and get some privacy while I mess around with the cockpit controls.

Blooming heck this simulator is not for cowboys who just want to get in and fly that's for sure.

I'm happy to go through all the checklists and familiarize myself with the controls/switches/buttons but committing this all to memory seems like a huge task right now. I'm sure it must get easier if I just keep plugging away.

I hear you Cobalt but I wouldn't want to put someone on the server through the kind of hell I'm enjoying at the moment.

"Anvil are you ready for takeoff?"

"Sure squadron leader, gimme another week!!"

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

Brain is absolutely right about Ramp starting not being necessary - you can get flying much easier and get into the lessons in the air which will give you more of a sense of why we enjoy the sim in motion.  But the reason I often recommend it to newcomers is because when you first get into that cockpit, it looks like there's a thousand little switches that you will never possibly be able to commit to memory and the feeling can be so overwhelming that someone might put this thing down before getting a chance to see how it can be made easy to understand.

A simple Ramp start can familiarize the player with several key sections of the controls we use, and in a way, it eliminates them one by one from the mental clutter the cockpit imposes on them - they now know that the pit is consumable in sections.  The radios volume section, the lighting section, sections with buttons we so rarely use they can be ignored - but at first, every button seems like it's supposed to be memorized so it can be used on an hourly basis in the sim which is untrue and discouraging to new pilots.  I feel it's easier to start chipping away at the mountain when you have a better idea of it's composition, just a bit, in the sections the Ramp start familiarizes you with.

 

It's actually a short procedure unless you run through all the tests that official checklists have, but I'll say I've not had a fuel flow fault yet in several hundred hours flying and I rarely do that test when I Ramp.  It's not included in this little Flash based Ramp Start Trainer I pass around still - just a little .exe that runs you through the basics of getting the jet ready to fly.  It glosses over the 9 minute Align and moves the view around the cockpit in sections highlighting what you need to push next, and showing brief text of what you are doing (i.e. Set Fuel Flow to NORM).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug7rl65nprbbkmh/sp3_ramp_start_trainer-FLASH.exe?dl=0

Give it a try if you want, I stand by my belief that the cockpit looks less intimidating once you view it in sections like this Ramp Start Trainer highlights.  The second reason I push the Ramp to new pilots is, while actually simple, it gives that quick confidence boost where the player tells themselves "Hell, I could probably walk onto a runway (given permission) and could sit in and fire up a real life F-16 now with this knowledge!!" - then it's all downhill from there cuz they're hooked!

Youtube is the biggest help, made it so I could more "skim" the manuals instead of reading them through like the damn thick-ass encyclopedias that they are.  Can't go wrong there.

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Thanks a lot for the ramp start program SemlerPDX , that was a huge help. I have created my own set of notes to do a ramp start based on your program.

Biggest problem for me was trying to remember where the switches were and on which console so the current view map was real helpful too.

Managed to get through my first ramp start, so the next bit is getting permission from the tower to takeoff and doing it.

cheers,

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Almost completed a ramp start, your tutorial is great but I think there's a couple differences now that we're at BMS 4.33.

I've only got one avionics fault showing on my display and then I think I'm close to completing it.

Here's a screenshot.

 

Just worked it out, needed to clear the IFF fault by hitting the F-ACK button a few times.

[Brain]

On startup it's detected some systems aren't running properly (yet). That's 100% normal.

With F-ACK you will not delete those faults, you are just acknowledging them. That clutters up the fault list, potentially increasing the workload when identifying new ones in flight.
Once spooled up you want to bring up the TEST MFD and hit CLR on the top to clear all faults. Here you can also review all faults with timestamp (time till engine start up). If there is an actual problem it will reappear.

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Thanks to Brain and SemlerPDX, I can now do a successful ramp start from memory.

The tutorial program Semler gave me was real helpful to get the ball rolling, but eventually I gravitated to the BMS4.33 Manual (pp. 11-20) and completed the following sections including the tests:

1.1 1st Sweep: Before starting the engine

1.2 2nd Sweep: Starting engine & systems

1.3 3rd Sweep: The final sweep

For me it definitely helped to give a better understanding of the systems, I'd hate to do this while flying!

 

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Hey Guys,

I'm currently looking at two HOTAS joysticks; the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Joystick and the Saitek Pro Flight X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S.

Any opinions on the suitability or issues related to using them with PR would be appreciated.

[=VG= Meiz]

I can't really offer much about your PR question but 1 thing to keep in mind (for all games/sims) with the TM Hotas is that although it's probably the best setup on the market at the moment it does not have a twist rudder on the stick (i assume that's because it's a replica of the real A-10) so buying some rudder pedals is essential too.

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

^What he said.

The Thrustmaster is perfect for the DCS A-10C addict, but the stick does not twist and therefore requires additional gear, rudder pedals.  That's another $100+ on top of a $400-500 flight stick, and you're in Australia so we could easily add 10%-20% to these estimates I assume.

The key features of the TM Warthog HOTAS includes it's near 1:1 realism, 4 springs including a strong central centering spring for smooth motion, and a quality level higher than any flight stick on the market (it's mostly metal).  The bad features start with it's price and end with application.  You can use this HOTAS for a flight sim, but considering the strength of the Joystick centering spring, it is not an easy stick to move requiring considerable arm strength to manipulate.  While this is very desirable for a flight sim like DCS, BMS or others, it makes it very difficult to use in any other PC game.  From War Thunder to Elite: Dangerous or even BF2: Project Reality or BF4 or BF1, joystick movements are rapid and to the extent of the pitch/roll and then back again to counter and so on.  Doing this with a TM Warthog would get tiring very fast, and the HOTAS gets bad marks for the number of applications a person would use it for (i.e. only flight simulators).  Finally, it is very large.  Like, huge.  I looked deeply into buying a better HOTAS than I have and spent countless hours reading and watching videos and comparisions of products.  Plenty of them take up desk space, but the TM Warthog is in it's own class of size.  I used cardboard to cut out rectangles the size of the two units to see where they could sit on my desk, or if I could make some stands I could move around and how big the would be - they were just too large to fit in my current setup, and even if I attached them only when I wanted to fly a sim, I'd still barely be able to fit them my small desk.  Consider that space requirement, and the space requirement you'll need for rudder pedals.

The X-55 Rhino is an overpriced younger brother to the other high end Saitek HOTAS systems lacking all the cool features of the slightly more expensive entries in the lineup like force sensing or force feedback and still sticks us with that annoying ergo-styled throttle even if it does have a fighter jet stick that is very close to the 1:1 modeling of the F-16/A-10 flight stick complete with the CMS Hat near where the thumb rests on the stick and pinky button and pinky "flying" paddle .  If I were gonna go for the Saitek high end line, I would avoid the Rhino and go for the Saitek X-65F Pro Flight Controller instead.  It features a force sensing stick which is similar to the way the "fly-by-wire side stick" works on the F-16, where it does not move but senses the force applied to it.  Of course, this is a matter of opinion - some might prefer movement, others might prefer the force feedback sticks.  All of these entries are pricey though, and require rudder pedals as few if any of them twist for rudder axes.

 

The F-16 flight stick inspired the A-10C flight stick, and so they are nearly identical - this makes TM Warthog very easy to translate to Falcon sim flight, even though the throttle is different.  Thrustmaster did make a Falcon HOTAS, called the Thrustmaster Cougar, and they are still floating around ebay and the likes, but they are not plug and play like sticks made today, and you'd need to do fair research and careful purchasing to ensure it works - caviat emptor.  

 

It's worth noting that CH Products makes some affordably priced sim controllers.  You can tell why they cost a little less from the pictures, all plastic, and not always 1:1 modeling.  The CH Products rudder pedals in particular look a little odd, but I hear they feel pretty good, even when compared to some of the current models.  The rudders on the market used to be better - so these days, it's gonna come down to your personal preference.  The best was the metal Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals and though once in awhile people had issues with the tension cap in the middle, they had the form and function that keeps them at twice the price if you can find them these days on ebay.  The Thrustmaster Elite rudder pedals were pretty cool, in that they looked wide enough to have a center cockpit console between your legs - these days, the TM rudder pedals look closer together than the gas and brake pedals in my car.  So, that is what you have to deal with nowadays - too close rudder pedals.  Get what suits you, do your research.

 

I'm a dedicated sim player who has several hundred hours in an F-16, an A-10C, and civi crap in FSX.  I don't fly as often as I'd like to for reasons and other reasons as well, but my point is I'm hooked and know I'm gonna fly off and on - making a huge investment in gear should be appropriate in that regard.  Make sure you are dedicated before you buy some flight sim HOTAS that cannot be easily used in other PC games you may own.

For some people just getting into all this stuff, I would recommend getting a Saitek X-52 (or the X-52 Pro).  Difference is negligible between the two, different materials/sensors - I use the non-Pro, works well after 6 years, but it lacks the total number of buttons and I have to use shift-states which can get complicated.  A note about Saitek - they sometimes have a "mouse stick" and if you have any problems with the stick or your mouse, it will need to be disabled.  Some people have no issues, others like me have a cursor that streams to one side and never stops until unplugged or disabled - also, their programming software is shit, but some people have had success.

But if you can afford it, and you have the space, the TM Warthog and some rudder pedals you like would be a very great interface for several PC sims.  

 

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Thanks for your opinions SemlerPDX and Meiz.

I was thinking about buying a TM Warthog HOTAS a year ago but couldn't see any advantage with the games (for the price) I was flying hence the cheaper joystick.

My Logitech Extreme 3D PRO does the job for PR as it is but this BMS4.33 & Falcon 4.0 flight simulator is something else. I assume all the key flight controls in BMS can be mapped to Warthog HOTAS controls?

So having read your views I don't see any negative reason to not go ahead and buy the TM Warthog HOTAS, I have a workstation so room is not an issue for me, there's plenty of room either side of the key board.

I'm not too fond of pedals at all but will get them if I must. Initially I'll see if I can get away with mapping them to a key board button.

A TM Warthog HOTAS set up with throttle control and joystick will cost me AUD$799 which is fine considering it's kick-ass design.

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/games-consoles/platforms/joystick/thrustmaster-hotas-warthog-joystick/275056/

Again thanks for your informed opinion, especially SemlerPDX!

 

[Brain]

The Rhino stick doesn't come with enough buttons for the F-16 (6 buttons + 4 4-way switches!), so you'd have to deal with that somehow. Same goes for the DCS A-10C should that become interesting at some point.
Another thing I think Ralfidude brought up, is the terrible shape of the lower hat button. It has extruded edges, making it hard to reach the switch above.
The stick mechanic is a plastic ball rubbing against a plastic case. They use that since the X45 I believe (which I used for MANY years) and plastic dust + grease will form a mess. After a while there will be some stickyness, forcing you to clean and re-grease that thing.
If the programming software is really as bad as Semler describes ... well. Personally I had no issues with their OLDER (pre Win 7) software but I know times change.

The Thrustmaster throttle won't match the F-16s but all the necessary buttons are there. Including a true analogue axis for the FCR/MFD cursor.
Using the classic TM Cougar I can say the stick can get uncomfortable if you got small hands, but since it's designed for the AF you can easily access everything and once you build up some muscle-memory everything makes sense. Whatever I fly, I try to mimic the F-16 stick layout as close as possible ... but I digress.
Can't say much about the Warthog mechanics, only that I heard about some seam line left from production. Don't know if it's on all or what, but the fix is said to be easy.
What it definitely does not come with is a rudder axis like on your Logi or the Rhino, so pedals might become necessary.
If later you decide to go for the full experience on the F-16 you can get an USB adapter to use the TM Cougar throttle with your Warthog stick. Our buddy Nuts does that and he enjoys it (too) much.

If I had the choice, there wouldn't be a choice. My stick is over a decade old, still working fine and I got another ancient TM Gamepad that has almost no wear on the analogue sticks. These Thrustmaster things are build to resist!

Regarding using this thing in PR ..... I think you still might be better off with the Logitech. Depending on what you fly you'll have to do these precise split second inputs you can't really do with a HOTAS...at least I can't. It's a very different kind of being in control.
But, if you wanted you could certainly map every PR keybind to that thing

[=VG= Kavelenko]

I get the impression from the write ups on the TM Warthog HOTAS and TM Cougar is that they are robust and very well engineered.

I have noticed in BMS that my Logitech tends to wander a bit when I center it and take my hand off. Its way too sensitive for flying in BMS.

I'm hoping that this will not happen to the same degree with a quality stick such as the Warthog.

Yes I've realized now that I'm definitely going to need pedals if I'm in a dogfight, I would imagine both hands will be too pre-occupied on throttle and stick to deal with rudder keystrokes via keyboard.

Has anyone flown the Apache or Cobra in PR using one of these things? I'd have thought they'd be ideal.

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

On 11/22/2016 at 10:14 AM, =VG= SemlerPDX said:

You can use this [Thrustmaster] HOTAS for a flight sim, but considering the strength of the Joystick centering spring, it is not an easy stick to move requiring considerable arm strength to manipulate.  While this is very desirable for a flight sim like DCS, BMS or others, it makes it very difficult to use in any other PC game.  From War Thunder to Elite: Dangerous or even BF2: Project Reality or BF4 or BF1, joystick movements are rapid and to the extent of the pitch/roll and then back again to counter and so on.  Doing this with a TM Warthog would get tiring very fast

 

[Brain]

Sounds like your Logi is getting old and doesn't center properly anymore, caused by wear on the internals. It will happen even to a TM Warthog eventually but you're likely to get replacement parts in that case and maybe some special grease to slow down the process in the future. Static could tell you something about the latter if he passes by again.

You want to do 2 things:
1. Set an axis response curve for pitch, roll and maybe even rudder. It makes the stick more precise in the center while still giving you maximum control at the outer limits. I find it a necessity no matter what I fly. The settings can either be found in the Logitech programming software (if any) or the Win game controller panel. BMS does not have such an option AFAIK.
2. Define a deadzone to make up for the loose center position. Should be in the same place as axis curves. If not, BMS at least gives you the option to choose 3 levels of deadzone in the advanced control settings.

If there isn't any software for the joystick, make sure you installed the latest Logitech drivers for your device as the generic Windows drivers might not include these tuning options!

Rudders are not critical for BMS except for high crosswind landings/takeoffs and some rare emergency situations when part of the FLCS gets damaged. On a Warthog you should have some spare buttons to map the rudder keys to.

The Cougar is well engineered, but the internals are some zinc-aluminum alloy which wears of rather quickly. Because of that there are some (expensive) modifications out there to replace these parts. 2nd hand Cougars are often modified already; part of the reason they can be so damn expensive. Should you be interested in one of these you can find everything about it here: http://cougar.flyfoxy.com/mods.php

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Hi Brain,

Thanks for the advice on the Logitech PRO, I've added dead zones and that has improved my old joystick quite a bit, in fact a lot, the other thing I changed was the sensitivity which was at 50% and way too quick for what I needed, for Helicopter flying especially.

My TM HOTAS Warthog throttle and joystick package arrived yesterday and I spent some time trying it out on PR. Now I can understand why the rudder is so important!

Without a rudder it makes it next to impossible to fly Helicopters and maneuver them like I'm used to. In fact I was very uncomfortable flying with the TM setup just due to the position of the throttle being three feet from the joystick. Made me feel like I was riding a Harley Davidson Chopper with Ape Hangers!!

So until I can get some pedals I'm only going to use the TM Warthog gear on BMS4.33, its so different to flying with the Logitech PRO that its screwing up my game in PR.

I'm in the process of mapping my switches and buttons on the TM Warthog, and looked at several setups on the net for it but none of them so far seem to be mapping the buttons to where they should IMO.

The first thing I've got to say is the TM Warthog HOTAS throttle and Joystick is awesome with BMS4, it feels a 100% better than the Logitech ever did. Its smooth, precise, and take offs and landings are so much easier to do. I haven't tried to dogfight yet so it will be interesting to see how nimble it will be in that situation but so far it has made simulation flying so much more enjoyable for me.

Back to the mapping issue, as I said most BMS setups I've seen or read are not using the buttons and switches for the Warthog as they were intended and that's fair enough considering the simulator is for the F-16 and not the A-10 but the joystick at least should be similar you'd think?

Has anyone got a recommended mapping for the Warthog TM throttle and joystick that works as closely to the F-16 controls. I know there will be differences but I'm expecting a lot of common settings as well.

cheers,

 

[Brain]

Welcome to the world of quality HOTAS systems ... enjoy!

In reality both sticks are almost identical and so is their mapping, although the A-10c avionics work a bit differently. You shouldn'T have any problems mapping it in a realistic fashion.
For the throttle you need to take some liberties, but you should have all the appropriate buttons (2x buttons, 2x 3-way rocker, 4-way switch, analogue cursor, 2x rotaries). There is a diagram of the throttle somewhere in the manual for reference. Leave the rest unmapped for now, as you will find additonal functions you want on your fingertips later. It may not be realistic but you don't have a physical pit to press buttons in so ....

Since you already started on mapping I'd recommend doing the rest on your own as well. Helps memorizing and is good practice with the TARGET software.

Although the stick is in pristine condition you might want to set a curve for that center precision as the F-16 is very very twitchy. The AAR training mission will give you a tanker to hold formation with. Just try to stay on his wing and see how accurate your pitch and roll inputs are.
Just talking from general experience with sticks and sims, never tried a Warthog, so you might find it unnecessary.

[=VG= Kavelenko]

Hi Everyone,

I've been mucking around with my TM Warthog Throttle and Stick for the past two weeks trying to set up a decent config for BMS 4.33.

I have a pair of TFRP T.Flight Rudder Pedals arriving anytime soon , as well as a TrackIR head tracking kit.

So from what I can confirm thanks to Brain is, the Warthog joystick is pretty much identical to its predecessor the Cougar.

But the throttle for the Warthog is quite different and so when you are flying an F-16 most of the switches on the lower panel are not relevant, consequently I see setups where people are using these buttons and switches to do carry out different tasks. But there is no consistency.

So what I would like to do is to create two profiles using the T.A.R.G.E.T. software available from TM for free at  their site:

HOTAS Warthog Throttle and Joystick software & manuals and HOTAS Cougar Throttle and Joystick software, manuals

I've done a ramp start for the F-16 and the A10 in BMS4.33 and they are quite different so I thought perhaps I could create a profile for each jet?

So as explained previously, the joystick configuration for each fighter should be the same.

The throttle setup for the WartHog will map directly to the switches and buttons as per the ramp start for A10s.

That brings me to the keyboard configuration with all the Shift, Alt, and Ctrl key combinations.

Guys what would the BMS4.33 Full keyfile be the best keyboard base to start with or did you guys do something different?

It would be good see what everyone in BMS is using for their keyboard setup, if you dont mind sharing that info.

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

I think it's best to stick with the default keyboard layout so that people can help out with common control questions (How do I turn on the FPS counter? etc.) and work from there.  The A-10 Throttle (in an A-10) uses it's throttle setup quite differently than the F-16, but you should be able to set it up proper for each individual aircraft if you want, and just save them as different profiles in BMS, and load them before flight to choose which one - but I think they should both be based on the default keyboard layout of BMS.

 

*you can look at the diagrams in the BMS manuals to see what the actual controls setups are for the F-16 and map them to the stick and throttle from there.  If you need pics for the default A-10C controls setup, the ones from the DCS A-10C manual would work to get a 1:1 accurate setup.

[Brain]

BMS only models the F-16 avionics and every other plane only has very minor differences. If you want to get close to the real A-10 you'd have to go through the control layout in the DCS manual and find similar functions in BMS. Even then you'll still be far away from accurate, just because the real avionics work so differently.
I accepted the fact I can't make any other plane that more realistic by rebinding keys, so I just stick with the F-16 controls. Less confusing when I do my occasional flight in another plane, mostly Hornets.

The 4.33 full keyfile is excellent. It's a variant of the old alternative Kolbe keyfile, which I liked a lot more than the default 4.32. There is also a special section dedicated to all buttons found on stick + throttle, should you decide to configure your controls inside BMS, instead of mapping keypresses in TARGET. However you do it, I'd not change any key combinations. The most common buttons in the pit are easy to access or mapped with some logic behind it. Using a default keyfile also helps when asking for key combinations in flight.

That said, I'd set up 2 joystick profiles, rather than keyfiles. I'd be worried something goes wrong while loading the keyfile and I take off with the wrong control layout. Loading a different joystick file in flight on the other hand shouldn't be an issue.
Not that there was ever such a problem, I'm just not trusting BMS

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

In BMS, does the A-10 have a modeled RAMP start and second question, does it have all it's switches mapped to function similar to the A-10 (like how we operate it in the DCS sim) ?
Also, since BMS is a Falcon sim, does the A-10 have it's own A-A and A-G controls based on SOI in the way the A-10 actually does with the TMS and China Hat, or are they the default TGP and TMS functions of the F-16 from the rest of the BMS sim?

Last question, if you know, does the BMS's A-10 have a PAC control for using the GAU-8?