Flight Simulator rudder does not work correctly on XBox Series S with XBox controller

Hello,

I just bought an XBox Series S to use Flight Simulator. I am both a full scale and radio control pilot.

I'm trying to configure the XBox controller to work like a mode 2 radio control transmitter. That puts the rudder on the left stick and the elevator and ailerons on the right stick. Normally, throttle would also be on the left stick, but an actual R/C transmitter does not return the left stick to center for up/down when you let it go, but since the XBox sticks always return to center, I've left the throttle settings to the default buttons.

Anyway, the problem that I am having is that the rudder does respond to the left stick, but only when the stick is actually moving. If the stick stops moving, either at full deflection, or if I move it partially and hold it, the rudder slowly returns to center until movement is detected on the stick. At that point, the rudder snaps to the position that matches the stick, but again returns to center when the stick stops moving. That pretty much makes it impossible to fly the plane correctly.

Here are the things that I have tried:

• I've cleared out *all* controls that use the left stick in any way, except for the rudder.
  
• I have tried setting "Rudder Axis" to the left stick left/right.
  
• I have tried setting "Rudder Axis Left" to the left stick left and "Rudder Axis Right" to the left stick right.
  
• I have tried setting "Rudder Left" and "Rudder Right" to the appropriate left stick settings (although it appears that "Rudder Left" and "Rudder Right", without "Axis" is meant for mapping the rudder to normal buttons).
  
• I have searched the controller settings by name for anything that contains "rudder" and made sure that nothing is configured except the rudder settings that I am trying.
  
• I have searched the controller settings by name for anything that contains "center" and made sure that nothing is configured.
  
• I have searched for all settings mapped to any left stick setting and ensured that only my intended rudder mappings are set.
  

To test the settings, switch the camera to external view while on the ground and actually watch the rudder movement. I have also checked the "gas gauge" display in the controller mapping screen. The "return to center" problem only happens with the airplane. The gas gauge display in the controller settings works as you would expect.

If I map the rudder back to the left and right triggers, then it works correctly. But I don't want to use the triggers for the rudder for a couple of reasons. First, neither full scale, nor radio control, airplanes allow you to step on both rudder pedals simultaneously (except for toe brakes). And second, I have lots of muscle memory built up to fly my radio control airplanes with rudder on the left stick. I don't want to retrain that muscle memory. Crashing an R/C airplane is lots more expensive than crashing the simulator...

:)