Hey Bud,
You've got a few different things your trying to do here....So lets start with the Simulator. RealFlight is one of the best investments you can make for this hobby! You can try numerous models, crash and bash em, and it doesnt hurt anywhere near as bad as it can when flying for real. Also if you havent got the update yet, realflight 9.5 is available to download so you can go online and fly with other pilots if you would like.
I'm not sure if the DXe radio has it, but there should be a 3.5mm jack on the back of your DX9 you can use with the dongle / interface to get it to connect with the simulator. You'll want to make sure and plug it in at the buddy box / radio port. I use my DX8 G2 for both sim flying and real flying. It helps to get muscle memory down before going to try a new maneuver for real. once your radio is plugged in to both your computer and your radio, open up realflight on your computer, go to the "simulation" tab then "select controller". Once there, change the profile option to "Spektrum" and hit the calibrate button. Another screen will come up asking you to center all of your sticks. I would also recommend adding a new model on your radio too, to avoid changing settings (or trims) for a airplane you already have on the DX9. Then another screen will come up showing all of the rates (in percentages) for every channel (and maybe some extra channels too). after checking all of your radios channels, a blue button will light up to "finish" the calibration, and you should be good to go fly on realflight.
I havent put a SD card in my DX8 personally, but I dont believe that would change anything with your transmitter model setup. With that said, I also do not have a AeroScout in my hangar. However, the 3 skill levels your talking about should all be programmable to a 3 position switch on your radio. I'm not sure if there is a specific bind process for them like there is for AS3X / SAFE to be activated. Best thing I can recommend would be to check your airplanes manual for the setup process for those.
Adding in throttle-cut or throttle inhibit as you mentioned is simple. Thats a function list change. I'm guessing here, but I'd say your DX9 is much like my DX8, and you have the scroll wheel on your radio? The new NX radios I believe have a different button to get to the function list, but I could be wrong. Anyways, when you click-in on the scroll wheel, the function list menu will come up. Just scroll down to the "Throttle Cut" tab. Once its highlighted, click-in on the scroll wheel again, and it will bring up the "throttle-cut" screen. You'll see a bunch of little gauges (for lack of a better term) off to the left slightly and a word on the right that (should) just say "Inhibit". scroll again down to "inhibit" and click-in once that word is highlighted. once "inhibit" is selected, the box around it will start to blink / flash. While the box is flashing, pick a switch you want to program your throttle-cut, or throttle-inhibit to and move that switch. The "inhibit" previously mentioned will change to whatever you select. Once you pick the switch, the box will still be flashing, so click-in again on the scroll wheel again. You'll see a new throttle cut menu appear with position (with a percentage), switch (which should be the one you selected), and a little zero and 1 below that with one of the little numbers highlighted. The highlighted number is the same as the one on your radio that coordinate with the switch you assigned it to. For example, we'll say you wanted to use switch "A". So since switch "A" is a 2 position switch, when you look at the label next to the switch itself on the radio, theres a little 1 (up position) and a little zero (down position). When you look back at your throttle cut screen on your radio, whichever little number is highlighted there, is when throttle-cut will be active. the other number should have a blank background (not highlighted) - which means throttle-cut is off, ready to fly. One option I didn't mention yet is the delay option on the throttle-cut screen. To put it simply, I leave delay on "INH" or inhibit, because I only really use it when the airplanes are parked, or if I'm moving them to and from the field. However if you want it, theres a option once you roll down to it, and click in on it to add from 0.25 seconds, up to a 5.0 second delay. Side note too, for position, I believe the default percentage is about 130%. Some airplanes need more for when throttle cut is active, so that nothing can happen inadvertently. Then to get back out of your throttle-cut screen, make sure no boxes are flashing and hit the back button - which will return you to the previously mentioned function screen for dual-rates or other intriguing screens.
Adding on a high / low rate switch, is for what are known as dual rates. Some pilots use more rates (take-off, landing, 3D, etc...). But again, its available as long as you have a available switch to assign the rates too - Just like throttle-cut. I should also mention the size of your receiver does not need to change to add dual-rates or throttle cut. Its simply a transmitter change / setup for your airplane. MIXING control surfaces may be different, but thats another story...
Getting back on track, the dual rate screen is one tab up from the "throttle-cut" tab in the function list. so highlight "D/R and Expo", then click in on the scroll wheel. Now you should see a screen that looks kinda confusing, but its full of good information. You have the channel (control surface), curve (with little numbers), dual-rate, expo, and switch; Along with those little number boxes I mentioned earlier with throttle-cut at the very bottom right. And, there should be a graph of sorts on the left with a number inside of the graph for a "position" followed closely by another little number. The position number will change in accordance with the little numbers mentioned at the bottom right of the screen; you'll also see the "curve" line on the screen change.
Again, I have a DX8 G2, so for a example we'll say you want to add your dual-rates to switch "D". Thats a 3 position switch, so we'll setup low, middle, and high rates (or sometimes called just 3D rates). On the "D/R & Expo" screen, the scroll wheel should be highlighting "List" in the very top far right corner. So, scroll down to "channel" and click-in. my radio has "Aileron" showing up as a place to start. so here we go...Side note, I usually fly with about 30% expo on all surfaces, no matter the rate level.
Moving on with "aileron" selected, curve should still be at zero, we can scroll down to "Switch" and click in. Once that box is flashing, pick whatever switch you are most comfortable with. I'd highly recommend keeping it on the same side as your throttle so your hand doesn't come off of the stick for your elevator / ailerons (as long as you fly in Mode 2 with your radio). I sometimes use my thumb for my throttle to push switches, since the ones I use are on the face of the radio. Another thing is, I would recommend avoiding using a rate knob here too, unless its something your used to. With a definitive switch assigned for rates, you know without having to guess what each position is capable of or setup for. Rather than having to dial them in just right to fly from the rate knob.
With that said, once your switch is selected, click in again, and lets roll back up towards "Expo". Expo is for the exponential control, which changes how much movement of the sticks is required to get the airplane to do what we want it to do. For example, watch how fast some airplanes can do a linear-roll (level flight, just roll right or left a full 360 degrees). every airplane is different, just like us as pilots, we all have a different level of reflexes and skills. So its really up to you how soft you want your sticks to feel, the plane will still be just as capable to fly as simple or crazy as you want it to, regardless. Simply put - the higher the expo is, the more stick movement required, the less expo there is, the less stick movement needed to go to full deflection. And this is visible on the airplane just sitting still. If you want to try it, make sure your in a safe area and just watch the surfaces move with as you do. Bonus, if you are going to test the expo, your battery will have to be plugged-in, so its also a good time to make sure your throttle-cut is acting accordingly. Make sure your being careful! On your radio, as you change the expo too, the graph on the left of the screen, mentioned earlier, will start to shift slightly as you add in expo. Just click-in and start scrolling to whatever percentage you desire. As mentioned since we're working with a 3 position switch, I would start with switch "D" set at zero (just double check the switch position), and make sure thats whats highlighted in the little numbers at the very bottom of the screen too.
Once expo is set, lets click-in again so the box isn't flashing, and scroll up to "dual-rate"; click-in and the box will start to flash. With switch "D" set at position zero it should default with 100%. I don't really know why theres (2) 100% listed here, but theres always 2 for each surface that appear on the radio (at least in my experience). The 100% that is displayed for "dual-rate" is the amount of throw or deflection given for that control surface. So with the dual rate set up, click in again, and just make sure your not jamming your servos too far in either direction! They might start making a bunch of unhappy noises, really fast!
**Speaking of servos, having your servos properly centered is often the source of the problem. So you might want to unscrew the servo arm from the servo itself, and plug in the battery. after its done initiating itself for AS3X or SAFE or both, just reconnect them, and make sure everything still is lined up with your trim as it was from before you took the servo arm off. I'd guess with a BNF airplane they should be fine, but it is something to look out for - just to be safe. **
With 100% dual rate set at position zero for Switch "D", as long as we've already clicked out of the dual rate box (no longer flashing), lets scroll up to curve, and click in. Then scroll to curve "1". With that highlighted, click again, to stop the box from flashing and scroll back to dual rate, and click in. This is where dialing rates in really begins. However we know we want a middle rate, for the 3 position switch, and as we change the "curve" - those little numbers at the bottom of the screen will also change. As well as the graph and expo percentage. For this example we'll say we want 70% for our middle rate at curve "1". So since we already clicked in, all we have to do is scroll till we see (2) 70% for the "dual rates" box. Then click out, scroll back up to "curve", click in, and scroll to curve: "2". Then click-out, scroll back down to dual rates, and click-in. Remember though, expo for curve: "2" may be at zero, which will make the smallest stick movements cause ALOT of deflection for the airplane. So with dual rates for curve: "2", lets say we want 40% for our low rates. Lets make sure the box is not highlighted for the curve, and scroll down to dual rates again...We'll click in and scroll till we see (2) 40% for the dual rates box. Then click out, and scroll down to "expo". As previously mentioned the amount of expo you want here, is really up to you. Once you have a expo rate decided on, click-out, and scroll back to "channel". From there, once you click-in, scroll a little and you'll see a option to setup your elevator and rudder too, but the process is the same. once you have everything dialed in where you like, make sure the flashing box, isnt flashing, push the back button on your radio, and return to your main home / model screen for your radio. Give your rates a try on the ground, and go from there. There should be dual rate options listed in the AeroScout manual too if your not sure how much of a dual-rate or expo you want yet.
*****If you made it through everything I mentioned, Thank you. I realize that was a lot of information, but I hope it helped answer some of your questions. Happy flying!
