the planesesytems sometimes work very different in the CoD planes - even to the controler inputs (mixture as a example).
I would advice to use a mission with groundstart (IIRC there is one as default ?!) and check how the systems are working.
Like, how do the flaps behave, are the systems working only with running engine and so on. AND, wright it down, wright your own pilot handbook for every plane.
Thats the best advice i can make - the official documentation leaves you almost alone in this.
Get familiar with the plane. With full complexitiy enabled CoD is no "hop in and fly" Sim.
Just to stay away from too much frustration (it took me 4 hours the first day of european release
) , leave "antropomorph" OFF and check the settings that you can switch planepositions.