I need more analog inputs.

[moeburn]

I have a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and because I found a used one for $20 CAD, the features/price ratio is pretty sweet. A POV hat, a twist rudder, a throttle, and lots of buttons.

But I don't need lots of buttons, my keyboard can handle that. What I need is more dials or sliders like the throttle. It would make learning complex engine management much more intuitive than having to press a button for each incremental increase.

I'm sure there are expensive game controllers designed for flight simulators that feature these, but I'm looking for a very inexpensive option. Specifically, I once learned how to wire potentiometers to the serial port of my computer and program them using Visual Basic. Because my current computer doesn't have a serial port, I even have an RS232 serial to USB adapter built.

The only problem is that IL-2 only accepts game controller inputs, and I have no idea how to program a driver for one. Has anyone else been down this road before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.