This may be useful Hawkeye....my setup includes 3 x Saitek quadrants with levers and buttons. I use 2 for engine management but any axis or pair of buttons can be used to achieve the same result. We use complex engine management to get the best out of our engines, if you don't use it then it is hard to keep up because if it's on auto management, the sim uses a safety margin so that the engine doesn't get damaged. This margin is enough to decrease the engine power to the point where you definitely aren't getting the best performance.
One of the best things about this sim is that you can assign multiple actions on the same axis/buttons. A good example is I have 'cowl flaps/water rads/oil rads' on the same lever. It helps because it cuts down on the number of axes/buttons needed and can be done because radial and inline engines generally don't share controls so there is no conflict.
Some of the actions I have assigned are rarely used, like the rpm limiter on the Spitfire, so they aren't essential whilst learning. All of the radiators, fuel mix, prop rpm are though.
Cheerzen