Same problem as you. Google the x52 magnet mod, and use the same magnets he uses in the video / forum. The stock magnets arent strong enough to cover the deadzone you are talking about. Also get silicon lube, and put that on the metal shaft. This all will solve your problems as it did mine. I went nuts over figuring out why it felt like there was a deadzone. With the magnet mod, (I used double or triple the amount of new magnets) after manually calibrating it it is good for everything like refuelling in turns and stuff. Whenever the stick sticks use silicon lube nothing else. That will also make it hard to control. Either buy it or open up the base and grab some that collects at the bottom.
Ps you feel it in bms because the real 16 has certain curves that btw change depending on what the plane is doing. The range very close to the center has a lower gain than everywhere else, after moving away from the center. That is what is engineered into the real flcs and is copypasted into bms. The articles on this website show the graphs of those curves. With the stock x52 you basically are dealing with 2 deadzones at the same time.
Thanks for you reply.
However if i feel no deadzones whatsoever in other games how could it possible be the joystick which is at fault?
I guess it does not really matter since just a few days ago i got my Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog which works like a charm