CV-240 VBF "Proplems" in FSX:SE

[HoggyDog]

In FSX:SE, I'm flying the CC/VBF Convair 240 from cv240vbfca18_basepack_010.zip, with Ethiopian Air Lines livery from cv240vbfca18_eth_et-t-22_01.zip, using the KMCC panel from cv-240_ca18.zip. I'm having three issues:

1. The dreaded "nasty prop disc" that gets hidden by clouds in the background 30 miles away. The Ethiopian Air Lines livery didn't come with a replacement blurry prop texture for FSX, and I can't find one for a 3-bladed prop with yellow tips. I rummaged through the FSX_Propdisks folder in the lockheed749.zip Constellation, but there is only a plain gray one and a couple of red/blue-tipped ones. Anybody know where a 3-bladed gray-with-yellow-tips replacement prop disc for FSX might be hiding?

2. I have not found any way to control prop RPM. Instead of the usual prop controls on stalks, there are two little black knobs in the center of the throttle quadrant labeled "prop switch" but clicking them has no effect on RPM- it just makes a clicketty-clack sound and a light turns on, indicating... that my popcorn is done? In other words, I have no idea what the light means, or what those strange black switches are supposed to be doing. Not only are there no prop stalks/levers as one would expect in any constant-speed prop aircraft, but RPM varies directly with throttle/manifold pressure, indicating that the constant-speed prop governors aren't working. Also, the usual FSX keyboard prop controls have no effect at all- hitting Ctrl+F2 to reduce RPM does absolutely nothing, and same for Ctrl+F3 to increase RPM. Can someone please point me in some direction that will result in gaining control over my RPM?

3. I can't tune any of the radios. The ATC window "auto-tunes" Com1 for me as required, but I can't tune the Nav radios at all. I've tried mouse-wheeling up and down on both the knobs and the frequency windows, right- left- and middle-clicking knobs and windows... nothing works.

Just to show why I need yellow tipped props, here is my current trip- FL210 halfway between Cairo and Jeddah:


Thanks in advance for any help taming this magnificent airplane!