bird without feathers

[pedalracer]

Dear group


I hope I may write and ask here for initial and may be later more detailed helped if my flying experience continues.

I just received my first Il2 product yesterday. Namely, Cliffs of Dover.
Well, I was and am still a bit frustrated cause there was no printed handbook or whatever in my box than the DVD and serial.

So, I am a bird without feathers.



First,
can you give me some reading points where to start learning fast?
Any tutorials or videos available for beginners?
I am 37 years and yes I started playing PC and flight 'sims' with something around 11y....
Ace of Aces and all those stuff over Wings and Falcon and ....

But as I grew older games lost their fascination - except SilentHunterIII - ... I bought Wings of Prey and got bored after 15 min...

Then I thought, ok let's see what it is all about IL2.


So, here I am.

Still no good stick setup etc. So, that is were I should begin.
First: Does anybody here share with me a nice control.ini for a Thrustmaster FLightstsick X?
Yes, no Hotas, since that is to expensive at the moment and my old Saitek is flawed.

Second, is there a nice place to start reading and learning as a beginner as I am?


PS:
My mother tongue is German, so please forgive my valley English and writing errors.
PSS:
I got from a racing game some pedals. Is there a chance I could use them with a 'generic' or modded driver with COD? It's a Logitech WingMan Formula Force GP.