Can I use an Xbox 360 controller for Il-2 Sturmovik 1946?
IL-2 Sturmovik has support for Windows joysticks, and the Xbox 360 controller is a supported Windows joystick, it is recognized by the game and works fine. Do note that Xbox 360 wireless controllers require a special adapter for PC use, which Microsoft doesn't sell separately anymore. I tested with my wired Xbox 360 controller.
I had some trouble controlling my plane with it, but that's more than likely just the fact that the game is complex and I'm very inexperienced.
One thing I did note was that I couldn't use both triggers (LT/RT) at the same time for different purposes - they're considered two halves of the same joystick axis by Windows, so essentially when you pull one, you're pulling down on that joystick, and when you pull the other, you're pulling up.
For example, I tried binding the trigger to my throttle. When I pulled the right trigger, my throttle increased, and when I pulled the left it decreased. By default it hovered around 50%.