The X52 is known to go"wacky".
You can check this by going to the in game "controllers" section on the clipboard. Click "map controllers". You will see all the axises and buttons. IF the numbers next to the axises are fluctuating you need to run the script.
In game your auto pilot will pop off or one axis will be wacked out causing you to roll and hold oppisite controll...etc
Setting dead bands, dampening and scaling will only make your stick less responsive. So use the script instead. It works. I have been using it for months.
I run it every time before I log on. And I check a few time a night to see if the controller is wacky again. If so I log and run the script. Log back on and its fixed.
I don't recalibrate after running the script. Sometime this makes the stick go wacky again. As long as the numbers are stable your good to go and don't need to recalibrate. I have found that recalibrating often seems to limit how hard I can turn because it sets the max axis number too low. Just run the script and fly.
The x52 has magnetic pots. Somehow your computer gets out of whack with what it thinks is center on the stick. By running the script it is re setting the registry setting to say what is "0" for each pot.
You must unlplug the x52 before running the script or it wont work. You don't have to reboot. Just plug the x52 back in and re log.
Link to X52 recalibration script
http://www.saitekusa.com/USA/supp/recalibration.htm