turned on a hardcore/turn off visual flight aids thingie to force myself to look at the guages in the cockpit and deal w/ real time..... but have forgotten how to go back as needed. help.....thx

I think you're after either Shift-F6 (show HUD) or Shift-T (TAC on/off), or Z (TAC Information).

There's a key guide in your x:\OBDSoftware\WOTR\OBDWW2 Wings Over The Reich\documentation\WOTR-KEYGUIDE.pdf

and "HUD Display" is where you set hardcore setting in workshop - that removes lots of info from the blue text in shift+F6