Need your opinion about IL2 planes

[OverDhill]

Hey guys I am getting my system ready to do some learning about flying. I know some basics but since I am now retired I want to spend some time on this.

So which plane in IL2 would you say was the easiest for a beginner yet also is fun to fly? I was thinking about the P51 or Spitfire. What would you recommend? By the way I have IL2: 1946 patched up and slightly modded.

I recently purchased a X-52 Pro set but had to return it because it kept losing the calibration in the middle of a game. Tried a couple different powered hubs as well as straight into my Sabertooth motherboard. So I am waiting on some other ones.

In the mean time I am playing around with UDP Speed and other stuff as well as trying to get familiar with the cockpit.


Thanks for any advice

OverDhill

[CWMV]

Flight wise-cant beat the 109 for ease of flying.
P-51 has a very big learning curve, the spit is a bit more forgiving.
When most of the fighters in game stall its violent, throws the aircraft around and can put you on your back. With the 109, the nose drops. That's about it.

Also you might consider the Zero.
In fact, you should look into Joint Ops. Id recommend it for any new IL2 pilots.
http://www.joint-ops.com/php2/index.php
If you have the time they have great teachers that will guide you through most of what you need to know.

[IceFire]

CWMV has some good recommendations. The Mustang is not a beginners plane anywhere. It's a top performer to be sure but that comes with some prices and that makes it less forgiving.

The Spitfire is definitely easier but the Bf109 in many models (especially the F and early G series) are by far the highest performing aircraft in IL-2 while simultaneously being fairly easy to fly.

I'd add two more aircraft to the list of fairly easy to get started but requiring some serious work to master. The F4F Wildcat (also the FM-2 which is a later model) and the Hurricane. Both have fairly benign stalls but they are serious enough to teach you what not to do. They are both slower meaning you'll have to learn how to keep your speed but they aren't so slow as to be boring.

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

La-5FN/La-7, Ki-84, Ki-43 for pure beginners.

If I would take someone by the hand I would give him a P-40. Easy enough not to fall out of the sky, strong enough to get fight results, still hard enough to be able to learn through it. (quite similar to F4F, but sexier)

EDIT: @OverDhill ... do you ask primarly because you want to learn flying ... or fighting?

[pupo162]

if you want to fight, probably the 109. there is ALWAYS a server who has 109s available. Its very capable of turnfighting and energy fighting. hard to stall, easy to recover, good armament, but not too strong, so you actually have to learn how to shoot.

if you want to fly fly, then you cna preatty much pick your favorite plane. Just make sure you find a decent teatcher. JOINT-OPS, is a good idea if you have the time.

good luck!

[fruitbat]

imo a Bf109 F4 on the eastern front, is the best plane to learn in.

Centreline cannon which is very effective, and will teach you to shoot properly.

Very forgiving handling in flight as well as take off and landing, and general superiority in flight against all your opponents of the time, in climb, speed and turn (at least against the ai)

flying an early/mid 1942 DGEN campaign in a F4 is a exercise in destroying the VVS all by yourself.......

I personally would stay away from the zero, purely because you can do stuff in that plane that you can't get away with in others, and it may teach bad habits for other plane imo.

[OverDhill]

Thanks for the replies

Well I guess it sounds like the 109 is the place to start. And yes I want to learn how to fight as well as fly. I have to pick out some rudder pedals. I have heard some people start out using the twist stick but then later get pedals and have a hard time adjusting.

Any suggestions on some good sturdy ones? The CH Product ones look good but I think they are too close together for my taste.

[CWMV]

I have the CH pedals and they arent that bad. Ive been banging on them for a few years now and they still work very well. I would definetly recomend them.

You may also want to get Track IR. Its the most important piece of gear you can get.

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/products/trackir5/

[fruitbat]

I could just about go back to flying with a twist stick if i had to, while i waited for a new set of rudder pedals. I wouldn't bother flying again until i got a new track ir if mine broke.

For pedals, i prefer Saiteks, purely because its a wider stance, but there both good products.

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/pedals.html

[fruitbat]

If I would take someone by the hand I would give him a P-40. Easy enough not to fall out of the sky, strong enough to get fight results, still hard enough to be able to learn through it. (quite similar to F4F, but sexier)


Burn the heretic, Wildcats are sexy, and they can land on carriers!;)

[OverDhill]

I do have a Trackir and it works great. I agree one of the best addons you can buy and was one of the reason I decided to get back into flying (I flew some with my Amiga 2000 back in the day).

I just built a new system with:

Intel Core i7-3770K Quad-Core Processor 3.5 GHz
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SUPERCLOCKED 2048MB
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

I also have a second PC networked for Helios (my old game machine with a E6750 and 560TI card) with a Samsung ELO 24" touchscreen.

I am working on a Helios and UDP Speed skin right now while I wait for my new HOTAS. I find having the controls at your fingertip makes the game easier to learn and use.

Last I am running the new system into a Samsung 39" HDTV (low latency model). So IL2 with some mods looks pretty sweet. I used the PVC pipe method and built a dedicated virtual cockpit area to mount the touchscreen and HOTAS stand.

Here is an early picture taken flying Falcon BMS and its Helios skin I am working on.

OverDhill

[fruitbat]

@OverDHill, check pm's.

[MaxGunz]

Just to fly? Try a Yak-1 or Hurricane 1. A pilot with less hours in type could do better in either than in a 109.

The more advanced, powerful and fast the fighter, the more the real rookies had to train to get it right.

A great site to learn about flying is "See How It Flies". Check the author's credentials while you're there.

[BadAim]

Looks like your serious! My nocturnal flying friend will have some good tips for you.

The 109 is also one of my favorites. I'd give the nod to the Hurrie or the F4F as good training planes also. I'm going to agree with fruity on the Zero, even though I love it!

Have fun above all.

[fruitbat]

Just to fly? Try a Yak-1 or Hurricane 1. A pilot with less hours in type could do better in either than in a 109.



irl yes, in game no. Yak has a nasty handling on landing, and constant aileron correction due to torque and combat power, and the Hurri has quite a nasty stall/spin in game, whilst the 109 is benign in every way really.

[KG26_Alpha]

I dunno about 109 being the "easiest", keeping the ball centred requires constant rudder input.

The Migs and Yaks Hurris are simple to get on with and all P series aircraft fly straight and require little correction to trim, managing the P-51 is easy with 25% or less fuel.

P40 is a ace maker and nice to learn to fly in .

[gaunt1]

I'd recommend the He-111 first. Its the easiest aircraft to fly, and its great for practicing takeoff and landing. Amongst fighters, La5/7 is also great for beginners.

[KG26_Alpha]

I'd recommend the He-111 first. Its the easiest aircraft to fly, .

Touch a nerve did I :)

[OverDhill]

Well here is the first draft of my touchscreen setup for IL-2. It is using UDP Speed for the gauges and Helios for the controls.

[MaxGunz]

irl yes, in game no. Yak has a nasty handling on landing, and constant aileron correction due to torque and combat power, and the Hurri has quite a nasty stall/spin in game, whilst the 109 is benign in every way really.

That's because you shouldn't be using ailerons to keep your wings level at takeoff or landing speed. You should be using your rudder to stay level.

The reason the plane wants to roll is the change in propwash from change in power and speed along with nose-high pitch putting the tail deeper into the wash.
Rudder Away From The Wing That Drops. It only takes a little, honest.

You didn't have to do that in for instance EAW. I remember showing a long time pilot friend and he was like "what???". After a while I got to learn that side-stick at such close to stall speeds is an IRL formula to crash.

WHY? Because when you use your ailerons you are increasing the AOA on the wing you want to lift and decreasing it on the wing you want to drop. Close to stall is having BOTH wings close to stall AOA so what's going to happen when a wing is going down and you increase the AOA of that wing? Answer, even if you don't stall that wing right then the drag on it increases even as the drag on the other decreases. That slows the wing you wanted to lift, yaws your plane (you might even notice but apparently be puzzled) into slip and as you horse on more side-stick stalls the wing.

Hmmm. You can fly a stall if you keep from slipping/skidding/crabbing/wtf-you-want-to-call-it-when-the-nose-isn't-pointing-where-you're-going but the formula is Stall + Slip = Spin which is just what you get using side stick to stay upright near stall.

Yak-1 is beautifully light and easy to fly as is the Hurricane if you fly them right.

OverDHill; are you trying to learn about flying for real or to game better?

[OverDhill]

Just in it for a game... to have some fun that's all....

[OverDhill]

By the way is there any MODS worth dropping on top of the HSFX package to improve the graphics or sound even more (and still be online compatible). I am pleasantly surprised at how much great work is being done to support this game and grateful to all those that have contributed their efforts.

OverDhill

[CWMV]

Its a good starting point, but it has several incompatibilities though.
Try adding UV3 for sounds, as to other mods they really are subjective.
Here is the be all, end all source for IL2 mods. Have fun.
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php

Im really waiting for this one...
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,28639.0.html
http://japancat.blog.ocn.ne.jp/photos/uncategorized/2013/01/12/ws539.jpg

[K_Freddie]

I'd say start with the IL2 itself - It's very docile on takeoff/landing and nice to do some ground bashing with, and it's a killer if some axis plane is fool enough to get in front of you.
Plus it give's one an idea of what the Eastern front air battles were all about
;)

[Bearcat]

I'd say hit the Nugget's Guide in my sig .. but based on what I have seen from your posts here you may just need to get acquainted with WWII birds.. so I can second everything said in this post and I would consider just picking a plane you like. You seem to be an experienced simmer to some extent not a total noob to simming... so I'd say got for it.

[OverDhill]

Bearcat nice nugget thread. I will definitely use it to help setup my HOTAS once I get it. It is also good to know which key binds are essential. Thanks

I downloaded and installed HyperLobby just to get it ready (not that I am) and I don't have a Forgotten Battles selection but I do have a IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 one. Am I missing something? I installed from a IL2 1946 purchased disk which says it has all of them included.

Also you mention the Dive Brakes in the nugget. Don't see them listed and thought maybe that was referring to the Air Brake?

OverDhill

[OverDhill]

My latest Helios screen

[OverDhill]

Ok guys... I decided to get a Saitek X-45 HOTAS set off Ebay. They arrived today and are in excellent condition. So far I don't seem to have the huge deadzone issue that I and others saw with the X-52 Pro. They will be great for now

I would like some recommendations as to how you have your HOTAS controls setup for IL-2

I have two eight way hats on the stick and a four way on the throttle. Also the mouse thingie with button on the throttle. Six buttons on the stick and two on the throttle. Also there is a AUX slider switch on the throttle. Last there is two rotary pots on the throttle and of coarse 3 mode settings. I prefer not to have to use the mode setting and try and figure out what is what. The touchscreen will handle a lot of the less common or needed functions.

So what functions do I need at my finger tip besided the obvious like fire.

OverDhill

[OverDhill]

I have a question. I created a quick mission with a couple of wing men and a couple of enemy planes. Why are my wing men talking in Russian?

I am using the HSFX MOD with the Tiger_33 Ultimate Sound MOD V3 for STD mode.

Is there a way to get them to talk in english?

OverDhill

[KG26_Alpha]

Navigate to your installation ie: C:\IL2 1946 \samples\Speech\

Copy the contents of the GB folder (actor1-9) and paste into the country folder you want to convert to English speech.

Make back up's of the original foreign actors folders if you so desire.

[MaxGunz]

My X-52 never needed any deadzone except maybe on the twisty-rudder since that doesn't always want to center. Some day I might get pedals and lock the twist or use it for something else. But it's not a Pro, just an X-52 I got on sale years ago.

Is the X-45 the one with the rocker-rudder?

OverDHill, check around for old threads on home-built sticks. Most use a Bodnar board for 12-bit (maybe more by now) precision and some, well just try and buy something so good -- a frame with seat, pedals and full length stick made out of a car universal joint (2 I know of used Volvo U-joint).

[OverDhill]

Navigate to your installation ie: C:\IL2 1946 \samples\Speech\

Copy the contents of the GB folder (actor1-9) and paste into the country folder you want to convert to English speech.

Make back up's of the original foreign actors folders if you so desire.

Thanks that worked great. Actually I used the US ones