Beginner question
 

So now that I got the game to work it's time to start out. However, I don't have much experience with flight sims and I'm still having trouble with some things.

One of these things is that, although I turned off options like torque and wind, they still seem to be there when I play... now it isn't that much of a problem for me, but it's difficult to keep my plane straight, when flying to my objective. Any tips on how to cope with this? (I know I could use autopilot, but using autopilot all the time makes the game boring IMO)

Rudder trim is the key to combating engine torque. Use rudder (and elevator) trim until the bar or slip indicator are centered.

Note that a few aircraft series like the FW190 and Bf109 do not have rudder trim. Those planes should fly straight at their cruising speeds... around 300kph or 330kph.

Do you have a joystick? If you're using arrow keys, you will definitely have a hard time flying straight and level for very long. If you do have a stick, make sure to just make small corrections. Change the input curves if you have to.

I've been practicing a little bit with the trims, and using elevator trim is going quite good now. Rudder trim needs some more practicing, because I constantly "over-trim", and then have to trim the other way etc.

But what is causing the plane not to fly straight? Is it the torque and gyro effects? Or is it the wind?

Yes, I bought a joystick especially for this game. I already have the game for over a year or so, but couldn't really play well with keyboard (nor with my joypad, for that matter).

It's hard for us to know exactly what you mean by this, that's why I was asking my question earlier...

Could you maybe post a track or video of what's going on? If you turned off torque, I don't see why it should be a factor.

I've recorded a short flight:

http://www.4shared.com/file/NX7T1i8e/test.html

This time at the take-off I didn't have to countersteer much, but when I was in the air and I relessed my stick at around 1:40 my the plane started to steer right.

By the way, I have torque and wind off, when turned on it's much more severe. So it seems turning those options off doesn't really turn it off, it's just reduces the effects (wich is all ok to me, I just want to learn how to counter this ;) )

I think when 4.01m introduced the new FM system it went from "torque off" to "torque lessened".

To be honest... just turn it on so you don't learn bad habits later.

Generally speaking yes the plane is going to climb and dive slightly or move to the left or right slightly because of engine torque. Using elevator and rudder trim will help lessen those two "problems" to keep the plane flying smoothly.

It's never a case of setting it and being done either. You're always adjusting depending on the speed of the aircraft. Sometimes I even anticipate it... in fact I sometimes don't need to look at the gauges anymore either but that's too many years of playing this simulator :)

Trust me... work on small adjustments with the elevator trim and rudder trim and things will start to work out nicely. You'll have to learn a slightly different technique (of how much to apply) depending on the aircraft but you'll get it.

Don't know if it's because of the patch, had it in 4.07 too ;)

But the trimming; Should I first trim the elevator or rudder? Or is that a matter of personal preference?

And when I'll engage enemy targets (be it planes or ground targets) should I set everything on neutral again?

I did say 4.01m... That was when we got a totally new FM system. Years ago now. Prior to that the FM was less complicated.

It's probably propwash which is stronger than torque. Even with the engine off you get propwash effects since the plane design includes propwash and will push the other way in the absence of it.

Proper control to deal with propwash is rudder only.

Sorry, my bad. I read 4.10 :oops:

Don't know what propwash is, but I'll look it up :)


By the way, isn't there some (beginners) guide to properly flying in IL-2? (The ones I found were more about combat).

There is flying advice scattered all over, for IL-2 and most real pilot training you will find applies too.

You would do well to find the Joint-Ops group and get into their online training course. There might be a line at the door/waiting queue.

http://www.joint-ops.com/