[FAE_Cazador]

Sorry, but I would like to have some points clarified or summarized from this interesting thread (thanks to Blackdog for the nice explanation). I talk about present IL-2 stock planes, unmodded . Maybe someone can kindly confirm my thoughts:

1.- Now in IL-2, we can fly Bf-109/Fw-190 in "AUTO" mode. Then you can forget your prop pitch as you just select your throttle and the "Kontrol Gerät" take care of changing the pitch accordingly. It optimizes your RPM to the optimal value and also avoids to overrev your engine. So it is not a pure "Constant Propeller" as you do not really set a specific RPM value but a throttle position (which in fact sets a manifold pressure in Ata). Am I right? . Same behaviour applies to Spits/Mustangs.

2.-If you fly the same Bf-109/Fw-90 in "MANUAL" mode, you can do the same, but manually, continuously visually monitoring RPM value and changing accordingly the prop pitch by hand. But in this case the optimal RPM value to reach is unknown for us, common virtual pilots. Probably a real pilot will know this value from their training season or books. IMHO, a good value could be setup about 3000 RPM. Is it OK?

3.- It is supposed that you don't get any advantage now by flying in "Manual", instead of in "Auto". However, years ago people complained on line about cheating by flying Bf/Fw planes in Manual, getting more power than expected specially when climbing. This was supposedly fixed in a IL-2 patch. Is it OK?

4.- Russian planes fly like Fw/Bf in Manual mode but, curiously, in german planes you can easily break your engine if you don't take care of your RPM, while in Yak/La/Migs you can't. You can fly Yaks at 100% throttle, forgetting pitch, even when diving or climbing (overheat is a different issue). Maybe you can lose performance in your engine, but you don't really feel it too much, and of course you never break it out as quickly as flying Bf/Fw. Is this a bug of IL-2 or it was really so in real life?

5.- Finally, then in IL-2 we do not have pure "Constant Propeller" planes but planes with "Variable Pitch Propeller" . And of course, some older "Fixed Pitch" wooden propeller planes. Am I right?

Sorry for my English level, I hope you got my point.

BR