BF 109 flaps repeatedly lower during flight - is my flying horrible?

[ufalcon]

It somehow took me a good 9 mission into a German campaign to notice that the flaps on my BF109 frequently lower on their own (???) during flight.

After taking off, I lift gear and immediately raise my flaps. As suggested in another thread, I'm not attempting to use combat flaps during flight - in fact I'm pretty n00b and don't touch them at all until landing. Despite all this, every few minutes I start hearing the warning beeps and start getting chop on my force feedback due to the flaps coming down.

It seems like it might be during more strenuous rolls and dives that it occurs, maybe my flying is just terrible? Of course this really sucks because constantly raising the flaps back up on a BF109 will cause them to jam after a while.


btw, I think this is my first post here, but the IL2 community has been an amazing resource! Over the last few months I've found so many excellent guides and tips. You guys rock!!

[AndyJWest]

That is a strange one. I don't think it can be due to anything other than a controller/keyboard issue. If you have the flaps controls mapped to the keyboard, as default, I'd try using another key for 'Flaps down' - if this cures it, you probably have a faulty keyboard. Or have you mapped the flaps to a Hotas controller (deliberately, or accidentally?) - check this too.

[ufalcon]

I'll double check HOTAS and keyboard settings - maybe something did get cludged.

[Romanator21]

Don't worry about using "combat flaps" in combat. The name is misleading (I wish Oleg went with "flaps position 1").

If you're forced to use them in a fight, you did something wrong.

[_1SMV_Gitano]

It could be that you noticed the movement of automatic radiator flaps. They are placed in the inner part of the wing. Try a QMB mission and just rise and cut engine power in external view.

[MaxGunz]

I had uncommanded flaps once and when I checked Controls they were mapped to the slider I use for prop pitch. My goof!