IL2 Birds of Prey: Hints, Tips, and FAQ's Thread

[David603]

Originally Posted by SleepTrgt

I have a small question, in the Tiger Hunt mission the FW190 seem a bit faster then P-51, what am i doin wrong?

That should really be the other way round, the P51 is about 15mph faster at low level, but the P51 does not accelerate as well as the Fw190A so it may be that neither of you are reaching your respective top speeds, and all you are seeing is the Fw190As superior acceleration.

[SleepTrgt]

Originally Posted by David603

That should really be the other way round, the P51 is about 15mph faster at low level, but the P51 does not accelerate as well as the Fw190A so it may be that neither of you are reaching your respective top speeds, and all you are seeing is the Fw190As superior acceleration.

That could be it, mostly in climbs i catch up to them then they dive and turn a bit and i lose distance.

Lately i just keep following one, and the chase just keeps goin for alot of minutes. But hes just out of range for my guns hehe.

[H Lecter]

Originally Posted by SleepTrgt

Edit: I just have to complain for a sec, I hate trim so much...

I wish the trim button was easier to reach on the AV8R stick.

Can someone confirm that you have to correct the trim every time you change direction? At least it seems like that to me.

It's a bit annoying, but as long as it is like the real thing I decided to enjoy the accuracy of the simulation

[David603]

The plane shifts trim every time you change speed or angle of climb, so there isn't much point trying to trim an aircraft in a dogfight. Trim is really about letting you maintain a constant cruise flight path without excessive control input, because the only time trim changes a great deal in combat is when you change speed substantianly.

[H Lecter]

Originally Posted by David603

I don't think you have to change trim every time you change direction, it is more a case of using the trim to allow you to fly straight and level without control input. So it isn't really much use in dogfighting, where you are constantly changing speed and direction, but if you are cruising then it means you don't have to be moving the controls all the time to stay on course.

I don't use it during dogfights - too busy for that

But what I mean is e.g. at the end of the Dover mission. I head for the airfield and correct the trim (which is a nightmare with the deadzone). Then I circle around to get the right approach and when I'm lined up with the airfield it appears to me as if the plane is out of trim (if this is the correct term, I'm not a native speaker).

[David603]

Originally Posted by H Lecter

I don't use it during dogfights - too busy for that

But what I mean is e.g. at the end of the Dover mission. I head for the airfield and correct the trim (which is a nightmare with the deadzone). Then I circle around to get the right approach and when I'm lined up with the airfield it appears to me as if the plane is out of trim (if this is the correct term, I'm not a native speaker).

You speak very good English, I didn't realise it was not your native language.

Back to the subject of trim, lowering the flaps and undercarraige will have a major effect on the planes trim, and so will slowing down as you approach the runway itself. Therefore trimming is not really effective when landing, and you will need to be making constant adjustments to the controls as you come in to land.

[H Lecter]

Originally Posted by David603

You speak very good English, I didn't realise it was not your native language.

Back to the subject of trim, lowering the flaps and undercarraige will have a major effect on the planes trim, and so will slowing down as you approach the runway itself. Therefore trimming is not really effective when landing, and you will need to be making constant adjustments to the controls as you come in to land.

Thanks for both - the compliment and the advice!

[David603]

Just to list a couple of things that affect changing trim as you land,

Speed: As you slow down, the planes trim shifts forward, making the plane nose heavy.

Power: The prop on a Merlin powered plane such as the Mustang or Spitfire rotates to the right, which makes the plane rotate slightly to the left. As you throttle down the amount of rotation to the left reduces, so if the plane is trimmed to fly straight at full throttle it will start rotating right as the power is reduced.

Flaps: The flaps increase the amount of lift generated by the main wings, pushing the nose up.

Undercarriage: When the undercarriage is lowered the drag generated in its position pulls the nose down. The effects from the flaps and undercarriage will largely but not completely cancel each other out.

As you can see, setting up the planes trim before starting your landing approach isn't much good

[H Lecter]

Originally Posted by David603

As you can see, setting up the planes trim before starting your landing approach isn't much good

During most of my landings I wouldn't have time to readjust the trim after lowering the gears which is about 10 seconds before touchdown or shiny explosion. I'm still proud each time I bring her down in one piece and manage to stop on the airfield (wish we had a brake button on the AV8R...)

[David603]

Originally Posted by H Lecter

During most of my landings I wouldn't have time to readjust the trim after lowering the gears which is about 10 seconds before touchdown or shiny explosion. I'm still proud each time I bring her down in one piece and manage to stop on the airfield (wish we had a brake button on the AV8R...)

I put the gear down as I start to line up the runway, and I try to touch down at the end of the runway instead of further down, coming in a slow as the plane can possibly stay in the air. Sometimes slower.........