Dogfight techniques : tutorial video

[banned]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Most of the people i know find it natural (including myself), but i've heard of a lot getting motion sickness when using it or getting confused with relative/absolute positioning in the sideways and zoom axis.

To tell you the truth, first time i tried it i also found it difficult and strange, but i got used to it quite fast.

Same here Blackdog. I've used it for years now and I couldn't do without it. No motion sickness at all and no loss of relative position.

[kestrel79]

Great video. I need to use my rudder more.

[jf1981]

I'm learning more regarding 109, a really tricky airplane to deal with.
It'll be the subject of next one.

[Sutts]

Originally Posted by smurf-oly

Your new dogfight tutorial is much appreciated. Your focus on rudder and sideslip was a revelation... I also found that same focus to be very illuminating in your other video: Aircraft Aerodynamics.

Thanks for the effort and I definitely hope you create "IL-2 Cliffs of Dover Dogfight Part 2"... and 3.. and more!

Just an interesting and quite surprising note from the MkII Spit manual with regard to the use of rudder:

"Feet may be taken off the rudder controls to save fatigue, as its use is only necessary when taking-off, landing, flying at low speed or aerobatics. Even aerobatics, such as rolls, can be done with feet clear of the rudder control, but rudder would be needed for recovery of the manoevre were badly done."

Does anyone else find this surprising? I always thought that using the rudder to keep the ball centered in turns was an essential part of efficient flying and an automatic habit with seasoned pilots. Is it possible that the spit kept itself perfectly aligned in turns without use of the rudder?

On a side note, I've recently read "Gun Button To Fire" - an account by Tom Neil who flew Hurricane Is through the BoB. He refers to having to use full rudder in power climbs and dives and laments the failure of the designers to include rudder trim as it was quite tiring on the legs. We don't see the need for this kind of rudder input in the sim.

[CaptainDoggles]

Originally Posted by Sutts

Does anyone else find this surprising? I always thought that using the rudder to keep the ball centered in turns was an essential part of efficient flying and an automatic habit with seasoned pilots.

You are correct.

Is it possible that the spit kept itself perfectly aligned in turns without use of the rudder?

No, it is not possible.

[rga]

Originally Posted by CaptainDoggles

No, it is not possible.

Eh! Correct me if I'm wrong but IMO rudder is to fight against adverse yaw when entering or exiting the turn. In the turn itself, rudder is not needed.

[GOA_Potenz]

Originally Posted by Sutts

Just an interesting and quite surprising note from the MkII Spit manual with regard to the use of rudder:

"Feet may be taken off the rudder controls to save fatigue, as its use is only necessary when taking-off, landing, flying at low speed or aerobatics. Even aerobatics, such as rolls, can be done with feet clear of the rudder control, but rudder would be needed for recovery of the manoevre were badly done."

Does anyone else find this surprising? I always thought that using the rudder to keep the ball centered in turns was an essential part of efficient flying and an automatic habit with seasoned pilots. Is it possible that the spit kept itself perfectly aligned in turns without use of the rudder?

On a side note, I've recently read "Gun Button To Fire" - an account by Tom Neil who flew Hurricane Is through the BoB. He refers to having to use full rudder in power climbs and dives and laments the failure of the designers to include rudder trim as it was quite tiring on the legs. We don't see the need for this kind of rudder input in the sim.

well i fly with a quite full set up, hotas, pedals and quadrant and can say that without felling the g's and inertia like in real life have the feets on the pedal for quite long is quite tiring

[CaptainDoggles]

Originally Posted by rga

In the turn itself, rudder is not needed.

You need the rudder to keep the longitudinal axis of the aircraft aligned with the arc of the turn, otherwise you'll skid. If your aircraft incorporates a significant amount of dihedral, there will be a net righting moment about the fuselage, meaning continued aileron input will be required to hold the turn. While it's true that things like Frise ailerons can counteract adverse yaw, there's also prop wash and P-factor to consider, both of which virtually guarantee that no conventional propeller aircraft can be "perfectly coordinated" in a turn without active use of a rudder.

[jf1981]

The below does'nt apply 100% to 109 which lacks, to my knowledge, rudder trim.

Originally Posted by Sutts

"Feet may be taken off the rudder controls to save fatigue, as its use is only necessary when taking-off, landing, flying at low speed or aerobatics. Even aerobatics, such as rolls, can be done with feet clear of the rudder control, but rudder would be needed for recovery of the manoevre were badly done."

Does anyone else find this surprising? I always thought that using the rudder to keep the ball centered in turns was an essential part of efficient flying and an automatic habit with seasoned pilots. Is it possible that the spit kept itself perfectly aligned in turns without use of the rudder?

I guess it's all in the question, rudder may be necessary during take off, landing & aerobatics.
On some other occasions too, it may be usefull, but can be released most of the time, in general.

Further, you can trim the rudder for long level flights if you want.

Just another trick, you'll notice than triming the rudder up to neutral slip often adds to roll unbalance in level flights, hence a way to "trim the aicraft" in the logitudinal axis, on roll, you can adjust rpm setting to do so. That's to say reducing the rpm at constant power tends to add torque, add left roll effect, and vice & versa. In practice, the aircraft wants to roll right most of the time in level flight, especially if you use rudder trim. In that case, just reduce rpm until the effect finds its full counterpart. "+ power - rpm => left roll / - power + rpm => right roll"

And another thing, a pilot said in a recent video that in a combat area, he always flew with the aircraft with some slip e.g. rudder trim, on purpose away from neutral, hence in a constant slip of just a few degrees, hence, any surprise attack he'd receive would result in shots passing by as the opponent fires at apparent direction.

I did'nt try it too much but has to work fine.

[Sutts]

Thanks CaptainDoggles and jf1981, good stuff.