AI turns with full rudder

[jcenzano]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

This has been similar back in IL2 as well, but in all honesty it's not that uncommon when flying in formation (i remember years ago someone posting a wartime training video from a USAF flight school which emphasized the use of rudder for formation flying).

I think that it's a case of sacrificing some aerodynamic efficiency in exchange for keeping wings in a more level attitude to maintain visual contact, instead of banking in a sharper angle and losing sight of half the formation under the lifted wing.

it is true that rudder is quite used in formation flying, but mainly by wingmen to make small adjustments of the position.

Lead A/C must fly a full coordinated turn, with neither slip nor skid, in other words, the ball must be centered. And AI leading A/C turns are far off from being coordinated turns.

i don´t have so much experience flying small propeller A/C, where more rudder input is required for a coordinated turn. But I can guarantee you guys that in jets the leading A/C does not use the rudder at all, and all the turns are performed by a combination of bank+elevator.

Originally Posted by drewpee

I always wondered if more rudder would improve a turn. Any more info on the subject would be great.

No it wont. If you overuse the rudder, it will only make you skid more. The most efficient turn is the coordinated one. There are some combat maneuvers in which rudder is used to fly "uncoordinated" turns or even to bank the A/C under high AOA (when the ailerons loose efectiveness) such as the rudder reversal or the high G barrel roll, but these are not normal turns: