if you get 10 minutes

[Zak33]

I have been inspired by Trig.

I have added to the IL-2 FAQ sticky

Comments and changes welcomed. I'll then edit it

[menthel]

Its good! Would really like to see more on altering prop pitch, radiators etc, esp for us newbs!

[Zak33]

on its way.

[Skii]

Very nice job Zak - I was going to add my approval but didn't want it messed up with unnecessary posts

[Skii]

BTW - my little contribution

Skii’s guide to getting back on the ground safe and sound
-------------------------------------------------------

So Hermann, there you are, flying a 400mph thoroughbred German killing machine staring down at the vast expanse of scenery below, with one big question looming ever greater in your mind…

‘So how do I land this thing?’

Well the first couple of times you attempt to land a fighterplane in IL2 no doubt everything happened a bit too quick for you , and you ended up cartwheeling to a dust covered finish a few hundred yards off the runway with wheels and debris strewn along your path of destruction, or worse…

Actually landing your fighter is a lot easier than you think, PROVIDED you grasp the basics of aircraft flight and you PLAN your landing.

Lets start with the basics. In order to land your aircraft you need to be configured for landing, and it is essential that you set your plane up for landing at an early enough stage so that all you need to worry about is controlling your aircraft in the descent.

So, assuming you are flying in the immediate vicinity of a suitable airfield, lets start getting into the landing pattern. In order to be correctly aligned for landing, you need to look at how the runway is positioned relative to your flightpath, you want to be aligned so that you are flying parallel to the runway, ie flying in the same direction the runway is pointing, and a good distance away from it. Why a good distance ? because we are going to turn to fly our final approach, and that distance allows us to turn our aircraft into the landing pattern.

So, looking out the side of our cockpit we see the runway flashing past, we are nice and fast and flying at a moderately low altitude, say 500-1000m

Now, we want to start thinking about setting the aircraft up for landing. First thing we need to do is reduce our speed, so we cut the throttle and watch our airspeed drop.
Keep flying straight, don’t worry about that runway, lets set the plane up.

As the airspeed drops to 250 knots, drop the flaps to ‘landing’ (v) Flaps have the immediate effect of rapidly slowing your aircraft down, so as you see that airspeed needle drop to 200 or less, increase your throttle to compensate. We want to be around 250 knots.

Now start a nice easy turn towards the side you saw the runway, if you get it right you will turn into a path that lines you up perfectly with the runway, and having done this, you are in position for ‘finals’

Next – Drop that throttle again landing gear down (g) The effect of dropping the gear rapidly slows your aircraft down like your flaps did, only this time we are now descending and now you have the key element of your aircraft configured, you now just need to keep lined up with that runway and use the throttle to control your descent.

You want to aim for around 200 kph in your descent, a common mistake is to fly the final approach TOO SLOW, resulting in you losing too much altitude and dropping short of the runway. Keep the power on and the nose down, if your airspeed drops below 200, throttle up, you will find that by keeping on the throttle with only very small up/down corrections, you can fly a nice steady descent.

As you reach the runway threshold cut the throttle and ‘flare’ by flaring you are pulling gently back on the stick and raising the nose in the last few feet of flight before your wheels kiss the ground, this has 2 effects, 1) it slows your aircraft down more 2) it slows your rate of descent and reduces the possibility of you bouncing off the ground.

As you feel the aircraft settle on the ground, watch that airspeed and stay on the rudder to maintain a straight line, as the airspeed drops to around 100, pull back on the stick and start to gently dab the wheelbrakes (w) - be very careful to apply just enough brakes to bleed speed without cartwheeling the plane, too much brake and you will nose over and bend your prop.

As you slow to a stop, taxi clear of the runway and stop, hit ‘I’ to cut the engine and relax. You’re down safe and sound. Soon you’ll be doing all of this instinctively and confidently.

Lets recap

1) reduce throttle - bleed airspeed to 250kph
2) Landing flaps
3) turn to finals
4) Landing gear down
5) control descent with throttle – 180 - 200kph is ideal
6) cut throttle and flare - touchdown
7) dab the brakes.

[Zak33]

i had no idea at all that W did wheel brakes....

I use B....serious question.....am I missing something here? Or is that your Config Skii?

Will post that all right now....superb

[Geist]

i use b aswell great info there, id ask for alittle about what the mix ratios really do to the engines as i tend to just bump it to 120% unless im to high...

[Zak33]

on mix and prop pitch soon guys....

W....did you guys set that?

[Skii]

i had no idea at all that W did wheel brakes....

I use B....serious question.....am I missing something here? Or is that your Config Skii?

Will post that all right now....superb

bugger - dunno actually m8, I've had it mapped to my stick since yesteryear

[Zak33]

Skii..can you do a 5-7 paragraph Energy and Speed addition please?

[Skii]

Energy fighting.

So - the first thing your budding Baders will do at the first time you smell an opponent anywhere near you is turn to one side and yank that
stick back as hard as you possibly can, pulling your groaning creaking fighter into the tightest possible turn, with the express intention of getting that bad guy in your gunsight.

This is all well and good, and in certain situations is a good tactic, however the major disadvantage that it slows your aircraft down rapidly, so whilst you have managed to change direction effectively, you are now travelling at half the speed you were.

Now despite you now being behind the bad guy, he is going twice as fast as you, and while you were busy flying in a tight speed-reducing circle, he started to climb.

So - whilst you have lost energy, he has converted his energy into height, and in a WW2 prop-powered fighterplane, he with the height advantage now has the upper hand, a BIG upper hand.

So, now you are struggling to climb up to him, after all, you can't accelerate in a steep climb, and your airspeed needle is dropping, you can't hold that gunsight on him any longer, you start to stall and your nose drops to gather airspeed, seeing you drop away below him, he simply rolls into a dive - and he's right behind you - the hunter has become the hunted...

This is a simple demonstration of energy management, you used that energy to turn, he used it to climb, so you ended up slow and low, whilst he ended up high, and despite losing airspeed in the climb, he had converted it into height and is now diving back down on you.

This exactly why aircraft throughout WW2 were given progressively more powerful engines, the most successful fighter planes became the fastest, they could fly up higher and faster than their opponents, and could swoop on their opponents in a fighting style called 'Boom n' Zoom'

Energy = Speed = Life became the key to the successful fighter pilot, the faster plane ruled the dogfight, he could choose when to engage his opponent, and when to go home, the once deadly Mitsubishi Zero became a deathtrap as American pilots in faster planes could outrun and outclimb them, American pilots were taught not to attempt to turn with their opponents - simply dive or climb out of the way, keep that airspeed needle high and the Zero would never get near them.

So - there is your first basic lesson in energy fighting. More to come later

S!