Manual trim Myth

[Nomak]

I have had a couple people ask me latley about the benifits of manually trimming the nose of the aircraft up to increase turn rate.  

It really doesnt help turn rate at all.  The range of motion of the elevators on the aircraft is a constant and does not change with trimming.  

I actually prefer to have my aircraft trimmed so that the nose will fall if I let go of the stick.  I dont know why I like it like this but I just prefer to always have rearward pressure on my stick while flying.

c yas up...... Dave

[Ecliptik]

I'm the same way.  Pulling the stick to aim is always easier than pushing it.

[Xjazz]

Hi,

I use manual trim only. To get advantage over other person? No.

With Combat Trim I lose that "connection" feeling to the plane. It feels like somebody else is making steering inputs than me during T&B.  

IMHO
Only REAL advantage of manual trim is possibility to pull out from compressed dive.

[Ecliptik]

I use manual trim exclusively, but mainly because I fly the 38, and combat trim ruins low speed vertical handling.

[killnu]

i fly 38 and use combat trim, only thing i ever touch is the flaps.  i dont have any problems with it.
~S~

[Ecliptik]

Try going 90 degrees vertical with combat trim, hands off the stick.  It'll just nose you right over.

[Ack-Ack]

In addition Combat Flaps render the dive flaps pretty much useless.

The only time I adjust my trims in a fight is if I want to stretch out my vertical maneuver and hang the P-38 on its tail or in stall fights I might give it some nose up trim.


ack-ack

[Murdr]

I agree manual trimming does not help increase your turn rate.  However, when it comes down to it, combat trim is constantly adjusting your trim to attempt to go straight when there is no stick input.
In general as you slow it will trim more elevator.  In a turn with quick stick input this can work aginst you.  If you are already pulling your elevators to the edge of a snap stall, and combat trim is trying to adjust to your speed decrease, it can push you over the edge.  
In a sustained turn within your envelope it doesnt make a noticable difference, but I think you will find that a quick brake turn in one of the non-TnB planes is more effective with manual trim as well as when riding the edge.

I think this effect is what leads to the myth.  The issue isnt turn rate, but possible instability caused by a limited auto trim.

[Ack-Ack]

Combat trim, at least in the P-38 will also render the dive flaps useless by those constant auto-trim adjustments.  With combat trim enabled, it will trim itself to counteract the lift provided from the dive flaps.  IMO, this is why a lot of people think the dive flaps are useless when they actually do work.



ack-ack

[Sundowner]

Here's all you could ever want to know about the Aces High trim system.

I use manual up trim mapped to my space bar to add a few more degrees/sec of turn when Im saddled up and stuck in lag pursuit to get a gun solution.

Try it! It works!

http://users.andara.com/~sconrad/trim.htm

[eilif]

I hardly ever use combat trim. It makes my pony pitch up slightly killing my top speed, not to mention it doesnt fix the slight role from torque.  

The only time i use it is when im way out of trim and need a quick fix.

Artlaw can tell you all you need to know about trim for the mustang.

[Eagler]

but in the 109 I think pushing vator trim up to max helps me get around or over quicker, especially in a slow t&b fight

[deSelys]

Trim will help you to turn tighter in the planes and at the speeds where the stick forces exceeds the pilot strength (i.e. 109 in a high speed turn).

Otherwise it has no effect on turn radius nor on turn rate.