Spit V issue?

[Wurger]

I have noticed with the latest release that when you take off in the Spit V, it will lift off the runway at about 80~90, but if you engage autoclimb before 160, it will dive headlong into the ground.  Since the Spit V climbs fine below 160, I would think the autoclimb would at least level the plane out and increase the climb rate as speed picks up.  

Certainly not the end of the world since I am aware of it now, and not even sure if it is a bug, but thought I would toss it out anyway just in case

Bazi

[MOSQ]

I think all planes will do this. If you take off and immediatly switch from auto takeoff to auto climb you will head down, sometimes into the ground.

The reason is "auto-climb" is not really auto-climb. It is auto speed control. You can set it to any speed you want, it defaults to the general best climb speed, usually around 165-175. But you can change it to 225 or 250 if you want, which I almost always do if there's a red dar bar in the same sector I am in. That way I may be climbing more slowly in ROC, but I have enough speed to manouver if jumped. However if you aren't going 225 when you engage it the plane will point down and accelerate to 225 before auto raising the nose to maintain the 225 setting.

It also works as "auto-descend". If you want to descend at a set speed, engage "auto-climb" and cut your throttle. The plane will maintain whatever speed you set by varying your descent angle. Where this is most useful is when you've lost an engine or are very low on fuel;. Your auto-climb speed also happens to be your best glide speed  (generally).  Use auto-climb (actually it's auto-speed) to maintain the best glide speed/angle for maximum glide distance.

The command to change it is .speed xxx where xxx is the speed you want to maintain. Example: .speed 225 .

[Schatzi]

WOW, i knew it was just keeping the plane at a given speed, but never thought of using it as an auto descent...

Thank you for the tip!

[Seeker]

Originally posted by Schatzi
WOW, i knew it was just keeping the plane at a given speed, but never thought of using it as an auto descent...

Thank you for the tip!

It works as a buff gunner too.

I learnt to land Lancs by setting speed to 140 whilst in the front gun and playing with the throttle to get a good descent.

[StarOfAfrica2]

There are two seperate settings.  Three if you count the Auto Pilot Level (commonly referred to as autopilot).  Shift X is called Auto Pilot Angle (commonly called Auto Climb).  Alt X is called Auto Pilot Climb (commonly known as Auto Speed).  

Havent flown the SpitV in awhile, definitely not since AHII came out I dont think.  Maybe once or twice in the CT but its been a long time.  I know engaging the combat trim (ctrl X) to trim the plane out I sometimes get a nosedive for a few seconds.  I also know that engaging the auto-climb (shift X) that  the needle on the ROC guage will swing violently to max, and then settle back down to the set point.

Shift X controls angle of the plane, or ROC.  Alt X controls speed.  Cntrl X controls combat trim on/off.  Just plain X makes the plane level and trim.