Please I need help about flaps and dive breaks

[terracota]

hello aces,
I'm new to fligth simulators AH is my first one, I'm learnig about flying, etc.
I have founded 3 basic problems:
1)Flaps.
 I understand that flaps are good to landing,
 why? reduces the air speed?, make the plane dive?, in other threads I have seeing that can be used to take off, to? why ? to take off, we need to gain speed , the flaps slowdown the plain or not?.
somebody can explain me the real uses and purposes of flaps? what's their real function
Can be used to make some maneuvers?

2)Dive breaks
this ones are to slowdown the plane I read it in some articles ,is usefull to landing, when I use "shit+v"( my dive breakes configuration) nothing happens my plane don't slowdown, I'm using it wrong?, how I use it?
3)rudders
are this ones usefull to make some air maneuvers(defensive?,offensive?)or just to align the plain to take off, landign and to align ground targets?

well that's it sorry about the large questions but I need some experienced pilot to teach me that, I really will apreciate

and please excuse my poor english (I'm still learning)  

[RDRedwing]

Hey terracota

1. flaps do indeed have different functions, if fully applied the increased drag slows your aircraft down making landings easier.

a lower flap setting is helpful at takeoffs since the drag isn't that high so the aircraft won't slow down while at the same time the lift is increased which allows you to take off earlier.

in certain planes flaps also improve the maneuverability, e.g. in the F4Us. If you're flying the F4U and someone forces you into a turnfight (AVOID THIS) you can use a low flap setting to improve turn performance of your plane. Just keep in mind the F4U will NEVER turn with a spit, so use that little advantage to gain some separation and get out of the turnfight instead of trying to win it, because that won't work  

2. currently I think there's no plane yet that has dive brakes... so forget about that.

3. the usage of rudders depends on the plane your're flying, in some planes you don't need the rudders that much, in other's they're vital. My primary plane is the F4U-1D and in that one you don't need the rudder very often, I can't really tell you about other planes though, I don't have that much experience flying them.

------------------
Redwing
Commanding Officer
Red Dragons Aces High Division

www.reddragons.de

[This message has been edited by RDRedwing (edited 05-19-2000).]

[Rocket]

 

1)Flaps.
I understand that flaps are good to landing,
why? reduces the air speed?, make the plane dive?, in other threads I have seeing that can be used to take off, to? why ? to take off, we need to gain speed , the flaps slowdown the plain or not?.
somebody can explain me the real uses and purposes of flaps? what's their real function
Can be used to make some maneuvers?

Flaps - These have 2 functions (that I know of) 1. change the angle of attack of the wing which in some planes help with low speed handling (p38, F4U, p51).  With full flap settings the increased drag helps slow the plane for safe landing speeds, this can also be used for heavy bomb loads on fighters and bombers to make take off shorter. NOTE: With any plane the use of flaps for low speed handling is a last ditch effort. These planes still aren't made to turn alot.  My rule is 90 degrees of turn, then straight and away.  Planes like the spit only have flaps up/down selection for landing takeoff.
With planes like the F4u, p51,and p38 a notch or two of flap will also help you over the top of loops.
 

2)Dive breaks
this ones are to slowdown the plane I read it in some articles ,is usefull to landing, when I use "shit+v"( my dive breakes configuration) nothing happens my plane don't slowdown, I'm using it wrong?, how I use it?

Not functional yet.  Once they add it you will be able to use this on the p38 to keep from overspeeding in a dive and lawndarting your plane.  For the F4U drop the gear for the dive breaks. REMEMBER: They are not like breaks on a car these just add extra drag to HELP slow you.  You CAN and WILL break your gear going over 350MPH with them extended!

 

3)rudders
are this ones usefull to make some air maneuvers(defensive?,offensive?)or just to align the plain to take off, landign and to align ground targets?

Rudders are good for the following:
1. Keeping the plane on the runway during takeoff and landing.
2. Creating much needed drag to slow the plane down to landing speed.
3. Adjusting your aim when taking a shot.
4. Tightening up your rolls.  A quick flick of the rudder when rolling will increase your roll speed slightly.
5. Keeping your plane in trim during turns.  Watch the slip indicator(the little ball under the site in most planes)  try to keep this ball in between the 2 center lines.  Rudder in the direction the ball is moving, this will help keep your E up by not allowing the plane to sideslip and create unnessassary drag.

Any that can get better tech stuff on the flaps please add    


S!
Rocket


------------------
   
The Red Dragons
Fierce and Bold
With Honour and Courage
_______________________

 www.reddragons.de

[This message has been edited by Rocket (edited 05-19-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rocket (edited 05-19-2000).]

[popeye]

Flaps do several things:  increase lift, decrease stall speed, increase drag, and in some planes increase turn rate.

Some planes have multiple flap settings, others only one.  The F4U and P-38 have "maneuvering flaps" that will deploy at a higher speed than most.

You can use flaps to increase lift for takeoff.  Drop a notch of flaps just before you get pull off the runway.  Get enough speed to maintain level flight without flaps, then retract them.

To use flaps for landing, slow the plane to a speed where the flaps will deploy, then gradually drop them a notch at time as your speed decreases.  This will slow the plane and decrase stall speed so you can touch down at a speed slow enough to stop on the runway.

You can use flaps to increase lift to "get over the top" of vertical maneuvers.

You can use flaps to increase turn rate to get the nose on the bad guy for a shot.  However, flaps also increase drag and will cost you speed (energy), so only use one notch, and only when you are pretty certain of a kill.  Retract them as soon as possible.

The rudder also has a few effects:  steering on the ground, compensating engine torque, increasing roll acceleration, pointing the guns, improving a vertical reversals, spin recovery, deliberate slips or skids, flat "rudder turns", and coordinating banked turns.

To increase roll acceleration, give the rudder a kick in the direction of the roll as you begin the roll.

You can point the nose for a snap shot with a kick of the rudder.

At the top of a zoom, you can use a kick of rudder (along with ailerons) to bring the nose around for a reversal.

To recover from a spin, power off, nose down, and rudder opposite to the direction of spin.

You can use the rudder to deliberately skid the plane (so that the nose is not aligned with the direction of travel).  This will create a LOT of drag and slow the plane quickly.  Useful for landing, in a steep dive, or as a last ditch maneuver to force an attacker to overshoot.

You can turn with rudder input only.  This is a very slow turn mostly useful for bombing.

A very important use of rudder is to coordinate a banked turn.  If you watch the slip indicator (the "level" near the gunsight), the ball will go off center in turns.  By using the rudder to keep the ball centered, drag is minimized and energy retained.

popeye

[terracota]

Hey guys great help ,I understand now this things that has been driving me crazy
Thank's a lot I will practice this things then I will look for some squadron to join and learn some ACM

see ya  

[Rocket]

tks for filling in my missing blanks popeye  

S!

Rocket

[Andy Bush]

Well...yes and no.

Terracota said this was his first flight sim. It's great that we all try to help him, but I think we should be a little more careful with our choice of words.

I'm referring here to terms such as 'kicking rudder'. In the mind of a newbie, just what do you think the person takes away from that type of language? And this only becomes more of a problem when English is that person's second language.

One minor point...rudder is a lousy way to point the gun. There are some significant physical laws that enter into this situation...all of which conspire to make a yaw-affected sight lie to you. Any sim that allows off-boresight shooting as a function of rudder displacement is a sham as far as realistic ballistics are concerned.

I'm all for helping folks...let's just make sure the words we use help, not hinder, the reader's understanding of what we say.

Andy