Speaking of P-38's and flaps...

[Murdr]

Yes, by feel.  If your wings are starting to waffle (near stall condition) add flap, If you can pull tunnel vision G's you are near the top speed of your flap setting, retract flap.  If you allow auto-retract to do it, and it retracts while you are giving heavy elevator input, it will likely cause you to depart into a spin.

I have the following trim controls mapped on my stick:
elevators (used frequently at hight speeds)
aleirons (used occationally after externals are dropped)
toggle combat trim (used on/off quickly to trim neutral)

[Clip121]

Originally posted by Murdr
Yes, by feel.  If your wings are starting to waffle (near stall condition) add flap, If you can pull tunnel vision G's you are near the top speed of your flap setting, retract flap.  If you allow auto-retract to do it, and it retracts while you are giving heavy elevator input, it will likely cause you to depart into a spin.

I have the following trim controls mapped on my stick:
elevators (used frequently at hight speeds)
aleirons (used occationally after externals are dropped)
toggle combat trim (used on/off quickly to trim neutral)

I just started flying the 38 without combat trim on and have been doing the same thing.  I mapped combat trim to my stick and toggle it on and off at times.  When I see I am about to fight I try to set it like ack-ack says - as close to neutral as I can.  Takes some getting used to, it flies a bit different than with combat trim on.  
     Actually my first day flying without combat trim on I managed to run up on ack-ack in the MA and he promptly disposed of me.  As I watched him turn the 38 it looked as if the thing was sliding sideways!  Looked nose-down and sliding.  ack-ack says it was rudder and I can see how it would do that.  Was pretty amazing to see him do it though - Great flying!

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Galahad
I too do not get flaps.  I know when you go up and get slower to engage the flaps.  What I don't understand is when to deploy them.  Is this done by feel?.....someone has told me to deploy them at certain speeds,,,,I find this suggestion to be very impractical in a fight.  I watched the film by Widewing and saw he deployed his flaps (about three notches)....I usually fly the J model and not the G,,,,,does this make a difference?  Also when do you retract your flaps ...I know that when you are going  down/faster to pull them in but precisely at what point?.... or do you just use the auto retract feature?  


Galahad:confused:

Like Murdr said, it's basically by "feel" that you develop over time. But there is a guideline that you can use that will give you an idea.  This was taught to me a long time ago by a really good P-38J driver in AW named Stnky.

[All speeds are in Indicated Air Speed]
250mph - 1 notch
200mph - 2 notches
175-150mph - 3 notches
150-100mph 4 notches
below 100mph - full flaps

Use this as a guideline and as you get more experienced in the P-38, you'll notice that you'll start to develop a feel when to deploy and retract the flaps.  I never let the auto-retracting feature to retract my flaps for me.  If you rely on the auto-retracting flaps to retract the flaps for you, you're just asking for a boatload of trouble to come smack you in the head.  There is a very real risk of entering into a near uncontrollable spin caused by the flaps auto-retracting while in a turn fight.  It's nasty and you don't want to experience it.  It is also highly unrealistic but HT had made up his mind about keeping the auto-retracting flaps.

I highly recommend that you visit the 479th Fighter Group's website and read Murdr's excellent series called "PJ University".  Originally written for the P-38J in Air Warrior, Murdr has already converted most of it to reflect the P-38s in AH.  A must read for any P-38 driver, greenhorn and veteran alike.  Also make sure to check out the film library as this is probably the biggest collection of P-38 specific films for AH.


Ack-Ack
479th FG.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Clip121
I just started flying the 38 without combat trim on and have been doing the same thing.  I mapped combat trim to my stick and toggle it on and off at times.  When I see I am about to fight I try to set it like ack-ack says - as close to neutral as I can.  Takes some getting used to, it flies a bit different than with combat trim on.  
     Actually my first day flying without combat trim on I managed to run up on ack-ack in the MA and he promptly disposed of me.  As I watched him turn the 38 it looked as if the thing was sliding sideways!  Looked nose-down and sliding.  ack-ack says it was rudder and I can see how it would do that.  Was pretty amazing to see him do it though - Great flying!

Rudder...rudders...rudders.  As you can tell, I always use transient turns and with the rudder authority of the P-38, it can really make those turns tight, especially in a nose down turn.

ack-ack

[killnu]

the few times not having CT on is just not worth the headache to me...i fly with it on all the time and only use rudder and flaps...with throttle.  but that is just me...guess im to lazy to be ub3rl33t.

[WOZ30BAT]

How or when do you use aileron trim? And I have also heard of people reducing RPM as well as manifold pressure @ top of vertical moves to hang longer. Any truth to it?

[Ack-Ack]

I never mess with aileron or rudder trims unless my flight controls are damaged and need to be trimmed to preserve any resemblance of flight.  

When you think about it, if you were to trim ailerons for a turn fight, you better hope the fight just says in one direction.  If you turn in multiple directions in a turn fight, trimming ailerons constently for the turns and trying to fight at same time will probably get you killed.  

Some use differential throttle control in the P-38 to help them.  Some others have the engines mapped to buttons on their throttle/stick to so they can either cut the engine or apply power to one engine.  I used to use a dual throttle way back when I started AH but have since given it up and gone back to a Pro Throttle.


ack-ack

[Murdr]

Originally posted by WOZ30BAT
How or when do you use aileron trim? And I have also heard of people reducing RPM as well as manifold pressure @ top of vertical moves to hang longer. Any truth to it?

I only use aileron trim to rebalance after dropping externals, or to compensate for damage.  Some planes (not the 38) suffer harsh torque forces at low speeds.  You can negate the torque by closing the throttle, and control the direction of the stall much better.  It also can help you hold vertical to a lower speed, but you have to weigh whether the situation warrents throwing away Energy in such a manner.

[Iceman24]

Basically anytime I change altitudes or speeds I always hit the combat trim button and the switch it off, just to get a quick trim, in the PJ it works fine until you drop a few nothches of flaps, if you hit your combat trim then, it will make your nose go way up, and you have to compensate by pushing down on your stick, which means your blowing E. What I do when I drop mine is switch trim on then off and quickly hold down the I button for about 3-5 seconds thats usually plenty to keep nose lvl.  If I'm looping or if my speed changes I'll just do it again as needed... Basically I just use the combat trim to get me in the general area of where I need to be and then manually adjust from there... And like AKAK said RUDDERS RUDDERS RUDDERS... it takes allot of time to get "the touch" down, but after a while you'll be able to turn with a spit 9.... hope that helps:aok

[Iceman24]

Two more things that a PJ pilot must know well is, barrel rolls )rolling scissors) and throttle cuts, I don't think theres a plane in the game that can stick with you in the roll once you get to slow stall speeds, and the throttle cuts work great for quick break turns, and to drop the nose coming of a zoom, or to quickly reverse on a plane  in the rolling scissors.... lots of more areas they are used in, just play around with it and you'll get the feel