Stability with the Ki-84

[Engine]

I'm still using an MS Force Feedback2, which I still consider one of the best twisty-rudder sticks ever. Worked well in Jumpgate.

I do have one button free, so I'll try Krusty's suggestion and toggle it and see what happens. You think I'll really just see a benefit in the high-speed maneuvering?

[Krusty]

Not really. What it does is just makes it easier to keep your nose where you want it, at any given speed. Get ready to take a shot, toggle the combat trim, and the nose might jump a bit, then aim after you've trimmed (don't trim the second you're about to fire, you don't want to rush it), and it just helps you not fight the stick so much when you want more control.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by HomeBoy
I added pots to my hotas for elevator, rudder, and aileron trim.  I have not used Combat Trim for over seven months now.   It takes some getting used to for sure but well worth the effort.

Analog trim is way more precise than digital (button) trim;  both of which give you far more control over your aircraft than CT.  I can trim my plane on final approach and land without even touching the stick (just a little throttle adjustment).  I have on a number of occasions touched down completely blacked out from a pilot wound to find my plane sitting nicely on the runway with the engine still running.  I also find that when I compress a plane in a dive to the point where no inputs work, I can usually analog trim my way out of that situation.

I personally feel Combat Trim is something you should ween yourself off of.  IMHO of course.  I used CT for over ten years and I would never go back to it at this point.

-hb

Be aware that trimming the pots on your stick is not the same as trimming the flight surfaces of your plane.   Some players, especially the ones that use the Cougar HOTAS controls, can program some of the axis on their setup for trimming their plane.

When I was still at CH Products many years ago and customers would call and ask if they could use their joystick trim dials for trimming their aircraft I would always recommend that they do not use them that way since they wouldn't be trimming their plane but just their joystick.


ack-ack

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by Karnak
I mostly just let it be out of trim, unless it is way out of trim.  I'd rather be able to break into a diving P-51 and be a bit out of trim than to be stuck in the mud and dead, but nicely trimmed for it.

Here here!  I think this  is exactly the way to go about weening yourself off of CT.  Actually, after you fly a while with analog trim, you begin to get more and more used to trimming the plane and you work the elevator trim knob much like moving the stick itself so that you keep the plane in trim as you move your stick; all as part of the same motion.

Having a radio control background, constantly trimming my airplane is pretty much second nature to me so that I'm hardly even aware that I'm doing it.  All these years, I've never had a hotas with analog trim knobs on it until now so I had to just get used to CT which I always thought was pretty weird.  It's good to be home again.

The other added benefit is I don't have to do anything different when I fly MSFS or IL2 as they don't have anything like CT.

[Sweet2th]

Originally posted by Krusty
Map combat trim to a button on your stick. Toggle it on then off.

It's like setting trim to pre-determined tables for your current speed. You could write these tables down yourself, but the game does it for you (built into combat trim).

So just toggle it and turn it off, so it sets them, then leaves them.

I used to have toggle trim as a stick function, but if you hit auto pilot it automatically toggles it for you.

[Krusty]

Auto pilot only trims you level. If you can't spare a moment to level out, the toggle trim is quite handy. Also, you're a sitting duck for a couple of seconds while you do this. I use it in combat (leave it off for turn fighting, because it dulls elevator inputs, toggle it on for the kill shot), and can't hit auto pilot in the middle of a fight.

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack
Be aware that trimming the pots on your stick is not the same as trimming the flight surfaces of your plane.   Some players, especially the ones that use the Cougar HOTAS controls, can program some of the axis on their setup for trimming their plane.

When I was still at CH Products many years ago and customers would call and ask if they could use their joystick trim dials for trimming their aircraft I would always recommend that they do not use them that way since they wouldn't be trimming their plane but just their joystick.


ack-ack

I am NOT using the "trim wheels" on my stick.  I added pots (uses a second joystick circuit) so that I set them up in Aces High as "elevator trim", "aileron trim", and "rudder trim" axes.  I NEVER touch those wheels you speak of as they just throw my calibration off.

Thanks for that clarification.

[Sweet2th]

Originally posted by Krusty
Auto pilot only trims you level. If you can't spare a moment to level out, the toggle trim is quite handy. Also, you're a sitting duck for a couple of seconds while you do this. I use it in combat (leave it off for turn fighting, because it dulls elevator inputs, toggle it on for the kill shot), and can't hit auto pilot in the middle of a fight.

why would you turn off your trim in the middle of a fight?

The only time i am not using trim is when i am not in combat.

[Karnak]

Originally posted by Sweet2th
why would you turn off your trim in the middle of a fight?

The only time i am not using trim is when i am not in combat.

Because I like to get full manuverability out of my Ki-84 and having Combat Trim enabled means that I cannot do so.  It make sme die less to leave it disabled.

[Krusty]

^--- what he said



OFF: Manuver, turn, close in

ON: aim, lead, take a shot

OFF again: target breaks hard I need all of my manuvering control again

ON again: target is once again in front of me

OFF again: new con dives in on my six from very high, I need all my elevators to break into him

and so on...

[Karash]

I just leave mine off all the time.  Once you fly a few months, manually trimming your bird isnt so much of a hassle.  However, I do take your point about gun accuracy seriously...its probably why I miss so much.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by HomeBoy
I am NOT using the "trim wheels" on my stick.  I added pots (uses a second joystick circuit) so that I set them up in Aces High as "elevator trim", "aileron trim", and "rudder trim" axes.  I NEVER touch those wheels you speak of as they just throw my calibration off.

Thanks for that clarification.

Oh..okay, you added some new axis to your controllers.  When you said "pots" I thought you were referring to the trim wheels on the stick.  Sorry for the confusion.


ack-ack

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Sweet2th
why would you turn off your trim in the middle of a fight?

The only time i am not using trim is when i am not in combat.

For the Ki-84, this is exactly backwards.

My regards,

Widewing

[Sweet2th]

Originally posted by Krusty
^--- what he said



OFF: Manuver, turn, close in

ON: aim, lead, take a shot

OFF again: target breaks hard I need all of my manuvering control again

ON again: target is once again in front of me

OFF again: new con dives in on my six from very high, I need all my elevators to break into him

and so on...

Or just use trim full time like the real pilots did and still do.All that turnin off & on makes for LOW SA.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Widewing
For the Ki-84, this is exactly backwards.

Let me amplify this in case some are confused. For the Ki-84:

Use combat trim for all normal flying. Turn it off and trim manually for combat. Simply adjust the trim so that a small amount of forward stick pressure is needed to fly level at 300 mph. This will allow you to pull to blackout at moderate to high speeds and not interfere with maneuver combat at low speeds. Set aileron and rudder trim to neutral.

My regards,

Widewing