Basic Flaps

[Yarbles]

When flying a P51 straight and level how should flaps be set for maximum forward speed?

[Lusche]

Fully retracted (in other words: up). This holds true for all planes.  Deployed flaps add drag thus slowing you down.

[Yarbles]

Does that mean fully up?

[Lusche]

Originally posted by Yarbles
Does that mean fully up?

Yep.

[EsX_Raptor]

Lol man, flaps create drag and lift, they\'re used to land! (and do other sort of things)

[Jonny boy 8]

like turning better in a dogfight.

p51srule:aok

[Benny Moore]

They don't make you turn "better," they make you turn tighter.  They actually slow down the rate of turn (or at least they should if the simulator is correct).  It's a tradeoff.  Fowlers may be an exception.

Flaps should never be used in a sustained climb, no matter what.  If two pilots in the same airplane take off at the same time, and one uses flaps and the other does not, the pilot who used flaps will get in the air sooner but the one who did not will be higher and faster thirty seconds later.  The one who used flaps will never quite catch up, even if he retracts his flaps.

Real pilots only use flaps on takeoff if the runway is short or they must clear an obstacle.  But you always want to use full flaps on landing, because flaps lower your stall speed and you want to touch down while going as slow as possible (and with the lowest rate of descent).

[Krusty]

When you're still learning (and I assume you are, by this question), don't use flaps. They have their uses later on, but start with the basics.

Don't use 'em for takeoff. Just use 'em for landing. Later on you'll get more intimate with flap use, but don't even think about it now until you've progressed to a future point.

[Blooz]

Don't use them for takeoff?

Terrible advice.


Takeoffs and landings are the time you want to use flaps.

The heavier you are at takeoff the more flap you should drop to compensate.

Kick in the WEP (P key = War Emergency Power) too.

It's no wonder new guys can't get their heavily loaded planes, particularly bombers and naval fighters, off the ground before hitting the trees or the waves at the end of the runway.

[Krusty]

If you're learning to do the basics, and you're trying to take off in a heavy bomber (lanc, 100% gas and 14000lb bombs) or a heavy fighter (P47D40 with 2500lbs bombs and 10 rockets) you're learning the wrong way.

I mean that.

Until you know how to take off and land, PERIOD, you shouldn't be complicating it with an over-loaded air frame.

What do I know, eh? First time I tried to take off in this game, even after having flown several other flight sims, I loaded up a heavy fighter with all the gas, bombs, and rockets I could..... and promptly spun out trying to lift off from the ground! That was just after AH went public.


Learn with a basic fighter. Otherwise you're just learning wrong. Yes, there is a wrong way to learn things.

EDIT: Oh, and for a "basic fighter" -- taking off with no flaps is usually just as easy as taking off with flaps.

[BaldEagl]

Originally posted by Blooz
Don't use them for takeoff?

Terrible advice.


Takeoffs and landings are the time you want to use flaps.

The heavier you are at takeoff the more flap you should drop to compensate.

Kick in the WEP (P key = War Emergency Power) too.

It's no wonder new guys can't get their heavily loaded planes, particularly bombers and naval fighters, off the ground before hitting the trees or the waves at the end of the runway.

The only time I ever use flaps on take-off is in a heavily loaded attack plane from the deck of an aircraft carrier or with an Ar324 which seems to prefer flaps on take-off.  In the fighter I'll kick on WEP and in the 234's I'll use RATO but that's also the only time's I ever use WEP or a form of it to assist on take-off.

I don't even use flaps taking off in Lancasters with a 14000 lb bomb load (but I never fly them with more that 50% fuel) and, in fact, I pull them up as soon as I spawn because it spawns with two notches down flaps.

My advice is only use them for take-off if you need them.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by BaldEagl
in fact, I pull them up as soon as I spawn because it spawns with two notches down flaps.

Note: This is for those with auto-takeoff enabled only, it does this for all bombers (maybe even all planes?) when you use auto take-off. You need to manually retract at some time, as it leaves them down permanently (for some reason).

[BaldEagl]

Yep, I do use auto take-off (unless I'm coming off the re-arm pad of course).  It doesn't use flaps with fighters or with the C-47 so it must just be the heavy bombers.

I'm lazy plus my attention is often elsewhere while taking off.

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by BaldEagl
Yep, I do use auto take-off (unless I'm coming off the re-arm pad of course).  It doesn't use flaps with fighters or with the C-47 so it must just be the heavy bombers.

I'm lazy plus my attention is often elsewhere while taking off.

... with the exception of the Me-262 ... Flaps are automatically down when spawned ... the must be retracted manually after takeoff.

[McDeath]

At the risk of being flamed

I agree with Krusty. He is correct.

edit: afaik, yes it's just the heavy bombers that that start with flaps down