Author Topic: Wierd P38 stall characteristic (Read 818 times)

fdiron · « **on:** June 21, 2000, 10:21:00 PM »

The P38 has a wierd stall characteristic. Somtimes when you stall, it doesnt matter if your wings are level or if you are banking, the plane will nose down and then yaw to the left or right. If you use rudder to try to correct the stall, no matter if your airspeed is 100mph or 150mph, the plane will stay in a stalled state. The only way I know to get out of this stall is to just nose the plane down and use no rudder. Is this a bug or a true P38 flight characteristic?

Replicant · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2000, 10:34:00 PM »

It's been like that on the previous two versions. I still get caught out with the flat spin every now and again and if you have limited alt then it's almost impossible to fly it out. Still lovely plane mind!

'Nexx'

DoctorYO · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2000, 07:51:00 AM »

Dont stall the plane, 15-0 K/D trust me keep her fast and deadly... Only slow down at top of a loop for rope a dope and come down atop their head with guns blazing...

If you do flat spin use flaps and maybe even cut engines and restart if necessary, but use them flaps..

Regards,

DoctorYO

Rickenbacker · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2000, 02:37:00 PM »

Sounds like the beginning of a spin to me, i.e. you're flying the plane into a stall with some sideways component, slipping or skidding.

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Rickenbacker

Minotaur · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2000, 04:17:00 PM »

The P-38 seems to depart flight very rapidly, ussually with some kind of a weird "whipping corkscrew" motion. It will enter spins / stalls equally left or right, but they are almost always dramatic and sudden. Seems to be about the only AH plane that does it in is particular fashion.

Another note, and just my opinion, that often these spins are what I believe to be some form of flat spins. The bad part is that you generally appear to be in a very nose down attitude so you don't recognize it as a flat spin. I believe this to be a graphic representation anomaly of the spin vice a FM error or I'm just all wet.

I generally make sure my flaps are full up (contrary to DrYo) and chop throttle. I try to get the nose pointed farther downward, straight down if possible. I then use counter rudder and some aileron to stop the spin. When the ground stops rotating and my IAS starts noticably increasing I level wings and then apply power to pull out.

Keep in mind that your IAS could be 150mph or more the entire duration of the spin, this means little. Your are not out of the spin until the ground stops its rotation.

If one could learn to control these spins you could go from 30K to 3k straight down and not exeed 200mph. What a trick!

Good Luck!

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Though some art vets, all art dweebish"
Jedi

juzz · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2000, 05:07:00 PM »

Quote

If one could learn to control these spins you could go from 30K to 3k straight down and not exeed 200mph. What a trick!

There is no trick - simply hold full rear stick and rudder. When you want out: opposite rudder to stop spinning, push nose down for speed, then pull out. Recovery and pull out takes about 2,000ft.

DoctorYO · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2000, 08:09:00 AM »

The key to the p38 is flaps if your not constantly using them for low speed handling your at a severe disadvantage.

I like to point out that I have yet to not recover from a spin.. Use basic nose down opposite rudder and if you have the alt you will recover.. Right as the aircraft is comming out of the stall be shure not to oversteer the aircraft into a stall the opposite direction... Yes the p38 does enter a stall a bit different than the other aircraft. Key to this is being light of hand.. At the first sign of any stall you should release the back pressure on the stick.. This should recover you before you go flat spin.. Use flaps (1-2 notches for stall fight, and full for reverses and looping or hard defense....

The p38 can really stall high yoyo very nice so use them flaps to bring nose around on some happless flat/nose low turn and burner..

Gets em every time but High yoyo is prefered acm against that manuever; its even more noticable in a p38 becuase of the extreme low speed handling. Spits also do this well and really any plane that has low stall speed... Where the p38 shines is the dive acceleration it has.. Most likely you will run them down after your yoyo...

just a few tips on p38... use them live by them...

And Mino I respect your opinion about the flaps, good luck; better you than me using no flaps though..... 8D

regards,

DoctorYO

Minotaur · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2000, 08:51:00 AM »

Quote

By DoctorYo:
And Mino I respect your opinion about the flaps, good luck; better you than me using no flaps though..... 8D

LOL

I use flaps constantly as you describe during ACM. The P-38 must flap!

I was refering to flat spin recover where I have better luck with my flaps up. Possibly because the plane accelerates more quickly with the flaps retracted.

Thanks for the advice and your feed back! <S>

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Though some art vets, all art dweebish"
Jedi