Trim

[Ruah]

I usually set my trim to neutral (everything in the middle) because the plane seems to become balanced, and I turn off Comabt Trim because the plane seems to resist my pushing it really hard (stall easier).  Is there a guide on trim and how one should go about setting it? 

As it stands, I set it to neutral and if there is compression (although some planes I fly never get to compression. . they just fall apart before that) use trim to steer the plane. . .

how do other people manage trim?

[Lusche]

Is there a guide on trim and how one should go about setting it? 

Yes, at http://trainers.hitechcreations.com/

Personally I'm using combat trim 90% of the time, switching to manual trim only if necessary (For example high speed dives in 109's or when getting flaps out in F4U's).

[BaldEagl]

I also use combat trim most of the time.  I turn it off for high speed dives too.  I've got combat trim toggle and elevator trim both mapped to two-way buttons/switches on my joystick (Saitek AV8R).  If I have to toggle combat trim off and manually trim I re-engage combat trim once I no longer have to trim manually.

Sometimes I use set trim if I'm at a speed I expect to fight at but not that often.

[DamnedRen]

I can't remember the last time I used manual trim to fight. As previously noted it can help with dives/ pull outs.

While there are folks who swear that they get more out of manual adjusting trim I find most fights will never require it. You can use it to add realism to the game.

Ren

[gpwurzel]

I use manual trim most of the time - not sure it actually makes that much of a difference, but it "feels" like it does to me - ie, it adds to the immersion factor (for me anyway)

That said, most of the time I'm heading to the ground anyway  (I'm still the worst pilot ingame  )

Wurzel

[Spatula]

I use CT most of the time, except when im pushing the envelope - eg too slow, or too fast, thats when the CT gets turned off. Normally i leave the trims tabs alone.

[The Fugitive]

centering all your trim tabs isn't necessarily the way to trim them either. Different speeds are going to require different settings. The idea with trim is to let go of your stick and it should fly by itself. This what is meant by being centered up. I some planes the torque of the engine will make you trim harder to one side to counter act this.

[sunfan1121]

The only time i mess with my trim is in a hammerhead stall going against my torque(the right in most planes).

[shiv]

Would Trim Set help at all when slow with the flaps out in, say, an F4U?  Sometimes I remember to turn it on but it's hard to say if it's helping though, with all the bullets whizzing by and whatnot.

[Saurdaukar]

how do other people manage trim?

I fly with CT on for the majority of the time Im flying.  Its a convenience factor - dont want to be constantly adjust trim for straight and level flight.

That said, in any sort of low-speed engagement where control surfaces are being fully used, I will always trim in accordance with the maneuver. 

For example, if Im in a 109, fighting an AC with a better roll rate, like a 190, and he's rolling left, I'll trim ailerons to port to increase my rate of roll.  Or, if, again, Im in a 109 fighting against an AC with a better sustained turning ability, Ill trim elevator heavy to maximize my ability to get the nose around.

In stall situations, fighting the vertical, I'll turn CT off where it stands.  CT is a great system, but at very low IAS (over the top, for example) it seems to try and resist what you want to do with the aircraft.  Like a car's traction control on ice, it just gets confused and ends up hurting rather than helping.

[DamnedRen]

Would Trim Set help at all when slow with the flaps out in, say, an F4U?  Sometimes I remember to turn it on but it's hard to say if it's helping though, with all the bullets whizzing by and whatnot.

Try throttle control iso manual trim

Ren

[Gooss]

In a slow fight in an F4U, combat trim seems to "fight" against the flaps.  I get better flap response when not using combat trim.  I don't use manual trim actively in a fight.  Before a fight I set my trim to trim my F4U to about 250-275 ias.  I think it was TC who suggested an elevator setting for fighting that I knew approximated 250-275 ias.  This is about corner speed for a hog.  So, if I'm in a nose up fight, my plane wants to gain speed to corner velocity.  Conversely, in a nose down fight my plane wants to lose speed to corner velocity.  I've gotten so used to this setting in a fight that if my elevator trim is set slower, it messes me up.  I will use combat trim for 500 ias zoom passes through a furball, just for fun.

Away from a fight I temporarily use combat trim to balance out trim.  Otherwise I use autolevel or autospeed.  Once I'm at alt and near a fight, I'll use autospeed (.speed 250) get all set to tangle. 

But that's why Ren shoots me down...


HONK!
Gooss

[StokesAk]

If you trim your elevators up it will make you turn loads better. 

[steely07]

Always use manual trim, no aids for me

Steely

[StokesAk]

I forgot to add, I only use trim in an uneven dogfight that will get low and slow such as P38vsSpitfire.