Why would the Brits....?

[Bosco123]

Why would the Brits make a circle for steering? what's the gain of using that, as opposed to using a regular flight stick? what's the disadvantage?

[PFactorDave]

Why would the Brits make a circle for steering? what's the gain of using that, as opposed to using a regular flight stick? what's the disadvantage?

Easier to get both hands on it when pulling out of those really fast dives.

[fudgums]

Easier to get both hands on it when pulling out of those really fast dives.

Yet, a regular flight stick will feel more natural

[BigPlay]

Why would the Brits make a circle for steering? what's the gain of using that, as opposed to using a regular flight stick? what's the disadvantage?

Why did they put a steering wheel on the P-38, that was typically used on bombers not fighters.

[Greebo]

This reminds me of something I read about the Mosquito. The first Mossies were unarmed reconnaisance aircraft or bombers which had a rotating control yoke for roll control like all British bombers. De Havilland kept this yoke for the cannon armed fighter bomber version prototype but were told to change it to a control stick by RAF Fighter Command. It was pointed out that the pilot could use his muscles more effectively with a yoke than a stick and that using a stick would therefore reduce the roll rate of the aircraft. Not only that but the change in design would delay the introduction of the new type and cost more. Still, the RAF insisted it was changed. In their minds bombers had yokes and fighters had sticks and that was that.

In a small aircraft like a Spitfire I can see where a yoke might obscure a lot of the instrument panel's gauges and switches, but in a large cockpit like the Mosquito had this was less of an issue.

[Nilsen]

Why did they put a steering wheel on the P-38, that was typically used on bombers not fighters.

The P38 is a bomber

[BigPlay]

The P38 is a bomber

I know it carries and drops bombs but the "P" designation says it's a fighter. I have a felling your just being fascias.

[RTHolmes]

better question: why did the RAF move over to regular sticks?

nothing ergonomic about the vertical stick, i mean when you're cruising in a car with one hand on the wheel, does you hand go naturally to the 1-2 oclock position, or to dead 3 oclock with your grip vertical?


afaik the usual pilot position for a kill in a spitty would have been hunched down into the sight, knees under your chin with your feet on the upper set of rudder pedals (reduces G-effects) with both hands on the stick, elbows braced hard against the side of the cockpit. bit different from lounging at a desk

[Ack-Ack]

The P38 is a bomber

  Friggin' Lutefisk eating Norwegians!


ack-ack

[Angus]

I presume you refer to the steering of...a Spitfire?

[Scherf]

Dunno 'bout this one. Have an interview in which John Cunningham said he preferred the yoke to the stick.

Not sure why (if?) Fighter Command would insist on a stick, already had plenty of Beaus with "spectacles", so far as I know, unless one of the Beaufighter nerds has more info.

[Vuokko]

Friggin' Lutefisk eating Norwegians!

ack-ack

And he is still right.

[Bosco123]

I presume you refer to the steering of...a Spitfire?

Almost all RAF fighters. I had this thought today when I was looking at my cockpit kit for my new Seafury that we are building and they have the same concept. I was curious.

[Tilt]

All Lavochkin aircraft upto the La 5FN also had a circular (oval) grip. (AH has an La7 stick in its La5FN)

It enabled the pilot to over come extreme stick forces using two hands.............. in the case of lavochkins the stick forces were reduced when subtle changes were made to the control surface actuaters and this enabled the single handle stick to be implemented in the La7.

[frank3]

Real life pilots must've been glad they didn't have the twisty stick!