Need to learn to fly the 109 e4 instead of crash it.

[wgmount]

need to learn combat skills in the e4 for the coming FSO. Anyone want to spend some time with me in the TA working with the E4?

It doesn't seem to have the acceleration I thought it would or the climbing ability. And everytime I try to fight with a vertical maneuver added in I usually stall the thing into the ground.

[Krusty]

I'll leave it up to others who may want to help you in the TA, but I'll post a couple of comments that may (or may not?) help.


You have to remember it's a 1940 aircraft. It's got a lot of horsepower for its time, but at the time 1200hp was high.

On top of that, like later 109s (maybe more so, because of the lesser horsepower) it suffers when flown on full internal fuel. In the FSO you will need to take full fuel, and hope that by the time you encounter the enemy you've drained some of it off.

As for vertical manuvers, just try to get a feel for when it gives out and nose her down (or complete the loop) before that happens. Keep an eye on your speed -- or at least the relative "feel" of the speed. Try not to hang on the prop if you can. Use fluid loops or immelmans or some other move to gain altitude (spiral climbs, anyone?). The problem with the nose-high hang-on-the-prop is that the 109E is a bit of a pig at stall speeds. It really shines just above the stall speed, but if you are coming out of a rope/zoom, and even you avoid the fall/stall/flop, you're still a sitting duck unless you dive back down to regain some speed.

In general, if it hurts when you poke yourself in the eye, stop poking yerself in the eye! 

(Meaning: try not to use the stall-out-while-nose-high manuver so much!)

P.S. If memory serves, I think the E-4 only has 5 minutes of WEP, not 10 like its later brothers. Use it a bit more sparingly. If you can. I realize that sometimes the fight dictates your WEP use.

[Plazus]

Dont all 109s have 5 minutes of WEP?

[Krusty]

Most have 10, same with the Fw190 series. These are historical times, so don't sweat it.

Most German planes had 10 minute WEP, most others 5 (some less). There are a couple of allied planes that may have 10 mins WEP as well (Lavochkins, maybe?)

[wgmount]

Am I better of with manual trim or combat trim?

[FLS]

Generally combat trim except at minimum and maximum speeds.

[Krusty]

Some folks say CT will hurt and manual trim will help you win a fight. Combat trim doesn't hurt all that much. I have aileron and elevator trims mapped to axes on my throttle, but I also have "combat trim" toggle-able on a joystick button. I fly with both on and off, so I have a feel for the different flying. It only really "hurts" in a few planes: Ki-84 (porks elevator authority), P-38s (elevators again), F4us (can screw with pitch when popping flaps) and maybe a couple others.

For the most part it's no hindrance to dogfighting, IMO.

[morfiend]

 Flushed,

  the 1 time that manual trim really comes in handy is when in a prolonged dive or at extremely high speeds as FLS says.
 the elevator authority on the 109's suffers at high sppeds and you may need to use up elevator trim to pull out of a dive or toget the nose up at speeds over about 400/450 ias. Please dont confuse this with compression as compression comes at much higher speeds,but the "heavy" elevator effect happens well below comprssion.

 Give me a shout in the TA and we'll go a few rounds in the "E" and hopefully we'll both get something out of it!

   

[Ardy123]

Flushed,

  the 1 time that manual trim really comes in handy is when in a prolonged dive or at extremely high speeds as FLS says.
 the elevator authority on the 109's suffers at high sppeds and you may need to use up elevator trim to pull out of a dive or toget the nose up at speeds over about 400/450 ias. Please dont confuse this with compression as compression comes at much higher speeds,but the "heavy" elevator effect happens well below comprssion.

 Give me a shout in the TA and we'll go a few rounds in the "E" and hopefully we'll both get something out of it!

   

When I fly a 109, I never use combat trim. It fights you at slow speeds ACMs, esp moves that in some way exploit the torque of the engine.

[TequilaChaser]

combat trim affects all planes for all "flap positions"........

The way that hitech &/or pyro explained Combat Trim, is that it is a "set value of numbers(speeds)" that Combat Trim uses for level  "trimmed" flight and that
the Flap settings / Flap speeds, are not included or accounted for (coded) into those "set value of numbers(speeds)"

hope this helps......

[wgmount]

Yes, I noticed while in the TA that the nose tends to move around while taking shots at morfiend with the flaps down, as it does with the F4U,  I will try it tomorrow with combat trim off.

[daMIG]

  Great Stuff Krusty (Hey TC! <S>)

I think you have hit the nail on the head, this ride or another... feel for the speed to gracefully keep the turn going or "Hang on the wall like a photo of Morfiends next kil". I tend to do the latter, forgetting about the e I have and what the wep is doing. I have noticed that combat trim on on level and if I go to trim it ill bump off so the airframe wont fight the turn.

Turn, yeah, I need to remember where the rotation of the prop is going of the ride I have, AND, remember what the "hard" direction to turn the other plane is.

Ole Miggy lost a few braincells in the 60's and I am trying to learn the flight characturistics, gunnery as you. I have more fun having fun, fly n die. TC, I am up for a bit of "Back to the basics bro", the gunnery, Oh the gunnery.....

e4's a fun plane.....

Old? I saw Jimi play ive in Hawaii when I was in high school. Fun? Yes, I play this for the fun with the great sticks in here.
<<<--hands ANGRY a cup of joe, Fresh.. Hot n Black!

<Salute>