A few wishes

[Pigslilspaz]

The gear drop and fire aren't eye candy, it's part of the damage/flight models. If one of your gear drops and you aren't fast enough for it to rip, it would definitely alter the flight characteristics.

The gear locks are not controlled by the hydraulic system. Unless you went under there with a hammer and banged them off or somehow mananged to shoot the locks through the wing, the gear isnt going to drop with a hydraulic failure.

I only know of a few WWII aircraft that DON'T have hydraulic gears.

[titanic3]

If it doesn't rip then you're probably dead anyway, meaning you aren't high or fast enough to dive and break off your gears/diving and run away from your enemy. Would it affect the flight characteristics? Yes, of course. But would it last long enough to matter? Probably not.

It's rare that you see guys limping home with half a wing, because 90% of the time, they're dead 2 seconds after their wing rips off.

Stuck landing gears would be the same, except that besides a little drag and maybe some shuddering, your plane can still fly straight and level. With half a wing, it's much more challenging and fun to bring home a wounded plane. With a stuck gear, it's like landing without it.

Adding this would probably be purely cosmetics and eye candy.

[Pigslilspaz]

If it affects more than just visuals, then it by nature is not PURELY eye candy as you had said.

[beau32]

True, if the gear is down, It will affect the handling of the aircraft.

[Raptor05121]

Landing gears DO drop due to hydraulic power loss. Plenty of videos on YouTube that shows it.

Where at? And to be determined they are in fact hydraulic loss, I'm sure the video also shows the fact the gear lever is in the "up" position and the hydraulic system was in fact hit? Or is this more gun camera footage of the gear going down?

[titanic3]

Here's one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCdWYttR7s8

At the very end of the video, you can see the gear lowering mid flight.

As for the question of whether or not it really is the hydraulic system, how else did you think the gear were held in place? Duct tape?

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ec4tz1awEQ&feature=related

Another one where at 0:26, you can see the gear lower just a bit. Also at 0:49 as well.

[Raptor05121]

Here's one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCdWYttR7s8

At the very end of the video, you can see the gear lowering mid flight.

As for the question of whether or not it really is the hydraulic system, how else did you think the gear were held in place? Duct tape?

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ec4tz1awEQ&feature=related

Another one where at 0:26, you can see the gear lower just a bit. Also at 0:49 as well.

First video: okay, the gear is going down. This neither proved nor disclaims the pilot-operated it or somehow something failed.

Second video:

0:26- Again, gear is slightly down, I see that. Now that brings into question the locks. The wing could have been compromised causing the locking system to break or detatch.

0:49- What kind of plane is that? Gear was down when the filming started, again proving neither of us.

From a mechanic friend of the family (has worked on various T-6 Texans):

"Most light planes have various locking means which keep the gear up even after a hydraulic failure. For example, the Grumman Cougar uses a mechanical release to let out the fluid in the gear actuating cylinder, so even if the rest of the system fluid is lost, the fluid providing the hydraulic lock in the cylinder remains trapped until the gear handle is lowered and the valves are opened electrically.

As for what they had in WWII-vintage aircraft to reduce ballistic vulnerability, hydraulic lines were not pressurized when they don't have to be. A pressurized spray is a lot more likely to be ignited by an incendiary round than a dribble, and also to cause more damage to surrounding components once ignited. Mechanical uplocks were the basic use on many aircraft."

[Rino]

Comming from the air at a decent altitude, I doubt you would be able to catch a stray round from a ricochet, though plausable.

Any fuel tank on a plane can catch fire, not just the B-24. The B-24 just happens to be easy to light up like the Zero.

For the gear locks, better start doing some research on landing gear and hydraulic systems if hit in the right spot, the gear will free fall.

 

     In 1983 we lost an F4 at the range.  Because it went in tailfirst at 400 knots, it's impossible to determine what
caused the smoke in the cockpit.  One of the theories the USAF came up with was 20mm ricochets from the strafing
pass they were on.  Fortunately the crew was able to punch out so all we lost was the airplane.

     The other popular theory was a compressor stall at the bottom of his run.  Since all the crew heard was a loud bang
and smoke filling the cockpit both are likely possible.  Or a very very large birdstrike 

[beau32]

I dont doubt that a stray round couldnt come back and hit the plane, though IMHO I find it highly unlikely. Watching the rounds impact in the video, they seem to spread out in almost a fan shape away from the target. But if possible, add it to the game as well to increase the danger of attacking very low to the deck. (on a side note, has there ever been a example of it happening or recorded)

Could be a compressor stall as well, if the engine doesnt respond right to different varables (temp, humidty, pressure) among other things, it very well could have been a compressor stall. But with smoke filling up the cockpit, they might of even had a engine tear itself apart, as would be the result of the loud bang they heard.

[Raptor05121]

Nail in the coffin-

In combat situations from back in WWII -- putting the gear down was actually a gentleman's agreement --- Hey, I'm in trouble here and my plane is hurt really bad and I can no longer fight please do not kill me. They talk about it in many books.... Get shot up, put the gear down and head for the deck. You may be able to make it home or you may have to put it down. Of course not everyone followed that agreement and some got shot down trying to make a landing in a field following a dog fight. So the gear was most likely put down by the pilot for that reason.

It would be cool if we started doing this in Aces High....