doggone shootin with them ole flaps down!

[jocrp6]

   I have the hardest time trying to hit another plane at point-blank range to 200, with the flaps dropped and elevaters manually trimed down and some prop pitch pulled out, is just a luck thing when you do hit anything?   and is there anyway to get some the crazy senitivity out of rudder peddals,  I have the saitek and been from extrm to extrm, very lightly start pushing.. and your all over the place.  been that way sence new, 
   Any thoughts on the matter?   Misfire,

[Vudu15]

Ive always found smooth input to be the way to do. what airframe are you flying when you do this type of fighting?

and If youd like I can put a video up in the training section with some stuff from that particular aircraft. You might also look in the training forum right now youll see a post over near stall flight and some fighting tips.
but I can put a video together with whatever plane your doing this fighting in.

[VonMessa]

   I have the hardest time trying to hit another plane at point-blank range to 200, with the flaps dropped and elevaters manually trimed down and some prop pitch pulled out, is just a luck thing when you do hit anything?   and is there anyway to get some the crazy senitivity out of rudder peddals,  I have the saitek and been from extrm to extrm, very lightly start pushing.. and your all over the place.  been that way sence new, 
   Any thoughts on the matter?   Misfire,

You need to unload your air frame as much as possible before shooting.

how are you changing the prop pitch if I may ask?

[Reschke]

I think he means RPM's are down instead of prop pitch. The only WW2 type game that I know of which allows you to change pitch in the propeller are the ones by 1C which are the IL-2 series.

[jocrp6]

I think he means RPM's are down instead of prop pitch. The only WW2 type game that I know of which allows you to change pitch in the propeller are the ones by 1C which are the IL-2 series.

 
   Ya'll kill me on this RPM/prop pitch!  the rpm changes prop pitch... next time you guy's come in for a normal landing...doing everything like you do normally... bring the rpm's back some,  I bet you'll almost over shoot your landing!   I use it to lighten up the front of the plane, and also at the top of loop's, and in steep dives, smooths the plane out!

[jocrp6]

Ive always found smooth input to be the way to do. what airframe are you flying when you do this type of fighting?

and If youd like I can put a video up in the training section with some stuff from that particular aircraft. You might also look in the training forum right now youll see a post over near stall flight and some fighting tips.
but I can put a video together with whatever plane your doing this fighting in.

  I mostly fly the N1K1 (george)  seems I have to make sure all flaps are up and combat trim on before i can make a decent shot comeing out of tight turn!

[Vudu15]

Well the N1K sure aint world renown for its flap fights. lemme run it a bit and Ill get back with you.

[SPKmes]

Silly question maybe...but have you scaled your stick and pedals? ..... sounds like you are getting a lot of nose bounce

[MK-84]

Any F4u for me is very hard in terms of precision aiming with the flaps down.  But I'm using a 15yr old flight stick     Taking off combat trim helps prevent the plane from trying to nose itself up.

[jocrp6]

Any F4u for me is very hard in terms of precision aiming with the flaps down.  But I'm using a 15yr old flight stick     Taking off combat trim helps prevent the plane from trying to nose itself up.

   MK-84, were on the same page brother,

[FLOTSOM]

OK silly question about alignment....

flaps down raises the nose without changing the altitude, ergo its all attitude.

so if you are lowering your flaps are you mentally aliening your shots for a plane that is actually climbing instead of for a plane with just a lifted nose attitude? wouldnt your visual lead be off because your plane is nose up but falling, not nose up and climbing?

did i say that right? does that make sense?

[Gman]

Yes that makes complete sense Floty, that's how I see it as well.

I know that if you put your flaps down during a fight with combat trim ON, you will have huge issues making shots.  Combat trim and flaps don't get along very well, and if for example you're at the top of a rope and coming around on a target with the flaps deployed, the nose will tend to want to come up drastically, which makes "pulling" lead difficult when the stick needs to be pushed down in order to get the gun sights anywhere close to your target.  Then a "push then pull" type of situation starts to happen and the net result is you are trying to simultaneously push the nose back down towards your target, then pull your nose along the target's flight vector line in order to "pull lead" and keep your firing solution.

Best option I've found is to make sure you turn off combat trim if you have it on just prior to deploying flaps for combat, particularly when I'm at the top of a loop during a rope, and while I'm pulling on the stick to come around on my target I'm also trimming my nose down like mad, as it's far easier to line up my upcoming shot with the nose trimmed to low instead of too high (see the push pull above) when I've got my flaps out in the K4 or most other planes I fly.

[Shuffler]

Yes that makes complete sense Floty, that's how I see it as well.

I know that if you put your flaps down during a fight with combat trim ON, you will have huge issues making shots.  Combat trim and flaps don't get along very well, and if for example you're at the top of a rope and coming around on a target with the flaps deployed, the nose will tend to want to come up drastically, which makes "pulling" lead difficult when the stick needs to be pushed down in order to get the gun sights anywhere close to your target.  Then a "push then pull" type of situation starts to happen and the net result is you are trying to simultaneously push the nose back down towards your target, then pull your nose along the target's flight vector line in order to "pull lead" and keep your firing solution.

Best option I've found is to make sure you turn off combat trim if you have it on just prior to deploying flaps for combat, particularly when I'm at the top of a loop during a rope, and while I'm pulling on the stick to come around on my target I'm also trimming my nose down like mad, as it's far easier to line up my upcoming shot with the nose trimmed to low instead of too high (see the push pull above) when I've got my flaps out in the K4 or most other planes I fly.

I fly with Ct on all the time.

[Dace]

I fly with Ct on all the time.

Me too. Well, almost all the time.

[hotard]

  To paraphrase Eli Wallach; when you have to shoot, don't fiddle around, SHOOT!