New dot command for decending alt bombers

[SEraider]

Decending a B29 and B24 from 30k for RTB is risky and frustrating if you are too overzealous.  I'd like to see something where we can set our nose down smoothly without fighting our controls such as a .decend -2.5 (-2500 ft/min) at 200mph let's say.  We could be afk a few minutes and come back and take control for final approach.  It's no different than auto take off right?

[Spikes]

Point your nose down and chop throttle, hit shift X is it?

[Butcher]

Watch your drones.... they slip away easy off from the descent and slow down - repeat from 30k to 1k, not entirely frustrating.

[ImADot]

Auto-speed auto pilot. Most people inaccurately call it "Auto Climb".

Set the speed to 200 and throttle back until you are on a steady decent at the rate you want.

[Lusche]

It is neither risky nor difficult. Chop throttle, slow down, then alt-x and drop flaps. In a B-29, that will bring you from 30k down to 3k in about 5 minutes. No lost drones, no watching the speed gauge required.

[SEraider]

It is neither risky nor difficult. Chop throttle, slow down, then alt-x and drop flaps. In a B-29, that will bring you from 30k down to 3k in about 5 minutes. No lost drones, no watching the speed gauge required.

What would be the neg climb rate?  Will plane stress?  How about the drones?

[Lusche]

What would be the neg climb rate?  Will plane stress?  How about the drones?

No stress, no lost drones. No problems at all. For descent rate, see again my message above

[SEraider]

No stress, no lost drones. No problems at all. For descent rate, see again my message above

5,400 per minute? Wow, that's amazing without stressing it.  I'll try that in the TA.  Thanks.

[Butcher]

5,400 per minute? Wow, that's amazing without stressing it.  I'll try that in the TA.  Thanks.

I managed this earlier, was at 26k and dropped to 3k keeping an average speed of 400mph until 10-15k? then had to slow down to 350 then 300.

each time I simply kicked the rudder, dumped throttle and used a long glide decent.

[Lusche]

5,400 per minute? Wow, that's amazing without stressing it.  I'll try that in the TA.  Thanks.

Because your airspeed is actually very low. True airspeed goes from 280mph at 26k down to 199 at about 3 1/2 k.
Auto pilot is on all the time, no need to stomp rudder or to have hands on the stick at all.

[earl1937]

I managed this earlier, was at 26k and dropped to 3k keeping an average speed of 400mph until 10-15k? then had to slow down to 350 then 300.

each time I simply kicked the rudder, dumped throttle and used a long glide decent.

You managed to keep your rudder above 340 MPH IAS while decending? You must be flying a different model 29 in this game than the one I have been flying.

[SEraider]

So then the procedure is:

1)  .speed 200
2)  Once Speed reached 200, alt-X?

Lusche, can you clarify this for me please?

[Lusche]

I already gave the details in my initial post:

It is neither risky nor difficult. Chop throttle, slow down, then alt-x and drop flaps.

That is all.

[Babalonian]

Wish granted X2.

So then the procedure is:

1)  .speed 200
2)  Once Speed reached 200, alt-X?

Lusche, can you clarify this for me please?

After adjusting the set speed (.speed X), you want to be close to it before engaging the auto-pilot to auto-climb at that speed (alt+x) otherwise the auto pilot will take apropriatley drastic action in responce to how drastic your current airspeed differs from your intended/desired airspeed.  Too slow, the plane will imediatley nose down to gain the necessary speed.  Too fast, and teh plane will imediatley nose-up to bleed the excessive speed.

Essenitaly what you're doing is manipulating the auto-climb feature of the AH auto pilot.  It should more apropriatley be named "auto-speed" rather than "auto-climb" to best understand it.... it doesn't matter how much thrust/power or what your altitude is when you engage this mode, it will "automaticly" pitch up or down to atain and consistently hold a constant speed.... weather that's a steady nose-up angle or nose-down angle depends on the speed you desire and the power setting you've set.

I hope that helps you unerstand how to use auto-climb as a steady decent tool.

There is one more that may be easier for you as it requires less thinking.  Not many know of it in AH, but there is a constant-angle auto-pilot mode (shift+x).  This can be easier to initialy use, as you simply nose up or down to your desired angle and activate, but is a lot more dangerous than the above method, as you can unwittingly set your plane into too steep of a dive or climb, and if you walk away from your computer the auto-pilot will do nothing if over/under speeding becomes a problem, ultimatley resulting in a stall and or crash.

The best way to decend with a bomber in AH, avoiding any accidental over-speed in the porcess, is the .speed command and then engaging auto-climb/speed (alt+X).  That's what Lusche is trying to explain, there is no automated means that's more safer/reliable, you set your throtle at 10-20% power and your speed to 200, engage and your plane will NEVER go faster or slower than that speed unless shot down or your forget to come back to your computer before running out of altitude/fuel (or your cat disengages your auto-pilot).  The easiest way is to set the angle manualy and hitting shift+x, but as mentioned this method ignores speed to the point it can easily be fatal.

[100Coogn]

So then the procedure is:

1)  .speed 200
2)  Once Speed reached 200, alt-X?

Lusche, can you clarify this for me please?

  Can't speak for Lushce, but you have the right idea.  200 mph is a very safe speed for a bomber using Auto-Speed.  I like to set mine so slow, that the stall horn begins to singing, which is
around 120-130 mph in a B-17. (Been a while, but I usually do that when I'm out of fuel)
If it feels like it's going to stall, just increase your speed setting. (.speed xxx)  No need to hit Alt-X again.  If you have Auto-Speed engaged, the speed change you make will be noticed
immediately.  Just make sure you throttle way back, before engaging, so you don't compress or lose a wing.

Coogan  

[Edit] Babalonian explained it quite proficiently...