Again, a great post by Pand and some great comments on the thread! One thing that I would mention is just this: As I understand the establishment of glide, climb and manoeuvring speeds, the speeds listed in the operating Manuel, (POH) is established by computing the numbers the test pilots give to the engineers and then it is corrected to SEA level. That comes straight from the mouth of a "design" engineer who works for one of America's biggest military aircraft builders. There are so many variables in establishing the different speeds, that it is hard to "pin" the speed down to one number! Example, density altitude is the only thing the aircraft wing recognise when it comes to performance of that aircraft. If a "Ponie" has a best glide speed of 164,(K model POH), at sea level, at 23,000 feet, it is going to be something other than the 164, to get the maximum performance and glide distance. Head wind or tail wind also makes a big difference in the glide distance of any aircraft. The weight of the aircraft has something to do with the performance also. The glide figures you see, with most aircraft is assuming a 50% amount of fuel left in the tanks. Can you feather the prop? Another good question, is there any aircraft damage, such as a wing tip missing, prop blade broke off? As you can see, there are a number of things which effect glide distance and my recommendation is to use what the manufacturer recommends! One thing that works to all our advantage in Aces High, there is no wind and density altitude is something we don't have to consider.
One of the first things you should know about an aircraft is its glide "ratio"! Is it 4 to 1? That means does it go 4 feet forward for every foot of altitude lost? Or does it mean you lose 4 feet of altitude for every foot you move forward?
The one thing I would recommend for all flyers in Aces High to do is, sometime with nothing else to do, glide, engine shut down, from 1 sector line to the next one. Observe your altitude when you start your glide, then observe it again after reaching the next sector line. The sectors are 25 mile from one sector line to the next, so you should be able to decide how many total miles you can glide in this game, depending of course, on what altitude you had engine failure. This will give you a heads up on whether or not you can reach your base of choice after engine failure.
While you are checking aircraft performance in this game, you should also check two other figures as well. In auto-climb with full power,(no WEP), how much altitude can you gain in one sector of flight? Next, at your normal cruising speed, again, check from sector line to the next, so as to better give your buddies a ETA to their position.
Oh well, didn't mean to be so long winded, but Pand has raised a good point and hopfully the comments I made will give people in the game "food" for thought and maybe, just maybe it will make a better pilot of someone who wants to learn.
