Shif + A

[earl1937]

  As most everyone in here knows, I spend 95% of my time in bombers, mostly the B-17. We have auto climb, shif + X and just plain X for level flight. One of the problems I run into constantly when on bombing missions is this: I have already made one pass over base or town or what ever, bad guy about 2 k back, just waiting for me to turn back to target for second pass, I am watching him with "hat" switch or F3 or F8 and when I start the turn back, in he comes and I go into the #4 tail gun and aircraft immediately goes straight and level. I really need to continue my turn back to target, but have to fight off the con. Back and forth we go and now, I am way off my lineup back to target and have to re-compute inbd headings for hangars left up or to the town.
I would like to see Shif + A added, so that what ever attitude your aircraft was in, the aircraft would maintain that attitude. That way, when the bad guy comes in for the attack, I can defend with out the bomber going level and straight.
This would also be helpful when forming up after takeoff, when you have several bombers which need to form up on the leader. Just set up a 1/2 standard rate, 800FPM ROC, make your 1 or 2 360 degree turns around the base getting formed up and away you go.

[Wiley]

Your wish as requested isn't there ingame, but are you aware that you can make a level turn from a gun position using your rudders?

Wiley.

[Tilt]

Your wish as requested isn't there ingame, but are you aware that you can make a level turn from a gun position using your rudders?

Wiley.

or a constant speed turn

or a constant attitude turn

[earl1937]

Your wish as requested isn't there ingame, but are you aware that you can make a level turn from a gun position using your rudders?

Wiley.

Oh yes, well aware of it! Everyone is always talking about being historically accurate, don't believe a tail gunner on a B-17 could make any kind of control inputs while in flight! All I am suggesting is the ability of controlling the attitude of the aircraft while in a gunners position. I don't believe that is to much to ask for!

[Karnak]

I unusually do my turns onto a new heading to bomb again from the bombsight as I want minimal change in speed or altitude to occur.

[XxDaSTaRxx]

Oh yes, well aware of it! Everyone is always talking about being historically accurate, don't believe a tail gunner on a B-17 could make any kind of control inputs while in flight! All I am suggesting is the ability of controlling the attitude of the aircraft while in a gunners position. I don't believe that is to much to ask for!

Great idea. I like it. But, in some schematics of the B-17G did include some gunners to have control input of the aircraft if something would happen to the pilots. It never saw use or production though, seeming as the gunners were never taught to fly the thing.

[olds442]

Great idea. I like it. But, in some schematics of the B-17G did include some gunners to have control input of the aircraft if something would happen to the pilots. It never saw use or production though, seeming as the gunners were never taught to fly the thing.

Or the engineers at Boeing thought it was a bad idea for someone to fly the plane facing back words...

[mthrockmor]

I'd give this a thumbs up, +1. Much as AH fixed the radiator on the Dora.

Simple, practical truth. Multi-crew birds should have some element of AI to help them fight like a multi-crew bird. A simple, constant turn function seems fair. It will make life a bit more difficult for buff killers but that seems like real life as well.

And, if we can add some realism to the buffs it could attract more buff drivers. When I first joined AH there were a few all-buff squads that constantly dragged small masses of silver around the map.

boo

[colmbo]

This isn't needed, you can already do this by using rudder pedals when in the gunner position…and it makes a nice level turn so your calibration doesn't get pooched up.

[hlbly]

Not fast enough with out porking his run. Earl as for the historical guys. How many B-17's ya think had one guy running around doing every thing


+1

[earl1937]

This isn't needed, you can already do this by using rudder pedals when in the gunner position…and it makes a nice level turn so your calibration doesn't get pooched up.

I can think of several reasons for this suggestion, descending turns approaching landing, climbing turns during climb out, turns back to target or if that would not be acceptable, then disable the automatic return to straight and level when entering a gun position. Bombers in this game are at a huge disadvange when maneuvering for bomb run or landing and taking off, and the score hounds know this. We already have Alt + X, Shif + X, X, so why not add Shif + A for attitude? As for using rudder pedals, I prefer not to do anything which is not normal operating procedure for an aircraft in this game. I realize this is just a game, but old habits are hard to break!

[earl1937]

Not fast enough with out porking his run. Earl as for the historical guys. How many B-17's ya think had one guy running around doing every thing


+1

You make a good point and I have often asked the question, "how many times was a B-29 shot down by a German aircraft? How many times was a Lanc shot down by a KI84 or a Zeke? I am not asking for a major change, just an additional auto pilot function!

[colmbo]

  As for using rudder pedals, I prefer not to do anything which is not normal operating procedure for an aircraft in this game. I realize this is just a game, but old habits are hard to break!

There is already too much automation in the game, IMO.  It wasn't normal operating procedure for only 1 person to man a crewed aircraft, nor was it normal operating procedure to use the auto pilot to fly programmed patterns for join up, etc.  (From guys I talked to the auto-pilots of the era were very crude, not very sophisticated)  It wasn't normal procedure for formation lead to use the J and L keys to make skidding turns either so flying from a gunner position isn't off the wall….it's a compromise to make it possible for 1 person to be a crew of 10.

Try flying from a gunner position.  Set the auto-pilot to the mode desired then jump to a gunner position.  Otto will keep the .speed or level or angle you have selected but you can use the pedals to make coordinated banked turns.  Frankly it flys better turns than most humans do.   This allows you to maneuver as needed while manning a gun, you can defend while turning back to the target AND it requires that you fly the airplane.