Author Topic: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance  (Read 282 times)

Offline sanfordpaul

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 74
Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« on: February 24, 2014, 12:02:46 PM »
It seems to me that if I get one sides elevator and horizontal stabilizer damaged at the same time the plane will fly as if the elevator is not damaged but will be more unstable. If I get just the elevator damaged on one side then the pitch rate is reduced as it should be. I have noticed this in the spit 16 and p-51 but it could be all planes. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me? :noid

Offline Ack-Ack

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 25260
      • FlameWarriors
Re: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 02:00:51 PM »
It's on all planes and there is a thread where it's explained why it's like that.  Unfortunately, I don't have the link to the thread where HiTech explains it but it's not considered to be a bug with the flight model.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Banshee7

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6644
Re: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2014, 04:46:42 PM »
I was fighting at TT last night in an F4U-1A with one elevator, and I can definitely tell a difference in performance in pitch.  I'm now curious as to what Ack-Ack is talking about now!

Off to the search feature I go!!
Tours 86 - 296

Offline Ack-Ack

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 25260
      • FlameWarriors
Re: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2014, 06:38:35 PM »
With a H stab missing the plane is less stable. Less stability creates the ability for a more rapid AOA changes. Turn performance would decrease , or possibly remain the same.

With 1 elevator destroyed your turn performance will decrease, it the corrisponding stab is then destroyed your turn performance will go back up. We thought this was a bug until we brought it up in our force vector displayer and saw that what is happening is with 1 side  elevator gone and the stab remaining, the stab is fighting the other elevator so you can not generate the AOA you need. Once that stab is removed, the AOA you can generate is restored.

HiTech
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline sanfordpaul

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 74
Re: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2014, 09:53:51 PM »
Oh, so that explains it then. It has to do with physics, not my strong suit. Thanks for the quick reply and see you in the air. :airplane:

Offline Banshee7

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6644
Re: Elevator damage not reflected in flight performance
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2014, 11:07:58 PM »
Thank you Ack!  Pretty interesting.   I never thought of it that way. 
Tours 86 - 296