Author Topic: Missing half a wing? Don't be dumb like me (Read 1144 times)

snocone · « **on:** April 25, 2003, 10:29:42 AM »

i feel like such a retard. it has happened so many times, loose part of a wing, fight the plane back to a base with my rudder all the way to the left, only to get back, throttle down and i start spinnin and divin really slowly. makes landing impossible. the solution? USE THE FREAKIN TRIM TABS!! elevator all the way up, aileron and rudder all the way to one side. makes the bird pretty managable. it will still tend to roll some with rpm changes, but you can get on the ground safely. please dont flame me for having my head so far up my arse, i just didnt think the tabs would help anywhere near as much as they do. i hope this helps and gets some more pilots home

bockko · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2003, 10:33:04 AM »

I feel your pain brother!

I too have brought many shot up mounts home...only to plough polygons as I bite the warm, soft, inviting home field. I gotta work the tabs next time! Thanks for sharing.

"HI, my name is bockk, and I have a landing problem........"

recon7 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2003, 11:28:37 AM »

Hi, Bockk! LOL, never been to a meeting tho, really...

Great info, had the same problem, but too much of a pilot newb to work the trim, etc. will give it a try, tonight after the inevitable happens. LOL

Falstaff · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2003, 12:28:07 PM »

OK, I'm even more stupid, since I trimmed the aileron only, and not the rudder. It works fine until you slow down!

Thanks for the tip -- I had given up trying to land without wing parts, now I have new hope.

Tarmac · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2003, 01:08:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Falstaff
OK, I'm even more stupid, since I trimmed the aileron only, and not the rudder. It works fine until you slow down!

Thanks for the tip -- I had given up trying to land without wing parts, now I have new hope.

At slow speed, get your flaps down. Once you do that, the plane is pretty manageable. Transfers the majority of lift to the inboard wing surface, instead of the damaged tip.

snocone · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2003, 01:27:38 PM »

very good point tarmac, but make sure your flap isnt damaged on the damaged wing or you will really go out of control in the roll, too much lift on undamaged wing.
would be cool if we had seperate controls for left and right flaps

Urchin · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2003, 11:59:17 AM »

Depends on what plane you are in. 109s can't fly with a broken wingtip, period. All the American planes can, with the F4U and the P-38 being the easiest to keep under control. La-7 can, don't know about the Yak. Don't know about the Italian stuff or the Japanese planes either.

Samiam · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2003, 02:01:58 PM »

Heck, a Corsair with half a wing is standard operating procedure. Not sure the last time I landed an F4U that had two good wings. Flaps and trim make it pretty easy to limp home and land.

Now if someone could give me hints on landing with both alerons gone...

Tarmac · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2003, 05:00:47 PM »

You can make it with both ailerons gone. Gotta use rudder to control your roll. Set up a very careful approach, and set her down carefully, again using rudder to keep your plane level before you touch down.

guttboy · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:09:00 AM »

You can also land a plane without elevators as well.

I ended up landing a plane without elevators yesterday....just use that throttle baby for your pitch control, kinda like you do in a real plane by using throttle control.

Was a blast...took me 12 min to get to the airfield before the landing but was well worth it...glad I didnt throw in the towel.

Soda · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:38:42 AM »

Spits don't do well without a tip, neither does the Typhoon. Not sure you can land either of those while missing a tip. 190's are easy, same with US iron.

-Soda
Aces High Trainer Corps.
The Assassins.

Flyboy · « **Reply #11 on:** May 28, 2003, 06:23:26 AM »

landed a typhoon and a tempest with out a wing tip

wasnt easy at all but trim and flaps make it possible

snocone · « **Reply #12 on:** May 28, 2003, 09:22:14 AM »

tea bag planes are certainly more difficult, but it can be done, i should know, cant fly anything worth a dern but spits

OIO · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:54:25 PM »

actually, you dont need to trim anything BUT the elevator.

In ANY plane, losing a wingtip, just trim the elevator down. The plane ceases to pull voilently to the lost wing side, which allows you to gently fly straight with a little joystick and rudder input.

On P38, navy planes and bombers (aka those with BIG flaps), you can lower 2 notches of flaps to regain a lot of control. This holds especially true in a P38 and Me262.

With elevator trimed down, a nose down pull makes your plane level out, an upwards pull makes it twist towards the lost wing side. Thats why with rudder and flaps out you can keep your altitude and manouver gently and land with no big effort.

HeLLcAt · « **Reply #14 on:** May 28, 2003, 08:05:58 PM »

Here's what you do. Trim your rudder and aileron all the way to the other side of the plane - the side where the wing is not damaged. Use full rudder to that side also, WEP if you can spare it and when you are about to land, slowly throttle back....full flaps and make sure your plane is leaning to the side of the good wing that way if you mess up on the controls you have a little bit of leeway when you put the bird down.