Will it ever get better???

[nopoop]

"If" your new to flightsims and joysticks.

Throw the feedback in the trash and get set up with a set of rudder pedals along with a throttle and stick.

Nothin like rudder pedals.

It be flying.

[Halo]

Well ... yeah, rudder pedals are nice, but more clutter and fuss.  I like my trusty twisty stick a lot ... Logitech Extreme 3D Pro.  

As others have said, make the joystick do your bidding.  Make sure the stick is responsive just the way you like it, and tailor all the views and button settings to your preferences.  

Controls have to be fluid and instinctive.  If you have to stop and think about a control or what to press or push to get x response, you're giving your opponent a major advantage.

[LtPillur]

Originally posted by nopoop
"If" your new to flightsims and joysticks.

Throw the feedback in the trash and get set up with a set of rudder pedals along with a throttle and stick.

Nothin like rudder pedals.

It be flying.

I'm not new to sims, just Ah. I got the joystick for a present. When I mentioned how much it cost to my wife she said something like "Isn't that a lot of money?" The idea of selling her on rudder pedals will be next to impossible. On the other hand she might say something like "Why not go buy a REAL plane??" We may be on to something here!!:D
Pillur

PS I don't use the feedback in AH, just some of the other flight sims

[Max]

Originally posted by LtPillur
The P-51D and the spits are usually my first choices. If I can't kill i want to be able to run!
Pillur

Smart man.

DmdMax

[Spitter]

Well, still haven't scored a single kill.  Got shot down plenty of times though, so ya'll are welcome for the free points.  
I did find a way to get some points that still requires a fair amount of skill....flying suplplies in a gooney.  
Trying to stay under 200 ft so you don't show up on radar can be a challenge, especially in the ummm....maneuverable goon.
I actually got some bomber perks!  woot.
BTW, what's the lowest alt you can drop troops from without landing?

Cheers,
Spitter

[HUN]

Originally posted by Spitter

BTW, what's the lowest alt you can drop troops from without landing?  

800 Feet Above Ground Level

[Soda]

Originally posted by HUN
800 Feet Above Ground Level

Actually, the minimum is only 650ft, but with a safety margin in mind most people recommend 750-800ft (which is good).

[killnu]

one thing id recommend is picking one plane you enjoy flying and master it.  i fly the 38 pretty much exclusively and am still learning things about it (after about a year).  but once you get comfortable in it, try other planes, i flew the ones that gave me a hard time to figure out what they can do, i flew them enough just to get comfortable in them.  it does take time though.  oh, stay high and stay fast, that helps sometimes.    
~S~

[RTR]

LtPillur, reference the nose bouncing.

First thing you need to do is from the clipboard click on setup------>Joystick and then click on the force feedback tab. Make sure you put an X in the box labelled "disable all forces", then click apply.  The reason for this is that (and I may be wrong here)  I think it is enabled by default, and will cause some pretty weird stick scaling and feel problems, if you do not have a FFB stick.

Recalibrate your stick in windows and then again in the game.

Try it out and see what you think. Then you can go play with scaling, damping and deadband.

As for the rest, perserverence and practice. It will come to you.

hope this helps, and welcome to AH.

cheers,
RTR

[68DevilM]

definately good advise, and the one about picking your targets too is good.

if your coming in higher than everyone else look for the lone a/c either at your alt or just a little under you, whatever you do try not to lose all of your alt diveing into a big group unless there arent any other targets, also situational awarness helps me alot,
look around alot and check from time to time your six while your on someone elses, there might be someone there.

lastly know when to dissengadge and rtb to collect your kills, dont be greedy

[gologt]

Here I thought I was having a bad time!  feels like I hit the wall and not improving but I have only been at it for less than two weeks! I love this game alot of my other activities are starting to suffer from it (like getting some exercise!).

 My problem is that if I am lucky enough to get on someones six they tend to evade and end up on my six where I can't shake them and sometimes I will be looking back to see where they are and end up digging gopher holes if you know what I mean.

I tend to stick with the Spit and P51-d myself.

Any tips on the B&Z with the Pony? When I dive in on the enemy they make a little turn and kills my boom!

Any help  wouuld be highly appreciated!

Thanks

[68DevilM]

try using your flaps to help you turn at low speeds

[gologt]

one notch or two? I doesn't that bleed alot of E?

[68DevilM]

i use my flaps if my e is already drained and i need to turn, depending on your speed determins how much flaps i use =the slower you r up to 40% flaps and for not so slow say 180-200mph in a p51 then only 20% and that of course depends on your enemys capabillties if hes a faster turner than you then i try to get some distance and spped and then out climb him& come back down on him when he has drained is e, what im getting at is different curcumstances dictate different actions.

what you need to know is the capibilities of your plane and your opponents and think ahead and try to guess what your enemy is going to do next then make your move, also never keep your eyeballs in one place too long always check your six as much as possible either by looking at dar or if your heavily engadged with multiple foe's then by physicaly looking (in other words your head should always be on a swivel!!!!:rofl

[Drano]

First I'd say that using flaps is different in all of the planes. Some, like the P-51 and P-38are designed with combat flaps. Most are not. While you can get away with a notch of flap in those that have them the others, like the 109's or the Spits, will find flap use in combat more of a hindrance than a help and should be avoided.

Of those planes--the Spits, Hurris and the like. The turnfighters. Getting slower is the name of the game. Getting other planes--like P-51's-- to turn with you is to your advantage and should be exploited every chance you get. Your turn performance is much better at slower speeds than most of the other planes and they can use all the flaps they want--they'll never match your turn rate. You on the other hand will never get close to where you'd need to use flaps if the thought crossed your mind anyway.

The combat flaps are there to add a bit of extra turn rate at higher speeds--say closer to the 300 mph range. That they'll do, but the cost of using them is drag(which will slow you down) and therefore should be used only briefly to gain a shooting position. If the shot presents itself--take it. If its not retract the flaps and regain position with something like a high yoyo or other verticle extension of some kind. Something that will help maintain an altitude and/or energy advantage.

The most common mistake here is trying to *force the shot* by pulling into an increasingly harder turn, getting slower and slower to where you NEED the flaps just to stay airborne. Usually by this time you're also about out of altitude with which you could have traded for more speed. Your options are getting fewer. You're hardly in a good tactical position at this point. Don't fall into this trap. If your target dives out--you go up. Keep your position of advantage. Maintain your speed by using altitude. There may be other NME's nearby that are at your height. Diving below them will put you in a bad spot. Always factor that in. Diving below them and beginning a hard turn fight is a sure recipe for disaster as they'll soon recognize you for the easy target you've become. That's how "gang bangs" happen.


In a plane such as the P-51 you should never get yourself into the position of being low and slow and using a lot of flap. If you have then you've done something critically wrong in your E management. The P-51's advantage is high speed. Why give its best advantage away? While it does everything else reasonably well but its not what I'd call a top turn fighter--so why play that game? Hard turning in a P-51 in a busy combat area is always gonna be a mistake. It's not the P-51's fight. Once it gets slow it's just another target. So don't go there.

         Drano