Landing a F4U

[AKFokerFoder+]

How do you land a F4U?

I mean serious here, I can't do it in the new FM.  It spins out on me, even if I cut the engine and try to land dead stick.  The best I can hope for is to spin after rolling a bit and crash in the middle of the runway, (counts as a landing) normally I just spin and stop on the side of the runway so it is a ditch, now and then I die  

[Sharky]

AK,

I assume that you mean that you touch down Ok but when you go to stop you wind up ground looping the plane.  Is that correct?

Sharky

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Playboy Leader
307th FS/31st FG
You can run but ya just die tired

[RDRedwing]

If Sharky's right FokerFoder, there's a pretty easy solution for your problem.

This spin-after-touch-down thing happened to me too after 1.03 was released, I think it has something to do with the brakes. Whenever the plane has a SLIGHT tendency to the left or right and brakes are on you will spin, there's no other way to avoid it than releasing the brakes, use rudder to center the plane on the runway and THEN brake again.

it works if you're slow enough... here's a screenshot of a pretty good landing approach that resulted in a very slow touch down speed. Manifold pressure was set to 40.

   

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Redwing
Commanding Officer
Red Dragons Aces High Division

www.reddragons.de

   

[This message has been edited by RDRedwing (edited 06-24-2000).]

[Rocket]

A couple of things I have noticed in offline testing FF.

1. Make sure you are at landing speed when wheels touch down and be right over the end of the runway.

2. Watch how much brake you use.  If you stand on them she has a tendency to pull hard to the right. Seems the right brake may be sticking.

3. Don't brake until 50mph or less anything more will cause the spin to the right no matter the rudder it seems. Which means be sure you are around 100mph and wheels down at the start of the runway so you can slow below 50 before applying brakes.

4. Not sure if this could be a bug upon braking or not.

S!
Rocket

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The Red Dragons
Fierce and Bold
With Honour and Courage
_______________________

 www.reddragons.de

[This message has been edited by Rocket (edited 06-24-2000).]

[AKFokerFoder+]

Thanks for all the replies.

AKseaWulfe helped me out on line last night  

I now use the c (left brake) and v right brake) to keep the critter on the runway.

I didn't know you had seperate brakes lol!

As this sim becomes more "realistic", (I personally think the SIM is more difficult to  fly than the real planes were, but that is a  different subject).   Most of us arm chair pilots equate difficulty with realism.

I'd say that by version 1.05 it will take about 50 hours for a newbie learn how to take off and twice that to land.  Certainly a selling point to new guys. (gets off soap box)

Anyone know how to use dive brakes in the F4U? I tried shift c and nothing seems to happen.




[This message has been edited by AKFokerFoder+ (edited 06-24-2000).]

[Rocket]

Your dive brakes are your gear  
Just drop gear and chop the throttle.  Make sure you bring gear back up just before 350ias  

S!
Rocket

[AKFokerFoder+]

Hmm slap me, I'm stupid LOL!

Do you mean pull up the gear before your speed gets up to 350 ias, or

Pull up the gear as your speed drops down to 350 ias?

[Rocket]

You can use the dive brakes on the F4U at any speed BELOW 350IAS.  If in the dive you see your self going above 350IAS be sure to retract your gear or face damage.  The dive brakes on the hog and jug aren't near as effective as those on the p38 due to being half the size.

S!
Rocket

[Duckwing6]

Ok .. Landing roll and ground loop is something VERRY real in real airplanes .. think about it .. the problem is the heavier an airplane gets the more stable it is .. unless you start displacing the large mass it is (swerving) then things start to get out of hand REALLY quick..

Some things  that make you land better with Tail dragger airplanes (or all airplanes that is  ):

a) a good approach makes a good landing !
In the HOG i use about a 150 IAS for initial approach and try to be alligned with the centerline 1 mile out, then coming in on short finals i have full Flaps abd 120 IAS. Try to keep a constant rate of descent(stablilized approach) and aim just at the runway edge (Your aim point should be always in the same position on the windscreen -> if it moves up you are getting low -> add power, if it moves down on the windscreen youre getting high -> reduce power

b) Wind compensation:
The good thing with a longer and stablized approach is that you can "fly" the wind conditions ie addjust your approach so that you stay aligned with the centerline. I use the "wing low" method meaning i keep my nose aligned with the centerline and drop the upwind wing a little bit (use rudder to stay on centerline) this gives you a slight slip.
The other method would be to "crab" into the wind with your wings level and use a little rudder kick to get aligned jsut before touchdown... i find that using the 1st method is way easier especially with taildraggers...

c) touchdown in a 3 point attitude when the airplane doesnt want to fly anymore (a lot of people will say that wheels landings are preffered with wind but its a lot more likely to bounce a wheeler than a 3 pointer..)
You can still keep your wing low in the flare and touch down 1 wheel after the other.. and then there is one more thing to obey

YOU HAVE NOT STOPPED FLYING UNLESS YOU HAVE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP!!

use of differential breaks and rudder AHEAD of any potential start of swerving .. most pilots will "walk" the breaks (alternate right and left breaks) to prevent putting the plane on the nose and to stablize during roll-out.

GL ! (the HOG wasn't called "Ensign Eliminator" for nothing)

DW6

[AKFokerFoder+]

Well this is great stuff, thanks  

Another question, what do you set your gun convergence for? I was setting mine for 400 yds, but since I like killing ground vehicles with the Hawg, I have set my main 20mm for 300yds and my aux 20mm for 250yds. I open up on a panzer at about 400 yds. But to my surprise, I it also seems to help with killing planes (when I can hit a @#$@% plane)  I wish we had drones in the training area.

Another thing, anyone have any good mud moving sights for the Hawg?  I think rockets would be a real mean tank killing machine. If only I could hit anything with the rockets.

Off line I can get my gun ammo to rediculous amounts but the bomb and rocket ordenance stays the same. Any help here to get my bombs and rockets up would be appreciated.

I love the Hawg, I am in Hawg heaven  

[This message has been edited by AKFokerFoder+ (edited 06-26-2000).]

[Duckwing6]

Well FF i'm usually flying the F4U-1D as i preffere the flatter trajectory of the Cal 50s i use a crossed pattern in my convergence at
Outer bank: 325
middle: 300
inner:  350

With the C HOG i used 350 for both banks because i had problems hitting things when i made a bigger seperation as there are a lot less rounds in the air than with the 6 cal 50s.
I open fire at a MAXIMUM of 2 times the convergence (or if i have to do some Spray and Pray  ) usually i fire at about 400 yards too tho.

Regarding Gunsights.. have you tried these:
Dotsies Gunsight Collection

i use the P51dylw.bmp as my default gunsight (in the HOG it will look a little small and flatter than usual due to the tilted Gunsight glass...
I usually fire Rockets at about 1.5 - 1k and use the lowest point of this gunsight as aim point (Acks i can kill with high accuracy) and usually i fire 2 rockets for good measures .. Bombs are a different storie tho  

A little practice and you'll hit them Bullseye every time

DW6