Ground effect lacking?

[msalama]

OK, regardless of having been critical of folks airing their suspicions based on mere hunches, I still think I need to go out on a limb here and air mine as it comes to the ground effect modelling. So fire at will ;) Anyway, every time I cut the throttle and flare, it seems to me that the thing drops like a stone without floating at all. Now is it just me, or does the 52 really behave like that?

 

Now I've no idea whether this is right or wrong, and no opinions about it either. I'm just wondering, that's all. But what say YOU?

[Emmy]

"Ground Effect" seems to be, well, backwards DCS-wide...

 

Several fixed-wind moduals seem to experience aircraft sucked to the ground within a wingspan instead of being cushioned. Try a low transition in a Hornet but be prepared to pull instead of push. Same with the A-10C.

[AeriaGloria]

Flaming Cliffs same issue:(

[Anatoli-Kagari9]

Did they borrow that from X-Plane 11 ? :-)

 

I haven't been using DCS lately, but last time I did there surely was ground effect at least on the 109 K-4 and P51D, as well as in the Spitfire.

[msalama]

Not sure about the others, but at least the L-39 and the Mi-8 seem to have it right. The Albie floats as expected when flared, and the Hip sits on an air cushion when you're hovering a couple of meters above the ground. But this thing here? Drops like a stone.

 

Now this is an EA module and things'll probably improve later, but ATM it really feels weird. But since I lack evidence I'm not really claiming anything, just wondering...

[Emmy]

Maybe it's only first party jets then because both the Hornet and the Warthog have giant ground magnets on their bellies...

[msalama]

But the Albie is ED's bird so it's first party as well, and it behaves correctly. Weird...

[Nealius]

I concur with the others about ground effect seeming to be ok in the Mi-8. It seems to be okay in the F-5E as well, judging by how long I float with the gear hovering just above the tarmac.

[Emmy]

If you really want to test it, do it on takeoff. Just lift off like 25' and suck the gear up and see whether you have to push to keep the nose down or pull to stay off the runway...

[msalama]

Just did with the L-39 and yes, you'll need to push the nose down if you want to stay level after retractring the gear. But the resultant reduction in drag would of course make the plane climb at any altitude not just IGE, wouldn't it? So this test is not really ground effect specific per se...

[msalama]

And a good test for the Hip is to hot start at, say, 30m AGL and then lower the collective just a tad to descend very slowly. This'll stop when you hit GE and you'll start to drift laterally/horizontally on an air cushion.

[msalama]

at least on the 109 K-4 and P51D, as well as in the Spitfire.

 

Yeah, the Mustang too had this right the last time I flew her.

[msalama]

OK, tested the Yak as well and it seems that in addition to the missing GE modelling there's no gear drag modelled either. Early access and that I suppose...

[Yo-Yo]

OK, tested the Yak as well and it seems that in addition to the missing GE modelling there's no gear drag modelled either. Early access and that I suppose...

 

If you take a look at the Yak "retracted" gear you can see the difference between up and down position... :), so you can detect it but you have to use more precise instruments to do it. Not early access, but by design.

[msalama]

Thanks for the info Yo-yo, much appreciated. Well you live and learn. S! & thanks again.