Well with all due respect, I-16 is effing confusing

[theGozr]

I have no problem.. use your stick

[zaelu]

I have to inform you that I have finally managed to take off!

 

I fee the aircraft being very hard to control and dangerous in the unpredictable way. Ofcourse I am no pilot but I think is unsafe to taxi and takeoff.

I have a warthog stick with extension and curves and a Thrustmaster TFRP with curves. Sure the rudder pedals are not best in class but they are new and work flawlessly. Throttle and prop etc are on a custom controller with hall sensors.

 

Anyway.

 

I feel after such a surprising take off (I was actually trying to show to some friends that is impossible) and a revisit of the plane after some time... and now in VR... I need to amend my comment that I made a bit earlier. I think was too harsh. Yes, I do find it difficult to control on the ground (hey did I mentioned that I also landed without any ground loop or breaking anything or going crazy hitting the ground with the wings? All good just difficult.) But, for the rest of the plane I can't find any flaw. The model and textures are top notch, even in VR they look awesome. It has a lot of systems modeled for such small and rather simple plane and all works and even the gear, complex as it is was easy to use and since now I have a gear lever and some "safety" 2 position switches near by I was able to map all the handles for it and it was a breeze even in VR. The plane flies great once in the air. Very realistic feel (knowing the plane a bit from IL-2s) and with great nuances.

 

So... Sorry for being harsh earlier. I take my words back even if I know I will crash on take off and landing a lot with it even with this success but the plane doesn't deserve such harsh words just for that.

 

So. If anyone is on the fence to buy or not to buy this. At least don't take my word for it but if you want take my turn around and change of heart about it.

 

:beer:

Edited May 8, 2020 by zaelu

[probad]

friend i think you will find with a bit of practice its tendencies become rather predictable, you just have to learn them. yes aircraft of its vintage were quite unsafe by todays standards, remember it was quite expected to have to be some sort of daredevil to go up in one of those contraptions. even civil planes like the geebees were straight up killers

Edited May 9, 2020 by probad

[zaelu]

Yep, probably it takes a lot more practice than 109 K4 did. One of my favourite life quotes is "never underestimate the power of repetition" so I guess I was guilty of doing just that error.

 

I (re)found today this old movie and I think this guy is quite a better pilot than me :P

 

[DmitriKozlowsky]

I have no problem.. use your stick

 

What does that mean use stick? Do I aft, fwd, left right, diagonal? By what amount to gauge it?

In fact, I do try, but until wheels are off the ground, stick does not appear to do anything usefull.

Once again, this is one of those instructions bereft of meaning.

Sort of like instructor saying to the student "You're doing wrong"

Student- what am I doing wrong.

Inst- You are, just doing wrong. Keep it straight.

Student - I am trying, and failing, so how do I keep it straight.

Inst- Either follow my instructions or I will wash you out. Now Keep it straight and do not do it wrong. Got that! My last warning.

Student- Yes sir! But I do not know how to do it right.

Inst- I am keeping it simple. I am telling how to do it right. KEEP IT STRAIGHT using stick and rudder.

Student- Yes sir, but that is what I am trying to do. Using stick and rudder, but I am still loosing control.

Inst- That's because you're doing it wrong. KEEP IT STRAIGHT!

[probad]

at this point i think you're more concerned with histrionics than actually figuring out how to fly the i-16

you cry about other people not being informative enough, and it's true we have little choice but to shoot in the dark here

if you want things to be different, you need to supply us with actually useful information to diagnose in the first place, and for the record writing "im already doing everything right" is not workable information

 

submit a replay or video with the rctrl+enter control monitor on so we can see what sorts of inputs you're making because im pretty sure whatever you're doing wrong is something you're not even conscious of

Edited May 10, 2020 by probad

[msalama]

What does that mean use stick?

 

First, it means you should use the ailerons against the torque whenever your airspeed is low but there's still sufficient airflow over them so that they're effective; second, it means you should use the elevator for keeping the tail down if the airspeed is still too low for adequate directional control.

[greco.bernardi]

I hate all tail-draggers in DCS. So effing confounding.

 

I-16.

Trie to take off. Uncommanded right or left yaw, regardless of rudder. Cut power, results in violent ground loop, with flip over. No breaking on my part. Without any control input what so ever. I try to counter with rudder, does not work. What in the F is wrong here?

 

Your need to lock your tailwheel. You need to fully pull back your controlstick and maintain at this position for it. It will avoid thats crazy turns on ground taxi.

Edited May 14, 2020 by greco.bernardi

[SnapRoll]

Have you read these already?

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=179253

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=179314

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=179455

 

If I were you, I would start with the TF-51D and only once you are able to take off and land effortlessly progress to the Spitfire and then I-16.

 

What kind of hardware are you using as your rudder pedals?

[VZ_342]

For me, the I-16 got a lot easier when I watched a YT video that said to watch the turn/slip indicator during the takeoff roll and try your darndest to keep it centered until the tailwheel goes up. If the ball goes left, press rudders left (just enough to center the ball), if it goes right, press rudders right (again, just enough to center the ball). Step on the ball, but gently! I used my peripheral vision to keep the I-16 centered on the runway (edge of runway equal for both sides = centered).

Edited June 19, 2022 by VZ_342

[virgo47]

After a few vain attempts to take off in this plane, I started to search for what I'm doing wrong - and obviously found this thread. It really is a frustrating plane - doubly so without any feeling of what it's doing. While in many other taildraggers you can kinda balance around the right position, here the small corrections often come way too late and slamming on the pedals right and left for a short time often work better - at least at the beginning. At the end of a long evening I've managed to take off once (I needed the grass and parallel RWY for it though ). And even land alive. The slip/turn indicator helps as well - mostly the turn one, I'd say, as the slip one goes all around when I try to fix the turn one that deviates first (with the whole plane as well).

But the plane is definitely crazy, even compared to other taildraggers such as P-47 or P-51. Those are we well behaved gentlemen compared to this one.

[Dragon1-1]

It's a short, stubby interwar plane with a huge prop and a massive radial engine. Yes, it was difficult to handle on the ground IRL. The other WWII sim sells it short, and even in that sim, there are easier planes to land.