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Advice on controlling the jet in VTOL


markturner1960

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Hi, just learning the jet, managing STOL ok, but struggling with VTOL and the hover.......why for example does the jet go backwards and is there a good guide or tips video about learning how to do this? Or am I doomed to continue racking up deaths in my logbook!!!!!!

System specs: PC1 :Scan 3XS Ryzen 5900X, 64GB Corsair veng DDR4 3600, EVGA GTX 3090 Win 10, Quest Pro, Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo monitor. Tir5. PC2 ( Helo) Scan 3XS Intel 9900 K, 32 GB Ram, 2080Ti, 50 inch Phillips monitor

 F/A-18C: Rhino FFB base TianHang F16 grip, Winwing MP 1, F-18 throttle, TO & Combat panels, MFG crosswind & DFB Aces  seat :cool:                       

Viper: WinWing MFSSB base with F-16 grip, Winwing F-16 throttle, plus Vipergear ICP. MFG crosswind rudders. 

Helo ( Apache) set up: Virpil collective with AH64D grip, Cyclic : Virpil CM3 base & TM F18 grip, MFG crosswind rudders, Total controls AH64 MFD's,  TEDAC Unit. 

 

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Key words are trim and small stick-movements. I've found that I also have to adjust the nozzle-angle slightly once I enter a hover.

 

Oh, and practice. A LOT of practice.

Regards

Fjordmonkey

Clustermunitions is just another way of saying that you don't like someone.

 

I used to like people, then people ruined that for me.

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...and keep in mind, the AV-8B Harrier is defacto intended as a STO/VL aircraft not a VSTOL.

The important distance is, with any kind of load, it should do a Short Take Off and when the ordnance is spent and the aircraft is light enough, can do a Vertical Landing... I struggled with that concept in the beginning, until I started reading the Pocket Guide. ;)

A good help for me, was to understand the witch hat "_/\_" it shows your nose/waterline in relation to the horizon. If you try to keep it on or near the horizon line and the nozzles adjusted to 82° you should struggle far less to keep it from drifting. With a bit of practice you can anticipate the backwards momentum in lift off and build muscle memory to put in the right amount of forward stick.

Shagrat

 

- Flying Sims since 1984 -:pilotfly:

Win 10 | i5 10600K@4.1GHz | 64GB | GeForce RTX 3090 - Asus VG34VQL1B  | TrackIR5 | Simshaker & Jetseat | VIRPIL CM 50 Stick & Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Plus/Apache64 Grip | MFG Crosswind Rudder Pedals | WW Top Gun MIP | a hand made AHCP | 2x Elgato StreamDeck (Buttons galore)

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Good nozzle angle for landing on stationary surface - 83 degrees. It may be a little easier to control the plane at 82 degrees, but touchdown attitude will be slightly more nose-up (not enough for tail strike though). When landing on a moving surface (ship), I usually do not try to maintain horizontal velocity with pitch alone, and set my nozzles at an angle that allows to match speed with the ship with minimal use of pitch-down (usually around 80-82 degrees). Angles more than 84 are used for jet braking, usually after conventional landing or FNSL. Also, in my experience, it is easier to control and stabilize with "preventive" corrections: if you feel that AV-8B is going to bank left in a moment (maybe after too strong previous correction, or when stopping lateral movement or using yaw), make early adjustment, with experience you will notice that you are already making these preventive corrections at the moment of an undesired oscillation occurring.

On takeoff with 82 degrees there is no backwards momentum, in fact, I usually apply some back stick to stop forward pitch.

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(...)

On takeoff with 82 degrees there is no backwards momentum, in fact, I usually apply some back stick to stop forward pitch.

Yep, when VTO optimum angle depends also on weight distribution due to load out/fuel etc. but 82° for me is the best starting point.

On landing I usually go 81° and use the witch hat for the adjustment of forward momentum (slightly below horizon) /deceleration (slightly above horizon) on final.

If I am not mistaken, that is pretty much what the real pilots do, as well.

Shagrat

 

- Flying Sims since 1984 -:pilotfly:

Win 10 | i5 10600K@4.1GHz | 64GB | GeForce RTX 3090 - Asus VG34VQL1B  | TrackIR5 | Simshaker & Jetseat | VIRPIL CM 50 Stick & Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Plus/Apache64 Grip | MFG Crosswind Rudder Pedals | WW Top Gun MIP | a hand made AHCP | 2x Elgato StreamDeck (Buttons galore)

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A1-AV8BB-NFM-000 NATOPS: "...When the lever is moved aft to the hover stop the nozzles are set for hovering. The position of this stop gives a fuselage hovering attitude of about 6 1/2°; i.e., the nosewheel slightly higher than the main wheels.The engine datum is at 1.5° to the fuselage datum. The nozzle angle for hovering is therefore 82° from the engine datum. A nozzle braking position, at 98.5° from the engine datum, can be selected by lifting the nozzle lever over the hover stop and pulling it back along a ramp."

I have read somewhere that hover stop nozzle deflection may vary from 81 to 84 degrees. Do you ever hit your tail when landing at 81 degree? Or this is for moving surface landings?

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I have read somewhere that hover stop nozzle deflection may vary from 81 to 84 degrees. Do you ever hit your tail when landing at 81 degree? Or this is for moving surface landings?

Carrier landing in this case.

I personally find it easier to provoke a little nose down attitude and pull the stick for deceleration and keep a bit backpressure to have the witch hat on the horizon. If I slow too much I simply reduce the pressure for a second and center back on the horizon.

Per official procedure you set the hover stop to 82° in the groove and adjust with pitch and throttle, IIRC. Been flying Hornet mostly for some time now and A-10C II recently... Need to get back into the Harrier, more with all the nice fixes and features added.

 

Shagrat

 

- Flying Sims since 1984 -:pilotfly:

Win 10 | i5 10600K@4.1GHz | 64GB | GeForce RTX 3090 - Asus VG34VQL1B  | TrackIR5 | Simshaker & Jetseat | VIRPIL CM 50 Stick & Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Plus/Apache64 Grip | MFG Crosswind Rudder Pedals | WW Top Gun MIP | a hand made AHCP | 2x Elgato StreamDeck (Buttons galore)

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Wow, lots of good stuff there, thank you all, will take this away and practice! Thanks again

System specs: PC1 :Scan 3XS Ryzen 5900X, 64GB Corsair veng DDR4 3600, EVGA GTX 3090 Win 10, Quest Pro, Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo monitor. Tir5. PC2 ( Helo) Scan 3XS Intel 9900 K, 32 GB Ram, 2080Ti, 50 inch Phillips monitor

 F/A-18C: Rhino FFB base TianHang F16 grip, Winwing MP 1, F-18 throttle, TO & Combat panels, MFG crosswind & DFB Aces  seat :cool:                       

Viper: WinWing MFSSB base with F-16 grip, Winwing F-16 throttle, plus Vipergear ICP. MFG crosswind rudders. 

Helo ( Apache) set up: Virpil collective with AH64D grip, Cyclic : Virpil CM3 base & TM F18 grip, MFG crosswind rudders, Total controls AH64 MFD's,  TEDAC Unit. 

 

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Hi, just learning the jet, managing STOL ok, but struggling with VTOL and the hover.......why for example does the jet go backwards and is there a good guide or tips video about learning how to do this? Or am I doomed to continue racking up deaths in my logbook!!!!!!

 

Hi mark, it will be a pleasure for me to teach you what I learned about VTOL and VSTOL.

 

You can find me on Discord, ArturoJGT#2556, I’m on -3 GMT.

 

 

 

Dream Commodore 64C, 1530 datasette, 1541 floppy disk drive, DCS cartridge, competition pro joystick, 14” Tv with VCR.

Arturo "Chaco" Gonzalez Thomas

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I slowly adjust the throttle w/ 82 deg. nozzles. As the jet lifts, she goes fwd or backward. ( non asymmetric load out) throttle to idle, adjust trim, slowly adjust throttle.... rinse and repeat until you find yourself with good control and you're not fighting the stick. Check the vane on the nose for the wind direction. Point the jet into the wind. Before you know it, you're up to SVNSL.

Gigabyte Tech. 990FXA-UD3, AMD FX-8350 8 Core, 16 Gig RAM @ 2200 Mhz, Radeon X480, Oculus Rift

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