Rudder

[Lee1]

New to the F18. I've flown a few free flight sorties to get used to handling and noticed the rudder has very little movement and virtually no yaw. Is this correct please? Moves with the FCS but only small deflections when turning. Works OK on the ground to full deflection. Would have thought the rudder a quite important bit of kit when fighting. Toes in properly with half flap too.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Lee1

[shagrat]

That's fly-by-wire. The FCS manages all control surfaces for you, the faster you fly, the less the rudder input is allowed to prevent departure from controlled flight. If you are slow and rudder input is beneficial/not dangerous FCS allows for greater deflection.

Edited February 11, 2021 by shagrat

[kengou]

It's correct. The flight computer system coordinates your turns for you at all times. In flight, rudder is only ever useful in very slow speed high AOA dogfighting situations, where you can use it to do some cool maneuvers. Outside of that, it's limited by the computers.

[Lee1]

Sounds good. So basically, I just pull the nose to where I want it and the system lets me put it there provided I don't make the aeroplane want to depart?

Thanks guys.

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Lee1

[CBStu]

Thanks guys this is great info. I have been flying the FA-18 for 1.5 yrs now. Every once in a while I think about getting pedals so I don't  have to use the twist on the stick. But then I realize I almost never use the rudder anyway. Now I know why that is.