Newbie! can't get a hawg to fly level!

[medievaltw]

Hi,

 

I've played a few flight sims in my time most recently Falcon4:AF; but i can't get the A-10 to fly level!

 

I've got a Thrustmaster T16000M as i'm a left hooker but my A-10 will constantly climb and roll to the right. I thought it might be spurious inputs from the "rudder" as it a twist stick if you haven't got pedals - so i removed the rudder axis within the game to no avail.

 

Drastic measures then came into play - i removed the joystick from the USB port and tried to fly the game with the keyboard (i promise to hold my head in shame in the presence of other simmers!!) and the same thing occurs - constantly climb and a nice roll to starboard!

 

I've reinstalled and patched to 1.1.0.9 and dampened down the joystick setting as per Wags suggestion in the FAQ (deadzone 10/curve 30)

 

I'm making an assumption that this isn't the std behaviour of the A-10 as it make no difference if empty or loaded with shiny explosive ordnance

 

Help!!

 

I wan't to love this game as i always "moved mud"/CAS in other sims; but as i can't fly the thing, i'm not feeling the love!

 

any ideas?!?

Edited August 12, 2011 by medievaltw

[billyzero]

I am sure you're doing this but you are trimming the aircraft, right?

 

Also, I notice that immediately upon takeoff, the aircraft has to be trimmed quite a bit to get straight and level flight.

[kra961]

Did you try holding down the Cntrl key and using your view hat if you look at the stick in the cockpit you should see it move.

[medievaltw]

No i haven't trimmed the aircraft - i made the assumption that the plane was trimmed for your loadout and that it only requires trimming after weapons release or damage. i'm guessing that's it!

 

how do you trim via the keyboard?

[Madman777]

If your not using a force feedback joystick, remember to check the options and uncheck 'force feedback enabled" I missed that and flew with it on for a couple of months and couldn't keep her still for more then a second or two.

[arality]

I am sure you're doing this but you are trimming the aircraft, right?

 

Also, I notice that immediately upon takeoff, the aircraft has to be trimmed quite a bit to get straight and level flight.

 

Also I don't know the details of your joystick but you have to disable force feedback from the menu before trim will work. Well if your joystick is not a FF one anyways.

[medievaltw]

Double checked FF - disabled! and have recalibrated in Win7 (64bit)

Edited August 12, 2011 by medievaltw

[CEPEGA]

btw the plane cannot be trimmed on the ground, because of the aerodynamics. It has always be trimmed in the air. And it has to be trimmed even if you change your speed ;) . Aerodynamics is a very complicated thing.

[ZoomBoy27]

Aerodynamics is a very complicated thing.

 

I noticed your sig matched your answer

 

Aerodynamics is a very complicated thing

| | | |

[CEPEGA]

I noticed your sig matched your answer

 

Aerodynamics is a very complicated thing

| | | |

 

what do you mean? :huh:

[cichlidfan]

No i haven't trimmed the aircraft - i made the assumption that the plane was trimmed for your loadout and that it only requires trimming after weapons release or damage. i'm guessing that's it!

 

how do you trim via the keyboard?

 

The aircraft will require trimming any time anything changes. A change in speed will alway require a change in trim if you want to maintan hands-off level flight. The take-off trim switch, used prior to take off, zeros out all trim so it will be close for bank if there is nothing, or a balanced load, on the wings but considerably off for many loadouts.

 

It also takes a light touch to reach the perfect balance and can be very annoying until you get the hang of it.

[EtherealN]

No i haven't trimmed the aircraft - i made the assumption that the plane was trimmed for your loadout and that it only requires trimming after weapons release or damage. i'm guessing that's it!

 

how do you trim via the keyboard?

 

Paraphrased from the words of A-10 pilots consulted: "The Hog is a ***** to trim".

I would highly recommend assigning a trim hat on your stick, if possible, or if you have only a single hat you might assign a button as a modifier and use that modifier+hat to trim. Because you'll be trimming A LOT. ;)

 

Also, it should be noted that even if perfectly trimmed, you'd still have to re-trim for a lot of things beyond weapons release or damage - speed changes, weight changes induced through burning fuel (which hopefully happens throughout your flight :D ), attitude changes... All of these will tinker with the balance of the aircraft and require sporadic input.

 

Welcome to the world of Advanced Flight Model simulators. :)

[bradleyjs]

I would highly recommend assigning a trim hat on your stick, if possible, or if you have only a single hat you might assign a button as a modifier and use that modifier+hat to trim. Because you'll be trimming A LOT.

 

I have the TM HOTAS and I use the Pinky Switch + Trim Hat to trim the A/C ...as EtherealN says, trim is needed always to maintain level (or non-level) as desired. IRL that works the same...

[cichlidfan]

how do you trim via the keyboard?

 

The trim keyboard commands are

 

Left Wing Down <RCRTL><,>

Right Wing Down <RCTRL></>

Nose Down <RCTRL><;>

Nose Up <RCTRL><.>

 

But as EtherealN has said, you really need this on a hat switch somehow, at minimum mapping it to four single keys. As much as you will need to use it, it needs to be easy and quick to make small adjustments.

[Brutal]

If you don't have the TM Hotas like me I just use right ctrl and , / . ; to trim. Works fine and dont need a $600 stick!

[Tango]

You also need rudder trim. I moved it to Z/X keys, as when engine out have asymmetric thrust for any reason, then you'll need it.

 

Best regards,

Tango.

[EtherealN]

I have the TM HOTAS and I use the Pinky Switch + Trim Hat to trim the A/C ...as EtherealN says, trim is needed always to maintain level (or non-level) as desired. IRL that works the same...

 

No TrackIR?

 

I have to admit I just spent a couple minutes re-reading your post because it didn't make any kind of sense, using a modifier on the TM to trim when there's a trim hat, but then it struck me. :megalol:

 

A nice reminder for me of how "used in my ways" I've become - it literally took minutes to consider that someone might not have a TrackIR unit. :doh:

[bradleyjs]

LOL -- that's funny.

 

In fact, I do have a TrackIR (v3+Pro-Clip) but I just don't have enough USB ports available on my Alienware laptop... So, I have use the Trim Hat for View and of course the Modifier for Trim...

[cichlidfan]

LOL -- that's funny.

 

In fact, I do have a TrackIR (v3+Pro-Clip) but I just don't have enough USB ports available on my Alienware laptop...

 

 

Three words...

 

Powered USB Hub

[bradleyjs]

Yep, that's hooked-up and it's FULL too... I have 3 external HDs and plus some other peripherals; in addition to the TM HOTAS.

 

That's ok, I can live w/out the TrackIR for now (been flying sims for sometime w/out it) ... the Trim(View) Hat works for me..

 

I do want to clarify my Modifier -- it's NOT the "Pinky switch" but the "Paddle switch" instead - sorry my bad

[WarriorX]

Yep, that's hooked-up and it's FULL too... I have 3 external HDs and plus some other peripherals; in addition to the TM HOTAS.

 

That's ok, I can live w/out the TrackIR for now (been flying sims for sometime w/out it) ... the Trim(View) Hat works for me..

 

I do want to clarify my Modifier -- it's NOT the "Pinky switch" but the "Paddle switch" instead - sorry my bad

 

Just in case you want to use the hardware (TrackIR) that you have, you can get another powered USB hub and "daisy chain" it to your existing USB hub.

[WildFire]

Yeah, my boss tasked me with reading the USB spec manual because we were planning on using powered hubs with software that depended on the ability to save lives, so we had to be sure they wouldnt sleep, or die, or have any standby issues or power loss, skips, or pauses.

 

Out of the entire 800 page manual I only remember two things, one of which is the fact that up to some ridiculous number like 64 usb hubs can be daisy chained together with no loss whatsoever. And that was tested with devices in every port, on and running. Crazy.

[cichlidfan]

Appologies for continuing OT but,

 

From Belkin Tech Support:

The maximum amount of hubs that can be daisy chained is five. The USB root hub which is part of the USB controller will count as one, so you can connect a chain of a maximum of four external hubs to a USB port.

 

 

 

From usb.org:

With the maximum of 5 hubs connected with 5m cables and a 5m cable going to your full speed device, this will give you 30m of cable (see section 7.1.19 for details). With a low speed device, you will be able to get a range up to 27m, depending on how long the device's cable is. With a straightforward cable route, you will probably be able to reach out 25m or so from the PC.

Edited August 13, 2011 by cichlidfan

[Guest Fury_007]

"The theoretical maximum data rate in USB 2.0 is 480*Mbit/s (60*MB/s) per controller and is shared amongst all attached devices."

 

 

Call me crazy, but if you have all these attached devices through a hub, somethings not going to be transferring data properly.

[EtherealN]

Depends entirely on the data transfer requirements of the devices, and the usage scenario. For example, having multiple HDD's on a hub might give a data transfer penalty - if more than one needs to transfer data at the same time.

 

Other things like mice, KB, webcams, HOTAS units, TrackIR, cupwarmers and so on don't need much bandwidth.