How to use toe breaks?

[Waxi]

Hi all,

 

I just got my shiny new Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals and I am confused about how toe breaks are used:

 

1. DCS A-10C configures the toe break axis such that the wheel break is released, when the toe break (i.e., the top of the pedal) is pressed down. Is this the correct behavior?

 

2. I hardly manage to release both toe breaks evenly. As a result, each time I break only a little, the nose of the plane is turning. How do I prevent this?

 

Maybe these are trivial things but it is new to me and I could not find any information on this in this forum. It would be really nice if someone could give me some hints on both issues...

[Sense]

The toebrakes work like carbrakes: press to brake.

 

With only a little bit of practice you should be able to evenly release the brakes.

 

Additionally, you can use your shiny pedal set to correct the turn.

 

I recommend too curve the Rudder axis so you can make fine adjustments.

 

Sense

[Beagle One]

Hi all,

 

I just got my shiny new Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals and I am confused about how toe breaks are used:

 

1. DCS A-10C configures the toe break axis such that the wheel break is released, when the toe break (i.e., the top of the pedal) is pressed down. Is this the correct behavior?

 

2. I hardly manage to release both toe breaks evenly. As a result, each time I break only a little, the nose of the plane is turning. How do I prevent this?

 

Maybe these are trivial things but it is new to me and I could not find any information on this in this forum. It would be really nice if someone could give me some hints on both issues...

sounds like you need to revert the axis for the toebrakes?

[Waxi]

Thanks for the hints. I will invert the toe brake axis and continue practicing.

[doright]

In 1.1.0.9 is differential braking no longer a sure way to cause nose gear failure?

[Wichid]

Differential braking works fine, I use it heaps.

[EtherealN]

As a note for those that have problems with directional control - you should be able to select something on your HOTAS to act a Modifier (paddle on warthog, for example), in which case you can set it up such that when you hold the paddle, either pedal will actuate both brakes. Might help for some. Personally I barely use the breaks at all, but sometimes they can be useful.

[Waxi]

Main main problem in evenly breaking seems to come from the toe breaks on the Saitek Combat Pedals: they are a way too smooth-running for my taste. I would have preferred a bit more resistance when pressing down the toe breaks.

[doright]

The brakes on large aircraft feel much more like the throttle on your car then your car's brake pedal. You're just pushing against a spring until you hit a stop at the limit of travel. The actual work is done by a hydraulic pump the prssure from which is metered through a valve (actuated by the toe brakes) goes through the anti-skid valve then on to the brake pack.

 

Main main problem in evenly breaking seems to come from the toe breaks on the Saitek Combat Pedals: they are a way too smooth-running for my taste. I would have preferred a bit more resistance when pressing down the toe breaks.

[Fish]

Best practice on taxiing first before you are dependent on them for landing. Agree with poster above, after a little practice you will have the feel. I use them to help me with tight 180 turns on taxi/runway, and for turning off onto taxi. ~Always have your mini control indicator switched on, so you can see the state of brakes (and other controllers).

 

Great feature. Worth persisting to get them working.

[Speedbrake]

The thing that hasn't been mentioned is that since the rudder pedals also control the nose wheel steering when turned on, and uneven pressure will cause nose wheel deflection and then engaged, the nose wheel is very sensitive causing you to vear off one way or the other.

[kylania]

That's the problem I've been running into Speedbrake. Thinking of switching either of my toe brakes to be 'both' brakes instead of each one separate.

[Fish]

T.......... Thinking of switching either of my toe brakes to be.....

 

Hey kylania are you sure you want to do that. This feature is fairly unique among simulators, and adds to the realism of the sim. I know from your posts that you are a very experienced simmer, and am wondering if there's something wrong with your pedal controls?

 

On landiing (with anti-lock on) I apply the brakes fully after sinking the nose wheel. I'll let off one brake a little if i need to adjust the alignment in that direction. After steering wheel unlock, at about 60knots, it can get a little techy, but you can let off brakes completely during this transition, and apply again carefully. (now i don't even need to do that). I don't have any curves on the toe brake profiles

 

my 0.02$

[kra961]

If yours is anything like mine you'll find that the Saitek mapping in the game had other functions mapped to the toe brake function remove the other functions and your brakes will start working as they should without the control issues you are seeing now.

[MagnumHB]

The thing that hasn't been mentioned is that since the rudder pedals also control the nose wheel steering when turned on, and uneven pressure will cause nose wheel deflection and then engaged, the nose wheel is very sensitive causing you to vear off one way or the other.

The solution to this, provided that your pedals are properly calibrated, is to simply not apply uneven pressure. This may (gasp) actually require practice. Ground handling is a skill to be learned just the same as anything else.

[kylania]

I've set the curves and in game controls fine, the problem is entirely with me. heh The main problem being that my pedals are on carpet (so slip a bit with presure) and are right up against my power bar and I'm constantly trying not to push the pedals into the bar and unplug anything! :)

[Fish]

.....The main problem being that my pedals are on carpet (so slip a bit with presure)........

 

Hmm.

Wonder if we can get ED to implement a fix for 'Carpet Slip' in their next patch :music_whistling:

[cichlidfan]

I've set the curves and in game controls fine, the problem is entirely with me. heh The main problem being that my pedals are on carpet (so slip a bit with presure) and are right up against my power bar and I'm constantly trying not to push the pedals into the bar and unplug anything! :)

 

No carpet here but mine sit well away, nearly a foot, from the wall with a power stirp behind them as well. I took some 1x4 board and cut several pairs of different lengths (wasn't sure how long was going to be right). The boards go on the floor, between the pedals and the wall, and the power strip lays ontop of them. Works quite well.

 

I still have control issues but the pedals moving is not the cause.:D

[Eddie]

Hmm.

Wonder if we can get ED to implement a fix for 'Carpet Slip' in their next patch :music_whistling:

 

Buy some double sided sticky tape. :smilewink:

[kra961]

Buy some double sided sticky tape. :smilewink:

 

 

Velcro works wonders

[cichlidfan]

Of course, if there is wood under the carpet, you can always just screw them down. When you take the screws back out the holes in the carpet would hardly show if the carpet is deep enough.:D

[Fish]

My problem is pedals are connected to powered usb hub, and they disconnect when puter sleeps. Starting off in the air, If i forget, its quite a challenge when im speeding down the tarmac, to reach under the desk, disconnect and reconnect the usb, to get me brakes working. (don't think double sided tape will solve that one!!).

 

:music_whistling:

[cichlidfan]

In Win7, somewhere in the Power Management applet is a setting to keep USB ports from sleeping. You might see if setting that will cause the hub to reconnect when you wake the machine.

 

I turn all of that sleep/hibernate stuff off, my monitors turn off after a bit but that is it. Unless it is my laptop running on battery everything else is configured to stay awake.

 

I hate Windows power management.

[Speedbrake]

My rudder pedals sit about 15 inches from the wall under my computer desk. I made two two wood braces that fit between the wall and the pedals. That stops any movement forward when pressing either the brakes or rudder. Think about something like that.

[Blarney]

I have the Pro Combat Rudder Pedals as well, but I can't find the right axis that A-10C sees as the the toe Brakes. What axis is everyone mapping the toe brakes to for them to work properly?