Yaw behavior is totally unexpected!

[msalama]

There is no such thing as an 'arcade flight sim'

 

Must... resist... uttering... a snide remark about IL-2 :D

[Harzach]

Another unconventional way is to use split throttle.

 

If time is not an issue, sure!

[Succellus]

Must... resist... uttering... a snide remark about IL-2 :D

 

Errr which one of the IL2 ?

[Shaderhacker]

The primary function of the rudder is to keep the nose of the aircraft pointed in the direction you are going. There are a number of reasons why the aircraft will not do that by itself, but you really don't need to know all the theory of 'why' at this point (even if it will help, eventually).

 

In real life, it is easier as your pilot-aircraft interface* contains a sensor telling you if you are going sideways through the air. In real life and in the simulators, we have an instrument helping us. On the dash you have a turn rate indicator, a small white spade moving left and right, and below that a ball in a curved glass tube. If you are using the rudder right, that ball will be centered in the tube. If you are going sideways through the air, that ball will drift out to the upwind side.

 

To coordinate the aircraft, you simply need to 'step on the ball' - i e push the pedal on the side where you find the ball. With practise, you start anticipating the need for rudder and doing it automatically.

 

Power changes and aileron use are the big drivers of having to coordinate the aircraft through use of rudder.

 

Uncoordinated flight will mess up your shooting, reduce your speed, acceleration and climb rate and turn stalls into spin entries, so it is rather important.

 

Best regards,

/Fred

 

*) Also known as your 'butt' or your 'behind'. You feel what the aircraft is doing by the seat of your pants. :)

 

Now this makes PERFECT sense! Thanks for this simple explanation!

 

-M

[Shaderhacker]

There is no such thing as an 'arcade flight sim' :no_sad:

 

It's either one or the other...

 

How about arcade "flight" game?:thumbup:

[Hamblue]

Or simulated Flight Sim. :music_whistling:

[Rotareneg]

If you're interested in learning how planes fly, "See How It Flies" is nice.

[Blaze1]

Damn. I have a lot to learn.

 

I plan on going to flight school in the Fall. I'm hoping this helps me understand the physics behind it all. I've had physics before, but not concentrated on aerodynamics. I hope the P-51D simulation can give me more of a real world comparison to the Cessna's I'm going to be training in.

 

Wow - just wow.

Hi Shaderhacker

 

There used to be a brilliant interactive website describing flight, aircraft behaviour and control, with an excellent interactive illustration of the rudder effects and side-slip you mentioned. Unfortunately the website is no longer available, however I saved it to disk at the time. If you like I can send it to you, its about 16Mb in size.

 

Cheers

[Pikey]

Good luck with your flying lessons. I got this topic in my second lesson and my instructor extended a yaw for ages until we were in a spiralling dive and pulled sharply.

 

I had my head hanging out the window all the way back, sick as a parrot. That was 21 years ago and I never did another lesson because i'm one of these messed up people that gets sick on a round about when everyone else is laughing and falling over.