Plane constantly banks to the right.

[PeterP]

Now, my only question is that has anything changed recently? because I never until now had a need to trim right off the bat at the beginning of a mission. As in, it almost felt like the plane has been trimmed already. Maybe its just my imagination but a large number of my flights start airborne to save time and I could bet my left testicle this behavior wasn't there before.

 

As far as trim is concerned, I'm aware of how it works ;)

 

It's no biggie really, just curious.

 

Let me say it like this:

There have been several "fluctuations" between the last versions.

Means:

What worked in 1.1.2 isn't working any more in 1.2.0 and vice versa...many threads are proving it.

...and it is almost the same in 1.2.1 ... some things work - but differently.

well I could be more specific if I would have a complete change-log.

 

Well , I digressed...

 

So I just believe that the Sidewinders only had a weight that get into the calculation of the flight-model before 1.2.1 - so you didn't had to trim, as you had a load-out that is symmetrical in weight.

 

But now the Drag of the Sidewinders is also taken account in the flight-model. - So you have to trim.

This maybe has something to do with the announced advanced FM for missiles that will be fully introduced with FC3.

 

This is just a uneducated guess - maybe someone of ED can shed more light on your questions.

 

But whatever the real answer maybe to your question - what we got right now is some of the sophisticated FM for a Jet-plane simulation I ever have seen and it feels right to me.

 

And as you wrote: You only had to release the sidewinders to get in balance again.

This makes me happy and confident that the FM (regarding trim behaviour) is right.

Edited October 19, 2012 by PeterP

[shawnyp420]

I'm confused...

Why is everyone so focused on NOT using the trimmer? If you read the manual, you'll see the trimmer hat is front and center on the stick. Why? Because you should be using it all the time. If I recall correctly - I've read accounts from real life hog pilots saying their thumb is on the trimmer pretty much all the time! So expecting to NOT have to use the trimmer as soon as the wheels are off the ground is not a realistic expectation. (imho).

 

TRIM!

[Maverick82]

SIGN!

 

Flying without triming is like "close your eyes spin around 10 times, open your eyes and try to walk straight along a line" .....or just wait a few seconds until your body is "trimed" :D

 

you see even your body is triming all the time. The Hog wants this too.

[fearme]

I'm confused...

Why is everyone so focused on NOT using the trimmer? ...

 

That's really not the case, personally I have no problems with using the TRIM. I was simply making an observation that the plane behaviour seems a bit different.

 

Anyway, what we really need is a proper change log :music_whistling:

[cheap charlie]

ignore

Edited July 2, 2013 by cheap charlie

[Hamblue]

If somehow you got by without trimming in the past, welcome to the real world. The Hog likes to be stroked (trimmed)constantly.

[cheap charlie]

Here we go, just a quick mission. Joystick unplugged.

 

Thanks for having a look at this.

 

I would like to see this. Where do I import the track and how do I watch it?

[Pika]

I noticed this for a while but it actually seemed to vanish the more refined my start up procedures got (That or I got used to getting rid of it!)

 

Not to sound patronizing, but have you turned all the SAS controls on? Is your fuel spread even? Are you in freeflight with wind at 0 and are you setting Take off Trim? If so you'll need to trim it out once you're airborn. Infact you'll be trimming a lot of the time, not as much as a chopper, but a lot! Also as stated above, your weapon load out is fine? Try going in with totally empty stores, sidewinders and all.

 

Aside from that I'm not sure. I did notice that exact same lazy list to the right but the more experience I had with the plane, the more it seemed to vanish. Now i'm not sure if I just automatically correct for it.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Pika

[roadrabbit]

I hate to ask this, but you have never mentioned trimming. Quite a few replies to you have suggested trimming - have you done so?

 

Before taking off have you pressed the 'auto trim' button on the left side panel? An out-of-trim aircraft will roll one way or the other OR pitch up/down without any apparent flight control input.

[cichlidfan]

Before taking off have you pressed the 'auto trim' button on the left side panel? An out-of-trim aircraft will roll one way or the other OR pitch up/down without any apparent flight control input.

 

I believe you are a bit confused about the function of that button. The button on the SAS panel, labeled 'T/O Trim', is not an auto trim button. It is actually a 'zero-trim' button. When pressed it removes all trim.

 

From the Flight Manual, pg 149

Takeoff Trim Control Button. Labeled T/O TRIM, pressing this button will automatically set all trim tabs to neutral, takeoff settings. When all trim tabs have been set to the proper setting, the takeoff trim light above the button will light and indicate TAKEOFF TRIM.

[PFunk1606688187]

The only real downside to the A-10's trim system is that there's no indicator of the trim setting you're at, other than the stick's relative bank and pitch from neutral. Other aircraft will have a take off trim setting that is dependent on many factors and so the correct take off pitch trim will vary from weight and wind conditions. You can then set the trim to some arbitrary unit for an ideal pitching tendency at take off.

 

With the A-10, T/O Trim in some conditions is a bit less than ideal. In an airshow configuration (no payload, about 3000lb of fuel) the nose up tendency at take off is very extreme. I don't know if there's any official recommendation or limitation in real life on setting trim a bit nose down on light take off configurations.

 

None of this has anything to do with roll trim at take off, though anything other than a neutral roll trim setting at take off is rather dangerous in concept, regardless of the payload weight asymmetry. Correct planning would be used to prevent this from being anything but a gentle wing down tendency at rotation.

[Lusik]

But a real airplane also sometimes pitches up, banks etc., even tough you may have trim indication setting. It depends on weight and balance, stores configuration, wind, etc. :) It was mentioned before that AIM-9 generate considerable drag so whenever I take off with them I counteract by applying slight pressure to the opposite side.

[roadrabbit]

Autotrim Button clarification

 

Thanks for that correction - I hadn't reached p149 of the Flight Manual, or if I had, I missed that bit! :D

 

With such a variable trim situation on the A-10C I am surprised that there is no indication of where the trim actually is. It means it is possible to take-off in a situation where the aircraft is extremely out of trim. I guess that zero trim is then a compromise, but that the pilot should expect the plane to be out of trim and ready to counter any roll at lift off. Hence the presence of :joystick: !

 

Thinking further, experience would then show what to expect with various armament stores loaded, and perhaps a judicious application of trim used away from the 'zero trim' condition.

 

The advice given by so many on this thread is the importance of trimming, to which I wholly subscribe.

[Wrecking Crew]

Try (L?)Alt-M to reset the trim, too.

 

Are your throttles even in the RCntrl-Enter display?

 

WC

[cichlidfan]

Are your throttles even in the RCntrl-Enter display?

 

Yes, on the left upper half.

Edited July 31, 2013 by cichlidfan

[PFunk1606688187]

I would think that with many hours in the pit of this very hand flown plane, though, that pilots would get to know how it behaved at take off with particular weights and loads. Loadouts in the long wars of the last 10+ years seemed to show a somewhat standard loadout that wouldn't likely have changed much in gross weight even if the payloads themselves changed. Not much call for TERs and a generally consistent support payload (ie. TGP, no AIMs, WP, SUU-25*8 Flares).

 

The airshow config probably would involve paying attention but thats a carefully orchestrated dance anyway, so there's probably some methodology that deviates from a normal loaded mission profile anyways.

 

On the whole, even the A-10s trim demonstrates how much of a hand flown aircraft it still is.