Automatic flight correction/Trim problems

[King Chubbles]

Hello everyone,

I seem to be having a problem with controlling the A-10, as well as other aircraft. Now I'm new to flight simulators so I very well might be missing something simple and important.

While flying if I want to fly downwards I push the joystick forwards, which makes me tilt my nose down and fly downwards, as Is normal. However, when I let go of the joystick the aircraft "corrects" itself and makes me fly straight again. I'm assuming this has to do with the fact that my joystick springs back into its original position.

 

After some research I came under the impression that this has something to do with "Trim," something I don't understand at all. I set the hat on my joystick to the directions and, if I fly downwards and push the trim downwards, it seem to function in the intended way.

 

What confuses me is I only have to do this for downwards flight. If I am flying straight and pull my joystick towards me I fly upwards, however when I let go the aircraft stays flying in the same direction, it does not correct itself like it would if I was flying downwards.

 

Is this intended or did I configure my joystick incorrectly? If I did configure it incorrectly what would be a way to fix it?

 

:joystick:

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Napa]

You need to trim. The higher the speed the more trim downwards is needed, it has nothing to do with your joystick. Look at your control settings in the option menu to find out your trim buttons and you can assigned the trim on your hotas as well for easier use.

[King Chubbles]

You need to trim. The higher the speed the more trim downwards is needed, it has nothing to do with your joystick. Look at your control settings in the option menu to find out your trim buttons and you can assigned the trim on your hotas as well for easier use.

 

I have assigned my trim to the hat button on the top of my joystick. While I'm sure its something I have to get used to there's also something... off about it. Perhaps I'm simply using it incorrectly.

 

There's also the issue about flying upwards. Is this a feature? Or is there something missing?

[Guest Izoul123]

I have assigned my trim to the hat button on the top of my joystick. While I'm sure its something I have to get used to there's also something... off about it. Perhaps I'm simply using it incorrectly.

 

There's also the issue about flying upwards. Is this a feature? Or is there something missing?

 

 

What do you mean upwards? If you are trying to play it like a video game thinking she (the A10) will climb like the shuttle into orbit, or like a F15 on afterburners, you are flying the wrong plane. Other than that, I have no idea what you mean by flying upwards.

[Milano]

Increasing your airspeed increases the lift provided by your wings, thus straightening the plane on descent. The opposite is true when climbing.

 

You gain speed faster when descending than lose it when climbing, so the effect is more evident when heading downwards.

 

To compensate for this we use the trim, which lets you move the control surfaces and fix them in place so you don't have to rustle the controls.

 

If that doesn't help, post a track file :).

[King Chubbles]

What do you mean upwards? If you are trying to play it like a video game thinking she (the A10) will climb like the shuttle into orbit, or like a F15 on afterburners, you are flying the wrong plane. Other than that, I have no idea what you mean by flying upwards.

 

No I mean when i tilt the nose upwards I fly, well, upwards, as is expected. However when I let go of my joystick/bring it to its original position my direction does not change, unlike downwards when it automatically repositions itself. I realize that to make the aircraft stay downwards I need to adjust the trim, but I'm curious as to why I don't need to do this for upwards flight/upwards change in direction.

 

Edit: Milano (yum) I believe you just gave me the answer, thank you.

 

Thanks Izoul and Inner for your help as well

Edited May 12, 2013 by King Chubbles

[FreeFall]

You need to trim. The higher the speed the more trim downwards is needed

 

Yes. With A-10C you have to trim all the time.

 

Try to fly level with constant speed and center your stick. If your plane for example starts climbing, you have to trim nose down until it's compensated and your're flying level. If your speed changes, you have to trim again. If you release a bomb, you have to trim left or right wing down to compensate the change of weight.

[King Chubbles]

Yes. With A-10C you have to trim all the time.

 

Try to fly level with constant speed and center your stick. If your plane for example starts climbing, you have to trim nose down until it's compensated and your're flying level. If your speed changes, you have to trim again. If you release a bomb, you have to trim left or right wing down to compensate the change of weight.

 

I wasn't aware of that, thanks for the tip.

[FreeFall]

After a few hours of flying, you'll trim automatically/subconsciously just to save your wrist muscles. You don't even notice that you just trimmed the plane. :)

[Konrad Friedrich]

Wait til you try aerial refueling... :joystick: :smilewink:

[Exorcet]

No I mean when i tilt the nose upwards I fly, well, upwards, as is expected. However when I let go of my joystick/bring it to its original position my direction does not change, unlike downwards when it automatically repositions itself. I realize that to make the aircraft stay downwards I need to adjust the trim, but I'm curious as to why I don't need to do this for upwards flight/upwards change in direction.

 

Edit: Milano (yum) I believe you just gave me the answer, thank you.

 

Thanks Izoul and Inner for your help as well

Trim always applies. If you fly an untrimmed aircraft at a given speed and start from the level with the ground, you will enter the phugoid mode, where the plane flies up and down at a given frequency.

 

Now, what may be happening when you pull up is that you're only pulling up enough so that your speed stays near constant. This would keep the plane trimmed and your nose won't drop (until the air started thinning out as you get higher). When diving, you will probably gain speed even if your throttle is very low, so your speed will increase and so will the pitching moment on the aircraft.