Plane won't fly straight.

[Shyzar]

I just got IL-2 1946, but I have been having problems with attacking. The plane seems to always want to climb so when I point the nose down it starts leveling off and climbing slightly. I don't have a joystick yet because it has not arrived yet. Is this because I use the keyboard or is this a feature?

[FIREWALL]

How do you have your flaps set at ? Still in takeoff settings ?

[Shyzar]

How do you have your flaps set at ? Still in takeoff settings ?
I thought it's raised but I'll check in game. Am I supposed to use combat flaps?

[FIREWALL]

I think so. Thats what I use. Btw you made a good purchase. I bought everthing thats in 1946 seperately and could kick myself. But I had to get it myself and now I don't have to do all that installing and just keep this one on my rig.:D

[Shyzar]

I think I left it in takeoff settings because with raised or combat it's much better, but still not gone. I guess it will be easier with a joystick because with a keyboard it's either full dive or nothing unless you want to constantly tap the up arrow.
Anyways, thanks for the help.

[FIREWALL]

The regulars all reccomend a joystick. Iuse a saitek x52 with rudder pedals.

[Chock]

If you have the flaps up and gear up etc and you are set for cruising along, you will need to 'trim' the aircraft, as you have to with real thing.

What this means in real life is that the control surfaces on most aeroplanes (i.e. the elevators, ailerons and rudder) have either 'trim tabs', or a similar device to partially move the control surface a little bit, in order to steer the aircraft up or down slightly without you having to constantly keep the stick deflected for whatever your engine power setting is (that's what all those handwheels in the cockpit down near the floor are, you'll see them move if you adjust the trim). Doing this is called 'trimming the aircraft to fly hands off'.

A common misconception with inexperienced flyers is that you use the stick to control the height and the engine to control the speed in level flight, in actual fact, it is the other way around, with engine power settings used to climb and descend, and the stick (elevators) to control the pitch, which affects the speed (in truth this is sometimes interchangeable). This means that it is technically possible to make the aircraft fly perfectly straight and level by finding the exact throttle setting which makes this happen (i.e. having all the forces of weight, drag, lift and thrust in equilibrium, but, you might want to stay level at a different speed, and so that's where trimming comes in). Of course in combat, you might find that you have to throw these rules out of the window, but if you ever learn to fly on a Cessna or whatever, that is what they will teach you.

Trim tabs are like a miniature version of the control surface situated on the trailing edge of the main control surface. You can see a trim tab at the back of the elevator on this picture of a B737's tail, the small tube on top of it is a fairing over the pushrod that actually moves the trim tab:

http://www.b737.org.uk/stabprofile.jpg

So, without a joystick you will need to set up a couple of keys in the options for positive and negative elevator trim. Note that you can also trim the rudder to stop the aircraft's tendency to yaw in a direction opposite to the propeller's rotation if you like, or you can use the aileron trim to do this (although technically, the aileron trim tab is for trimming out any tendency to roll). Which you should use really depends on the aircraft, as some aircraft have no rudder trim tabs.

When you get a stick, I'd recommend setting the 3rd and 4th fire buttons as the up and down elevator trim, as this will make flying 'hands off' a lot easier.

Unfortunately, without a sliding control (such as the throttle control on a joystick) assigned to trim, it will not be as easy to use as it is in real life, where it is usually just a case of moving the stick until you are flying level at the speed you want, and then taking up the slack on the trim control and that's it, you are trimmed. With a sim, you will have to keep pressing the positive or negative trim keys (that you have assigned) until you 'hit the sweet spot', which is easy enough to do once you are used to it. If you have more than one rotary or sliding control on your joystick, of course you can have the throttle and the trim assigned. You may possibly be able to assign the mouse wheel to elevator trim, in which case it would be very similar to how the real thing works, but I have never tried that, so I don't know if it is possible in IL2.

:D Chock

[FIREWALL]

Good post Chock :up: Gave alot of good answers to alot of questions .:yep:

[Shyzar]

Thanks Chock. Will try when I get my joystick. Should be tuesday but might not. At least I didn't get it shipped with USPS or else it would have come while I'm on vacation (I ordered it a week ago, going on vacation next saturday).

[Chock]

Cool. Happy landings and enjoy your vacation too.

When you get into IL2, you'll find that you probably want to get good at formation flying so you can stay with your squadron, and having your aircraft properly trimmed for level flight makes this a hell of a lot easier!

:D Chock

[Shyzar]

I just recieved my Joystick today as predicted and I'm finally somewhat effecttive in the air. The elevator trimming is harder than it sounds. Staying with my sqaudron is sometimes difficult, as is staying with an enemy fighter, but I'm getting better.

[Chock]

Just a case of getting familiar with it. Nobody can fly an aeroplane brilliantly the first time they try it, like most things, the real trick is to stick at, and you'll get used to it.

:D Chock

[Seeadler]

just to note:
several inflight keyboard functions are not set by default (out of the box), you must configure them by yourself.

[HunterICX]

I think with the size of the list you need 2 keyboards in order to get them all :doh:
then its the question...how do you remember them.

but the smartest way to set them up right is first
what do you NEED a lot.

and other that you need set them on the keyboard into groups for easy acces and to remember them where they are.

HunterICX

[danlisa]

just to note:
several inflight keyboard functions are not set by default (out of the box), you must configure them by yourself.

That's true. I have used & printed out this list - http://files.filefront.com/IL+2+Controlsrar/;6745612;;/fileinfo.html

I have a copy pinned to my desk. Also, IIRC, each Pilot Profile can have different key bindings.

Apart from choosing you own bindings through trial & error, I have found the list above to be accurate and intuitive.:up: Very Handy.

Although, it seems to have dissapeared from the net, so d/l & save a copy.

[SeaVee]

Keep in mind that not every WWII era A/C had pilot-adjustable trim available - especially in the earlier year variants.

Depending on the specific plane, aside from elevator trim there may also be rudder and aileron trim as well. Aside from these, engine throttle setting and prop pitch also affect the flight dynamics.

[Shyzar]

Just a case of getting familiar with it. Nobody can fly an aeroplane brilliantly the first time they try it, like most things, the real trick is to stick at, and you'll get used to it.

:D Chock

It might take me a long time to actually get used to it because the day before the joystick came I started playing Elder Scrolls:Morrowind with new mods:damn: Now I can't stop playing it. I've been constantly playing on and off for about a year and a half because of the excellant modding community.