Nice flight with Accusim 1.5 Update

[bigjuicyspider]

I know all the buzz is about the civ. Mustang right now, but I just wanted to write a quick note about the P-40 with the 1.5 Core update. I haven't flown the warbirds for maybe as much as 6 months now, and I've been avoiding the P-40 specifically because of some of the drag issues. I took it up and didn't know how I would do, especially since I've been flying the big stable planes.

Anyway, to sum it all up, this plane flew absolutely wonderfully. I had some of the best, most intuitive landings I've ever had in any aircraft, and I was never very good with the P-40 in particular, and suck with taildraggers in general. Ever since the release of this plane there was always something that felt a little "weird", especially on landings, but I could never put my finger on it if it was just the slickness caused by incorrect drag, was it just because I couldn't get the hang of taildraggers, or what...because I just have no realworld knowledge to know these things...I'm afterall merely a flightsim pilot. It was constantly annoying me because I thought "look, I think I'm a good flightsim pilot, but there is just something that isn't clicking here with my motor skills." But I have to say that for the first time, everything just seemed absolutely "right" insofar as it felt just the way that I had envisioned it should feel, or hoped and wished it would feel stretching all the way back to its earliest versions. The plane feels every bit to me a truly finished product.

Is this just because there was a tiny little tweak to the prop drag, or because I haven't flown it for so long that my perspective has been reset? It could even be that my skills have improved from flying different types of planes and placed more emphasis on fundamental flying precision and technique. I don't know, but I just wanted to say that I feel a little bit giddy now...it is like having a new plane that impresses me very much and that I am very excited about!

[Scott - A2A]

Is this just because there was a tiny little tweak to the prop drag, or because I haven't flown it for so long that my perspective has been reset? It could even be that my skills have improved from flying different types of planes and placed more emphasis on fundamental flying precision and technique. I don't know, but I just wanted to say that I feel a little bit giddy now...it is like having a new plane that impresses me very much and that I am very excited about!

Probably a bit of both I think.

Scott.

[pilottj]

I noticed the differences too. Going from 1.2, the P-40 felt like it slowed down and sank quicker when pulling the power. I could make good short field landings because I knew once the power was pulled, I was going to loose remaining lift fairly quickly. Upon touchdown, I could pretty much hold the stick back, and would not lift again. After 1.3, my landings tended to float more, slower decceleration...longer rollouts. 1.5 has that 'heavier' feeling again, which is very nice.

Cheers
TJ

[JoeS475]

Agreed. For a while now the Warhawk was my hangar queen, but now she is a blast to fly again just like when I first got her! One thing that seems to have gone, or been severely minimized is the strong right pull in a high speed dive. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but either way I'm really pleased with my P-40!

Joe

[bigjuicyspider]

Agreed. For a while now the Warhawk was my hangar queen, but now she is a blast to fly again just like when I first got her! One thing that seems to have gone, or been severely minimized is the strong right pull in a high speed dive. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but either way I'm really pleased with my P-40!

Joe

I haven't flown the aircraft at speed, but you know, it is supposed to go right in a high speed dive. It is well documented even to the point that fighter pilots would complain about their left foot getting tired from having to put in so much left rudder. It is a part of the airplane's historical character. You're saying that it doesn't do that anymore??? For what it is worth, I only had it up to 250 or so, and it was indeed rolling to the right...I didn't notice anything that struck me as newly peculiar, but then again I'm kind of rusty on this plane.

[CodyValkyrie]

It should still be there. It shouldn't have changed whatsoever.

[bigjuicyspider]

It should still be there. It shouldn't have changed whatsoever.

(Oops Simultaneous post...)

Thanks for clarifying Cody, Joe had me getting worried there for a second

[JoeS475]

I thought I noticed it a whole lot less than previously, however I was flying rather late at night and my judgement may or may not have been slightly impaired. Right now I'm leaving for the holiday, so I won't get a chance to check this out in day time for a few days- would someone be so kind as to take the P-40 up to 10k feet and dive her straight down?

Joe

[Bochumer]

Tested it during a flight around Bundaberg, Australia. Climbed up to 12000 feet and did the dive. I was so fast, I could hardly pull up! Prop full fine, throttle one third open. Not really mentioned the characteristic pull to the right. Checked it with a replay, no tendency at all! I remember this behavior during former flights (long before the 1.5 update, if that matters), but my last extreme dives are months ago. It was a nice feature, I missed in the Spitfire. I think, there changed something with the accusim updates.

[CodyValkyrie]

I'm not sure about the Spitfire, that's Darryl's territory. I know the P-40 still pulls hard to the right. I just did a dive from 7,000 feet and had to use full left rudder to correct.

[JoeS475]

I tried again also. From 10,000 feet I got very little, if any pull to the right. And as I was aiming at a specific point in my dive, target fixation finished me off...

I took my repaired P-40 up to 20,000 feet and tried again... This time I got beyond the redline and did experience some significant right hand pull, although it still feels (to me) less than before 1.5.

I emphasize that this is not a problem for me, nor am I trying to look for issues that don't exist. It is just something I noticed and was curious about.

Joe

[JoeS475]

I'm not sure about the Spitfire, that's Darryl's territory. I know the P-40 still pulls hard to the right. I just did a dive from 7,000 feet and had to use full left rudder to correct.

Ok, I got it now, it turns out it was user error!

I climbed to 7,000 feet and did an approximately 45 degree full power dive towards a bridge and had massive pull to the right. My previous attempts were all near vertical and therefore I was using a lot less power, resulting in barely any pull.

Simple enough!

Joe

[Killratio]

I'm not sure about the Spitfire, that's Darryl's territory. I know the P-40 still pulls hard to the right. I just did a dive from 7,000 feet and had to use full left rudder to correct.

Cody and guys,

No right pull in the Spitfire for a high speed dive. The Spitty was good in a dive but you had to be VERY carefull with pilot input because of the extremely effective elevators.

D

[CodyValkyrie]

No right pull in the Spitfire for a high speed dive. The Spitty was good in a dive but you had to be VERY carefull with pilot input because of the extremely effective elevators.

D

I suspected as much, as the right pull is fairly unique to the P-40. I knew better however than to touch your territory mate. As far as I am concerned, you know more about the Spitfire than anyone I have ever known.



Get back to testing and searching for spare parts!



[EDIT: You have no idea how hard it was to find a clean image of a girl with a whip. Sheesh.]

[Killratio]

[EDIT: You have no idea how hard it was to find a clean image of a girl with a whip. Sheesh.]

Which is why you photographed yourself in shadow???




..and cheers for the compliment mate!!



Oh, look, a Merlin engine valve, gotta go...................