Warbird adventures

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Paughco
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Warbird adventures

Post by Paughco »

Dunno 'bout the rest of you intrepid airmen, but I find that it takes me lots of practice to maintain proficiency in my A2A warbirds.

The P-40: This is the "easiest" airplane to fly. Also the one that I've had the most time in. Plenty of old school quirks, but I've gotten used to 'em. I've said it before - my A2A P-40 flies like my 1950 Harley Panhead rides. Still, I can't ignore this fine machine for too long if I want drama-free takeoffs and landings in reasonably short strips.

The Spitfire: This one is a serious handful during takeoff. I have to complete at least ten takeoffs to get the feel back, and you can't just do endless flights around the pattern in the Spit, due to the minimal radiator. My latest key to successful takeoffs is to very gently wiggle the rudder as she starts on the takeoff roll, with a slight emphasis to left or right, as needed to keep the nose on the centerline. Stick all the way back at the beginning of the takeoff, moving forward as the throttle comes on, and some air starts moving past the rudder. You have to apply power evenly, but you don't want to be like those guys in that takeoff scene in the Battle of Britain, where they're taking forever to get off the ground and they end up getting blasted or hitting bomb craters. Landing is much easier, but getting her on the ground without the "bumps-a-daisy" takes a careful hand on the stick.

The Mustang: I think this machine is easier than the Spit on takeoff, mainly because of the wider gear. You start out with the stick all the way back to keep the tail on the ground early in the takeoff roll, then neutralize the stick as the speed increases, and then a little forward stick to get the tail up a bit. Some right aileron to counteract the torque from the engine, and she flies right off! Yeah, that's just after I did about five T&Gs on a big, wide runway - easy to say. OK - I still haven't mastered the bounceless landing. I did it on my last T&G and my full-stop landing at that big, wide runway, but that was just a few minutes ago. Tomorrow I'll have to start all over again.

The real test for any of these beasts is to land at Catalina (KAVX). Twenty six miles across the sea, it's waitin' for you and me.

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Seeya
ATB
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vtracy
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Location: nr Munich, Bavaria

Re: Warbird adventures

Post by vtracy »

I suggest:
a. try a landing in Nice(France) airport; you will be able to learn cross wi d landings.
b. try a Me 109(E) by A2A; that is a challenge both on starting and landing! Talk about torque...
Happy landings!
Volker
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Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing!

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Paughco
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Paughco »

Thank you for the word, vTracy. Well, I thought I had that P-40 down, but I had a pretty dramatic "arrival" at Arlington a few minutes ago. The wind was 14 knots from 285. I could have landed on Rwy 29, but I elected to try the main runway, which is 34. It was not pretty, but there was no damage. Now I'm downloading Global Buildings from ORBX. Once that is installed, I will try again.

Seeya
ATB
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vtracy
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Location: nr Munich, Bavaria

Re: Warbird adventures

Post by vtracy »

#Poughco, let me know how things went.
I am a fan of the warbirds of A2A; I like the challenge they pose when you try them.
My last experience with the Spit (before I began rebuilding my simulator hardware):
Record Flight from LOWS to LOWI in Spit. Play the flight as AI flight, fly the same Spit with the recorded flight as ‚leader‘.
That is a challenge! Try staying as close as possible to his wingtips! In real weather = buffeting. The first (recorded) flight is at height of ca. 100 ft... alle the time. If that is not a challenge, I don‘t know what is😁
That way, I do not need weapons in my warbirds; it is enough to stay aloft...
Volker
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Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing!

pjc747
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Joined: 04 Jan 2011, 22:24

Re: Warbird adventures

Post by pjc747 »

What about KAVX do you find to be a challenge beyond the challenging sight picture of the approach? A 3000' runway shouldn't concern a Mustang, especially with the kind of uphill slope this one has to aide in deceleration.

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Paughco
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Paughco »

The challenge for me is the sight picture of the approach. Similarly, getting in to runway 28 at Darrington (1S2) is a challenge due to the mountain to the east of the runway. Neither one are that much problem if I've just completed about ten touch and goes in the aircraft. It's part art, part science, at least for me.

Seeya
ATB
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vtracy
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Location: nr Munich, Bavaria

Re: Warbird adventures

Post by vtracy »

ATB, try this:
Fly nape of the earth along the Inn valley (Salzburg to Innsbruck), cross the LOWI airport lengthwise at 100 ft, pull up sharply at the same time banking 45 degrees, full rudder, that makes her nose come down, at the same time put down gear and flaps, all that in a steep descent the runway always in sight, correct speed for landing...It is called a „fighter approach“.
Reportedly, that was the way the fighter pilots of WW2 fame did it, both in the Spit and in the Me109.
I try that only when I feel adventurous💀
Volker
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Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing!

pjc747
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by pjc747 »

Paughco wrote: 08 Aug 2019, 10:39 The challenge for me is the sight picture of the approach. Similarly, getting in to runway 28 at Darrington (1S2) is a challenge due to the mountain to the east of the runway. Neither one are that much problem if I've just completed about ten touch and goes in the aircraft. It's part art, part science, at least for me.

Seeya
ATB
If you reference the altimeter as you are on final approach, to give you a decent idea of how high you are, it works better than just staring at an arbitrary spot.

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Eugene Kremlev
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Eugene Kremlev »

Hm, okay))) 8) ... to Catalina :mrgreen:

n421nj
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by n421nj »

Try st Bart’s for a real challenge.
Andrew

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Paughco
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Paughco »

Guys: Thank you for your comments.

My key to success is in simply flying my warbirds, practicing takeoffs and landings, and flying around from place to place, sometimes nap of the earth, sometimes up at contrail altitude. A favorite flight is to start out from Arlington (KAWO), fly at low altitude to Skagit Regional (KBVS) for a few touch and goes, then back down to Arlington for an overhead pass approach. Typical overhead approach procedure is as described by Dudley on the A2A Forum. I did a quick search just now for "overhead approach" and almost got lost in all the data!

Here is a very good tutorial by SIM CFI on landing the P-40 (guess who was the requesting viewer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG8uVYcgoq8&t=11s.

Thank you
ATB
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Eugene Kremlev
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Eugene Kremlev »

Paughco wrote: 09 Aug 2019, 11:59 Guys: Thank you for your comments.
....
Thank you
ATB
Paughco, you provoked me into a flight on Catalina when I was in the Pacific Ocean tour on the Bonanza 8) One of these days I will post a video of today's flight on a Spitfire over Catalina and several landings. And back in the Pacific Ocean :mrgreen:

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Paughco
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Re: Warbird adventures

Post by Paughco »

Eugene Kremlev wrote: 09 Aug 2019, 12:15 Paughco, you provoked me into a flight on Catalina when I was in the Pacific Ocean tour on the Bonanza 8) One of these days I will post a video of today's flight on a Spitfire over Catalina and several landings. And back in the Pacific Ocean :mrgreen:
I hope you get a chance to stop in at Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) on your flight around the Pacific. I spent many happy hours there back in the '60s, gassing and washing airplanes, and stripping paint off of Cessna 150 wings.

My P-40 is now at Darrington Airport (1S2), and my virtual self has secured the airplane and has walked over to the local IGA market to get some fried chicken at the deli. Mmm, good!

Here we are heading up the Stillaguamish Valley toward Darrington:
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Here's the P-40 sitting on the ramp (all in one piece!):
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Seeya
ATB
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