[solidape]

Hello everyone, I am new to this website and am a newish noob IL-2 Multi player with a noob question.

I was playing tonight on the AAA multi server and observed something that had made me wonder many times playing the AI on IL-2. Here is what happened:

A P-38 zoomed below me, I was in the La-7. I did a split S and noticed that the P-38 dropped altitude to pick up speed and was flying tree top as I finished my split S. Myself being higher than the P-38 considerably, I dropped my nose and picked up speed fast to give him a chase as he was heading to our Airfield.

Now this is where my question comes in. I was chasing him at about 620 Km/hr and my plane was starting to shake while trying to maintain the speed. I kept up that speed as best as I could and even at that speed I was EASILY losing distance to him even though even though he did not have the initial advantage to pick up speed in a dive. The chase went on for a couple of minutes before I caught him as he climbed.

I had dropped the pitch of the propellers to about 50% and at the time I took off I was only carrying 25% fuel load so that must not be the factor. The P-38 was carrying rockets!!

I notice this over and over again that planes routinely fly faster than me and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Mind you that I am a sort of noob when it comes to IL-2. I have no problems getting my speed to 500 km/hr but even with those speeds sometimes I cannot even catch bombers at the same altitude as me. Sometimes even if I am going 510+ km/hr planes manage to climb and catch me which I can never seem to do to others .

Could someone post some tips or advice on how to speed the plane up to catch others please?

End of story: the P-38 finally reached the airfield and dropped some rockets and pulled up at which point I was finally able to catch him and shoot at him as he climbed 45 degrees.

Thanks in advance for your help Gents.

[stansdds]

Welcome!

Most U.S. aircraft share a particular trait, the ability to dive well and pick up tremendous speed. Make sure you have trimmed your plane so that you are not having to give rudder, aileron or elevator input. Yes, it's a demanding process and you will constantly trim the elevator, but that's how real pilots did it. Keep your throttle wide open and adjust prop pitch so that the engine does not over speed, but maintains a safe rpm. That's about all you can do as each aircraft will at some speed reach the point at which air compression forces will buffet the airframe and eventually lock up the control surfaces or simply rip away wing or tail surfaces.

[GeneralPsycho]

also for the LA7 prop pitch at that speed(620) best to maintain it at 75 percent, at least what i have tried. the post above is absolutely correct

[solidape]

Welcome!

Most U.S. aircraft share a particular trait, the ability to dive well and pick up tremendous speed. Make sure you have trimmed your plane so that you are not having to give rudder, aileron or elevator input. Yes, it's a demanding process and you will constantly trim the elevator, but that's how real pilots did it. Keep your throttle wide open and adjust prop pitch so that the engine does not over speed, but maintains a safe rpm. That's about all you can do as each aircraft will at some speed reach the point at which air compression forces will buffet the airframe and eventually lock up the control surfaces or simply rip away wing or tail surfaces.

But the question is why is his plane not tearing apart as mine was shaking tremendously at that speed and why was he not losing speed? He did not have enough dive altitude I think I was at 1500m and he was at about 500m.

I have read about trimming the aircraft, what is the best way to trim it. For instance when I am flying level I trim it to fly level, but when I enter combat mode do I have to trim again or continue fighting with the trim that was set for level flying?

Do I release all the trim when in combat? Also I notice that on some planes I cannot set the aileron trim.

Thanks for your help fella's

[RAF_Leigh]

it would be that the la7 is weaker as smaller than the 38 so it would shake at a lower speed

but diving in a 38 is be because of the compression but that can be fix with the airbrake

[stansdds]

Welcome!

Most U.S. aircraft share a particular trait, the ability to dive well and pick up tremendous speed. Make sure you have trimmed your plane so that you are not having to give rudder, aileron or elevator input. Yes, it's a demanding process and you will constantly trim the elevator, but that's how real pilots did it. Keep your throttle wide open and adjust prop pitch so that the engine does not over speed, but maintains a safe rpm. That's about all you can do as each aircraft will at some speed reach the point at which air compression forces will buffet the airframe and eventually lock up the control surfaces or simply rip away wing or tail surfaces.

But the question is why is his plane not tearing apart as mine was shaking tremendously at that speed and why was he not losing speed? He did not have enough dive altitude I think I was at 1500m and he was at about 500m.

I have read about trimming the aircraft, what is the best way to trim it. For instance when I am flying level I trim it to fly level, but when I enter combat mode do I have to trim again or continue fighting with the trim that was set for level flying?

Do I release all the trim when in combat? Also I notice that on some planes I cannot set the aileron trim.

Thanks for your help fella's

Not all airplanes are created equal, the U.S. aircraft, both historically and in this sim, are simply impressive in a dive. They generally cannot turn tightly and not all of them have good climbing capability, but they dive very, very well.

[mach-overspeed]

>I have read about trimming the aircraft, what is the best way to trim it. For instance when I am flying level I trim it to fly level, but when I enter combat mode do I have to trim again or continue fighting with the trim that was set for level flying? <

"Pitch controls airspeed and power controls altitude". Every airplane has TWO speeds at which it will fly straight and level with a given power setting, excepting that power setting which produces the thrust required to overcome a minimum inflight drag situation, such as Best Glide Speed or Best Range Speed.

Stab trim "programs" the horizontal stab to provide sufficient tail down force to counteract the aircraft's natural nose down tendency, otherwise known as it's "negative pitch moment", at a given airspeed.

If you're trying to use the stab trim to "set" an altitude you'll spend all day chasing the correct stab trim setting and never find it. Instead, try using the stab trim to set the speed at which you can fly "hands off" at a given power setting. Then use teeny-tiny control inputs with the stick/yoke to maintain your altitude.

Bottom line, if you're fighting the airplane its probably because you're trimmed incorrectly.

There's no telling how many trim servo's and associated hardware that I've worn out over the years.

Hope that helped.

Cheers!

mach-overspeed