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Trimming Your Plane - 22 April, 2001
A well trimmed aircraft will allow you to fly "hands off" straight and level. You should only have to touch the the controls to compensate for heading or the little bumps that throw your attitude and/or pitch off. A well trimmed plane also is "cleaner" through the air which in turn gives you more speed. And we all like speed! I set the aileron trim to the NUM keys 4 and 6. The elevator trim to NUM 1 and 7. The rudder trim is on the joystick for that quick turning help during combat. Thanks to James.
Power settings are first, you don't want to be flying point a to point b at 100% or you'll be out of fuel before you get to where your going. I fly at about 65 to 70% for those long level flights. Then set your prop pitch down a couple of notches to coarsen the blade angle. Place your craft in level flight and watch your needle and ball indicator. If the ball is to the left, trim rudder left. Only small changes at a time, 1 or 2 taps of the key. After you change a trim setting, use your joystick to place the aircraft back to straight and level and see where the plane wanders to. Trim rudder first so you take all the yaw out of the aircraft. Get it close to center here then trim your ailerons. If your aircraft is banking left, trim right. Remember, small changes! Once the bank and yaw are at near zero, trim the elevator watching your VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator). A couple of small pushes and pulls on the joystick to keep you level, then small trim changes on the elevator if plane wanders up or down.
Small trimming changes are the key to straight and level flight, this cannot be stressed enough.
The checklist is Power/Prop Setting, Yaw, Bank, Pitch. So get those planes trimmed up and you will notice that it will handle better and be faster. Be fast or be last!
The technique I use seems to work quite well, and getting better the more it's practiced. I don't fly right at the opponent. Slightly offset one side or another but on a parallel line. As the opponent draws closer use the rudder to yaw the plane, pointing the nose at the enemy's aircraft. This makes your plane fly sideways past the opponent on that parallel flight line, which will make him turn into you which just opens up more aircraft surface area to hit.(Wings suddenly come into view) By the time he realizes that you are angled towards him but flying in a different direction, the damage is done (most of the time:) and he just wants to get out of there. Timing is essential so as to get the best shot without losing to much airspeed!
When in combat, the only things that should be reported
1. When you hit someone
2. Who's fresh (not hit yet)
3. Who's coming in fresh
4. Who's going down (friend and foe)
5. When your going to hold it up to bait a pilot to shoot you
6. To pick up someone on your six (or need help)
7. Who to focus on for the last kill of the game
Thanks to KMH_RAD_Snoopy and the KMH Raptors
Always remember that a squadron game is all about teamwork. A pilot who goes off in pursuit of a kill puts his squad mates at risk and is of no use to the team. Always try to be aware of where your team members are, their damage situation and any attacking aircraft. Primarily when you or a teammate damage a plane to the point that it is no longer a threat, break off and pursue aircraft that do present a threat.
Wingmen
It is far better for all players to be each others wing men. All members of a team should try to stay within 800' of each other, never allow a target to lure you away from the battle. Look out for each other, breaking off an attack, if necessary, to assist a team mate.
Hitting the enemy
The fuselage can absorb alot of hits and has little effect on aircraft performance, however hitting the wings particularly the tips will have a drastic effect on the planes performance. Best approach is high and behind, particularly with the sun behind you. In a team game pursue your target until you believe it is sufficiently crippled to be of little threat to you or your team. Read the text in your damage info display, as soon as you see reports of damage to wing tips, rudder or elevator control you can assume the plane is severely crippled and take appropriate action, pursue the kill or break and hit another target.
Selecting your target
During a game, the better of the enemy pilots will become apparent. A team leaders, or in a FFA, your objective, should be to kill the enemies best. By chasing down the enemies top gun you are keeping him busy and preventing him from damaging yourself or your team.
Returning after being shot down
After you have been shot down, return to the center of the dogfight, on the way attack any stragglers, injured planes. Their attention is on the main dogfight and are probably not aware of your location. You now have the benefit of height, which will give you the element of suprise.
Restricted ammo
In all games whether or not ammo restrictions are in place you should practice the following: Only fire your weapons in short 1 to 4 second bursts. Where you have cannon, only use it in close range after your target is taking hits from your guns.
Thanks to the MSN Gaming Zone
Visualizing the positions and movements of fast-moving objects in a three dimensional space is difficult. But its what seperates fighter pilots from fighter aces. Being a good shot is a useless skill if you cant keep track of the enemy.
Use the element of surprise
When you come in from behind or below the enemy he cant see you. But dropping in from above gives you the potential for greater speed. While your closing in, use the enemy's blind spots to your advantage. Come out of the sun or clouds with your guns blazing so you can shoot him down before he even knows your there.
Stay one move ahead of the enemy
A good fighter pilot's actions in the present are dictated by his prediction of the future. If you merely react to your opponent's actions you will be shot down. If you anticipate his actions and respond intuitively without hesitation, you will emerge the victor.
Trade altitude and airspeed
Are you flying too fast? Pull back on the stick and you'll slow down as you climb. Be careful though: pulling up to shake the enemy off your tail is a dangerous move! Your airspeed will drop quickly, and a slow ship under fire is a sitting duk;)
Are you flying too slowly? Nose your ship over into a dive to gain airspeed.Trading altitude and airspeed is an essential part of all aerial combat maneuvers.
Fly slower to turn faster
When you ride a bicycle around a corner quickly you want to go fast, but not too fast, and its the same with your aircraft. At fast speeds, centttrifugal force causes the plane's turn radius to increase and its turn rate to decrease. Every ship has a speed at which maximum- performance turns are possible. In general, though, a slower flying aircraft will out turn a faster flying one.
Turn into your opponent
Turning into the enemys direction of movement increases the angle between your movement and his guns, making you harder to hit. Turning away decreases the angle, making you an easier target and making it much easier for him to get on your tail. So, if the enemy is ciming in from behind you and to your right, bank right to get out of his gun sights.
Use Deflection Shooting
Attacking an enemy aircraft from in front or behind is easy, Just aim and shoot when your close enough to hit the target. Attacking from other angles is more complicated. You must coordinate your sooting with your speed, and fire ahead of the target so that he runs into your bullets. This difficult skill is called deflection shooting and it is the mark of a good combat pilot. Learning it is essential to your success.
Dont shoot untill he fills your windscreen
Wait untill youre so close youre sure you will hit him, this tactic will save ammo. This strategy takes less concentration than deflection shooting, but isnt always practical-- especially if your meeting the enemy head on!
Never stop an attack once youve initiated it
If you run away when your within range of the enemy , its easier for him to get a shot at you. Courage is not the absense of fear : it's action in the face of fear. If youve decided to attack , be courageous and follow through. Cowardice at close range will get you killed.
Empty/Max Weight and Dimensions
| WEIGHT | 8,892 / 14,000 lbs (4,041 / 6,364 kg) |
| SPAN | 41' (12.5 m) |
| LENGTH | 33' 4" (10.2 m) |
| ENGINE | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 Double Wasp 18 cyl air cooled radial, 2,000 hp |
| ARMAMENT | Six .50 cal Browning machine guns |
| MAX SPEED @ ALTITUDE | 363 kts / 417 mph @ 19,900 ft |
| CEILING | 36,900 ft |
| INITIAL RATE OF CLIMB | 2,890 ft/min |
| RANGE | 1,015 miles - 1,562 miles with drop tanks |
Strengths: High speed, good maneuverability, heavy armament
Weaknesses: Heavy, slow to turn, limited forward view makes taxiing and carrier landings more risky than other fighters. Spin characteristics can be dangerous for the unwary, as nose drops and spin tends to tighten.
Tips for Combat in the Corsair
The corsair is a very big , very tough and very fast. Like most other aircraft in the pacific, it is at its best at high speeds and altitudes .
- Use the corsair's power , acceleration, and maneuverability to engage enemy fighters at higher speeds and altitudes where the zero and huyabusa struggle to compete and where the shinden will find it hard to out fly you.
- If attacked , turn in to the enemy for a head on attack or, altitude permitting , use the corsairs mass and power to dive away from attackers.
- Avoid a turning fight (Turn and Burn or TNB) as this is the aircrafts weakest point. Instead use the Boom and Zoom technique (BNZ) and attack your opponent head on or at his side aiming for the usual aircraft weak points, wing tips, rudder and elevator control surfaces.
- Plot a line through available targets, hitting each target in turn fly on through this line , never turning until no aircraft are in front of you.
- Only turn if nearest enemy is 2000 yards behind you, turn using 40% flaps to bring you around quickly, watch your six!