Flying help...

[animematt99]

Ok..so I just cannot seem to beat any missions. I have done most of the training videos. But lets say I am chasing someone...I am at full throttle, yet they keep on getting farther away. Or...when I pull up a bit, or turn, I always seem to go into a major stall.

[animematt99]

Ok..so I just cannot seem to beat any missions. I have done most of the training videos. But lets say I am chasing someone...I am at full throttle, yet they keep on getting farther away. Or...when I pull up a bit, or turn, I always seem to go into a major stall.

[gorkyporky]

for speed, trim the aircraft. and maybe the other guy just has the faster aircraft. learn the general characterisctics of aircraft eg. wich one are fas, turn good, dive better than others, and then use that to your advantage. as for stalling, never pull the stick back fully. Try pulling it back gently until the aircraft starts shaking. At that point, its best to stop. As you advance, you will get a feel for how much you can pull.

[animematt99]

Guys with the same aircraft as me go much faster. I am basically trying to catch up with them to get into some kind of formation or something, but I just cannot get very close sometimes.

[animematt99]

Ok...I am flying the Stuka, as are most everyone else. I am at 110% yet, I am FALLING BEHIND, and fast. I started out at the head of the pack. now i am dead last, and over 3 miles behind.

[Xiolablu3]

Wierd, I have heard of a few other people being unable to keep up with other aircraft, however I have never had that problem, even when I first started flying I could keep up.

Are you sure you dont have the flaps down, or airbrake extended?

YOu must be doing something wrong somewhere. I can keep up with AI planes easily.

[Wildnoob]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by animematt99:
Ok...I am flying the Stuka, as are most everyone else. I am at 110% yet, I am FALLING BEHIND, and fast. I started out at the head of the pack. now i am dead last, and over 3 miles behind. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

if I understand you correctly, you can't stay in formation with your fligth, isn't ?

first I sugest you to watch this US navy training film :

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1997892837826774725

you gonna learn the basics to how maintein with your fligth in formation.

I also sugest if you already don't have then, to buy a tracker IR and rudder pedals. they are magic devices and go easly give you far more control of your aircraft in group fligths.

but, I guess you are trying to maintein your fligth with AI. on this case, things stay more difficult, because AI is totally stable in fligth, and don't have any motion like you.

of course it's not impossible to fly in formation with AI, but like I've say above, it's more hard.

I understand that's your problem, but because my English is very poor, I maybe not understand you correctly. if this happen, please, sorry.

[MaxMhz]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">YOu must be doing something wrong somewhere. I can keep up with AI planes easily. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I find that hard to believe - have a track?

=======================================
AI manage to trim their plane perfect all the time .
This is next to impossible for a human pilot.

Additionally AI have been suspected to fly planes with much simpler flight models for a very long time, even though this has been denied by the development team time and again I'm still convinced this is true.

Don't try to stay in formation with AI - cut corners, try to get higher and then gently dive in on them building speed that way. Always keep your plane trimmed as perfect as you can and use minimal control surface deflection.
If you are up against a human pilot in a race for example, do not follow his plane but try to set the perfectr route for your own plane. Remember maximum thrust will not always be at 100% prop pitch. be gentle with adjustments, but do use prop pitch, fuel mixture and keep on an altitude best for your plane. Don't drag around 100% fuel if you only need 25% and do not overload your plane with drag-inducing ordonance if you don't need it. LOCK that tailwheel! (on takeoff). You need to put all trim controls, flaps, and prop pitch on rotaries or sliders if you want good control. Never make sharp maneuvres. Pretend you are driving a car on ice.

Define a profile (IL-2 Joycontrol is a good utility) that gives slight deflection near center joystick positions, but still gives enough deflection when you deflect the joystick near it's limits.

[animematt99]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MaxMhz:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">YOu must be doing something wrong somewhere. I can keep up with AI planes easily. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I find that hard to believe - have a track?

=======================================
AI manage to trim their plane perfect all the time .
This is next to impossible for a human pilot.

Additionally AI have been suspected to fly planes with much simpler flight models for a very long time, even though this has been denied by the development team time and again I'm still convinced this is true.

Don't try to stay in formation with AI - cut corners, try to get higher and then gently dive in on them building speed that way. Always keep your plane trimmed as perfect as you can and use minimal control surface deflection.
If you are up against a human pilot in a race for example, do not follow his plane but try to set the perfectr route for your own plane. Remember maximum thrust will not always be at 100% prop pitch. be gentle with adjustments, but do use prop pitch, fuel mixture and keep on an altitude best for your plane. Don't drag around 100% fuel if you only need 25% and do not overload your plane with drag-inducing ordonance if you don't need it. LOCK that tailwheel! (on takeoff). You need to put all trim controls, flaps, and prop pitch on rotaries or sliders if you want good control. Never make sharp maneuvres. Pretend you are driving a car on ice.

Define a profile (IL-2 Joycontrol is a good utility) that gives slight deflection near center joystick positions, but still gives enough deflection when you deflect the joystick near it's limits. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
A lot of that went a bit over my head. I am still learning after all.
I am using an "Extreme 3D pro" joystick I got at Bestbuy. Not the best, I know...
EDIT: It is a logitech BTW

[animematt99]

Well, still no luck. I played with fuel mixture, the prop, the axis'...they still zoom away....
I dont care about staying in formation..i just want to stay NEAR them. But they get 5 miles away in no time on me.

[FoolTrottel]

Try and keep up with them in speed, initially not in height... let them climb, while you keep up your speed and stay near to them. Eventually, they will slow down, and then you can climb up to them...

(Assuming this is all offline that is...)

[x6BL_Brando]

Don't try to climb with them. Follow the course on the map, but keep your climb shallower to keep airspeed up. Cut corners too, but just stay in the shallow climb.

Usually when the formation reaches their required altitude to cruise to the target they will slow down to cruise.

Trim makes a big difference to airspeed. Trim the rudder to prevent crabbing, and use some nose-heavy to keep the angle-of attack less.

Last of all, try choosing a higher rank in the Difficulty screen. (You can only do this at the start of a new campaign, by the way) If you are a wing leader then the others will fall neatly in behind you http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

B

[il2battle]

You play with stock campaing ? If do, AI fly fast, almost at full power all the time. It's gonna be really hard to catch up them. 110% power won't help, you only get engine overheat and sometimes it seems that, if you slow down your power to 80% or something for awhile and then go back to 100% your plane speed up more.

That seems to be normal behavior with slow planes like stuka, J8A... AI fly fast and in cruising too.

Only things you can do are; start as a leader - use autopilot to catch them - play with user made campaings.

For stuka there is some user made campaings, but only few, too bad. It's lovely plane and should have more campaings. Those stock campaings for it isn't so fun, because of that catch up thing.

Ofcourse with practice you get best of it, but in beginning... well.

Fly in smile on your face.

[animematt99]

Well when ever i seem to put on autopilot...it steers me into the ground.
I can't even dogfight...every other fight out there just surpasses me in speed, and zooms off into the distance.

[Sillius_Sodus]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by animematt99:
Well when ever i seem to put on autopilot...it steers me into the ground.
I can't even dogfight...every other fight out there just surpasses me in speed, and zooms off into the distance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The autopilot steers you into the ground? That's just too weird. Try this: Start a new campaign, but with takeoffs/landings selected off, your missions will start in the air. If you also started off at a lower rank, you will find yourself on someone's wing. Hit the autopilot key and let go of everything. You should stay in formation. turn the autopilot off, hand fly for a bit to see how you do, then turn it back on. Remember, if you go to an external view while on autopilot, it will switch off when you return to the cockpit view.

If that doesn't work, I don't know what to say.

[il2battle]

Did autopilot takeoff and fly with the others without a problem, if you hit autopilot as mission begin ? If do nothing wrong with the autopilot.

When you select autopilot while flying, make sure you have a speed and an altitude, before doing it. If you don't have enough speed, autopilot trying to get some. And if you are in low altitude, he may crash, 'cause he trying to dive to get speed.

Another thing you have to be sure, before hitting autopilot on - prop pitch 100% - if not autopilot using what ever you have set and may not get enough of power to speed and staying in the air.
Prop pitch seems to be a problem to autopilot, he doesn't change it.

Trims, flaps... he handle.

Good luck.

[madblacksnake]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by animematt99:
Well when ever i seem to put on autopilot...it steers me into the ground.
I can't even dogfight...every other fight out there just surpasses me in speed, and zooms off into the distance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Hmmm...The autopilot truly can be a strange animal, especially when playing 'single missions'. In campaign mode it is more reliable but not perfect. Rank in a campaign is a big factor, tells 'a-p' to lead or follow. when following i found a-p tended to use flaps when over-speeding, jamming them and making manual flight very difficult, it also does ridiculous dives to speed up, regardless of altitude, and reckless turns when escorting bombers often resulting in a mid-air collision. Set your rank to Major or above.

[madblacksnake]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by animematt99:
Well when ever i seem to put on autopilot...it steers me into the ground.
I can't even dogfight...every other fight out there just surpasses me in speed, and zooms off into the distance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>With rank set to major,as soon as mission starts wait 5secs,touch nothing,turn ap on and it should react with an immediate course change,also, place your plane in any attitude that is not level flight and press Ctrl+A (level autopilot on/off) see if plane levels off. Also be aware when leading, ap will fly you to mission goal, but if you engage enemy (air or ground) manually, on route to goal then re-engauge ap it does not always disengauge the enemy, ensure you manually fly out of range first. Remember...the ground kills!!!
Have fun

[Xiolablu3]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MaxMhz:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">YOu must be doing something wrong somewhere. I can keep up with AI planes easily. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I find that hard to believe - have a track?

=======================================
AI manage to trim their plane perfect all the time .
This is next to impossible for a human pilot.

Additionally AI have been suspected to fly planes with much simpler flight models for a very long time, even though this has been denied by the development team time and again I'm still convinced this is true.

Don't try to stay in formation with AI - cut corners, try to get higher and then gently dive in on them building speed that way. Always keep your plane trimmed as perfect as you can and use minimal control surface deflection.
If you are up against a human pilot in a race for example, do not follow his plane but try to set the perfectr route for your own plane. Remember maximum thrust will not always be at 100% prop pitch. be gentle with adjustments, but do use prop pitch, fuel mixture and keep on an altitude best for your plane. Don't drag around 100% fuel if you only need 25% and do not overload your plane with drag-inducing ordonance if you don't need it. LOCK that tailwheel! (on takeoff). You need to put all trim controls, flaps, and prop pitch on rotaries or sliders if you want good control. Never make sharp maneuvres. Pretend you are driving a car on ice.

Define a profile (IL-2 Joycontrol is a good utility) that gives slight deflection near center joystick positions, but still gives enough deflection when you deflect the joystick near it's limits. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


I am talking about staying in formation with my own flight, as the OP was. I find it simple to keep up with my flight in IL2 1946.

[FoolTrottel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I find it simple to keep up with my flight in IL2 1946. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Me thinks this will also depend on the mission. Or rather on the mission builder.

If he's not paying attention, he'll use the max possible speed + max climb rate for the first waypoints in the mission. As that's the default way... click waypoint, set TAKEOFF, set next waypoint NORMFLY, set desired height at third or forth or so... and there they go... off into the blue skies...

And if so, when you are not the leader, you'll have to be on alert... take off immediately after the AI before you starts his take off run... then you'll probably be able to keep up. If you wait for clearance from ground control, you got some severe catching up to do...

If the mission builder is a clever guy, he'll not let the squad take off and run at full throttle, and max climb rate... http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

[mortoma]

With the stuka you have to go to supercharger stage 2 when you get over 2400 meters altitude!!
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. At least I didn't see any mention of it in a cursory reading of the posts.

This may very well be a MAJOR contributor to your problem!!! Change that stage to get some horsepower back.

[mortoma]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by il2battle:
You play with stock campaing ? If do, AI fly fast, almost at full power all the time. It's gonna be really hard to catch up them. 110% power won't help, you only get engine overheat and sometimes it seems that, if you slow down your power to 80% or something for awhile and then go back to 100% your plane speed up more.

That seems to be normal behavior with slow planes like stuka, J8A... AI fly fast and in cruising too.

Only things you can do are; start as a leader - use autopilot to catch them - play with user made campaings.

For stuka there is some user made campaings, but only few, too bad. It's lovely plane and should have more campaings. Those stock campaings for it isn't so fun, because of that catch up thing.

Ofcourse with practice you get best of it, but in beginning... well.

Fly in smile on your face. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I can keep up with the AI ( in the Stuka or almost all the aircraft ) easily. If you learn how to fly right, so can you.

[il2battle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mortoma:
With the stuka you have to go to supercharger stage 2 when you get over 2400 meters altitude!!
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. At least I didn't see any mention of it in a cursory reading of the posts.

This may very well be a MAJOR contributor to your problem!!! Change that stage to get some horsepower back. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh yes, thank you for that ! 2400m.
I been thinking of what altitude I have to do it. Didn't find answer from the quide and didn't search it anywhere else - yet. Now I don't have to. Thank you.

Btw. altitude for the He-111 ?

Anyway, didn't have nowdays so much problems to keep up with the AI as before (longtime noob - from FB - just begin of this year getting better joystick and starting to use full engine control - big help), but still in some campaings they go really fast or it seems so as long as I'm behind them.
When catching them realize, that they actually didn't fly so fast, just accelerating faster then I do and get away from me.

IL-10 campaing in Manchuria (&lt; sorry for that) AI fly 440km/h, so I need 460-470km/h to catch up. 440 not a problem, but over it and keep it... well, need more fly hours with that plane. Ofcourse getting them just before attack and maybe that's good - been really bad in formation flying - too.

And taking off just right after AI (leader) works very well, using that too, if knowing that they gonna go fast.

Same that didn't using any flaps to takeoff with Hurricane and Spitfire to speed up faster, when airborne and didn't they do that in real life too, when they only have landing flaps.
Ofcourse I could use any flap position I want (stepless adjustment), like AI can (all 3).

Anyway thanks again for that Stuka's charger stage altitude.

[Bearcat99]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by animematt99:
Ok..so I just cannot seem to beat any missions. I have done most of the training videos. But lets say I am chasing someone...I am at full throttle, yet they keep on getting farther away. Or...when I pull up a bit, or turn, I always seem to go into a major stall. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

First off.. this sim requires a lot of practice... even if you are an experienced simmer. Secondly try @ 90-95% throttel and 90-95% prop pitch and trim climb.. keep your rate of climb relatively low.. most planesd have a ROC indicator.. to find out where it isd on the planes you prefer to fly either use the Aircraft Guide in a PDF in your 46 install (It should be in the same folder as the sim on your HD..) or hit the Essentials thread and go to the Cockpit Reference Guide link.

[mortoma]

Although it's possible to keep up with the AI in almost every aircraft in the sim ( in stock condition ) there are a couple of planes that even I have trouble keeping up in. Those are a few of the early Spits and the FM-2, maybe one other that evades me at this moment. But the Stuka is not one of them. I do remember the Stuka being a little more challenging than most though. You have to fly it really carefully and almost perfectly. I learn the hard way by practicing, still it can be done though.

If you wish to keep up more easily and not take the time to learn the secrets, I can give you a pointer which allows you to slow down the AI aircraft so you can keep up a lot more easily!! It can be donw by editing one of two files in the DGen folder.

There are two files, one called <span class="ev_code_RED">PacificPlanes.dat</span> and the other one called <span class="ev_code_RED">EuroPlanes.dat</span> but realize there are two similar files with the same name but the extenstion is .txt instead of dat. The .dat ones are the ones that Dgen uses in the game so edit those.

Using these two files you can find your plane of choice and slow down the cruise speed to whatever you like as long as it's not too fast or so slow the planes will stall of course.


Here is a sample line from the EuroPlanes.dat file for the LA-5FN:
( Please note there is commonly several lines for each plane for different mission types )

<span class="ev_code_RED">Allies USSR FBomberM LA_5FN 400 1000 1000 2XFAB100</span>


First field denotes Axis or Allied
Second field is country
Third field is mission type
Fourth field is aircraft type
Fifth field is cruise speed ( for that particular type of mission and may vary, here it's 400Kph )
Sixth field is Cruise altitude ( this also varies according to mission type )
Seventh field is attack altitude ( particularly important for bombers or dive bombers )
Eighth field is the type of weapon ( also varies a lot according to mission )



The fifth field is the one that you can adjust if you want AI to slow down a bit. The nice thing here is that Dgen automatically adjust things so that if you slow down your flight, they will not get there too late. Or if you sped things up, your flight would not get there too soon. In the case of the FM-2, I slowed down the speed from 400Kph to 370 and still arrived at the right place at the right time. So there you go, edit the Stuka speeds if you wish!!