I didn't know you could fly a plane!

[Badger]

...Fly, yes.  Land... no. 

I just thought I'd post this for everyone's amusement.  It's me practicing last night, 20 landings in all.  I don't have a stick, so I could use that as an excuse, but it'd be a poor one.  I know I can trim out the craft well enough, if I'm patient, to have it literally land itself, and all I have to work is the throttle and brakes.  If you're drinking coffee near your laptop, now is the time to put it down :D



also, if any of you could offer criticism, bring it.  Please.  I'm arguably toughest on myself.  So I'd really appreciate (in between the jokes, laughing, and such) the help.

thanks guys!

fair winds and following seas,

"Badger"

[Badger]

I hope this is okay, for some reason, something didn't like me putting all 20 videos in the same post.  So here's the another 5 

[Badger]

last 5, I promise

*update 1714 pst*
so I tried flying the SB2C in QMB over Hawaii.  Wow, what a dream of an aircraft.  I need to make some skins for her, so she's not so unicolored lol.  At least on my game, she only has her three-color scheme, no details or rivets or such.  I can fix that though, it's fun for me. 

but MAN!!  I couldn't get her to drain energy at all, came in way too hot on the runway, kid you not, 190KIAS.  I dunno, instead of just "trying" I should have turned her for a "lap" and see if I could drain energy on the go-around.

Then I decided to fly "my girl" the F4-f4 Wildcat.  I think I just need to get used to all the updates via HSFX and here.  She didn't drain energy easy either, which honestly feels more real.  Having that kind of momentum also means zoom-climbs can actually happen now.  I was able to "stick" the Wildcat in the single USN mission "carrier landing training" though, haven't tried her yet on Razor's though.  I think here at least, I'll be more a VT guy. Especially after flying that Helldiver 

[AG-51_Bulldog]

My Advice.. Invest in some flight controls (Joystick at least).. Where not flying the friendly skies in a 747 and landing on 2700 ft. runways.. We push these aircraft to their limits. Flying vertical while inverted bursting lead into the enemy then dodging the explosion and wreckage so we escape our own demise. Continually changing altitude and latitude while dodging a barrage of flack. Navigating tight ridge lined valleys to escape enemy fire in the hopes of returning back to the boat. Then if all goes well, we return back to the ship in a somewhat less than perfect aircraft, where we touchdown on a postage stamp and hook a wire to come to an abrupt stop.....


Ah listen to me... I sound like Tom Cruise.... LOL... I feel the Need!!!!!

[Badger]

"Where not flying the friendly skies in a 747 and landing on 2700 ft. runways.. We push these aircraft to their limits. Flying vertical while inverted bursting lead into the enemy then dodging the explosion and wreckage so we escape our own demise. Continually changing altitude and latitude while dodging a barrage of flack. Navigating tight ridge lined valleys to escape enemy fire in the hopes of returning back to the boat. Then if all goes well, we return back to the ship in a somewhat less than perfect aircraft, where we touchdown on a postage stamp..."

^^
this needs to be somewhere related to the group Bulldog! 


and I promise, in May, I'll be getting my stick, throttle, IR, and rudder pedals.  Beyond that, any advice for the immediate? lol learned some good stuff last night, that was fun.  My mouse click for talking, while flying didn't work well.  It's amazing what happens when you move the mouse OVER to the left hand instead!

[AG-51_Bulldog]

Personally I don't see how you can do it at all.. Repeating key strokes etc.etc... It's amazing you can even get in the air... However this is a good time to make sure that the game it's self is all up and running and you have no connection problems, which it sounds like you have that all taken care of. I would recommend going to the download section on the website and grabbing some light reading, such as the CV NATOPS, Carrier Approach Diagrams and whatever else interest you...

[Badger]

Thanks Bulldog, it's appreciated bud.

And yes, I've been enjoying our "library" most handsomely.  I have some stuff too, if you want me to contribute btw.  I have some pilot's manuals of planes we don't have yet, but may want, cruise lists, spec sheets, and even ship and mission logs. 

basically, I use trim.  Not going to lie.  A few clicks seems close enough to the "clicks" in the twist wheels on the real deal.  For example, on the SBD-3, she likes "3-oclock" on the rudder trim for straight sailing down the deck, and about 1:30 for normal flight through landing.  70%/70% on throttle and pitch, then pitch up and throttle down as I come through the turns and get "all down."  I use a total of maybe 5 keys for normal flight, and 8 for landing 

I have a question about landing techniques.  Since we come in so tight, we don't "trim to land" at all do we?  More like "Bravo to the Whiskey" type of flying like my Coastie rotornuts do? 

 Beyond that, last night I was experiencing lag for the first time in the game, but it was when people were spawning, or I was in the menus, that sort of thing.  Anything to be concerned about, or am I ok?  I'm just paranoid now since everything is running so smoothly - errr at least now the bumps can be attributed to my own error rather than leprechauns!

also noticed the music player down at the bottom of our webpage :D
I love tunes, and here's a playlist I made.  It's mostly "period" as we like to call it in my reenactment groups.  There's some more modern stuff, but the "feel" is there, even the super modern (mainly LP) stuff, that's wicked personal.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQA9pP7MtPtGQfqZ0ytiE_Vwrxb0MezmS

[AG-51_Ted]

"Spawn lag". Is normal...hated,  but normal.  Not an issue in coop games.

[Badger]

Thanks Ted 

[AG-51_Cobraj]

Badger,
Stick and headset will be on its way Monday.

[Badger]

Skipper,

thank you so much!

please PM me the details, so I can keep track of it and not let another FUBAR happen like what happened to my friend.

seriously, thankyou so much.

[ual002]

Badger, I'll sell you my X-52 pro.  Name a reasonable price.

[Badger]

Well, inspired by working with Jarhead on formation take-offs and all sorts of other awesomeness, I decided to put myself through Razor's PACAREA-ACTG, basically doing three touch-and-goes followed by a trap, followed by a cat-launch  and then landing back at NAS Kaneohe Bay.

good times! 

I was jamming to this while flying, blues help keep me calm lol - http://youtu.be/1N_p5qMnVVE

but yeah, if anyone actually watches this, that'd be pretty sweet    I'm not getting the "3-point" landing at all.  Instead I'm coming in all USAAC P-40 style lol, twin wheels and then stamping the tail down...

[AG-51_Razor]

WAY too long in the groove on the first 2 approaches that I watched. The turn to final is too late. Don't forget the relative motion going on here. The boat is moving along at 30 kts and you're going the opposite direction at 100 kts or so. Add to that any wind in the mission and you're being blown away from the boat during the turn. Start your turn way before you think you should and keep turning with your nose on the round down, ramp, fan tail, spud locker, ass end of the boat, and see if it isn't easier to judge your height above the deck. I know it seems counter intuitive but try it. I am amazed that you can do anything in this game without TrackIR!! Well done! 

[Badger]

gotcha 

thanks Razor.  Yeah, I've been having a hard time learning my "point of aim" with the bird getting the right height to float onto the carrier deck.  Let alone the 3-point landing that should go with it. 

honestly the long approach is bad habbits formed already in IL-2 thanks to "Straight from the Farm" that in his brief literally says "take all the time and distance you need!" or thereabouts, and my old days flying stuff back 16 years ago.

I keep forgetting 15 seconds in a SBD Dauntless for approach, isn't the same distance as 15 seconds for a Harrier, nevermind a Hornet!    I think now I know why CobraJ was laughing when I said I didn't mind my graphics settings.  Speaking of Hornet, this is the last flightsim I truly played hardcore -   that was a good 16 years ago.  Yeah... I still love that game though.  I think it's that game's complete lack of visibility that allows me to do what I can with just my HAT switch in IL-2. 

It ain't perfect though, yet.  I need to adjust since I don't have a 8/7 or 4/5 o'clock high check yet...  and getting it to set up is a pain lol.

what "time" should I be looking for on the approach in the groove?  I was thinking something between 5 and 10 seconds would be money.   Also, what would be a good "rate of descent" in a SBD?  I'm thinking 200ft/min, but then again, I don't know if that's "gut" or based on the manuals and such I've read lol.

thanks Razor    my third touch and go, I felt was the strongest, both watching the video as part of my personal debrief and in the cockpit.  Don't watch the actual trap though  I meant to do that... yeah