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Making sim progress
#1

I have finally organised myself to get a sim and started to play with it. I have three main questions.

1. So far I am having difficulty landing. This difficulty comes in two parts. First I have so far been completely unable to line up the approach correctly - I seem to be about 2 to 3 landing strips too far away. Any suggestions how can I line up better?

2. When landing itself I am landing fairly hard and bouncing back up a bit. Is that too much speed coming in, too hard a drop or a mix of both?

3. Assuming I can fix both of those and take off, loop around and land smoothly is that the point where I am ready for a trainer (I am looking at the T-28)?
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#2

I am by no means an instructor & still struggle a bit with landings (nerves play a big part) but seeing as the advanced pilots have left this question unanswered I will pass on what I have been told.
1. When coming in for a landing, flly diagonally towards yourself passing over the far corner (left or right) of the strip. Then when you are over the middle of strip use rudder to straighten up.
2. Speed is the definite factor, can bounce from too fast or slow. Reduce speed before final approach turn and use the turn to wash off more speed. Depending on plane, throttle off at approach, but increase throttle slightly just before & until touchdown. Ideal spead is where the plane is slowly descending slightly nose up under low throttle with minimal up elevator.
3. Once you are a member, you will be able to fly with an instructor using a buddy lead between 2 transmitters. Your instructor will take off & land until ready to do yourself.
Practice flying level in left & right circuits & perhaps horizontal figure 8's until ready to take the plunge with a plane. I know some start with the T28, but from personal exp erience, the e-flite apprentice is the best trainer out.
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#3

One of the instructors is probably better placed to give authoritative answers, but ...

1. You have to remember that a conventional computer screen won't give you stereoscopic vision (unless you've got the special goggles) so depth judgement isn't quite so easy. You should perhaps see if your simulator (I don't know which one you're using) has a "training" mode or something similar so that you can repeatedly practice landings only. For example, Phoenix allows you to practice landings from a starting point in the sky which is the correct turn from base to final legs and then you can simply land, over and over again - I found it really helpful, because it automatically places you in the correct position to begin the approach. Sticking with the same plane and the same simulated airfield is a good idea too, so that you can get used to the geometry properly.

2. Landing on a tricycle undercarriage is generally easier than on a tail-dragger, so I'd recommend that to start with. Then fly your plane at reduced throttle down to about a foot off the ground and then keep it level at the same time reducing the throttle to idle - keep the same one-foot altitude as it slows naturally. Then as it's about to begin a stall, ease the nose up a little but the plane shouldn't climb (if it does, then you've done it too early), instead it will ease downwards with its nose still pointing upwards a little. That's it - it will touch down and you keep your rudder thumb ready to stop it wandering off.

3. You're ready for a buddy-box session at that point, not a solo flight. The Parkzone T-28 is the perfect accompaniment, again, in my humble opinion.

Steve Murray
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#4

+1 on the Parkzone T-28.

The Phoenix sim version of the T-28 is reasonably realistic.

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#5

If your using Phoenix flight sim then there is an option in the view menu to keep the ground in view I find this helpful when trying to place the model on the right approach for landing.

“The knack of flying is learning how to throw your machine at the ground and miss.”

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your thoughts turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."  ~Leonardo Da Vinci
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#6

One other thing - is it considered bad form if I find it much easier to turn the plane by doing an Immelmann or a half Cuban?

For the record for those who have asked, yes I am using Phoenix.
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#7

Doing Immelmanns and half cubans on the sim will allow you to keep the aircraft in a single vertical plane using elevator and aileron to "turn" the aircraft around. In other words you know where the aircraft must be as you haven't actually turned it but rather flipped it over. Doing banked turns will bring the aircraft around in to a whole new spot in the 3D world of the simulator from which depth perception and orientation problems may arise. Eventually you will trust your instincts (which takes practice) such that you know what and where the aircraft is going even if you cant see it clearly. From there your instincts tell you what your thumbs need to do to turn the aircraft back toward yourself.

In real life, Immelmanns and half cubans are immensely more problematic than a banked turn if you fly too close to directly over your head as your aircraft is aimed/flying at you, left and right are reversed, and... an accidental turn in to the pit/spectator area will result in a flight line incursion at a flying field and a visit from the air boss who wont be happy.

What the sim doesn't do well is create that sense of shitting ones pants when a turn gets ugly and obstacles are reaching out to tear apart your aircraft and finances.

Force yourself to learn coordinated turns (aileron plus a bit of rudder simultaneously). If the plane gets away from you on the sim, trust me, it will in real life too. Also, add a bit of a breeze (easy does it) as the plane needs to drift slightly to prepare you for the "real McCoy" (what a pun folks!).
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#8

(10-04-2012, 04:50 PM)Skidz Wrote:  What the sim doesn't do well is create that sense of shitting ones pants when a turn gets ugly and obstacles are reaching out to tear apart your aircraft and finances.
Biggrin Very nicely put mate - and absolutely true Smile
I love the "real McCoy" bit too - must have got out of bed early today!

Steve Murray
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#9

Ben
Dave pointed out a number of very important issues.
The most important being, crashing a sim maters not.
Crashing the real thing.......Big difference....... HUGE!!!!!
It is great to learn the more complex manouvers, they are however a whole heap different when you actually have to compensate with forces like good old gravity, wind, turbulance, etc,etc,etc.
The best way to learn using the sim is...... as was said before.... is to go into the on screen menu and change the view to :keep ground in view:
That way is does not mater what you altitude is, it will always keep the ground at the bottom of the screen so you can keep an eye on you field position with your periferal vision.
Gazz

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Don't ever let the fear of landing keep you from taking off!
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#10

One other thing.... are props really as easy to break as the sim implies? Currently it seems if I land at all tilted forward its an instant prop loss. Which is making landing a little harder as I am overcompensating and floating up n down trying to get the thing to land butt first.
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#11

(11-04-2012, 12:14 AM)BenR Wrote:  One other thing.... are props really as easy to break as the sim implies? Currently it seems if I land at all tilted forward its an instant prop loss. Which is making landing a little harder as I am overcompensating and floating up n down trying to get the thing to land butt first.

On tarmac, Yes.. on grass you might not, but you could push your motor mount out or even bend the motor shaft. Keep Practicing with landing with the nose slightly up. You want your main wheels touching down first, then the nose wheel.

George

"Crash and Cry! Don't fly"


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