Hi I’m dangerous. Recently got into msfs after watching the kids play.
Liking the SIM so far but I have a problem with taking off sometimes.
When I try to take of in the dc3 I have found the steering becomes proper scetchy once the rear wheel leaves the ground. I assume you have to pull back on the stick a little to keep the rear end down? This slows me down a bit and on short runways I find for some strange reason the throttle automatically returns to idle as soon as I start to take to the air, then I crash?
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The DC3 is a tail dragger, so you need the tail up to make the elevators work. You use the rudder to keep you going straight until you have enough airspeed to gently pull back on the stick to get you off the ground.
What sort of flight controls are you using and are you on PC or Xbox?
Hi I am on pc, using a Xbox controller. I can kind of keep it straight with the tail off the ground using the rudder but it’s a bit scetchy especially if there’s cross wind.
But I still keep having issues with the throttle returning to idle. Like at RAF Eastchurch where the runway is short and grass. If the throttle don’t return to idle I can take off fine but 9 times out of 10 the throttle returns to idle and I end up back on the ground and into the trees.
On most of the other planes I can keep the throttle open by holding A but the dc3 won’t have none of it.
Haven’t a clue about the xbox controllers I’m afraid. I can’t imagine how that would work as the axis on the xbox controller self centres and obviously an actual throttle will stay where you put it. Hopefully someone else with experience of that will pop up. Good luck
You definitely do NOT want the tail wheel on the ground. Your tailwheel should be locked on takeoff, which gives you NO steering ability until you have rudder authority which happens once the tail comes up. The taildraggers are not what I’d recommend for someone just starting out - they are challenging for that reason. It’s definitely a rudder pedal dance with those on takeoff and landing. I’d recommend starting with a C172 or C152 and getting the feel for controls first. The DC-3 isn’t a starter aircraft, for sure…
There are a LOT of reasons directional control is hard to maintain, especially in a tailwheel aircraft. There are several turning tendencies, depending on the way the propellers rotate (and the various forces exerted by those), plus the aircraft, especially so with taildraggers, will want to weathervane into the wind. That said, the weathervaning tendency in the sim (especially with nosewheel/tricycle aircraft) is fairly overblown compared to real life, so you’ll want to take that with a hefty grain of salt.
Additionally, using an Xbox controller or any other gamepad is going to feel twitchy as the full range of motion is just an inch or two versus a much wider range using realistic controls. Aircraft are steered on the ground with rudder and it takes a lot of practice to develop the touch necessary to maintain directional control.
Lastly, the “touch” itself is not felt in the sim. In reality, as you accelerate the controls get heavier as the airflow around them increases. You’ll also perceive most small changes in acceleration, to the point where you intuitively, immediately counteract them (with the proper training and proficiency of course), but at the same time that heaviness makes more difficult to overcontrol the aircraft. With sim controls, especially gamepads, we can go from stop to stop, end to end on our controls with little to no resistance, and get into some wild oscillations, which just isn’t realistic.
Also, the throttle idle thing could be some other control that’s bound to that axis? I’d check that.
I’m fairly sure this is an issue with one or more of the “Assistance” settings turned on.
I get that these assistants are meant to help newer sim pilots or people with limited controls or physical impediments, but more often than not they cause very un-aircraft-like behaviors to manifest themselves.
Take a look at the assistance settings and try turning them off and see if your throttle issue goes away.
Thanks for the replies, I was playing with the keyboard to start with, man was it hard! I noticed on the keyboard the controls didn’t re centre automatically, that’s why I purchased the Xbox controller. I’ve been looking online at some equipment but it seems so expensive, the price of some of the stuff I might as well go flying for real for several hours.
There’s some cheaper controllers available but I’m not quite sure what I’m going to get for my money? I purchased a steering wheel and pedals to play f1 a while ago for around 70 but it’s pretty bad!
I understand where you guys are coming from with not really a plane for beginners but I like the challenge! Although I’m more interested in the views I still would like to be in control of the plane.
I’ve flown some modern stuff and it seems so easy? Full throttle and the planes go down the runway and take of eventually all by themselves. Enable autopilot and sit there doing nothing. Is flying really that easy?
I guess landing is what it’s all about but even that seems I bit too easy sometimes.
I’ve been looking through the assistance menu, thanks @NixonRedgrave I disabled take off assist and the throttle no longer returns to idle so far.
I will try disabling some others and see how it goes.
I’ve purchased the Boeing 307 and I must say I really like this one.
@BostonJeremy77 I’ve already flown the little Cessna’s they are quite good for low flying also the beechcraft king air that comes with gamepass I enjoy.
