How to fly on realistic settings

[Tim110590]

Hiya, so I absolutely love this game! However I only ever fly on simplified settings as I just don’t get how not to, how do people do it? Like with rad temps and stuff like that I’m just a bit lost. Just trying to keep plane straight on realistic settings is hard enough! Can someone point me in right direction please as I really want to be good and compete on multiplayer if possible ! Thanks

[lordpezz]

Hi. I Started by watching some guides on Youtube on how to fly each plane. Some of the better ones I can think of is Requiem, Sherrif's Sim Shack, and I Fly Central. Ofc there are many others who have good guides to watch. After that pick a plane and start turning on certain parts of the engine management at a time and see how you get on, ( for example, in custom difficulty, if Engine Auto Control is checked you can press Lshift R in game to toggle auto radiators and Lshift M for auto mixture/supercharger. ) It's a bit of a handful at first but you'll start to understand how it all gels together. What controls are you playing the game with ?

[Tim110590]

Great, seems like a good place to start then ! So I use joystick and use basic keyboard commands, I also play in vr which will make things even more difficult as seeing the keyboard is more difficult haha! I can just about see it if I wear them a little higher so I can see underneath

[shadowgravy]

In my opinion the IL-2 series is a difficult sim to begin learning aircraft systems management. I concede it is possible by using tutorials like the ones listed above. Unfortunately the game's keyboard interface can be a barrier to learning.

I recommend you look at Chuck's Guides[www.mudspike.com] -- not only for IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad but also how counterparts are modeled in DCS and Cliffs of Dover.

DCS in general is a good sim for really diving into what most of the buttons and switches do in specific aircraft like the P-51D, P-47D-30, Spitfire Mk.IX, Fw 190 and Bf 109 K-4. DCS World comes with a free TF-51D and some tutorial lessons. After that DCS can get really expensive, but if you're set on mastering one of these aircraft types it can be worthwhile. They each come with detailed PDF operating manuals and also some interactive tutorials. Oh, and DCS is offering nearly everything for free right now for about a week. You can snap up some aircraft, try them out and keep the manuals. ;)

I'm kind of a geek for vintage aircraft operating manuals, and https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/topics/other-mechanical-systems-tech.64/ is a good source for those. You can also find a few US Army Air Forces training manuals at AAF Collection[aafcollection.info]. You can even find the actual 1940s training films on YouTube and at Zeno's Warbird Drive-In[www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com].

Honestly though, I've learned the most about systems management from flying warbirds and General Aviation aircraft in civilian flight simulators like FSX and P3D. A2A Simulations makes some really great products that can help you understand the consequences of overheating or overcooling an engine. If nothing else, you can go to their Store Page[a2asimulations.com] and download product manuals for aircraft like the P-47, P-51 or Spitfire. And if you have FSX or P3D already, their P-40 is currently free and it is an excellent 'hands on' aircraft for learning radiators and engine management. Or, just watch some user-made YouTube tutorials for these aircraft.

[Tim110590]

Thank you very much for your help. I will definitely check out dcs and give that a go. i really love aviation in general so i do have a lot of interest in planes. Like i say would be great to get better at it and be able to play with some of you guys on multiplayer one day. Thanks again for your help. ps will definitely snap up those free plane ASAP haha

[IIBuxy]

i got about 55 hours so far, 50 of them were spent doing career and random missions, dove right into realistic controls from the beginning. just now today jumped into my first multiplayer game, full out 110. good fun. i personally learn by doing than watching guides or reading but trial and error is always a good way of learning :]

[shadowgravy]

Ah, well it looks like the A2A P-40 is back to full price. It was 'free during the pandemic' starting in March or April 2020 and it was still free the last time I looked.

[Tim110590]

yeh totally get what your saying, maybe i do just need to jump in and try it. just unsure about certain thing. example engine mixture? that popped up somewhere and i was like how would i mange that manually. But i suppose just researching things will help. I think just looking through the key mapping controls can seem a little overwhelming with just how many buttons to things that there are.

also shadowgravy yeh just looked and cant see any thing free :(

[IIBuxy]

oh fear not, i have 0 clue on the proper fuel mixture. i set it as X, if speed drops i increase or decrease it to see the next result. then eventually after a few trial and errors i get somewhat close to a "working" solution xD

[Tim110590]

Oh I see ! Is that responsible for power loss then? Because even on simplified setting my planes will a lot of time lose power or so would seem as they won’t reach 100% speed. I notice that the bf 109 will easily lose power. Stukas also I find that. with the stukas also I notice it always says it’s in take off mode or something like that which I never understood haha 😆 think I just need to use one plane and stop flying everything.. jack of all trades and master of non and all that ha !

[IIBuxy]

don't stay in take-off mode for too long, as far as im aware all the "modes" can only be used for X amount of time. best to throttle back to continuous for when combat mode is not needed

[shadowgravy]

Originally posted by Blackhawk902:

also shadowgravy yeh just looked and cant see any thing free :(

Steam didn't accept Eagle Dynamics' request to do the free DLC for DCS World this time. You have to to go to the DCS website and go from there.
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/news/2021-02-05/

DCS World is the environment and it is always free. The modules (terrains and aircraft) are normally separate purchases but right now if you download a module you can use it until the free trial period expires. (I had the Channel Map downloaded from the last free trial period and it became active again.) DCS World War II aircraft aren't perfect though. DCS focuses more on weapons deployment and systems damage caused by combat while A2A Simulations focuses more on consequences of engine mismanagement, but there is some crossover in their concepts.

[Tim110590]

Cheers guys appreciate your help !! I will give it a go!! Also I will check out dcs too and try my luck!

[Employce Mustwashands]

Originally posted by IIBuxy:

i personally learn by doing than watching guides or reading but trial and error is always a good way of learning :]

for these planes ok, could work, trying to fly (or use just start) a Viper or Hornet on DCS that way, is something else xD

[IIBuxy]

Originally posted by Rons91:

Originally posted by IIBuxy:

i personally learn by doing than watching guides or reading but trial and error is always a good way of learning :]

for these planes ok, could work, trying to fly (or use just start) a Viper or Hornet on DCS that way, is something else xD

did try DCS one time, no guides, no nothing. did manage to start the frogfoot eventually

[Adler4]

Well dcs...... I think it's more for jets 😉