Need Help Setting TRIM on Planes!

[TicTok]

I have just started flying without AUTO combat trim ON. So I had to adjust ALL trims on ailerons, rudder, elevator. The plane flys better than I have ever had it perform. Problem is, when I end sortie and re-UP, the trim settings are wacked out again. In the MAP keys, everything works to adjust trim on each control. Last MAP key for trim is SET TRIM (KEY . DOT). Is this supposed to SAVE trim settings? I'm lost again....SORRY

[SunKing]

Here's what I do.

I have one of my joystick buttons set to "toggle combat trim" . I set Combat trim to default "off". I feel you have more control of your plane that way. After an engagment ( and I'm still alive) I toggle combat trim on and off to clean up my trims. I use the Ch Fighter stick, it has 2 4 way switches. The 2nd 4 way switch I have set to trims so I can use them on the fly while diving, pulling out of dives ect... then toggle combat trim again to clean them up. It works wonders.

[daddog]

After an engagment ( and I'm still alive)...

LOL

[daddog]

This is a must read on trim for Aces High.
http://users.andara.com/~sconrad/trim.htm

[Dichodog]

I have a toggle on off for combat trim as well.  I haven't messed with it too much other than that.  I'm planning on redoing my setup where I can use one of my hats for trim but that's a few months down the road

[d0gma]

The only time I take off combat trim is if I'm trying to dump someone on my 6.  I put my aileron trim to neutral and elevator trim to full up.  I do this so that I can get just a little bit more on my break turns.  I usually fly a spit so this helps most of the time.

Also sometimes I turn it off and manually adjust if I'm trying to get home missing part of a wing or something, which happens more often that I'd like to admit.

[SunKing]

I have a toggle on off for combat trim as well.  I haven't messed with it too much other than that.  I'm planning on redoing my setup where I can use one of my hats for trim but that's a few months down the road

If you fly LW planes, P-47s or any other energy BnZ plane having the 4 way trim is a must have. It will change your game and let you push your plane further than 95% of the playerbase, giving you a huge advantage.

After an engagment ( and I'm still alive)...

LOL

Since the change to AH2 I can't hit a moving target. Here we are months later and I still don't have the new gunnery down. I'm still stuck on AH1 gunnery.

[d0gma]

If you fly LW planes, P-47s or any other energy BnZ plane having the 4 way trim is a must have. It will change your game and let you push your plane further than 95% of the playerbase, giving you a huge advantage.

Please do elaborate.

[SunKing]

If you fly LW planes, P-47s or any other energy BnZ plane having the 4 way trim is a must have. It will change your game and let you push your plane further than 95% of the playerbase, giving you a huge advantage.

Please do elaborate.

One example....


Using trim will let you push your plane further. You can dive beyond other players in the same plane who don't use trim. Trim will allow you to dive beyond normal compression. when your stick locks up from compression you can use the manaul trim 4way hat switch to come out of a otherwise compression auger.

Say someones on your six. You dive to get them off your tail. Using trim you can dive deeper, allowing you to  push the dive further knowing you can manaully trim out of it. They will compress and pull out you get away. Then you simply trim back to climb out of the dive, toggle combat trim to clean up your trims and your home free with speed.

After awhile you know how far you can push your favorite plane in a compression dive knowing right when you have to manual trim out or die. I use it alot in my favorite single engine fighter (190-A5) when the high alt ponies get your six.

I hope that kinda explains it.

[daddog]

Using trim will let you push your plane further. You can dive beyond other players in the same plane who don't use trim. Trim will allow you to dive beyond normal compression. when your stick locks up from compression you can use the manaul trim 4way hat switch to come out of a otherwise compression auger.

This is key to flying the P-38. The 38 can start to compress (depending on alt) at 450 mph. I can take it up to 450 without fear and pull up, but you have to use trim or your toast. I followed a 190 in a dive not 2 months ago who was amazed I stayed with him. Granted he pulled away, but at 600 out as he leveled out of the dive I lit him up and he had to break and then I finished him off. He asked me about it and I told him I used trim.

[Simaril]

Here's my take on this:

In order to get the most out of trim, you need to understand what it does. First, and most importantly, you have to realize that it doesnt work like real life "trim tabs", which are small tabs on control surfaces that can be independently controlled to nudge the plane one way or another and compensate for wind or torque. Instead, trim in AH is more like manually calibrating the joystick. It adjusts the control surfaces so that when you have the joystick centered, forces are balanced to give you a generally straight line of flight. Trim is not an extra force that lets you get more control surface deflection than you could otherwise.

The adjustments are pretty small, and are applied fairly slowly. In most circumstances, trim will NOT be the difference between living and dying in a fight -- ACM choices and stick control will be the deciding factors 95% of the time. So, if you're working on those 95% issues, I'd recommend leaving the 5% you gain from trim until your ACM is polished up. It's not worth the distraction for early to mid level flyers.

Combat trim is simply a system that automatically inputs the center point for a given plane at a given speed and alt, by looking the settings up on a table in the software. That center point may be of a little depending on fuel load, etc, but its usually close enough that it doesnt matter -- as long as you arent maneuvering in a way that pegs your stick to maximum deflection. In that case, if the table says to pull the elevators down a lttle, and you're pushing it up, you can get a bit more movement by using manual trim. On the other hand, if the table says combat trim should be pulling the same direction as you want to move, you gain nothing at all -- the plane's max is still the max.


Where does manual trim become useful?

1. In compression recovery, it is the difference between living and dying. When flying a 109, ofr example, I'll roll my trim wheel to maximum upward, then use combat trim for flying. When I start to compress, I toggle combat trim off and the nose immediately begins to come up nicely.

I gotta run -- will come back to finish this later

<S> Simaril
Dave

[Simaril]

2. In low speed fights, manual trim can add somewhat -- if you are flying "against" the settings that the table wants to make. In other words, if torque applies force that makes the plane want to roll to the left, and combat trim counters that by entering a rightward roll, AND you want to roll to the left in your fight, then the combat trim setting keeps you from getting all the roll you might want.

But remember, being good with the stick and rudder, riiding the edge of the envelope without going over,  will have MUCH more impact on your success than manual trim.

3. In some planes with excellent flap performance, the combat trim setting to give straight and level flight can make a major difference in control near the stall. The flaps increase lift, and essentially give better "nose up" performance -- but combat trim setting for level flight neutralize -- even neuter -- that advantage.

So if you want to get better at the P-38 and Ki-84 particularly then you might want to get used to manual trim from day one. Other planes that have great flap effectiveness, like the F4U series, probably would show advantage with manual trim use when stall fighting even if manual trim isnt mandatory like it is for the Ki-84.



Bottom line -- I use combat trim almost all the time, and I do pretty well in even low speed fights. I use manual trim for the Ki-84 and the P-38, and I use combinations of manual and auto trim for planes that compress easily.