PDA

View Full Version : My Spit/Hurricane Beginner tips



Bowsewr
Apr-08-2014, 19:08
4/9/14 *edited terminology in prop management and water rads. Thanks Snapper!*
In Progress *tips/tricks of in-game data windows*

I decided to write up something for newcomers to the game. It basically consists of things I've learned playing the game for 2-3 months and the great tips/tricks from people in the community. I can remember how open to teaching and helpful ATAG_Drock was to me when i logged in for the first time with NO IDEA what to do.

*edit: there have been SO many that have helped along the way. That first time logging in and the feeling of OH MY GOD, is very memorable.Thanks to all that have. As a newcomer this community is very special IMO and you wont find a more welcoming/fun group to play with. :salute:

So i thought i would carry on the love for the new guys, we were all there once and are always in a state of learning. If i mistyped something or missed something please let me know or add it in comments. I know there are TONS of GREAT guides stickied and written already, but this is just my version of it. Just a side note, when i started i wrote down pertinent numbers like RPM ranges and key commands on a notecard next to my keyboard so i could quickly refer to them.

This guide pertains to the Spitfires and Hurricanes

Start-Up *edited the order. Thanks busdriver for the input.*

-Throttle to ~4%
-Prop at 100% (you want this keyed somewhere fast and convenient. will change a lot)
-Mix (dont ever have to change this. 0%=Auto Rich, 100%=Auto Lean)
-Rads to 100% open
-Fuel cock open and confirm correct gas tank selected with fuel gauge
-Magnetos on
-Flaps up (you may elect to have ~10% flaps on takeoff, just remember to close once on the air)
-Reticle light on (Alt-H by default i believe) while waiting to warm up


-Once you get the engine started just hang tight with throttle low at like 4% until the OIL Temp = 40c. Otherwise you will block oil gaskets and you wont make it far. You may have to skip this rule if your base is being straffed and dont have time to loiter, however you have a chance of reducing performance and engine damage.
-if you are in a late model hurricane/spit you can engage boost-cutout (on the left of the dash, big red switch) to get an extra 10% of throttle (110% total) this helps taking off and getting places quickly (disengage at 4k ft to avoid blowing motor)


Take-off/flight tips

-With the newest patch the non-runway ground is much more rough and prop torque is much higher. I recommend gradually increasing throttle to 100%+ and never just slamming it to the firewall.

-SO, two big reasons to blow engines once in the air
1) Rads were closed or not full open on take off or warm-up. Your engine overheated.
2) You didnt manage your engine RPMs with your Prop pitch and it overheated

1)Water Radiator. When you start flying just keep your water rads at 100% open. This helps keep your engine cool. You will hear of people flying with rads lower. When your rads are closed it improves aerodynamics and decreases drag to get extra speed out of the plane. But if you are climbing or fighting and not watching your temps with partially closed rads you are at higher risk of burning your engine up. You will learn this in time.

2)Prop management is THE most important factor in keeping your plane happy and something you will be checking and changing often during flight. When you take off your RPMs are high with prop at 100% but that is fine, it's for a very short period. When you are in the air w/ gear up it is time to start decreasing your prop pitch %. This is basically acting as the gear box in a car to maintain RPMs.

Snapper Explanation of prop pitch *Great!*:

One Note: Prop Management - As with the mixture settings, this sim characterizes the percentage value opposite to what most would think is logical (ie Auto Rich mixture = 0%; Auto Lean = 100%). So it is with Prop Pitch: 100% prop pitch (lever fully forward) is Fine Pitch. Used for take off, landings, and situations demanding high acceleration/high rpms. 0% (prop pitch lever pulled fully back) is coarse pitch. Coarse pitch creates more aggressive "bite" into the air and a lot more rotational drag on the engine. This is your "high gear" for maintaining high speeds at a lower rpm = less stress/less heat buildup with the engine.

The reason fine pitch is used for landings is two-fold:

1. Fine pitch will provide better response to engine inputs as you enter final approach; sometimes you need a critical "engine blip" if you've misjudged your speed a bit on the slow side.

2. The blades of the propellor are *almost* flat towards the direction of travel, providing much-needed drag (braking force) in the case of Spitfires that "float" forever before touchdown.

Conversely, if you're in a deadstick situation and you're gritting your teeth whether you'll make it to your airfield, try moving your prop to fully coarse (0%). It's about as close to "feathering the prop" as you can get by turning the blades *almost* parallel to the direction of travel and reducing drag considerably.

. You will notice that your RPMs will drop below and then go above your goal numbers and so you will be changing accordingly. You will also after a period of time notice the ambient sounds of the motor and will, without having to look, notice "hey, my RPMs are getting highlow i need to check that" just from the sound. Dont try that at first, it is all the same loud rumble, enjoy the scenery and realize your managing a piece of history :salute:

Goal RPM is <2800 (28 on gauge) RPM
Optimal RPM for sustained flight 2700 RPM
Short period danger zone is 2800-3000 RPMs. You can hang in this area approximately 5-10minutes
DANGER ZONE = 3000 RPM +. This area you will burn your motor in <5min depending on how high it is


If you manage your water rads, your prop pitch, and trim your plane out once you are in the air. You are off to a good start! You will refine your skills/techniques in time and the only way to do so is to fly and blow up your motor a few times (well more than that, even experienced guys still do occasionally). Ask for help and use the forums as it's a great location for information/tips/tricks.

Navigation

Navigation is the hardest part next to engine managements . There are good reference maps landmarks. Just takes time. Mastering and figuring out the compass and gyro is a different beast and there are good guides on it in the forums but not necessary getting started as much If you use visual landmarks.

Start out by having the map out and focused on the area you spawned at (by a coast is easier). Take off. Then Use the channel as an initial point for rough direction. Is it to the left or right of you as you go down the coast. Then look for airfields, big cities/harbors, or terrain like cliffs. You can start pinpointing your location more accurately. After a while you will get familiar with the terms and locations mentioned in teamspeak. But this is how i started out learning. Like everything, you only learn it by doing it and getting lost ;)

Here is a link to a beginner's map with landmarks as a starting point
http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6722


Gun Loadout

So you are in the air now and are ready to start shootin up some Jerrys. You can do with the default load out. However, the default loadout is less than optimal. It will take way more rounds on target than it should to put him out of action.

When you go to the plane loadout before you spawn in you can go to guns and change each gun's bullet type and horizontal/vertical convergence. You will hear different load outs from everyone. Some use tracers, some dont ect. It's personal preference. Play with different loadouts and ratios for each gun. Also, the convergence is a personal thing too I prefer around the 200yd mark. Others like longer range convergences. You just need to remember to set your range on your gun site for whatever you set it as. *your changes are gun specific, so make sure you check each gun*

Round Types to consider from experience and popular opinion on forums:
*Incendiary/Tracer (White). this is a tracer which also has incendiary properties. The other traces do not have this property but are different colors.
*Armor Piercing. Self explanatory, helps especially on engines and components
*Incendiary Mark VIz "DeWilde". This is one of the most popular brit rounds as it has a small explosion on impact and good at starting fires, this tends to upset the germans as of late ;)

-the ball ammo doesnt seem to do enough to be considered and i dont hear of many people using them. not saying NOT to and others may disagree, but it's of mixed opinions. I personally don’t right now.



Hope this helps someone starting out. Don’t be afraid to post questions and to hop into TeamSpeak and give me shout! If you'd rather not post in public you are more than welcome to private message me.


Take care and see you in the skies o7
71st_AH_Bowsewr

ATAG_Lolsav
Apr-08-2014, 19:21
Nice Bowsewr, i enjoyed reading it. It means more than just a guide. Means that someone who a ATAG member pass along his knowledgements is "offspringing" (dont know if the word exists in english in the way ive put it). Its a very rewarding reading anywway. Joly Good Show. Tally Ho!

Bowsewr
Apr-08-2014, 19:33
Nice Bowsewr, i enjoyed reading it. It means more than just a guide. Means that someone who a ATAG member pass along his knowledgements is "offspringing" (dont know if the word exists in english in the way ive put it). Its a very rewarding reading anywway. Joly Good Show. Tally Ho!

Thanks for the kind comment Lolsav! I knew exactly what you meant by offspringing :)

I mentioned Drock because he was the first person i came into contact with in the game and then spent the time explaining things instead of doing something more fun like actually fighting. But i think this community is very special in that it is so welcoming to newcomers and so many are willing to help. I think this is proven by the increase in numbers and the still increasing popularity of ATAG and TeamFusion (not to mention quality modding/support!). If you can keep one person around by a welcoming atmosphere there is good chance they will get at least one more to start playing as well.

I cant wait for the day to see 2 full ATAG servers :thumbsup:

Salute! :salute:

ATAG_Dave
Apr-08-2014, 20:47
Firstly, a great & helpful post Bowsewr :thumbsup:

Secondly to er, well, second Bowsewr's comments about the community, TF, ATAG etc - Ive been playing for about 4 weeks (WTF did I do with my time before that lol) & have been blown away by how helpful and friendly (not to mention politely patient at times) people are here. The game itself is just bl**dy incredible, but its made all the more so by the spirit its played in and the community around it. Long may that last.


Dave

XE9O
Apr-08-2014, 22:09
Nice read , that is very helpful . Great Job:thumbsup::):thumbsup::)

TWC_NINja
Apr-08-2014, 23:26
thank you sooo much for taking the time to post your write-up.

that's exactly what I was looking for... a concise summary of critical pointers, with succinct explanations. I was spending way too much time hunting down scraps of info, and now it's all in one place.

thanks again.

Bowsewr
Apr-08-2014, 23:56
Thanks all for the replies and positive input :)


thank you sooo much for taking the time to post your write-up.

that's exactly what I was looking for... a concise summary of critical pointers, with succinct explanations. I was spending way too much time hunting down scraps of info, and now it's all in one place.

thanks again.

Glad it helped ninja! If there is something that still confuses you or you dont think I included that may help someone else reading it for the first time let me know and i will edit it in. good luck!

Roblex
Apr-09-2014, 02:24
Great concise guide. I am a great believer in 'concise' as long detailed guides tend to scare newbies away :D

Using your guide will get them up and flying and they can start playing with more dangerous rad & pitch settings later when they are ready. :thumbsup:

ATAG_Snapper
Apr-09-2014, 05:57
This is an excellent write up and very helpful for the many new players starting out. :thumbsup: I would like to check with Lewis and, with your OK, to incorporate this in the Beginners Section!:salute:

One Note: Prop Management - As with the mixture settings, this sim characterizes the percentage value opposite to what most would think is logical (ie Auto Rich mixture = 0%; Auto Lean = 100%). So it is with Prop Pitch: 100% prop pitch (lever fully forward) is Fine Pitch. Used for take off, landings, and situations demanding high acceleration/high rpms. 0% (prop pitch lever pulled fully back) is coarse pitch. Coarse pitch creates more aggressive "bite" into the air and a lot more rotational drag on the engine. This is your "high gear" for maintaining high speeds at a lower rpm = less stress/less heat buildup with the engine.

The reason fine pitch is used for landings is two-fold:

1. Fine pitch will provide better response to engine inputs as you enter final approach; sometimes you need a critical "engine blip" if you've misjudged your speed a bit on the slow side.

2. The blades of the propellor are *almost* flat towards the direction of travel, providing much-needed drag (braking force) in the case of Spitfires that "float" forever before touchdown.

Conversely, if you're in a deadstick situation and you're gritting your teeth whether you'll make it to your airfield, try moving your prop to fully coarse (0%). It's about as close to "feathering the prop" as you can get by turning the blades *almost* parallel to the direction of travel and reducing drag considerably.

:)

oneeyeddog
Apr-09-2014, 07:51
Thanks Snapper,for this helpful post.

Bowsewr
Apr-09-2014, 09:06
This is an excellent write up and very helpful for the many new players starting out. :thumbsup: I would like to check with Lewis and, with your OK, to incorporate this in the Beginners Section!:salute:

One Note: Prop Management - As with the mixture settings, this sim characterizes the percentage value opposite to what most would think is logical (ie Auto Rich mixture = 0%; Auto Lean = 100%). So it is with Prop Pitch: 100% prop pitch (lever fully forward) is Fine Pitch. Used for take off, landings, and situations demanding high acceleration/high rpms. 0% (prop pitch lever pulled fully back) is coarse pitch. Coarse pitch creates more aggressive "bite" into the air and a lot more rotational drag on the engine. This is your "high gear" for maintaining high speeds at a lower rpm = less stress/less heat buildup with the engine.

The reason fine pitch is used for landings is two-fold:

1. Fine pitch will provide better response to engine inputs as you enter final approach; sometimes you need a critical "engine blip" if you've misjudged your speed a bit on the slow side.

2. The blades of the propellor are *almost* flat towards the direction of travel, providing much-needed drag (braking force) in the case of Spitfires that "float" forever before touchdown.

Conversely, if you're in a deadstick situation and you're gritting your teeth whether you'll make it to your airfield, try moving your prop to fully coarse (0%). It's about as close to "feathering the prop" as you can get by turning the blades *almost* parallel to the direction of travel and reducing drag considerably.

:)


Thanks Snapper! Going to reword the OP accordingly :) :salute:

And adding it to a beginner section would be ok with me! I'll continue to update it as refining is needed

Pirabee
May-08-2014, 15:24
Great post, Bowsewr. Thanks immensely.

However, correct me please if I'm wrong but it seems with regards to navigation that the compass needle on Red machines (Spitties and Hurries mainly) give a reverse reading of ones true heading. For instance, if you are headed west which is 270, your compass needle will be showing 090.

I bring this up cos it was confusing at first. I knew I couldn't, for instance, be headed towards the Thames Estuary from Eastchurch with my compass giving a westward heading. German machines don't have similar issues it seems. I'm not suggesting its a bug as that must've been how it was, but it takes some getting used to.

Pirabee.

Robo.
May-09-2014, 04:32
Great post, Bowsewr. Thanks immensely.

However, correct me please if I'm wrong but it seems with regards to navigation that the compass needle on Red machines (Spitties and Hurries mainly) give a reverse reading of ones true heading. For instance, if you are headed west which is 270, your compass needle will be showing 090.

I bring this up cos it was confusing at first. I knew I couldn't, for instance, be headed towards the Thames Estuary from Eastchurch with my compass giving a westward heading. German machines don't have similar issues it seems. I'm not suggesting its a bug as that must've been how it was, but it takes some getting used to.

Pirabee.

Pirabee, all RAF planes use the same compass (Hurricane, Spitfire, Blenheim). You will need to align it to the 'north' first, and then set up your gyro compass accordingly. It will show any random direction if you don't adjust it. Hope that helps.

This is an in-depth thread from ACG forum if you wish to elaborate more (scroll down a bit for : III. Instruments)

http://www.aircombatgroup.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=280

Foul Ole Ron
May-09-2014, 08:28
-Flaps up (you may elect to have ~10% flaps on takeoff, just remember to close once on the air)

The Spit / Hurri only have landing flaps - they're either fully up or fully down. There's no need in CloD to ever use them during take-off.

Robo.
May-09-2014, 10:27
The Spit / Hurri only have landing flaps - they're either fully up or fully down. There's no need in CloD to ever use them during take-off.

This is true for the Spitfire, but not for the mighty Hurricane ;) You have flaps indicator on your right hand site and it's advisable to use it on take off at 20 degrees.

Foul Ole Ron
May-09-2014, 10:58
Really? I've flown the Hurricane a ton and never realised that there was variable flap settings :doh: Must have a look at this later tonight!

Aescwulf
May-14-2014, 09:22
Great set of tips helped me a lot! You can run at 110% throttle and 75% prop 100% rads until your fuel runs out. With this setting I was surprised at checking my speed to realise I was going at 230mph with 27000rpm in a gentle climb it drops to 2680rpm but with prop pitch set to 5% increments there's no point in adjusting prop

ChiefRedCloud
May-14-2014, 09:48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfjnzECHGFs

Osprey
May-14-2014, 10:11
Percentages..........:( That's 1946 stuff.


Boost, RPM, rad indication, flap indication. This is why you have cockpit gauges for, let's use the same language.