I remember learning to fly the Spitfire. It was hard! For a while. The help from multiple YouTube tutorials and just trial and error slowly helped me learn to fly the wonderful aircraft of the Spitfire. However, the lack of written guides compelled me to make my own for people who are in the same boat that I was in when I tried to learn to fly this plane, and I hope all you new pilots will appreciate this guide. Therefore, I present . . .
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FLYING THE SPITFIRE IN CLIFFS OF DOVER
I will continue to update and improve this guide as needed, perhaps with pictures.
PART ONE - THE SPITFIRE The Supermarine Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, the famous designer of the Schneider trophy winning seaplanes. Thus, from the beginning, the Spitfire was destined for speed. It first flew in 1936 and was loved by test pilots and ground crew alike. It played a vital role in defending Britain from the Nazis during the Battle of Britain. We will be focusing on the early mark Spitfires, specifically the Mark I and II aircraft. Let's start learning how to fly her.
PART TWO - THE COCKPIT AND START-UP The cockpit of the Spitfire is extremely well laid out. All the buttons, levers, and switches that you will have to use are easily in reach, and with CloD's labeled clickable cockpit, it is easy to learn to use them. The main gauges you will have to monitor are the airspeed indicator, the altimeter, the RPM meter and the temperature meters. In the Spitfire, always try to keep your speed above 100 mph, and your altitude above 0. The oil temperatures should be kept between 40 and 90 degrees, and the coolant temps below 110 degrees. Other useful indicators are the compass, the undercarriage lights, and the artificial horizon.
To start up the Spitfire, first, open the radiator all the way by using the (6) key and holding it, or by dragging the radiator lever forwards. Second, turn on both magnetos using the in-cockpit switches. Third, open the fuel cock, also with the in-cockpit button. Fourth, make sure the propeller pitch is in the fine (forward) position, and the throttle is open just a tiny bit. We'll leave the mixture control alone for now, but you can look up mixture controls yourself for better engine efficiency. Also, this is a good time to close the cockpit (O) and turn on the gunsight (L).
Now, you can turn on the engine. To do this, hold the starter button (I) until you hear the engine catch. Congratulations, you've started the Spitfire. Now, idle the engine until your oil temperatures reach about 45 degrees. If you don't do this, the engine may sound VERY rough as you throttle up, and can result in engine damage.
PART THREE - TAXI AND TAKEOFF To taxi to the runway, slowly advance the throttle until you start to move. You can turn your aircraft with the rudder, and slow it down with the wheel brakes (B). Slowly taxi until you reach the runway, or if you see a reasonably long stretch of flat grass ahead of you. Now comes the fun part. Smoothly advance the throttle to maximum power, while using the rudder to keep straight. In the Spitfire, because of the engine torque, you will not need to use left rudder, only right, as the plane will automatically want to turn left. Once your aircraft reaches about 90 mph, the tail will lift off the ground and you can slowly pull back on the stick. You're airborne.Once you are in controlled flight, raise the landing gear with (G) and reduce your propeller pitch to 85% (around 2800 rpm). Keep the aircraft in a steady climb to your desired altitude and then level off. Now let's get to the good stuff.
PART FOUR - AIR COMBAT TACTICS The Spitfire is a kind of plane called a turnfighter, because, guess what, it turns very well. If you see a contact in the sky, head towards it until you can figure out if it is a friendly, or a bandit. If it is a Bf. 109, you can either choose to engage, or stay out of the fight. If you do decide to engage, make sure your gunsight is turned on and properly adjusted. Then head towards the 109. It is a good idea to climb a bit so you have the altitude advantage, and you will have the element of surprise if you attack from the direction of the sun. Remember, the 109 can outclimb and outdive the Spitfire, so don't chase him all the way to France if he's getting away unless you have the energy advantage to get a speed jump on him. When you close to firing range, which means you are close enough to see the black crosses on his wings, lead your target the right amount, and open fire. If done right, you should see strikes on his aircraft. Chances are, though, you will miss, and your tracers will alert the enemy pilot to your presence. He will then try to evade your line of fire, and you will have to follow him in order to shoot him down. The Spitfire will always be able to outturn a 109, so turn with him all you want. If the 109 tries to outturn you, he is at the mercy of your guns, and you will most likely be able to shoot him down. If he tries to climb or dive away, you can't follow, and your best bet is to keep him in sight and wait for him to attack you again, where your superior maneuverability will be able to be put to good use. If you have the energy advantage, which is more speed or altitude, you can move in to attack him. For instance if the Messerschmitt has lost a lot of speed trying to outturn you and then tries to disengage, you can follow him down and make the shot. If a 109 gets on your tail, TURN TURN TURN. Perform as many evasive maneuvers as you can, and once he loses some energy, you might be able to reverse the fight and get on him. Don't try to use the scissors against the 109, as his superior roll rate will have you for breakfast. Use the Spitfire's low speed turning to get on his tail. If you do need to escape, well, it's pretty hard to escape from a 109. You'll need to disengage when he's heading to opposite way from you so you can have the most separation between you and the 109. Then dive a bit form speed and punch the throttle to escape.
PART FIVE - GENERAL FLIGHT AND LANDING The Spitfire is very easy to fly. The low wing loading and wing shape makes it easy to know when you are about to stall, and it is very easy to recover. (Opposite rudder, nose down) The visibility is quite good, although when on the ground the long nose can be a problem. You can taxi in a zig-zag pattern to see what's ahead of you when on the ground. Normal engine management for the Spitfire is to keep the mixture at 0% all the time, 100% throttle, 85% prop (2850 rpm), and 85% rads for climb and fighting. This is a great set and forget setting for the Spit. In the IIa the radiator can be closed a few notches further. It can also be closed more at altitudes above 20,000 feet. The Spitfire IIa can actually run at full rpm and 50% rads on the deck for quite a long time if you keep your speed up. It's good for running away from a sticky situation.
The engine will cut out under negative G's, but this is only temporary and the engine will restart within a few seconds. This is because the Merlin engine is carbureted, not fuel injected.
To land the Spitfire, decrease your speed to about 150 mph, and your altitude to about 500 ft AGL. Lower your flaps and landing gear here. Slowly descend with by reducing throttle and decrease your speed to about 100mph as you reach the runway. Now increase propeller pitch to maximum and cut the throttle. Pull the nose up a bit, and try to make the plane stall just as you touch down. Final touchdown speed is around 80mph. You may bounce a bit, and maybe even crash if you are a beginner, but once your plane is rolling down the runway, use the wheel brakes to slow down. Make sure you don't nose over by using too much wheel brakes though. Once you are on the ground and stopped, taxi off the runway, as others may wish to take off or land, and stop the engine by turning off the fuel cock, and then the magnetos. For some reason, once your engine is off, it is a good idea to CLOSE the radiator, as I think a bug in the sim makes the temps heat up if you keep it open. This won't happen though, if you turn into the wind. Then, put your wheel chocks in, open the canopy, and you're done. To rearm and refuel, make sure you've done all these shutdown procedures, and type in the chat. <rr100 . It rearms and refuels you, but only if you do not have any damage.
Congratulations! You should now know how to fly the Spitfire in CloD.
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Originally Posted by =FI=Murph
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