Spitfire ground maneuvers

**Tumbler** · Jan-12-2018, 19:36

How do I make tight turns on the ground whilst taxing? Using rudder only my turn radius is gigantic making it quit hard to align my plane at the runway threshold.

**DD_FT** · Jan-12-2018, 20:10

Use rudder in combination with the wheel brakes. That'll make it turn ...

**=FI=Murph** · Jan-12-2018, 20:28

Hold the brake, kick the rudder al the way to one side or the other, advance the throttle, she'll turn on a dime.

**ATAG_Marlow** · Jan-13-2018, 06:51

Originally Posted by mca2

How do I make tight turns on the ground whilst taxing? Using rudder only my turn radius is gigantic making it quit hard to align my plane at the runway threshold.

Hi mca....good fun last night over Rochford!

A little trick I use (hardly a trick really!) is to come to a stop......apply full brakes....and then wack the throttle up to about 30 to 35%, whilst holding the brakes fully on. Apply full rudder and the aircraft should spin around on it's axis. The more throttle applied, the faster it rotates....but try and go easy...don't want to tip onto a wing. I spin until my nose is pointing in the direction I want to move then I throttle back and move off in the chosen direction.

Seems to work for me but takes a bit of 'juggling! Hope this helps! See you 'up there!' Salute!

Edit: basically the same as =FI=Murph....but he can say it in a single sentence! LoL! S!

**Tumbler** · Jan-13-2018, 07:29

Thanks for the replies! I thought I needed differential braking but this is something I can handle!

And yes, my first real online flying was great fun Marlow! Thanks for all the tips and hope to join more often. I’ll work a bit more on the British coast line knowledge though

and btw, where is “French point”?

**=FI=Murph** · Jan-13-2018, 07:41

The British aircraft all used a sort of "auto differential braking" where the brake was applied from a lever on the stick or control column, and rudder input used with it to steer, as you've just learned.
German aircraft used separate braking, left or right, controlled by the toe of each rudder pedal.
Both systems are correctly reflected in the game.

**ATAG_Marlow** · Jan-13-2018, 11:40

Originally Posted by mca2

Thanks for the replies! I thought I needed differential braking but this is something I can handle!

And yes, my first real online flying was great fun Marlow! Thanks for all the tips and hope to join more often. I’ll work a bit more on the British coast line knowledge though

and btw, where is “French point”?

Hi mca......French Point is what, in game, we call Cap Griz Nez. It's that bit of the French Coast that is furthest west and sticks out into the Channel. It's a notorious place for meeting one's doom! Ha ha!

If you ever want to meet up for a reci' flight along the Coast....get to know it.....just let me know what date and time and I'll try to be there! (Any excuse to fly!)

https://theairtacticalassaultgroup.c...ead.php?t=6722

In the meantime, I think this thread will get you to a map of the Kent area with loads of useful 'gen' on it! Salute!

**Tumbler** · Jan-16-2018, 18:05

Originally Posted by ATAG_Marlow

Hi mca......French Point is what, in game, we call Cap Griz Nez. It's that bit of the French Coast that is furthest west and sticks out into the Channel. It's a notorious place for meeting one's doom! Ha ha!

If you ever want to meet up for a reci' flight along the Coast....get to know it.....just let me know what date and time and I'll try to be there! (Any excuse to fly!)

https://theairtacticalassaultgroup.c...ead.php?t=6722

In the meantime, I think this thread will get you to a map of the Kent area with loads of useful 'gen' on it! Salute!

Thanks Marlow, I did some sorties this weekend and I managed to navigate around a bit. Still looking for all the airfield names, but we're getting somewhere. Knowing how the silly P8 compass works kinda helped. Also England is actually quite small when doing 240 IAS. Seems you're over Dover just minutes after you left Rochford.

Anyway, bit busy last days, but maybe will join tomorrow evening again.

**MightyBouff** · Jan-18-2018, 06:26

Originally Posted by mca2

Thanks Marlow, I did some sorties this weekend and I managed to navigate around a bit. Still looking for all the airfield names, but we're getting somewhere. Knowing how the silly P8 compass works kinda helped. Also England is actually quite small when doing 240 IAS. Seems you're over Dover just minutes after you left Rochford.

Anyway, bit busy last days, but maybe will join tomorrow evening again.

Sounds like you're getting on well, welcome to the server. After about a month you just 'know' the locations. I find navigating over France much harder, especially once you get out of sight of the coastline! A train of three beaufighters (inc me) spent about 30 minutes pootling about the french countryside the other day looking for an airfield to shoot up, great fun at treetop level.