What am I doing wrong??

[Guest Albatross7107]

Here's the sitch...Aircraft: Douglas DC3Wind: 274 @ 18Airport: KTHVRunway: 35I'm hand flying the approach. I touchdown at 88kias, a little fast but no big deal.My trouble is I am at about a 40 degree angle to the centerline axis of the runway.So I'm thinking that this is what I should have done. Assuming I come in at an angle (crabbed?), I should have applied right rudder to swing the tail left and align the fuselage centerline to the runway centerline *just* before touchdown. I also think that means I should do this *just* left of the runway center line so that as I start being pushed right, I actually touchdown in the center. I then continue to apply right rudder (probably increasing amounts) as I slow to a stop.Am I right? If so, then it ain't happening, I have a "twist the stick" rudder and that quite frankly bites for anything other then taxiing.You'd think the auto rudder would do this for you....

[Orlaam 306]

Yeah, probably slow to 90 knots or 85 knots on short final and go from there. I don't know very much about the DC-3 and the speeds or techniques, but last time I flew the MS default DC-3, which I find very easy to fly, I had no problem banking to a base and lining up better than I do with most aircraft I have. My landing was very good too for the second time ever flying the DC-3 in 5 years! LOLNow, what do you mean 40 degree angle? On short final you're 40 degrees off centerline (course heading)!?? If so, then yeah, you'd de-crab the plane, not crab unless you're okay with that technique, but no sideslip. http://www.flydamnit.com/2006/07/20/crosswind-landing/ You want your wings level in a larger plane like this with twin engines. It easier with pedals and not a twisting joystick. I hate joysticks though. Also, you shouldn't have autorudder on at all, especially if you're trying to attack crosswind landing and learn the right way. Unless you mean Yaw Damper, which is something different and I have no idea how MS simulates this on the DC-3, except I've never seen a switch for it I don't think.

[Guest Albatross7107]

Ok, based on your link, the technique I used was "Crab", but the DC3 doesn't have steering, so I should have used differential thrust to steer the plane on the ground. However, I also don't have throttles (Though I want them very badly) so I really couldn't do that.THe way I was describing (guessing) is what they labeled "De-Crab".Thanks for the link to that article, it helps me understand it better.As to the "autorudder" I do mean the "autorudder" check box in the realism panel of FS9. I've tried to use manual rudder, but I can't coodinate the twist with pitch and roll of the stick - and I'm not using pedals, that's out. I just would have thought that "autorudder" would be "autorudder" and not "auto-coordination" which is what it really is...

[tgibson 11]

Hi,I think they did call it auto-coordination in earlier versions, but they are slowly "dumbing down" some of this for the newbies and the gamers.BTW, you *can* have FS take care of this for you - just tune in the ILS for the runway and press Ctrl-A when on final. FS will take care of the entire approach. You can also use the key stroke for a localizer approach (don't know it from memory) and then FS will control the crabbing while you handle the glide slope. I've never tried this in the DC-3, but unless MS has blocked it (in the autopilot section of the aircraft.cfg file) it should work.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[fanavion 0]

>Here's the sitch...>>Aircraft: Douglas DC3>Wind: 274 @ 18>Airport: KTHV>Runway: 35What DC-3 ? The MS default one or an addon ?Carl

[Guest Albatross7107]

You are correct, sir. All the AP functions are there (expect maybe autothrottle, I think that takes an entry in the cfg or maybe the air file) All it takes is the right key stroke.Still, I prefer to hand fly, since I'm "learning". I'll take the baron up and use the AP, but when it comes to entering the traffic pattern and landing I go by hand. Only way to learn.For now, I guess I'll just not use real weather, or if I do, I'll kill the crosswind effects when I'm on final, at least until I finally break down and get pedals :(I think throttles will be first tho - tough to steer those tail draggers on the ground with the keyboard!

[Guest Albatross7107]

I think it's a modded default - I can't remember if I reinstalled the modified version when I reinstalled FS9 awhile back or not... I got a edited cfg file from somewhere... can't recall now where.Even so, I think all it changed was the max speeds for the AI because I noticed that they kept flying at 80 knots and dropping and retracting the flaps over and over...