If you're on approach and have a lot of back pressure on the yoke not only are you causing more drag, you're also leaving yourself with a lot less legroom in elevator control and increase your chances of stalling...

Just want to note that trimming does not give you more or less effective elevator travel. If you give full up trim and full down elevator, you still have the same amount of down elevator. In RL however, you might not have the strength to push that hard to overcome the trim setting.So, if you are holding a lot of back pressure and have to trim that out, be careful, because you only have a little bit of elevator travel left.this could be an issue of you are coming in slow and steep and hoping to flare to stop the descent.I have to confirm this but I'm pretty sure that Flight is modeling this more accurately than I've seen elsewhere.

I have to confirm this but I'm pretty sure that Flight is modeling this more accurately than I've seen elsewhere.

I've noticed that when I'm flying with a lot of down trim on the elevator, the plane reacts more quickly to pushing the stick forward than to pulling it back. Is this the kind of thing you're talking about?I've done a few landings with full up trim without running out of elevator. Don't ask why I had full up trim. :DHook

I feel that Flight has put "safety valves"in several places to keep things simple.If you aren't abusing the flight model, them these valves don't come into play. The trim appears to be one such place they have done this. it is nowhere near as effective as I expect it to be when comparing it to a C172.If regularly need full trim or close to it on these airplanes for landing. If I did that in RL, you'd read about it on the news.

Just want to note that trimming does not give you more or less effective elevator travel. If you give full up trim and full down elevator, you still have the same amount of down elevator. In RL however, you might not have the strength to push that hard to overcome the trim setting.So, if you are holding a lot of back pressure and have to trim that out, be careful, because you only have a little bit of elevator travel left.this could be an issue of you are coming in slow and steep and hoping to flare to stop the descent.I have to confirm this but I'm pretty sure that Flight is modeling this more accurately than I've seen elsewhere.

Makes a lot of sense actually and have run into situations like that before during my hours of falling off the bike and getting back up trial and error sessions. I have learned quickly that if you're practically maxing out trim that you're probably doing something wrong anyway, either too fast, or too slow.. I haven't perfected my trimming out the Maule yet but with the RV even during landing I only have to do very minor trim adjustments to take the back pressure off. The Maule is a unique plane though and keeps you on your toes.. As soon as you think you figured out what she wants she'll throw you another bone.

Unfortunately trim is simulated as wrong as in FSX. E.g. if you apply full up elevator in the Stearman with the trim in neutral and keeping level flight at idle she just barely stalls.With the trim fully nose up and full up elevator she pitches almost 90deg nose up.

Ahhhhh, that stinks!Never mind my earlier comments then....

I went and tested it. It appears that trim adds to the effectiveness of your elevator. If you enter a stall with neutral trim, stick full back, you can't keep the nose up. If you at this point apply full up elevator trim, the nose will rise.I added a few minutes to my backwards flying time, added a few crashes, and I think I got a new backwards speed record. :)Hook

I went and tested it. It appears that trim adds to the effectiveness of your elevator. If you enter a stall with neutral trim, stick full back, you can't keep the nose up. If you at this point apply full up elevator trim, the nose will rise.I added a few minutes to my backwards flying time, added a few crashes, and I think I got a new backwards speed record. :)Hook

OK, that's just strange. Unless they also simulated pilot arm strength. But at low speed you should be able to get any deflection you want with little effort anyway. I guess they model trim just as incorrectly as every other sim then.

 

I guess they model trim just as incorrectly as every other sim then.

Agreed.Maybe rudder trim works the same way, and you can get enough rudder authority to keep the nose straight taking off in a crosswind without having to hold the brakes. Hm. Might even be able to turn the aircraft on the ground. Anyone up for a test of that?Hook

If your taildragger is pitch-sensitive, you might be seen trying to emulate a porpoise, but not on purpose. Get on the wrong end of the oscillation curve and you'll be looking like a bucking bronco on short final, over-correcting ad nauseam and never quite getting it in-sync until you touch down and start bouncing like Dolly Parton on DWTS.