The Stearman...

[RoboRay 126]

After mostly avoiding the Stearman until now because I suck at landing tail-draggers and it's just too hard to see where you're going on the ground or when low and slow, it finally occurred to me that I can just shift my viewpoint up above the rear cockpit's windscreen, which not only lets me see over the nose but also brings the front cockpit's instruments into view. I've been hanging my head out the side before and raising it a little, but that never worked well for me due to how long it takes to change sides without TrackIR. I've also changed my standard zoom to 0.75, which puts the Stearman's rear panel right in your face when looking down at it, making it hard to see much outside. But 0.75 is perfect for reading the panel on all other planes and leaves the outside view less distorted than the default zoom setting.

 

The only problem I've noted by sitting on a stack of phone-books is that the front cockpit's compass doesn't seem to work. It's funny how they made all the other instruments up there functional, except that one.

 

I've been practicing my landings this morning and am finally greasing them instead of slamming and bouncing.

[HiFlyer 9,343]

I like the Stearman, but not for landings. Despite all the helpful suggestions people have posted, I always feel half blind while trying to fly that thing from the cockpit; Like trying to walk the streets with a small Beagle balanced on my nose. Very distracting!! :Monkey:

[ak416 0]

I like the Stearman, but not for landings. Despite all the helpful suggestions people have posted, I always feel half blind while trying to fly that thing from the cockpit; Like trying to walk the streets with a small Beagle balanced on my nose. Very distracting!! :Monkey:

I found moving up to the front seat helped a great deal with landing the Stearman. Try moving the camera around in the cockpit until you find something you like, makes a world of difference.

[heywooood 9]

you land the Stearman from the rear cockpit

 

you need a "frame of reference" to know where the ground is in relation to your POV (point of view)

 

from the cockpit before takeoff, look at the horizon and see where that line intersects with the nose of the plane...you are already in the 3point stance

...keep that image in mind when you are settling to land.

 

Also - the mixture and prop RPM levers are always full forward on landing...this is to allow the pilot instant power should he need to throttle up and go around

I see alot of characters on this board talk about managing their approach speed and angle with prop RPM adjustments - wrong

 

You need to practice flying the Stearman, and all other planes at their minimum airspeed, in all manner of wind speeds and directions...using flaps where a particular plane is so equipped...obviously not in the Stearman or Icon - Start with fair weather and minimum winds naturally

 

Once you know what that speed is - because you practiced it and paid attention - you can settle onto a runway properly no matter the wind speed or direction

 

*Important Note: you fly the approach at the recommended approach speed - check the landing checklist - but you settle to land by reducing to the min. airspeed just above the ground

then simultaneously pulling back on the stick to "flare" and gently reducing the throttle...you develope a feel for this just like when you learn to drive a car with a manual transmission

or similar...release clutch slowly AS you apply pressure to the gas pedal

 

Now that you are familiar with your aircraft and have memorized the correct frame of reference for your POV in relation to the ground - you can settle in the 3 point stance every time

Practice the right way and fly from the cockpit - you might enjoy Flight a lot more

[N60JBravo 27]

If you want the best view of the runway when landing you need to learn how to slip.

 

That is how it's done in a real plane like the Stearman.

[heywooood 9]

yeah - thats the advanced class lol...crossed controls into the cross wind etc...or to scrub excess airspeed on a steeper approach rather than just taking a circuit

[dburne 2]

I have all the eyepoint movements assigned to a hat switch on my stick, through it's software. So a singe press moves it one notch at a time, or I can hold the button and it moves it smoothly at my keyboard's repeat rate.

I find this the best way for me for adjusting for landings, etc, in the Stearman - at least until Track IR support gets implemented.,

[AllFiredUp 0]

I love being able to use my mouse wheel button to shift the eye point around, looking up and over and even over the side of the Stearman.

[jcomm 5,890]

I like, really enjoy, this alternative Stearman:

 

 

and a little bit of this too while I wait for the next DLC:

 

 

or... this:

 

 

or even...

 

 

or...

 

 

or the Adrenaline!!!!

 

 

or learning with errors...

 

 

and then a few flights under real bad weather in FLIGHT :-)

 

But I would love to have This in FLIGHT too:

 

 

back to FLIGHT.... But give a look here:

 

 

just in case you get bored waiting for the next DLC....

 

Is this an exclusive alternative? CERTAINLY NOT!!!!