sticky runway? runway glue? can't rotate and lift off at rotation speeds? are the needles in your instruments going straight up along with your aircraft when you do finally hit a higher than normal speed for rotation? feel like you're riding a bullit?i tried everything else but this and it works for a smooth, gentle takeoff. yea, i was aware of it but didn't think it was the problem but it was. here it is: be at full throttle before you reach 60 knots. heck, now my takeoffs are as cool and fun as landings are. i can now rotate and lift off at the proper rotation speeds. i tried it in a few default aircraft and my addon aircraft. i can see the nose actually begin to rise as i gently pull back on the stick at rotation speed. never saw that before, i'm talking smoothly and don't mean it "jumping" off the runway. with a tiny bit of up trim it can fly itself off. this also makes for a better climb out and is much easier to control. i'm sure this isn't anything new for most of you guys but for the folks that are wondering why the aircraft aren't lifting off at rotation speeds, see if you're at full throttle or close to it by the time you reach 60 knots. anyway, it's what is working for me. william

Good point! We often get bogged down in the techical stuff but it's nice to get back to basics occasionally. I don't think FS handles the low-speed environment too well - from taxi to take-off - and I'm really hoping that FS10 will address some of the basic flight modelling issues such as AOA lift/drag curves, different frictions on different surfaces, wet runways and that kind of thing, but it is important to not lose sight of the basics such as controller calibration so that full throttle on the joystick does equal full throttle in the sim.Then there is the question of how you use it - I find the trim in FS to be the real limiting factor to `as real as it gets` as it operates nothing like the real thing - even with FSForce acting to control Force Feedback it's not right, but by modifying real pilot skills only slghtly we can get reasonable close. In real flying for the sake of the expensive engines we try to not `slam` the throttles, but this is easy to do on the short action stuff fitted to most joysticks, (try putting a bulldog clip or clothes peg on the tab of the throttle to extend the lever and see if that smooths power application). but we do make sure we have full throttle for take-off or else that take-off may just turn into an extended taxi.Any plastics manufacturer want to make a clip-on `throttle extender` for the typical tab-throttle control on joysticks? Could be an earner!Allcott

I have never taken off without full throttle, even in RA, so I never had the problem. If you tried to take off in a real aircraft without full throttle, with an instructor, you would hear much yelling about "full power" .

Now you guys got me confused - I fly mostly heavy fs iron and have been making successful 'derated' takeoffs in various models for quite a while, this with my 'default' Saitek stick. I almost never use more than say 90 - 95% n1 at most. (I find full power redlines most engine gauges and I hate to see that almost as much as an aircraft that leaps into the air at 180 knots :) )I don't know, but many factors in fde design affect this - engine thrust to contact points and any number of factors in between can leave an aircraft 'stuck' at rotation speed.regards,MarkXPHomeSP2/FS9.1/3.2HT/1GIG/X700pro256

A third option is that it is possible to overboost some aircrfat engines - turboprops can suffer from this, which is why detailed knowledge of the correct operating procedures for the particular aircraft is so important. `Set take-off power` and `Full throttle` are NOT the same thing at all!Allcott

>A third option is that it is possible to overboost some>aircrfat engines - turboprops can suffer from this, which is>why detailed knowledge of the correct operating procedures for>the particular aircraft is so important. >`Set take-off power` and `Full throttle` are NOT the same>thing at all!>>>AllcottDepends on what plane you are flying.

I've found it best to set the parking brake in FS2004 as I build up the throttle. I never release the brakes until the power is above 75%, preferrable higher.That gets a quick start rolling down the runway.The only time I really have trouble with liftoff is when I forget to set the fuel and check the weight.It is very easy to overload some FS aircraft and attempt takeoffs over MTOW - which makes for very long takeoff runs and a hard jerk on the yoke to get into the air.

good input guys. you're all correct and some aircraft need full throttle and some only need takeoff power which isn't always full throttle. my problem was getting up to full throttle or takeoff power by 60 knots. that's the "key", 60 knots. i was still applying power after 60 knots but finished before i hit rotation speed. seems by that, not enough fuel was getting to where it needed to be in time thus a longer takeoff roll and i guess the engines hadn't enough time to spool up the correct amount of power. same for prop aircraft i guess because the same thing applies. either aircraft now rotates at the correct rotation speed. god, i hate when the aircraft jump off the runway. gag me with a spoon! william

>>Then there is the question of how you use it - I find the trim>in FS to be the real limiting factor to `as real as it gets`>as it operates nothing like the real thing - even with FSForce>acting to control Force Feedback it's not right, I find "trim" to be very much like the real thing; at least in application. It's often touchier & harder to keep precise, but a sense of "feel", especially without force-feedback is there. I use a hat switch on my Saitek joystick for trim, which is much like using electric trim, and I always trim, against slight stick forces.You'll never experience the real feel of severe out of trim conditions, but then I seldom get to that point.L.Adamson