Bf109 Stabilizer Trim and Other Questions

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

Can somebody point me to a tutorial or guide that explains the proper usage of the Bf109's stabilizer? Or just tell me?

 

When to use it? Cruise, combat, climb, dive, etc? What percentages should I use for these?

 

Also I have heard mention of using flaps in combat? When should this be done, and how open should they be?

 

Thank you.

[Finkeren]

About trim: Trimming should generally be done by "feeling" and not according to a fixed number for different situations. The one exception to this is trim set prior to take off, as you won't have time to adjust during the take off itself (for the Bf 109s I find a neutral trim to be good for take off)

 

Your goal in most situations is for the plane to fly level "hands off" with a few exceptions. You will want a slight nose-up trim for landing and a heavy nose-up to help pulling out of a steep dive (the early 109s in particular have ineffective elevator at very high speeds) You might also want to set a very slight nose-down trim when starting a high-speed pursuit in level flight, since you want to avoid climbing ever so slightly as it takes a good chunk off your top speed.

 

In any case: Always trim by "feeling" rather than try to memorize a lot of settings for a range of air speeds (except for take off).

 

As for combat flaps: It can certainly be done and might help you pull off slightly tighter turns at low speed, but it is simply not worth it, especially when flying the Bf 109, and with a few exceptions it was not done historically (even though you'll see the AI doing it all the time).

Lowering flaps even slightly eats your energy to a massive degree, and even in a low speed turn fight (which you shouldn't really be doing in the 109 anyway) it's a bad idea, because it prevents you from gaining new energy to perform maneuvers. Furthermore, the 109s have the added problem, that their flaps are operated by hand and are very slow to deploy and retract. Thus they cannot quickly be retracted again if the situation changes, and they become an impediment.

It's best to avoid using flaps in combat altogether. Speed is life and of you leave the flaps alone, it's one less thing you have to worry about in combat.

Edited March 13, 2017 by Finkeren

[6./ZG26_Klaus_Mann]

Well, while it may be theoretically and practically correct what you say, there are examples to the Contrary, like Hans Joachim Marseille who used excellent Marksmanship and very low Speeds to their advantage. 

And due to the Weather Conditions in Countries like Finnland many of their Pilots really got to use all of the 109s manouverability with Flaps and whatever else they had to Out-Corner enemy Aircraft. 

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

Thank you guys.

[ITAF_Airone1989]

Question about Me109 trim:
I noticed that on BoS and DCS when you trim the plane nose down the indicator shows positive numbers (+1 and +2), while in CloD they are negative (-1 and -2)
Is that due to the different Me version or is it a mistake?

[69th_chuter]

Generally speaking for any aircraft, nose up trim is considered positive trim and nose down trim negative and in degrees of tab deflection.  German convention during WW2 when referring to a trimmable horizontal stabilizer's (Me262, Fw190 and Me109) trim setting was to refer to it's angle of incidence in degrees.  Moving the leading edge up increases the stabilizer's incidence for a positive increase in angle of degrees for a nose down trim effect (negative trim ...?).  Ambiguity can be avoided by using the terms as referenced in the FM and placards (the "most correct" way) but the "typical" positive = up, negative = down is a tough one to get away from for many pilots.  While many aircraft with THS's today will have degrees marked near the THS leading edge on the side of the aircraft in degrees they likely don't say whether those degrees are positive or negative, just up or down.

[Gustav_Hagel]

On 7/19/2022 at 6:23 AM, ITAF_Airone1989 said:

Question about Me109 trim:
I noticed that on BoS and DCS when you trim the plane nose down the indicator shows positive numbers (+1 and +2), while in CloD they are negative (-1 and -2)
Is that due to the different Me version or is it a mistake?

IL-2 CloD has the 109 trimm sign's convention wrong