Newbie: best way learning to fly the yak/bf109

[jozeff]

Hi all,

 

I'm really eager to start some serious flying in the yak1 or bf109f4.

 

What is the best way to start learning? I mean I can try to take off and crash the plane but is there any kind of guidance or 3rd party mission/campaign that is created to take a new player by the hand. Like a startup procedure lesson and a takeoff mission/lesson. I know for DCS there are many many small missions created by players. Sometimes with scripted information like start engine procedure and if you do that correctly do the next thing...

 

I know there are many YouTube videos but I really like in game lessons. The default missions have dedicated planes don't they? Or is it possible to change these planes?

 

Amy advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jozeff

[Sketch]

I don't believe there is any mission that walks you through the start up process, engine management, take off procedures, and so on... The reason is because there's no real way for mission designers to know if you've done something to the plane. As example, mission designers can't know if you've opened your radiators or not. If we don't know if you've opened your radiators, then we can't fire off the next event. (Technically, we could do it as a timed event. Say, 10 seconds to open radiators. "Okay great, your rads are open now." The player is still looking on how to open rads... "So, now engage the brakes. Notice how the brakes are for both sets of wheels."  Player is still looking for rads... Brakes; where is that button...?  Crap, my plane just burnt up... but why!? I can see players, especially new players, being very confused.) 

 

Having said that, you can take my Supply Runner mission, and change the player's plane from a Ju52 to whatever plane you want. It's basically a landing and take off practice and training mission with some fun thrown in to make the mission more entertaining than watching grass grow. To complete the mission, you have to land, deliver supplies (taxi correctly), and take off three times to randomly selected airfields. All while "High Command" is yelling at you, and the offloading crews at each field are drunk.

[RedKestrel]

The way I started was this:

study the tech specs in game (you can check them by using O to open your map at any time in-flight and checking the specs in the little window on the right side of the map page) and a few of the youtube videos (Air Combat Tutorial Library has great vids on the basics). Make a little pilot's notes for yourself based on these. Especially make notes on engine settings and maximums, in a way you can understand it. I find my own notes more useful than the tech specs in-game.

Pick an area in the QMB. Pick the Yak or 109 that you want to learn to fly from the drop down. Make sure there are no enemies selected. Choose to start from a parked aircraft.

Go to the ground targets menu and uncheck everything...you don't want a passing train shooting you up while you play.

Start up the mission. You'll spawn parked in a taxiway area. Check the map to see your route to the runway. I find it best to choose a proper runway airfield for this practice, rather than the open field aerodromes that are around some places.

Spend a good five to ten minutes looking around. If you have headtracking (like trackIR) this will help you get a good idea of what it takes to see out the cockpit and the various instruments. If you don't have headtracking this is a good opportunity to get used to moving your view around with the mouse, pan view, etc. This is really important, so take your time. Its easier to learn on the ground than in the air. I recommend head tracking for immersion and a fairly natural way to track targets and explore the cockpit, but its not necessary to enjoy the game - I played flight sims for years without it, though I couldn't go back now. I use EDTracker for mine. If you want a slightly DIY overview of setting up headtracking for cheap, there's a thread here: 

Find all the critical instruments, familiarize yourself with them, memorize their location. If you have a phone or a tablet, have it in your lap and open a youtube video or a picture of the cockpit so you can see what an instrument is if you can't figure it out. Use your controls to move the throttles, radiators, flaps, etc (everything but the landing gear), and watch what moves in the cockpit. 

When you're familiar with the cockpit, start up your engine with the E key, wait for the startup to go. Startup procedures are automatic in Il-2, press the E key and everything is done in proper sequence, so no need to memorize startup procedures (though the settings for startup are not necessarily what you need on takeoff, so you may need to adjust when you get to the runway). Once  your engine's started, taxi over to the runway, taking some time to get a feel for the taxiing behaviour of the plane. Be sure to have an understanding of how the tailwheel and brake operations work on each plane, and when to lock and unlock them...every plane handles different on the ground. 109s have toe brakes and most soviet planes have differential brakes (braking pressure controlled via a button and rudder deflection) so each type takes some getting used to. 

Once you're on the runway and straightened out, take off. Pay attention to how much rudder you have to use to keep it straight. If you crash don't worry about it, it happens. Jsut restart, this time on the runway instead of parked, so you wont have to go through taxiiing again if you dont want to.

Once you're up, climb to a good height, say about 2000m, and just start trying some aerobatics. Watch your airspeed during maneuvers, feel for when you're getting the best turn rate. Practice staying coordinated on the rudder in climbs, dives, turns, barrel rolls, etc.

When you've had enough, bring it in for a landing. Find a good speed and approach for yourself, based on the vids and the tech specs. Do a bunch of touch and go landings to get used to it. 

Spend a good half hour to an hour doing this, just enjoy flying around. Watch engine temps, try closing your rads to see how long it takes to overheat. For maximum fun, run your engine at max boosted setting for as long as you can until the engine dies (gives you an idea of how hard you can push the plane) and then do a dead-stick landing. 

It doesn't sound like you're new to flight sims, so sorry if the above sounds patronizing. But this is basically what I did when I started to avoid feeling overwhelmed...I had been playing Il-2 1946 for a couple years and found this very beneficial. Doing it in a somewhat systematic way with each plane has helped me bridge the gap where there are no tutorials. 

[Finkeren]

Also: If you are going to train against AI in the 109, may I suggest, that you train a a match-up that might not be the first thing that come to your mind: Bf 109E7 vs Polikarpov I-16. The relative strengths of the two aircraft are not too far off the usual Bf 109F4 vs Yak-1 but everything moves at a more managable speed while you’re still learning to fly any 109 to its strengths. The E7 is the most agile and IMO nicest handling of all the 109s (though obviously inferior in performance) but its small load of cannon ammo will force you to learn good marksmanship, and you’ll need your shooting to be on point, if you are gonna fly the 109 successfully against human opponents.

 

Plus: E7 vs. I-16 is just a load of fun.

[RedKestrel]

9 minutes ago, Finkeren said:

Also: If you are going to train against AI in the 109, may I suggest, that you train a a match-up that might not be the first thing that come to your mind: Bf 109E7 vs Polikarpov I-16. The relative strengths of the two aircraft are not too far off the usual Bf 109F4 vs Yak-1 but everything moves at a more managable speed while you’re still learning to fly any 109 to its strengths. The E7 is the most agile and IMO nicest handling of all the 109s (though obviously inferior in performance) but its small load of cannon ammo will force you to learn good marksmanship, and you’ll need your shooting to be on point, if you are gonna fly the 109 successfully against human opponents.

 

Plus: E7 vs. I-16 is just a load of fun.

Flying in the I-16 vs and E-7 is what I do when I want the spectre of grim death to be at a more polite distance.

When I desire a feeling of the prolonged, euphoric nearness of inevitable death, I'll fly against a pair of F-4s. 

I'm mostly kidding, flying the I-16 against just about everything is the most fun one can have in Il-2 in my opinion. Its just a zany little chibi aircraft that you can haul around the sky like an insane chipmunk on meth. But possibly the most fun is putting the boost on and out-climbing some of the early 109s...most 109 jockies are so used to having the climb advantage that it really is spectacular when you can low-six shoot a guy who's confidently toodling away from you. Taking an I-16 onto Berloga and knife-fighting with 1943 planes is always an experience, even if the experience is mostly spiraling towards the ground in a thousand burning pieces.

Sorry, I went OT there. But yeah, the E-7 vs. I-16 is a good fight also because the E-7, being nimble, will be more forgiving of the new flyer's impulse to turn-fight, whereas later 109s like the G2 will really punish it IMO. 

[Finkeren]

15 minutes ago, RedKestrel said:

But yeah, the E-7 vs. I-16 is a good fight also because the E-7, being nimble, will be more forgiving of the new flyer's impulse to turn-fight, whereas later 109s like the G2 will really punish it IMO. 

 

Actually, I’d pit the E7 against the I-16 precisely to discourage prolonged turn fighting. You are right that in the E7 it is easy to fall for the temptation to just turn n’ burn, but an I-16 opponent will quickly dissuade you from doing that. Because the I-16 is so superior to the E7 in power/weight ratio, you really need to learn to hold on to your energy advantage against it, because the I-16 can turn the tables very quickly with its awesome initial acceleration, if you bleed too much energy.

[RedKestrel]

10 minutes ago, Finkeren said:

 

Actually, I’d pit the E7 against the I-16 precisely to discourage prolonged turn fighting. You are right that in the E7 it is easy to fall for the temptation to just turn n’ burn, but an I-16 opponent will quickly dissuade you from doing that. Because the I-16 is so superior to the E7 in power/weight ratio, you really need to learn to hold on to your energy advantage against it, because the I-16 can turn the tables very quickly with its awesome initial acceleration, if you bleed too much energy.

Yeah, you're right, I wasn't thinking of the acceleration/climb advantage of the I-16 wrt energy.

[jozeff]

Hi thanks for the tips!

 

This discussion is going in a different direction. I'm not that experienced yet ?? I wanted to know  what's a good Way to start practicing.

 

I'll have to setup controls first. Something I always have to do. Should I use TARGET or do I adjust in the game?

 

Thanks and see you!

 

Jozeff

[Zippy-do-dar]

Go into quick missions  pick single aircraft on the map select your aircraft starting on runway, attempt to take off you will crash most likely (i did a lot)

for landing practice select air start attempt to land you will crash most likely (i did a lot)

 

Don't give up its a very steep learning curve in the start i gave myself a hour each day just practice 

 

This is what i do to any new aircraft i get

[blitze]

Take off remember that Western aircraft pull to the opposite side to VVS as their props spin in opposite directions.  Counter with rudder on take off.

 

Take it easy on controls, throttle, rudder and stick.  Be smooth and gradual and not panic when in combat.  Pull the stick to hard in a panic and you will have the plane stalling out which for a novice can be lethal.

 

Breath and have fun.  Maybe try the Yak 1 and 190 A3 to start with as they are easier to handle on the ground than the 109 or spit which have narrow landing gear.

 

Many aspects to flying, much to learn but it is fun and that's what keeps me coming back to this sim.  Now I just have to wonder why my Stuka Escort in my 109 Kuban career just crashed after they dropped their eggs on the factory. (  First career crash.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Surprised no one said, “come fly with me and I’ll walk you through it.” So, I’ll say it. Come fly with me and I’ll walk you through it. Do you have an decent online connection and what is your availability? Send me a PM and I’ll invest a couple hours to get you rolling on the basics.

[Jaws2002]

Yak and Bf-109 are point and click planes. No learning required.

Edited September 8, 2018 by Jaws2002

[jozeff]

Thank you herrmurf!

 

I have a worthless online connection, that's a pity! I really like your offer. Let me think if I can change my connection somehow or go somewhere else for a day. Where are you from? I'm from the Netherlands.

 

I fly in VR is it possible to use that and you watching me fly and give some advice? I have a great Internet connection at work. 

 

I'll see if I can get some broadband here.

 

 

Thanks again very much appreciated,!!

 

 

Cheers 

 

Jozeff

[Mac_Messer]

My advice would be careful programming of the joystick you use. Button setup aswell as X/Y/Z axis sensitivity/saturation settings greatly influence the way you work with aircraft. Bad setup can make your experience next to unplayable.

[Zirashi]

Here you go:

 

 

All credit to DerSheriff (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/profile/65618-dersheriff/), of course:

[jozeff]

Well thanks!!!!

 

Great stuff!

 

I'll try this weekend.

 

Cheers

 

Jozeff

[Volkoff]

I recommend watching the videos featured on the Air Combat Tutorial Library: Air Combat Tutorial Library.

 

I am currently learning how to use the Mig-3. My learning mainly revolves around what I like to call, 'The Cylon Raider Method.' I go into a multiplayer match and try stuff out. When I end up on fire, blown up or in a parachute, I try to understand how and why I am in that situation, so I can do better the next match.

 

Still, as much as I depend on trial and error, I don't like to rely exclusively on it. If I can get a pro tip, I take it. Requiem really knows his stuff. If he offers a tip, listen and learn. He always offers great advice.

 

Just the other day I watched Requiem's deflection shooting guide for the PBP-1. And how did that turn out for me? Well, let's put it this way, when I compare an air kill I made just prior to watching his video with the air kill I made a day after watching his video, I enjoyed a 96% improvement in my shooting accuracy. And here is the kicker, the kill made before watching his video was against a player flying straight and level. The kill made after watching his video was against a player actively attempting to evade me. And all thanks to Requiem! Watch his videos, Jozeff! S! MJ

 

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by NewGuy_