I-16 Pitch-Trimmer & Landing Gear issues

[BiBa]

The lack of pitch trimmer control in the I-16 makes it permanently stressful on the wrist when using a spring-loaded Joystick (more apt to fly by wire) by keeping a constant pressure to level up the plane's inherent stability. We need a kind of one-click trimmer option to virtually center the Joystick and release as a relief for the wrest’s strain. 

 

Also, a cable cutter was provided for the pilot to extend the landing gear quickly in case of an emergency landing. The pilot is doomed when having an engine problem, or shot on low level altitude and is forced to make a quick landing. This option should also be embedded in I-16.

Edited November 19, 2019 by BiBa

[gimpy117]

emergency extension would be nice yeah 

 

if the plane had no trim it's kinda tough to justify putting one in though. 

[AndyJWest]

Off-airfield emergency landings in WW2 aircraft were almost always made with the gear up. Much safer to come in on your belly than have the gear snag and flip the aircraft upside down.

[BiBa]

16 hours ago, gimpy117 said:

emergency extension would be nice yeah 

 

if the plane had no trim it's kinda tough to justify putting one in though. 

Joystick like my SAITEK X55 are more apt in modern airplane to fly by wire. The originale control stick in I-16 has a higher circle rotation than a common spring-loaded Joystick and is not subject to suspension. In this sense, the proposed solution is just a virtual compensation and not real and has been applied often in many other Simulation's airplane...

16 hours ago, AndyJWest said:

Off-airfield emergency landings in WW2 aircraft were almost always made with the gear up. Much safer to come in on your belly than have the gear snag and flip the aircraft upside down.

 

Sorry this is a lame excuse...

The cable cutter is real and has been used in emergencies. Snapping the gear at high speed could flip the aircraft, therefore should only be applied in the range of the permitted landing speed. With higher speed, you should firmly pitch up while cutting the landing cable as countermeasure against flip flops.

Edited December 17, 2019 by BiBa

[AndyJWest]

A statement of fact about off-field emergency landing procedures during WW2 is not a 'lame excuse'.

 

As for modelling the emergency release, it would be nice, though I'd suggest that it was of questionable priority, given how rarely it would be used. how often do you actually have an emergency requiring it? One with the airfield in range, but just out of reach if you have to pause to land the gear?

Edited December 17, 2019 by AndyJWest

[BiBa]

On 12/17/2019 at 5:10 PM, AndyJWest said:

A statement of fact about off-field emergency landing procedures during WW2 is not a 'lame excuse'...

 

If the fact that off-airfield emergency landings in WW2 were made with the gear up was not the subject of discussion. So regardless of what happens when the gear snaps in low or high speed, this emergency release is a realistic asset, therefore should be complemented if missing. That was my argument.

 

On 12/17/2019 at 5:10 PM, AndyJWest said:

...As for modelling the emergency release, it would be nice, though I'd suggest that it was of questionable priority, given how rarely it would be used. How often do you actually have an emergency requiring it? One with the airfield in range, but just out of reach if you have to pause to land the gear?

 

...well when practicing ground attacks trying to eliminate AAA groups defending for example an airport, I still have in this case a 50% quota of getting shot down at a low level. 

[HR_Tofolo]

It was used much more often than some pilots would like. In most memories of the spanish republican pilots they write the procedure, using the "emergency equipment" -aka wire cutters- and the gravity gear drop by swinging the wings.

 

Of course emergency landings on the I16 were usually fatal (at least in spain) given the high speed landings on let's say "not optimal" runways. Bear in mind that flaps were forbidden at that time (series 5-10) because of the faulty/asymmetric deployments at low altitude.