original Cliffs of Dover campaign - issues after recent updates

[ukuf1]

I am new to the forum, but have been simmer and flyer for many years. This weekend I decided to re-enjoy the Cliffs of Dover campaign (British pilot) and discovered a nasty surprise in mission 2 (the one where you are taking off to fight Stukas).

 

Starting with the engine ON and plane slowly rolling forward. Applying wheel brakes with both pedals to prevent running into my leader. 

Water temp on a low side, but bringing it quickly to higher than 60C. My wingmen are taking off gracefully. Trying to follow... BUT....  my Hurricane seems to get stuck in a mud or something, does not want to move even at significant throttle. Some wiggling with a rudder helps to free it and finally it starts to roll.

BUT AGAIN... my joy is short... it simply does not want to pick up speed and go fast enough for takeoff. I have to keep the stick close to my stomach, because as soon as I remove the pressure the violent nose dive follows and the propeller gets destroyed. On contrary, if I keep tail on the ground with FULL(!!!) back-stick the plane never takes off, lateral stability is awful and nearly impossible to keep straight with rudder, eventually it hits something down the runway. 

 

Hurricane was always difficult to take off in IL2 as I remember, but I do not remember this weird behaviour happening before.  If I remember correctly this happen after the previous patch, but back then it was even worse, I could not take off in mission 1 back then.

 

And yes, my hardware works fine. I fly Warthunder and DCS daily without any hitch at all and pretty versed in hardware tuning/tweaking in other sims. So, the problem is localised to IL2 Cliffs of Dover (Blitz - Steam edition). Any help on how to tweak the system will be much appreciate since I love the realism of this sim and story behind it very much!

[ITAF_Airone1989]

I think could be this:

You have to confirm that you are ready to take off to the control tower, than you have to wait their permission.

Just in that moment your airplane will move in a normal way and you will have no problem to take off

[Sokol1]

5 hours ago, ukuf1 said:

Starting with the engine ON and plane slowly rolling forward. Applying wheel brakes with both pedals to prevent running into my leader. 

 

Since the missions is this campaigns is old, they are set on "Idle"and not as "Scramble" (like first mission)  - what put "wheel chocks" that prevents plane moves;

so before hit FLY assure that your joystick throttle is in 0% and remember what key you set for wheel brakes.

 

Hit FLY and as mission load hit wheel  brakes, for avoid chew the tail of plane ahead. ?

 

Now what is probable the cause of your slug plane, set propeller pitch in 100%.

Hit elevator trim for tail heavy some times (I use 10) and (optionally) drop ~30% of flaps.

With this settings Hurricane will lift practically without you need pull the stick.

 

When the plane ahead you start move hit TAB-7-7 (Ready for take-off radio command) for "controller" authorize you take-off, no practical effect of this, but looks good in movies. ?

 

Once hear "aircraft out front..." open throttle progressively and using rudder for keep the plane on runway.  

 

Once airborne, retract landing gear (and flaps if used) - if use the dumb toggle G command, hit the key two times, for by-pass the neutral position of both Hurricane controls. An most important, adjust propeller pitch for ~80% - if are using key/button command, hit three times, or your engine goes "kaput" in no time.

 

Piece of cake! 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Sokol1

[ukuf1]

Thanks Gentlemen for your suggestions! 

 

After a bit of experimentation I've figured it out for certain.

 

It was an implicit 'B' which is engaged at the start of the mission regardless of the pedal wheel brakes  (toe brakes) inputs of the pilot.

I do not know if Hurricane actually has toe-breaks or only a 'bicycle' like brake handle as many other types do, so I do not know if this is a bug or feature.

 

I never use 'B' in my HOTAS settings, so it must have come from the mission settings, but the rolling  of the plane in the start of the mission clearly got me thinking in the wrong direction.

Once I hit 'B' couple of times, the on-screen message clearly indicated Brakes 100% switching to 0%. 

Strange that 'B' button is not affected by actual depressions of the toe-brakes (left/right wheel brake axis). In other sims these are inter-connected. 

Looks like an in-game bug, but easily worked around by hitting 'B' button and depressing toe-brakes.  

 

Mystery is solved and I am back to fighting Stukas again!

 

[Sokol1]

CloD brakes are no much efficient for stop the plane...  but are for prevent you take-off. ?

 

"B" is default key for "Wheel Brakes" , that bicycle like lever in Hurricane/Spitfire control column, a brake system called (informally) "differential brakes", and don't have relation with "toe brakes".

 

British and Italian planes = require operate ""Wheel brakes" + rudder input. "Wheel brakes" brake both wheels, rudder input determine brake only left or right wheel in taxi maneuvers.

 

German, American planes = require operate the "Toe brakes" (Right Wheel Brakes, Left Wheel Brakes), together for stop in straight line,  individually for turns in taxi maneuvers.

 

Each system work only for respective countries planes.

[ukuf1]

Aha! Thanks for the clarification, Sokol1!  

 

Indeed, does not stop the forward motion, but makes take off nearly impossible. [ I managed to take off once in this mode after something like a hundred tries, when by sheer luck the plane went off the runway and started jumping along the rough terrain next to the field - it was a miracle! ...]

 

This explanations makes things clear. Definitely not a bug as I can see now, but a design feature. Will map B to a 'pinky switch' on my joystick now and operate correctly in the hurricanes/spitfires.  For some reason I thought that if I map 'wheel brakes' to an axis on the rudder-pedals, it would simulate the 'wheel brake' function on the control column like in many other sims before.

 

Point well taken. Thanks!