P38 flaps can not be retracted

[DoubleQ]

Hello,

 

I have bought P38J collector airplane. Works great except the flap one extended can not be retracted. Any workaround ?

 

Best regards,

 

Vince

[SCG_Tzigy]

it is incremental, u have to keep pushing "UP" button..

[DoubleQ]

Thank you SCG_Tzigy, it works indeed well if I continuously push the "retract flap" button. Sorry for the disturbance ? 

Edited September 1, 2020 by DoubleQ

[JimTM]

Note that if the flaps are up and you press and immediately release the flaps down control the flaps automatically extend to the maneuvering position, allowing you to tighten your turns if you need to. You have to press and hold the flaps up control though to retract the flaps again.

Edited September 2, 2020 by JimTM
Added "if the flaps are up".

[Jaegermeister]

19 hours ago, JimTM said:

Note that if you press and immediately release the flaps down control the flaps automatically extend to the maneuvering position, allowing you to tighten your turns if you need to.

 

As long as they are fully up to begin with. 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Jaegermeister

[jollyjack]

Flap behavior seems different on various planes, f.i. with a Hs129 halfway flapping improves turns, but that annoying message 'retract the flaps' keeps disapproving of you as fly-boy..

[SCG_Limboski]

The documentation for this feature of the P38 could definitely be detailed in the aircraft's specifications page: "- Landing flaps have a hydraulic actuator and can be extended to any angle up to 40°. There is also a fixed "maneuver" flaps position that can be set by a short flaps button press ("F" by default)."

 

Basically, the "short flaps button press" is a very quick way to get the flaps to the 50% position but you have to continuously hold the flaps buttons to get them to retract or extend them completely beyond that initial press. 

 

How did this work in the real aircraft?

 

[LukeFF]

52 minutes ago, SCG_Limbo said:

How did this work in the real aircraft?

 

It worked pretty much the same way in reality.

 

 

 

[Gr3y]

There is something suspicious with how the flaps work. Sometimes they seem to get "stuck", happened to me twice so far, once when I was taking off, the campaign told me to use combat flaps for it, then after being airborne I couldn't retract them at all, I could move the flaps lever but nothing was happening, but since it was beginning of the mission no problem I restarted it and everything was fine.

Second time I was again in the same campaign (different mission) fighting over Köln, wanted to use combat flaps for dogfighting and when I wanted to retract them, I couldn't. Was trying to move the flaps lever back and forth but nothing was changing, hell I even turned on the autopilot to see if AI can handle this but nope, I only saw it pulling the lever to retract it but they weren't moving, since I didn't want to go back home over 100 miles with flaps up, I tried to get some altitude and then dive to break them off but all I managed to do was a flip and crash.

 

FYI: I was pressing constantly to retract them, not just "hitting once", even tried to use the keyboard shortcut.

 

I could upload 20 second replay of it but not sure where they are saved.

Edited August 26, 2021 by TrueGrey

[farley]

TrueGrey, the only thing that comes to mind for me is that you might have exceeded the maximum allowable speed with flaps extended.

I believe the max is 250 mph. if you go over that the flaps might not retract.

[Gr3y]

Yes, I have thought about it too, wound be kinda strange as I don't believe I was going that fast during take off. I will try to test it today though, thanks.

 

EDIT: Ok, I have managed to give it a try and it seems maneuvering flaps are getting stuck when you use them for few seconds at around 325 mph, so maybe this is how it should work (can't confirm it with my quick google though).

Edited August 27, 2021 by TrueGrey
Test results

[LukeFF]

11 hours ago, TrueGrey said:

Ok, I have managed to give it a try and it seems maneuvering flaps are getting stuck when you use them for few seconds at around 325 mph, so maybe this is how it should work (can't confirm it with my quick google though).

 

They aren't supposed to be used at that high of a speed.

[Gr3y]

40 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

 

They aren't supposed to be used at that high of a speed.

 

As stated in previous post I am aware of it, the question is, is current behavior (getting stuck) correct? 

 

I don't monitor my speed constantly (my bad) and basing on my experience with other planes I was expecting them not to extend or just put my plane into vibrations then fall off, currently all they do is giving me some lift then being unretractable.

[Dragon1-1]

Yes, overspeeding the flaps might damage the actuator, although IRL, moving them while flying too fast would be what kills them (although at 325mph, you're well outside the envelope). It's not implemented in some older aircraft, and some Soviet ones use a pneumatic actuator that simply lets the air pressure retract the flaps when going too fast, but as a rule, there's usually a speed that  you're not supposed to exceed with flaps down, and you'd be well advised to remember and obey this limitation. The limits are less strict when it's just a few degrees, as opposed to full down, but there's always a limit.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Dragon1-1

[352ndOscar]

The P-38 Flight Manual clearly states on Pg 51:

 

”Don’t lower full flaps at air speeds over 150 IAS, or maneuver flaps over 250 IAS.”  
 

You can initiate maneuver flaps (1/2 flaps) by hitting the flap lever (aback) once.  If you hit the flap lever and hold it (aback), it will advance from 0-100%.  Flaps the flap lever must be held forward to raise the flaps.

[Gr3y]

I get the feeling like the same thing is being repeated over and over again. Everyone should and probably is aware of the speed limitations, the question is once again:

 

"Is current behavior when using the flaps above the threshold (flaps getting stuck, being not retractable) correct?"

[ghbucky]

On 9/8/2020 at 1:15 PM, LukeFF said:

 

It worked pretty much the same way in reality.

 

 

 

Zombie resurrection!

 

This is a fantastic video. However, it shows a gauge (landing gear position and flap position in a single gauge) that does not exist in the IL2 P-38J. 

 

Does P-38J have something similar? I can't locate any way to know flap setting.

[LukeFF]

2 hours ago, ghbucky said:

This is a fantastic video. However, it shows a gauge (landing gear position and flap position in a single gauge) that does not exist in the IL2 P-38J. 

 

Does P-38J have something similar? I can't locate any way to know flap setting.

 

Yes, the P-38 in the film is of an earlier model. At some point in the production process that flap & landing gear indicator was removed.