New rudder pedals. Fantastic, but...

[Crashbangwallop]

Finally, at last, after delaying for about 15 years – all through my Sturmovik days and up till now in IL2 Battles - I have finally moved off the twist-grip and got myself a set of rudder pedals (CH Pro) ?

 

Superb to fly with! Especially having solved the problem of my office chair progressively moving backwards (two of the castor points placed in pair of old walking shoes – rock solid now). Getting ball centred in small fighters over long straight flights? Problem and hand-cramp no more

 

And now I can't taxi. I'm having trouble getting from A to B on an airfield in dead calm let alone a slight breeze. I'm ashamed to go online till I get my dizzying ground loops sorted. Bf110 and Ju88 are nightmares. I used to be able to hurl my beloved Ju52 around on the ground, and get it pointed and running straight as if by will power alone - now I can't reliably line the damned thing up on the runway let alone keep a straight line while taking off! Major extended practice sessions will - I have no doubt - get me there in the end, but those paradrop and supply runs are on hold for the moment

 

Obviously, I'm glad I've got the pedals, but has anyone else had the same experience, and are there any tips, short cuts, or just things to look out for when getting familiar with them?

[9./JG52_J-HAT]

Always had pedals and love doing doughnuts in BoS Multiplayer. Of course, it's always on porpose and not because I can't control the plane on the ground properly with my pedals. Sure.

But it is always fun as everyone on comms will point it out every single time when anyone does it.

 

I think it is just a matter or learning to apply the same input with your legs now. You had it dialed in with the wrist twist and now it is different. What I do though is set the rudder spring to a relative high setting (physically) so I need to apply force to control it. Just resting my feet on them or pushing slightly won't move them.

 

I would say if you can't do that, play with the sensibility settings until you get it to a point where the inputs are not too much anymore.

[=FEW=fernando11]

Congratulations on switching to pedals!

When I made the switch the immersion level incease  was really nice.

 

Until very recently I was using a set of CH rudders, my tip, try to use them as "Combat" pedals, resting your heels on the "floor"(pedals base) instead of putting your feet completly on each pedal. Also you can angle your toes to the sides a bit, like so \ / to avoid fatige on your legs/calves.

 

If posible, lower your chair/rise your pedals. I find they where more confortable and easy to use if not using them like sitting at a desk, but with your feet a bit more forward. 

 

 

About having a hard time transitioning, back in the  RoF days, I used to fly with an Xbox controller, and those wwi kites needed even MORE rudder input than our WWII planes... The first few days where a nightmare... I was using the triggers as rudder, so left rudder was Pulling left trigger, and now I needed to PUSH  left LEG! It was a total mess.

But with just a bit of practice it becomes second nature.

 

[Lusekofte]

1 hour ago, Crashbangwallop said:

Ju88

Be careful with your throttle. Make sure you get the tail wheel straight before too much throttle. Follow the instrument direction not the runway and you find the JU 88 a easy bird

[EAF19_Marsh]

Totally! Stick with it (pune!) and within a week it will become second nature. I had exactly this when I first got pedals: you just need to grow the brain-to-feet response for yaw that overrides the brain-to-hand-twist that you have developed.

[ST_Catchov]

31 minutes ago, EAF19_Marsh said:

you just need to grow the brain-to-feet response for yaw that overrides the brain-to-hand-twist that you have developed.

 

Good advice. The brain comes around eventually after many years doing the twist.

 

Another thought. Perhaps set up a small deadzone. Good for erratic over compensation whilst aiming or taxiing.

[EAF19_Marsh]

2 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

 

Another thought. Perhaps set up a small deadzone. Good for erratic over compensation whilst aiming or taxiing.

 

Very true. Change the curve to an extremely subtle measure so that full rudder really requires a good kick. With pedals you need a rather gradual input.

[RedKestrel]

5 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

Good advice. The brain comes around eventually after many years doing the twist.

 

Another thought. Perhaps set up a small deadzone. Good for erratic over compensation whilst aiming or taxiing.

I find a small deadzone is pretty necessary with the CH pedals because the hard centre detente makes it difficult to make small corrections. 

[mazex]

I find that adjusting the curve for a smaller response the first inch is good for the pedals. Especially for the small adjustments when firing.

 

I had a Sidewinder FFB2 with twist way back when and remember that it got a lot easier to do takeoffs going to real pedals in a Logitech G940 setup - but I had to adjust the curves. Then I switched to VKB Mk IV rudder pedals and it got even better. With the VKB:s you press more in the down direction with no hard detente in the middle, so that removes the risk of pushing the office chair backwards or the pedals forward. And you get much better precision as you control the amount of rudder with your foot and not your whole leg... Especially my aiming got a lot better with the VKBs. A small nudge left rudder to lead a tiny bit more works great with them.

[von_Tom]

On 9/2/2020 at 9:47 AM, Crashbangwallop said:

... any tips, short cuts, or just things to look out for when getting familiar with them?

 

 

Knock the sensitivity down.  I use MFG Crosswinds which have wider spacing than the CH Pros, and I'm at a curve of 50%.  With the narrower pedals you have, start at 60%.

 

Good luck.

 

von Tom

[Sokol1]

On 9/2/2020 at 5:47 AM, Crashbangwallop said:

And now I can't taxi. I'm having trouble getting from A to B on an airfield in dead calm let alone a slight breeze.

 

Since rudders pedals is a new thing for you, you need anticipate corrections, instead try correct a deviation after happens, what lead to a pendulum dance.

[Crashbangwallop]

Well, that's been very rewarding, thank you.

 

Much practice done since making the post over a week ago, and I've been sitting waggling my feet on the pedals doing actual work on the computer for acclimatisation and familiarity. Really not sure what Mrs Crash working in the next room thinks I'm doing

 

Following a lot of your replies, I've been playing with the sensitivity, dead zone etc, and have now got a big dead zone at the star of the brakes – I realised that I was hitting the right brake when trying to apply just a touch of right rudder while taking off or landing. Which is pretty catastrophic.

 

Got the pedals now sitting a lot further back under the desk, so that my legs are stretched out while applying hard left/right rudder and left/right brake, though haven't progressed to trying the angled feet with heels on base yet. Starting to feel my way with the take-off throttle increases. I'm practicing attaining take-off speed then braking down and turning, on the long Kalach runway, going end-to-end. This has been very useful, and I'm making far fewer panicky over-corrections than I was before. That's 'fewer', by the way, not 'none ever'

 

Making real progress with taxiing around the perimeters of larger airfields too – the progressive braking of pedals is so much more subtle than the binary on/off of the joystick brake button

 

I've never been that hot at dogfighting, but I'm starting to appreciate the aiming precision that pedals offer – once I've managed to fluke myself into a firing position that is...

 

Best of all, I've got my mojo back with my Ju52! Felt so confident this afternoon I even had a go on the Finnish Pilots server for a parachute drop. Yes,... I did magnificent twirly ground loop twenty metres in on my first take-off, but I trundled back to my start point, gathered my dignity, and managed a passably straight take-off. Not that bad a landing on my return too

 

Really glad I posted, and - thanks to all your advice and experience - now really getting to grips with the pedals. Cheers everyone... ?