Beaufighter's tail wheel lock

[343KKT_Kintaro]

I encounter very serious difficulties when taxiing, taking off or landing any of the Beaufighters in the game: the plane goes crazy on the ground simply because there's no lock system for the tail wheel. I made a quick search in the internet, and I found the following:

 

https://stephentaylorhistorian.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/beaufighter-tail-lock.pdf

 

https://www.alleycatmodels.co.uk/bristol-beaufighter-anti-shimmy-twin-contact-tail-wheel-6623-p.asp

 

https://forum.flyawaysimulation.com/forum/topic/19877/taildragger-wont-steer-on-ground/

 

Stephen Taylor, a collector, found one valuable document, the first on the above list, apparently suggesting that the tail wheel lock wasn't mounted on Beaus' tail wheels before... do you read the date on the last page? is this "September 1943"?

 

At any rate, I find the Beau, as it is in the game, is almost unplayable.

[DD_FT-]

Use of rudder and brakes should be of help ...

[343KKT_Kintaro]

1 hour ago, DD_FT- said:

Use of rudder and brakes should be of help ...

 

 

LoL... I know the basics of taxiing... ?

 

Please do some tests yourselves with our Beaus as they are in the game : proceede to taxiing with 100% of fuel and a load of bombs of 100 pounds... and you'll not even take off: most of the times your tires will explode. You'll need to take off more or less at 100/110 mph... and there would no problem if that bl**dy tail wheel wouldn't be making your Beau goes from left to right and from right to left... until one of your tires explode.

 

Out of 100 attempted takeoffs, 1 is successful only... not to mention the landings... they reduce even more the chance of a successful sortie. Reduce fuel percentage from 100% to 75% : a bit better... but not that much...

[OBT-Mikmak]

I tested the Beaus with 100% fuel and full bombs load and i got no problem to take off and land

[claw]

Just tested. Bombed up and max fuel. No problem taxiing or taking off..

[56RAF_Stickz]

sorry kintaro but I strongly disagree. I regularly fly it - my favourite plane until a mossie (or whirlwind) appears. Had no problems on tobruk or channel map taking off in the beau with 2x500lb bombs and fuel. You do need to get off ground before airspeed hits 120mph else else tyres blow and then you are done. It does pull to one side, but then two engines will do that and beau was known to struggle with it (later models had extended tail to counter it). But a little rudder and I have no issues what so ever.

I would say there is no real reason to take 100% fuel anyway, I have flown 2 hour bomber missions on tobruk on 50% fuel.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Thank you all of you. Definitely the Beau is not for me. That's my tragedy: I'm in love with her but she's definitely not in love with me...

 

After tens of attempts I tried a new one... 100 lb of bombs and 50% of fuel... takeoff goes well... landing ends up with one burst tyre and the subsequent stumbling and destroyed undercarriage leg and wing. I give up.

[56RAF_Stickz]

take the bombs off, put 20% fuel and try it the easy way first rather than jumping in the deep end. In my view its a helluva lot easier than landing the 110 (dons tin hat). Not quite as easy as a blennie. Its not as if you need to land it with bombs on board.

Its a heavy plane but it pretty much will glide down - but just let it down to 100 there abouts and let it float down the last 2 feet or so.  Full flaps, trim nose high. Its quite high off the ground so you have to learn to judge when its wheels are floating just off the tarmac.  I can only imagine you are either hitting the ground too hard or too fast. I think it touches down some where around 85mph (I not actually looking at the speedo at this point).

Its just a question of some practise - dont miss out on it, sit on the ground in it and visualise that picture for your landing orientation as wheels touch.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

take the bombs off, put 20% fuel and try it the easy way first rather than jumping in the deep end.

 

 

Ok, I'll do what you say.

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

Its not as if you need to land it with bombs on board.

 

 

Well, that was the exercise, my friend.

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

Its a heavy plane but it pretty much will glide down - but just let it down to 100 there abouts and let it float down the last 2 feet or so. Its a heavy plane but it pretty much will glide down - but just let it down to 100 there abouts and let it float down the last 2 feet or so.

 

 

This is ok, there's no problem with that, once I'm airborne in a Beau, everything's ok.

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

Full flaps, trim nose high.

 

 

At this stage in the process, this is what I do, and it works fine.

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

Its quite high off the ground so you have to learn to judge when its wheels are floating just off the tarmac.

 

 

Again, no problem with that, I land safely at touchdown.

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

I can only imagine you are either hitting the ground too hard or too fast. I think it touches down some where around 85mph (I not actually looking at the speedo at this point).

 

 

I confirm the instructions announce 85/80 mph at touchdown... and I even manage to touch the tarmac at lower speeds, the tyres not exploding before the aircraft is slowing down... unbelievable...

 

 

35 minutes ago, 56RAF_Stickz said:

Its just a question of some practise - dont miss out on it, sit on the ground in it and visualise that picture for your landing orientation as wheels touch.

 

 

Yes, already done, but I'll give this Beau a second chance. Such a beauty... no doubt she deserves it...

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Ok, I no longer want to accomplish that exercise (full payload at takeoff and landing). This doesn't seem to be a historical use of the plane, not even while training the crews, so it is not really necessary to insist. Now I manage to take off with full payload (fuel at 100% and 100 lb of bombs), fly the aircraft, drop the two bombs, land safely and taxi her until I lodge her in a hangar.

 

As you kwow, thank to internet research, I learned that the tail wheel lock system in WWII Beaufighters was added afterwards (on site in their RAF hangars, long after they were manufactured) as of September/ December 1943. This means all our Beaus in the game are historically correct : no tail wheel lock. I wonder if the Giratutto effect* on the ground is not a bit exagerated but with the good training I do admit it: I was wrong, the Beau is playable in the game.

 

* Please see this extremely serious audiovisual document:

 

 

[Sokol1]

I have no problems with Beau takeoff... neither reason for load 100% of fuel. ?

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Hey Sokol1, engineers do not design aircraft with a fuel capacity that prevents the aircraft from taking off... and in this instance I was simply doing tests, trying to take off with full payload on board, that's all. Now, after the bulk of my tests is done and thank to all the advice I got from our friends, my understanding is that I need more training with the Beaufighter.

 

Otherwise,I kept testing the plane today and I gladly discovered that there's a plate that hides the engine starter buttons. I loved it! It's partially modelled, not fully clickable, but those starters are ok as they are because, indeed, we know IL2CoD is a survey simulator, not a study.

 

I'm enjoying those Beaufighters in this game, really.

[Buzzsaw]

The Beaufighter can take off with full fuel load without a problem.

 

We recommend you use 20 degrees of flaps when you do so... plus a longer runway field.

[Radiken]

I am back after a long break.  I am playing the Castaways mod.  The Beaufighter is pulling to left, can't leave the hangar.  I tried all the suggested stuff.  I seem to recall there was a fix for this, since I played Castaways back in the day and ithe Beu was handling fine.  I just can't remember what the fix was. /smh.

[Radiken]

Sadly I am giving up on the Beau.  It just keeps circling to the left and no fix or brake or rudder counteracts it for me.

[paul_leonard]

Beaufighter works fine in CLoD.  What is the Castaways mod?