Polikarpov biplane won't gain height

[Metaphyzikal]

I was just wondering what I can load on the Polikarpov biplane and take off successfully...I tried it with a rear gunner and a 200kg bomb load, and it just won't gain height. I want a bomb load though, but can anyone give me some ideas on how to get this ponderous bird up to some height?

[Diggun]

Are you taking full fuel with that load out? You don't need all that gas. 

[Hartigan]

Maybe you have to reduce mixture a bit? That way engine RPM increase . 100% mixture is too much for older engines

[Strewth]

She is a pig when fully loaded with full fuel, rear gunner and bomb load.
You might get 100m off the ground after a couple of km's of very careful management.
Try to avoid hilly terrain in this situation.

 

[Avimimus]

8 hours ago, Metaphyzikal said:

I was just wondering what I can load on the Polikarpov biplane and take off successfully...I tried it with a rear gunner and a 200kg bomb load, and it just won't gain height. I want a bomb load though, but can anyone give me some ideas on how to get this ponderous bird up to some height?

 

I think the filed mods with a 250kg bomb (or more) lacked a rear gunner... so you might try that too?

 

Anyway, I'll try a few take-offs. Btw. I remember in the original Il-2... taking off in the Sturmovik felt frightening - but I now don't notice.

[Avimimus]

 

Update: I accelerate to 60 km/h and then lift the tail off the ground I then wait until ~100km/h prior to rotating/lifting-off... I then climb until I'm at 20-25 metres and going about 90km/h. I can do this before the end of the runway (thus clearing obstacles (at least on flat terrain).

 

I then very gradually climb out... I can actually let the aircraft bank slightly in order to gain altitude while staying in a valley - one has to be careful though to ensure that one isn't losing airspeed (or creating drag through banking too much or using control surfaces). It should be possible to gain a few hundred metres this way (obviously burning some fuel in the process and thus shortening the combat radius).

 

So it is doable - even in fairly rough terrain - however, under those conditions of complete overload it needs a normal sized runways (i.e. it isn't STOLL anymore) and is very marginal.

 

 

P.S. I built some Riesenflugzeuge models in X-Plane... so I have some practice with such marginality. The trick is to basically never bank, minimize control surface deflections, and be happy if your speed and altitude are positive (even if the amount of positive in each is barely detectable).

[jeanba]

53 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

 

P.S. I built some Riesenflugzeuge models in X-Plane... so I have some practice with such marginality. The trick is to basically never bank, minimize control surface deflections, and be happy if your speed and altitude are positive (even if the amount of positive in each is barely detectable).

Slight modification :

I am happy when I do not hit the ground

I am VERY happy if the speed and altitude are positive

 

And IT IS FUN !!!!