IL2 New Guy Thoughts

[bigfoot21075]

I am a very longtime Flight Sim lover and a 39 year private pilot who is tail dragger certified (have a Starduster 2) but not instrument rated. I am also a Cisco guy for a living. I just got a smokin new PC and have been looking for some fun things to run on it. I have always like MS Flight Sim and liked their Combat version even though it was more arcade than sim. IL2 is FANTASTIC. Both the Flying Circus and Sturmovik are GREAT. The flight dynamics are terrific for its price point. I am loving the career mode in Sturmovik and will jump right on it when it comes out for Flying Circus (WELL DONE DEV's)!

 

I am sticking to the MK XIV Spitfire for now, it was a touchy little best from what I have read and it CLEARLY mirrors that in game. It is not stable on taxi, and the gear is too narrow for low attention landings. It is a turn MONSTER though with great power. If you keep it in operational limits, it is dang tough too.

 

Sims are a lot different than real world flying, it is MUCH harder when you can't "feel" what is going on with your aircraft. IL2 is at least clever enough to work in some clues. I love the shutter before stall, the wind noise is great and the graphics on ultra are darn good (not MS good, but still good).

 

For a beginner like me, being able to have the plane icon on a map is a huge plus until I learn the area, not over running my motor was a challenge early on, now I stick to international power (combat power) limits unless I am about to die and I really don't have to worry about it one way or another. The autopilot is a great feature with time compression when you only have time for a quick mission but make no mistake it WILL get you killed. Never let it fly you out of gas, or when circling in formation ?. PATIENCE is key in dog fighting I am finding, take the time to line it up and hammer them. 

 

Hope to see you in Multi as soon as I get a tad better.

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

Welcome aboard sir!

[Wardog5711]

It's good to see you are having fun.

That's what it's all about.

[Raptorattacker]

Echoing the sentiment(s), welcome to the mad/glad/badhouse!!

Rap

[BMA_FlyingShark]

Welcome, always great to see new people joining.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[Irishratticus72]

Fly a 109, it's the least represented aircraft.

[oc2209]

Somebody excited about what Sturmovik is, rather than complaining about what it isn't?

 

A rarity these days.

 

Anyway, glad you like it.

 

Two minor suggestions: if you enjoy using the Spit XIV, you might want to try the Spit IX, because it has simpler handling. You can turn it harder, with much more gentle stalling behavior.

 

And instead of using autopilot, I transitioned to autolevel, which I prefer. The AI doesn't do anything for you, other than keep your plane level; it's great for navigating at whatever altitude you want, rather than the autopilot's mission parameters.

[S10JlAbraxis]

Glad you are enjoying it!  Having flown just about every sim there is I keep comming back to IL2 because the planes just feel right and each flight model is unique and interesting.  I also like the career mode.  While far from perfect it provides a sense of being there that most other sims lack.

[TheSNAFU]

Welcome to Great Battles. It is indeed a gem. Assuming you’re not there yet perhaps your future should include vr. It takes the game to an entirely different level. And you as an actual pilot may appreciate the degree of realism vr can add to your experience. 

[Lusekofte]

21 hours ago, bigfoot21075 said:

I am a very longtime Flight Sim lover and a 39 year private pilot who is tail dragger certified (have a Starduster 2) but not instrument rated. I am also a Cisco guy for a living. I just got a smokin new PC and have been looking for some fun things to run on it. I have always like MS Flight Sim and liked their Combat version even though it was more arcade than sim. IL2 is FANTASTIC. Both the Flying Circus and Sturmovik are GREAT. The flight dynamics are terrific for its price point. I am loving the career mode in Sturmovik and will jump right on it when it comes out for Flying Circus (WELL DONE DEV's)!

 

I am sticking to the MK XIV Spitfire for now, it was a touchy little best from what I have read and it CLEARLY mirrors that in game. It is not stable on taxi, and the gear is too narrow for low attention landings. It is a turn MONSTER though with great power. If you keep it in operational limits, it is dang tough too.

 

Sims are a lot different than real world flying, it is MUCH harder when you can't "feel" what is going on with your aircraft. IL2 is at least clever enough to work in some clues. I love the shutter before stall, the wind noise is great and the graphics on ultra are darn good (not MS good, but still good).

 

For a beginner like me, being able to have the plane icon on a map is a huge plus until I learn the area, not over running my motor was a challenge early on, now I stick to international power (combat power) limits unless I am about to die and I really don't have to worry about it one way or another. The autopilot is a great feature with time compression when you only have time for a quick mission but make no mistake it WILL get you killed. Never let it fly you out of gas, or when circling in formation ?. PATIENCE is key in dog fighting I am finding, take the time to line it up and hammer them. 

 

Hope to see you in Multi as soon as I get a tad better.

 

Been flying this since the beginning. Thank you for your perspective. 
It was a glimpse on how I used to look at this game and when I started with old IL 2. 
After some years one start to focus on things that could be better, soon enough you only see those things. Thank you, I did need to read this

[BigGinger]

Welcome!  Come on over to multiplayer; if you can take off and land (especially in a Mk XIV) that's good enough to start playing with others.  Shooting AI is fun, but shooting other players is even better!

[Denum]

I'd suggesting a sim shaker! 

 

While it's not perfect it does provide a bit of tactile feedback.

 

It's ruined me, I can't fly without it. 

 

You build a pretty budget kit with an amp and bass shaker (I used a nobsound amp as it is USB and a Dayton Audio BST10. On a high setting it'll shake my chair hard enough I can feel it in my teeth)

 

You do need some telemetry software to run it. 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Denum

[JG1_Greif]

7 hours ago, Denum said:

I'd suggesting a sim shaker! 

 

While it's not perfect it does provide a bit of tactile feedback.

 

It's ruined me, I can't fly without it. 

 

You build a pretty budget kit with an amp and bass shaker (I used a nobsound amp as it is USB and a Dayton Audio BST10. On a high setting it'll shake my chair hard enough I can feel it in my teeth)

 

You do need some telemetry software to run it. 

 

 

Agreed, having tactile feedback brings the flight experience to another level. I personally use the Simshaker Jetpad from Andre, which works very well with IL2 I find. It has 8 smaller transducers which allows for adding directionality on the tactile feedback (ground bumps while taxiing are felt in the legs, impacts can be felt on either the left or the right according to where you were hit). Andre also sells the software that works seamlessly with IL2 to drive the Jetpad.

 

Recently I took off and realised I had forgotten to start the Jetpad before launching the game. I felt disconnected from the game as if I was playing without the sound and I realised how much I unconciously use the tactile information in my flying. I would not want to fly without anymore.

[JG7_X-Man]

@bigfoot21075 Welcome! There are quite a few of us that have real world flying experience too so you are amongst friends.

 

As far as tactile feedback goes - Andre's JeatSeat does provide some and I do use it, but I had always been a fan of MS  Force Feedback 2 joystick and there are a few options available.

I use Vipril hardware but there are many other manufactures out there. Investing in a high-end  HOTAS will take your experience to the next level.

[=420=Syphen]

Nice! My hangar neighbor is a fellow Starduster owner. I was able to have him over one night to try the sim out. We strapped him in to VR, Simshaker setup and full Virpil/MFG hotas.  He had no clue flight sims were as good and immersive as they are. 

 

He had a blast just flying around for a while.  Personally, I prefer MP as players are a lot tougher opponents then the AI - but it's not for everyone.  These days I just wish I had more TIME to sit down and play sims.

[Mm1ut1]

Try the tanks sometime, multiplayer is fantastic!

[LINCOLN_BOND]

Speaking of the Spitfire, any tips on how to avoid ground-looping after landing?  (1) I've tried keeping back pressure on the stick for weight on the tailwheel to no avail. (2) I've made no inputs and let it continue to roll out after landing only for it to loop anyway. (3) I've tried smooth rudder inputs, smooth differential braking, and more aggressive braking. (4) I tried forward pressure on the stick.  I'm out of ideas.

 

The plane is such a joy to fly, I may have to resign myself to performing the requisite ground loop at the end of each mission.

[[CPT]Crunch]

Prop pitch back up to 100% and throttle to 20%, litely ride the brakes to taxi speed or full stop, preferably you have them on a stick lever axis for fine control.  Same story on Tempests and Typhoons.

[LINCOLN_BOND]

Thank you, Sir.  I'll give that a try.

[Wardog5711]

@LEGRA

 

Check out these in the Manuals, Tutorial and guides section:

 

 

 

[blitze]

Enjoy and although online is an experience, the offline content is also fun as well.

 

Then there is VR.

 

You'll dive in and get sucked in further once you  strap a pair of monitors onto  your face. 

Spit XIV a fun plane that  requires attention and quite  a contrast to  the IX of the same time frame.  Don't forget to check out some of the VVS birds (Soviet) - they can be a hoot too.

[JimTM]

12 hours ago, LEGRA said:

Speaking of the Spitfire, any tips on how to avoid ground-looping after landing?  (1) I've tried keeping back pressure on the stick for weight on the tailwheel to no avail. (2) I've made no inputs and let it continue to roll out after landing only for it to loop anyway. (3) I've tried smooth rudder inputs, smooth differential braking, and more aggressive braking. (4) I tried forward pressure on the stick.  I'm out of ideas.

 

The plane is such a joy to fly, I may have to resign myself to performing the requisite ground loop at the end of each mission.

 

@LEGRA, try this technique and see how it goes.

Edited February 27, 2023 by JimTM

[RossMarBow]

On 2/12/2023 at 3:54 AM, bigfoot21075 said:

I am a very longtime Flight Sim lover and a 39 year private pilot who is tail dragger certified (have a Starduster 2) but not instrument rated. I am also a Cisco guy for a living. I just got a smokin new PC and have been looking for some fun things to run on it. I have always like MS Flight Sim and liked their Combat version even though it was more arcade than sim. IL2 is FANTASTIC. Both the Flying Circus and Sturmovik are GREAT. The flight dynamics are terrific for its price point. I am loving the career mode in Sturmovik and will jump right on it when it comes out for Flying Circus (WELL DONE DEV's)!

 

I am sticking to the MK XIV Spitfire for now, it was a touchy little best from what I have read and it CLEARLY mirrors that in game. It is not stable on taxi, and the gear is too narrow for low attention landings. It is a turn MONSTER though with great power. If you keep it in operational limits, it is dang tough too.

 

Sims are a lot different than real world flying, it is MUCH harder when you can't "feel" what is going on with your aircraft. IL2 is at least clever enough to work in some clues. I love the shutter before stall, the wind noise is great and the graphics on ultra are darn good (not MS good, but still good).

 

For a beginner like me, being able to have the plane icon on a map is a huge plus until I learn the area, not over running my motor was a challenge early on, now I stick to international power (combat power) limits unless I am about to die and I really don't have to worry about it one way or another. The autopilot is a great feature with time compression when you only have time for a quick mission but make no mistake it WILL get you killed. Never let it fly you out of gas, or when circling in formation ?. PATIENCE is key in dog fighting I am finding, take the time to line it up and hammer them. 

 

Hope to see you in Multi as soon as I get a tad better.

 

The MK XIV Spitfire is a bit of a nightmare. 
And has a big skill and discipline requirement as its advantage window is extremely narrow.
B tier plane in my books.

To be fair I learnt this game flying the razorback in multiplayer.
But the Spit9/stang are a lot easier and a lot more rewarding to master.

[LINCOLN_BOND]

It's a year later and, in the meantime, I've mastered Spitfire landings.  On touchdown, I set the RPM at 1500, keep back pressure on the tailwheel, dab the brake lever, and make timely rudder corrections.  Down to a jogging speed, another dab of the brake lever, while reducing power to idle, and I'm stopped.  Voila!

 

Aside from that, in general, practically all my growing pains with IL-2 had been hardware related.  In the beginning, my first stick and throttle system, HOTAS X, was better than flying with the mouse alone, but rudder control (grip twist and/or rocker switch) was poor and unrealistic.  Plus, the throttle didn't work well, causing uncontrollable ground acceleration with the P-38 and ME-262!  Then, a dear friend gave me a Warthog throttle.  End of throttle problems!  The addition of the least expensive Thrustmaster rudder pedals (a loaner from a friend) was a significant improvement, but they were squeaky and distracting.  An upgrade to MFG Crosswind pedals, bolted securely to plywood, was a game-changer.  The WinWing F-16 stick was the final piece, with enough switches to make things settings more intuitive.  However, an on-line comparison of the Thrustmaster Warthog stick versus the WinWing proved to be inaccurate, suggesting the WinWing had higher quality switches, which led me to buying the WinWing.  Well, that is definitely NOT the case.  Yesterday, I had a chance to inspect a Warthog stick and found the quality of EVERY switch to be better than those on the WinWing.  So much so, I'm going to switch to the Warthog stick (uh...as soon as I get my wife's permission).  

[Hook_Echo]

What's your favorite plane after a year?

 

Hopefully you've achieved enlightenment and realized the error of your ways. The IX is the better Spitfire.

[IckyATLAS]

Welcome, have fun and beware the rabbit hole is very very deep ?

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

On 2/27/2023 at 4:52 AM, LINCOLN-BOND said:

Speaking of the Spitfire, any tips on how to avoid ground-looping after landing?  (1) I've tried keeping back pressure on the stick for weight on the tailwheel to no avail. (2) I've made no inputs and let it continue to roll out after landing only for it to loop anyway. (3) I've tried smooth rudder inputs, smooth differential braking, and more aggressive braking. (4) I tried forward pressure on the stick.  I'm out of ideas.

 

The plane is such a joy to fly, I may have to resign myself to performing the requisite ground loop at the end of each mission.

To avoid ground loop after touch down just press breaks and hold it until plane stop, . You can correct with rudder but in most cases it's not necessary just remember full  breaks all the way to the stop.

[S10JlAbraxis]

14 hours ago, LINCOLN-BOND said:

It's a year later and, in the meantime, I've mastered Spitfire landings.  On touchdown, I set the RPM at 1500, keep back pressure on the tailwheel, dab the brake lever, and make timely rudder corrections.  Down to a jogging speed, another dab of the brake lever, while reducing power to idle, and I'm stopped.  Voila!

 

Aside from that, in general, practically all my growing pains with IL-2 had been hardware related.  In the beginning, my first stick and throttle system, HOTAS X, was better than flying with the mouse alone, but rudder control (grip twist and/or rocker switch) was poor and unrealistic.  Plus, the throttle didn't work well, causing uncontrollable ground acceleration with the P-38 and ME-262!  Then, a dear friend gave me a Warthog throttle.  End of throttle problems!  The addition of the least expensive Thrustmaster rudder pedals (a loaner from a friend) was a significant improvement, but they were squeaky and distracting.  An upgrade to MFG Crosswind pedals, bolted securely to plywood, was a game-changer.  The WinWing F-16 stick was the final piece, with enough switches to make things settings more intuitive.  However, an on-line comparison of the Thrustmaster Warthog stick versus the WinWing proved to be inaccurate, suggesting the WinWing had higher quality switches, which led me to buying the WinWing.  Well, that is definitely NOT the case.  Yesterday, I had a chance to inspect a Warthog stick and found the quality of EVERY switch to be better than those on the WinWing.  So much so, I'm going to switch to the Warthog stick (uh...as soon as I get my wife's permission).  

 

I am also not impressed with WinWing.  When my Warthog died (after many years of hard use) I went with Virpil which I have been very happy with.  Quality controls do make a huge difference in the experience of flying IL2.

[LINCOLN_BOND]

21 hours ago, Hook_Echo said:

What's your favorite plane after a year?

 

Hopefully you've achieved enlightenment and realized the error of your ways. The IX is the better Spitfire.

It has been a year of enlightenment!  I've done some campaigns (P47, Tempest, P38), but mainly I do Quick Mission duels against the Axis "Aces" and have kept obsessive records in the process.  Surprisingly, the Hawker Hurricane has been my favorite; it's very forgiving and it turns inside of anything.  As for the Spitfire IX, I agree!  RAF ace Johnny Johnson also considered the IX to be the "sweet spot."  For me, the P-51D is a very special aircraft and I consider it my duty to fly it well (I met Robin Olds at Vance AFB in the mid-80s and I have autographed books by Yeager and Anderson).  And, because I've always had an affinity for the P-38, I regularly abuse myself by dogfighting with it.     

[FeuerFliegen]

3 hours ago, LINCOLN-BOND said:

It has been a year of enlightenment!  I've done some campaigns (P47, Tempest, P38), but mainly I do Quick Mission duels against the Axis "Aces" and have kept obsessive records in the process.  Surprisingly, the Hawker Hurricane has been my favorite; it's very forgiving and it turns inside of anything.  As for the Spitfire IX, I agree!  RAF ace Johnny Johnson also considered the IX to be the "sweet spot."  For me, the P-51D is a very special aircraft and I consider it my duty to fly it well (I met Robin Olds at Vance AFB in the mid-80s and I have autographed books by Yeager and Anderson).  And, because I've always had an affinity for the P-38, I regularly abuse myself by dogfighting with it.     

 

You should check out the multiplayer server "Wing Walkers"

it's a cooperative server (it's still in the dogfight section though), and there's tons of AI stuff going on, so even if you're the only one on, it's still tons of fun.  There'a a huge variety of missions too (over 80).

There's two servers, one for WW1 and one for WW2.