How to Land the Dora

Assuming that you have aligned your approach and landing touch down excactly to the runway heading

and you have performed a perfect three-point landing - then

- above 100 km/h: apply BOTH wheel brakes equally, fully - forget any rudder control

- below 100 km/h: use single wheelbrakes carefully to steer and keep the Dora on the runway

 

That's all.

Actually I found that having made the three point landing it is best to pull the stick back immediately and use rudder inputs to make small adjustments to direction until it slows a little. Even using light brakes tends to throw it too far off direction and it is strangely difficult to apply both brakes exactly evenly.

Actually I found that having made the three point landing it is best to pull the stick back immediately and use rudder inputs to make small adjustments to direction until it slows a little. Even using light brakes tends to throw it too far off direction and it is strangely difficult to apply both brakes exactly evenly.

Yes, stick full(!) back immediately after 3-point landing, that’s it.

Surprisingly I found that applying both wheel brakes fully right after touch down

causes no head stand. (as it would be the case with the P-51D)

Applying both brakes evenly - not any rudder control - keeps the Dora straight on the runway,

minor corrections with each single brake may be made in roll out later.

Here my practice (watch from 2:10)

“…strangely difficult to apply both brakes exactly evenly”.

With my Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder I don’t have that issue.

But, why not using key “W” (both wheel brakes) on your keyboard?

I think the dora's take-off difficulty is not consistent with other dcs planes.

I think the dora's take-off difficulty is not consistent with other dcs planes.

I can take off the P51, without any ingame assistance, without wheel brakes, without rudder pedal peripherirals, just by controlling the rudder using the twist on my stick and holding it slightly back to lock tailwheel.

But on the dora, the tail wheel never stays properly locked, forcing dependence on very sensitive braking. Looks like Eeagle Dynamics overemphasized that part just to add difficulty gameplay. Also trying to use the rudder during taxiing has no effect whatsoever, but on the P51 taxing by only using the rudder is 100% possible without ever touching wheel brakes.

So what is going on here? Was the dora historically immune to ANY rudder effect during taxi or is that some hardcore gameplay ED made up on the fly?

Looks like all rudder and wheel lock effects are broken or left too weak on purpose so players have to play the wheelbrake minigame.

P51 has steerable tail wheel, Dora doesn't. That "small" detail makes a huge difference.

If that is the case, why can I control an f-86 with only the rudder during taxi and its front wheel has no steering either?

The tailwheel should straighten itself like on the f-86 after the plane rolls a bit forward like on the f-86, but instead its that deathtrap that randomly locks and steers the plane into a curve.

I also recommend taking off and landing with flaps set to 0 degrees. It increases the amount of runway you need, but it makes it easier to keep the plane under control.

If that is the case, why can I control an f-86 with only the rudder during taxi and its front wheel has no steering either?

F-86 front wheel has steering, but it needs to be activated manually. As for the Dora, I can actually take off with twist grip as well, and it's not that impossible. Requires some practice, but that was the case as well with P-51. There are a lot of forces affecting airframe during that stages of flight. And they have to be taken into account and eventually prevented from pulling one off the runway.

F-86 front wheel has steering, but it needs to be activated manually. As for the Dora, I can actually take off with twist grip as well, and it's not that impossible. Requires some practice, but that was the case as well with P-51. There are a lot of forces affecting airframe during that stages of flight. And they have to be taken into account and eventually prevented from pulling one off the runway.

Does not look like it. The only force I have to worry about on the P51 was torque which could be countered with rudder. But for some reason:

1. Tailwheel does whatever it wants

2. Rudder has no effect during taxi

Both these points are not the case on the P51. Which leads me to believe ED overexaggerated the braking and tailwheel difficulty while completely leaving out locking tailwheels that actually lock and rudders that actually work when the plane is rolling for a bit

... difficulty is not consistent with other dcs planes.

Strange idea/concept, tbh. I mean, why should characteristics of different aircrafts be in any way "consistent" with eachother? DCS is not about balancing stuff, it is about simulating stuff.

But on the dora, the tail wheel never stays properly locked, forcing dependence on very sensitive braking...

There is absolutely no need whatsoever to utilize toe-brakes on take-off:

1 - Line Up

2 - Slam throttle forward

3 - Finesse the rudder to keep plane aligned

4 -Take-Off

hC1U9Imp57U

With control indicators illustrating rudder input and lack of toe-brake input:

1FYIrkXeDAU

It's simple once you spend time and practice.

Strange idea/concept, tbh. I mean, why should characteristics of different aircrafts be in any way "consistent" with eachother? DCS is not about balancing stuff, it is about simulating stuff.

+1

Seems It's tough to assimilate.

I don't get it, what's so hard to take off in the dora?

Flightstick backwards to lock tailwheel, throttle to full power, at 150 - 170 km/h flightstick to center position and the Dora get's airborne.

No need of brakes. If the Dora goes left, use the rudder a little bit.

That's it.

That could be dangerous at low speeds, and could cause a left wing stall. Best is to apply more rudder to counteract the torque effect, until enough speed is built up. :-)

In the phase of takeoff run wings may not stall before they have built up enough lift (dynamic pressure).

Just to avoid left wing lowering (and stall) because of torque effect the pilot should give some right aileron in advance.

It compensates for the torque in advance and prepares for the moment, when the plane is in transition from roll to lift.

At this moment the prop torque has full impact on the roll axis and on the wings from being level.

The theories behind forces which have impact on the plane during takeoff are more than complex:

Yaw, torque, P-factor (propeller’s angle of attack), gyroscopic precession

are the key factors which either boost or agitate against each other at the same time.

However, an important question is:

How well have these 4 factors been implemented in the flight model (FM) of the Dora?

These factors are describing the flight physics of real planes. We may discuss different Dora takeoff methods

FROM THEORY but we don’t know which of these factors are relevant for the virtual Dora and which not.

The FM of Dora is by far the most intrigue and perfect aviation simulation for any existing PC environment.

But it is still a simulation, not reality.

Therefore, back to practice:

Here is an example of a famous war bird the F4U Corsair, built from early 40th to late 50th

This powerful bird had aileron trim. For takeoff the pilot sets rudder 6 deg. right

and aileron 6 deg. right wing down. Here is a F4U instruction video, see clip at 6:20

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/F4U.html

Again, it’s all about the learning curve from multiple exercises.

There is absolutely no need whatsoever to utilize toe-brakes on take-off:

 

1 - Line Up

 

2 - Slam throttle forward

 

3 - Finesse the rudder to keep plane aligned

 

4 -Take-Off

 

hC1U9Imp57U

 

With control indicators illustrating rudder input and lack of toe-brake input:

 

1FYIrkXeDAU

 

It's simple once you spend time and practice.

That worked, When taking off from runway, the plane already being straight, its like a more sensitive pony, however when I have to taxi to the runway I end up with the tailwheel being in some random orientation which gets in the way. Any tips on straightening it out?

The rudder won't have any effect while taxing anyway.

Move forward on the runway to straighten the tail wheel.

I'm a living prove that take of is possible.

I couldn't take off at all but after 100 crashed planes now I'm taking off in more than 80% case.

In other 20% I'm recognized error but mostly is still imperfect flight model.

Most of the stuff is good and some other on what we could complain is just matter of tweaking what is normal in Beta phase. Keep that in mind P 51 is final product FW is not and that's the price of early access.

I certain point I could agree with you but not completely.

In my opinion based on some logic with higher speed tail wheel should reducing effect on direction according to speed increase and I didn't notice it dose. In same time with speed rudder should more effect on turning but with reducing tail wheel effect al in all should be easier to keep plane straight.

Also you should give some compensation with wings too.

I'm not real pilot but what I was told and notice on RL TO videos people have much more smoother taking off and landing than it is in DCS.

I think the problem also laying in the fact that in real plane you receive visual information same as physical true your controller. Here in game you got only visual information what is going on physical information is only center spring or FF which is not properly programmed even this is possibility to simulate those condition to the player but I didn't see it working properly in any game not just in DCS.

I think Devs should think about that fact that realism is also limited by game engine possibilities and even sometimes most realistic and accurate features could have opposite effect and create more unrealistic feeling in general. Same could goes in opposite direction too and some not realistic feature could increase overall realism compensating some bad effect on other realistic features make it more balanced and keep it more realistic in general not feature by feature.

I'm saying it again I'm not real pilot and my observation is based on game play experience and discussion with real pilots.

This is made in good intention I'm not trolling so if I say something wrong I will like to be explained why and what so we could leave it behind and clarifies this.

Thank's Dev's.

...however when I have to taxi to the runway I end up with the tailwheel being in some random orientation which gets in the way. Any tips on straightening it out?

Taxi onto runway, straighten out and lock the tail-wheel whilst you are aligned, taxiing forward. Stop and take-off.

.....my observation is based on game play experience and discussion with real pilots....

The Flight model was, amongst other SME's, signed off on by a WWII Luftwaffe pilot that flew the Butcher so I doubt many things will change, if any.

I still dont want to believe the only way to steer during taxi is the wheelbrakes, on the P51 you can use the rudder only with some speed

Also how to lock the tailwheel?

I still dont want to believe the only way to steer during taxi is the wheelbrakes, on the P51 you can use the rudder only with some speed.

Take cold start quick mission with P51, go to external view, then turn camera so that you will see rudder and tail wheel. Move rudder left and right and observe the tail wheel - it will move a bit left and right too. That is why you can steer P51 easily. Do the same with Dora, and you will see its tail wheel being static, because it is nonsteerable (it can be either in "it does what it wants" mode or locked when stick is pulled back).

I have noticed when doing autostart, the rudder appears trimmed to the right, but I see no obvious controls for rudder trimming in the cockpit, where do I find that?

I still dont want to believe the only way to steer during taxi is the wheelbrakes, on the P51 you can use the rudder only with some speed

 

Also how to lock the tailwheel?

Believe it or don't believe it. Things are as they are.

You don't, there is no adjustable rudder trim in the Dora

Also how to lock the tailwheel?

Hold the stick all the way aft.

Your RIGHT! I Found where they set the difficulty of the different planes on takeoff!! Just go in and change the position!

..program files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Scripts\Difficulty.lua

//Take-off Difficulty
_Rudder_Randomizerer:
{
P-51_ {
[Easy]-----^--------------[Difficult]
}
 {Difficulty}
}

{
FW-190_ {
[Easy]-----------------^--[Difficult]
}
 {Difficulty}
}

:harhar:

No really, its just difficult. It's not the Mustang. Don't expect it to handle like the Mustang. When the wheel is locked back, its fully locked. It doesn't move at all. You have to be much more gentle with it on the ground, take off and landings else you'll end up dead.

^^^ Rudder Randomizerer :megalol: