It is a trainer...

Hello!

I have the Mustang and the FW190 hangared. I gave up after a ton of takeoff-tries and ragequits. But I would love to fly WWII birds...

so my question is: Do you think I can use the Yak-52 as a real trainer to get better before re-trying the Warbirds? Or is there too much difference, or the same struggle to get her in the air?

Thanks

P-51 and Dora are taildraggers, so I don't think that Yak experience would translate directrly to honing your skills with them. It's really fun aircraft to fly, but in my opinion the only thing that could be somewhat comparable is torque effect on takeoff. If you'd like to fly WW2 planes effectively I suggest more practice with them, and don't discourage yourself. It's like that - try to takeoff, crash, try to takeoff, crash... at some point it "clicks", and you suddenly know how to take off a Mustang. And might I suggest - practice the P-51 first, as it is easiest to fly of all the WW2 aircrafts in my opinion.

There is also a WW2 trainer in DCS: The TF-51.

Yeah, but it behaves pretty much like "normal" P-51. It's not Tiger Moth or Stearman and it punishes your mistakes quite severly.

It is actually a reconnaissance aircraft. It served with e 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo, South Korea, during the Korean War in 1951 :book:

Get a VR headset?

Made landing the Spitfire a lot easier for me.

Don't quite know why, maybe depth perception?

Taking off in that and the Mustang became almost easy.

Yeah, but it behaves pretty much like "normal" P-51. It's not Tiger Moth or Stearman and it punishes your mistakes quite severly.

That's true, but the P-51 behaves much better and is much easier to control than any of the other warbirds.

I agree - the Yak-52 is not going to learn You alot about flying high performance proepeller taildraggers.

The best recommendation I can give is simply to practice, practice and practice.

The hardest one to land is the Spitfire, cause the landing gear is so narrow combined with the tailwheel not being lockable.

I find that the P-51D and the FW-190D9 to be the easiest to learn.

Best advice is to keep some power on during the ground roll.

The Yak is much easier to take off and land, but won't help you overcome your taildragger problems. It's a fun, easy to fly plane if you just want to fly something with a prop, but it'll make a poor stepping stone to the fighters. Stick with the Mustang. Keep the Dora hangared, don't even think about the Spitfire and Bf-109 before you get at least the Mustang down. With their narrow landing gear they're even harder not to tip over.

Maybe video a few of your attempts (with the controls widget displayed) and post it in the Mustang subforum? I'm sure the resident experts can give you a few pointers.

Also important for the prop warbirds...

Turn off landing set to zero) help in the special tab, cause it won´t help You learn proper landings.

As said - just keep practicing,cause there is no substitute.

Actually for me, landing the Spitfire, still often ends with a groundloop.

You really need to dance the pedals like a Fred Astair, while keeping the stick pulled into Yor chest.

The secret to learning any aircraft's difficult stuff is to use "Immortal" mode.

Also, I suggest starting in the air, and learn to land first.

Two thoughts:

One, DCS/ED have been alerted by multiple experienced P-51 pilots that the current P-51/TF-51 models are all wrong for ground handling and take-off, no changes have occurred. Put another way, the models in DCS are reportedly significantly harder to handle than the actual airplane according to several folks I know with substantial P-51 time.

Two - the real world Yak-52 requires a LOT of rudder input to remain in control and is actually an excellent trainer preparing for higher performance taildraggers. In DCS the rudder and yaw performance are not quite right yet but it does require a pilot pay attention to what they do with their feet and I would think even in its' current state would help someone get betterwith rudder use prior to stepping up to the TF or P-51 Mustangs. I don't have the other WWII props so can't speak to them but the TF-51 is terrifying compared to what I have heard about the real plane from friends with again, a lot of experience in the real thing.

'Gimp (DISCO vVMFA-122)

Get a VR headset?

Made landing the Spitfire a lot easier for me.

Don't quite know why, maybe depth perception?

Taking off in that and the Mustang became almost easy.

Afirm

"It is actually a reconnaissance aircraft. It served with the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo, South Korea, during the Korean War in 1951 "

No. The Mustangs flying recon in Korea were camera equipped RF-51's. The same airplanes that were designated F6's during WW2. Not two seater trainers. I'm not sure where your information is coming from.

Get a VR headset?

Made landing the Spitfire a lot easier for me.

Don't quite know why, maybe depth perception?

Taking off in that and the Mustang became almost easy.

agree with that. it's the same as with the huey. the perception of depth makes take-offs and landings A LOT easier!!!

in my opinion VR is a huge leap forward in flight simulations!

anyway, to master ww2 planes it needs some practice, even in VR.

Its good for getting the feel of props without killing you from torque like the mustang however as someone stated above its not a tail wheel so stuff like taxiing will not be the same, I personally wish we had a, stearman, moth or chipmunk but i might be biased as i flew a tiger moth when i was 13, first aircraft i ever flew!

edit: The T6 Texan/Harvard would be a much better aircraft trainer to have on the basis that many pilots have said the T6 is actually harder to fly then most warbirds because of its power to weight being low for its size. Not to mention that the fuselage flap is normally wired shut as it caused so much drag a lot of T6s were falling out the sky.

One, DCS/ED have been alerted by multiple experienced P-51 pilots that the current P-51/TF-51 models are all wrong for ground handling and take-off, no changes have occurred. Put another way, the models in DCS are reportedly significantly harder to handle than the actual airplane according to several folks I know with substantial P-51 time.

Thank you for removing those giant menhirs off my heart. What a relieve. I always felt there's something seriously wrong, and not just with the 51, but all of the warbirds since they're all excessively hard to handle on the ground. But people told me I was wrong all the time.

Just the tiny little things like "rudder doesn't help keeping track, use toe brakes instead" really got me off. Once they have speed they seem to behave fine. But don't dare to try doing a Hammerhead (the true Immelman) in those which is absolutely impossible thanks to the total lack of tailplane control surface authority at low to no speeds even at full power.