Overshoot tanker with Flight Hotas One

[Alex1709]

Hi,

I don't know if you ever tryed to refuel an F16 with this cheap Flight Hotas One. But for me it is horrible. I always overshoot the tanker and it is impossible to get even close to the refuling pipe.

Even with extended speed/air brakes I could not manage to hold the speed.

Is there a way to make the throttle more sensitiv in the controller setup or do I need one of these expensive hootas?

 

Maybe it is also because of my low end laptop that there is a visual delay?

 

Tell me how you practice it? At the moment I did it like pushing a bit more throttle and then back to initial position and again and again but the more closer you get the more I can see that it is not 1 meter

but more like 100m that the aircraft moves forward and backward.

 

 

[Northstar98]

Under Axis Assign select throttle and then you can select axis tune, this will allow you to make a curve that can make the throttle more sensitive in certain areas (but you'll probably lose sensitivity in others).

 

The other thing is that you'll never be able to find a throttle setting that perfectly holds position, never ever ever.

 

In general, for practice, formation flying is the best thing for it. One tip I'll give you is that you will never, ever, ever, ever be able to find a throttle position that holds the aircraft at the perfect speed, you'll find that you'll be moving the throttle forwards and then moving it backwards even if very slight. Basically you'll always be wanting to undo what you last did with the throttle. Then it's a balancing act between how much time the throttle spends forwards and backwards.

 

If you watch

video at the timestamp (in an F-15C) you'll see exactly what I mean.

 

[Alex1709]

Thanks for the hints and the very useful video.

I see you really need a lot of practice even with good throttle settings.

But since my Hotas snaps in the middle position I might really need to buy a more professional one. Can you recommend one?

As a workaround I could maybe use custom curvature to move the 250-300kts position out of the snap zone and have more adjustment freedom. Is that conceivable?

 

Another issue is that the closer I get to the fueling pipe the more difficult it is to remain in a centered position.

 

Again thanks for your valuable information

[fudabidu]

Consider opening the throttle and sanding down the bump in the center to get rid of that "snap zone". Having a throttle that moves smoothly is better than fiddling with curve settings that will only work for one speed anyways.

[Alex1709]

Ok nice. That can be option. But I guess more expensive throttles like the warthog do not snap and have more room for maneuvering?

[fudabidu]

That snap btw is called "detent". Everybody will know what you're talking about.

 

The TM Warthog does have a detent, but it can easily be removed as described in the manual (loosen 2 screws, flip one piece around, done). Same with the TM Cougar, although it works slightly different.

Older Saitek throttles had no detent at all, but it's still Saitek. Not my favorites.

 

Don't know about others, because I never did the research, but it's a feature I'd expect from every mid to high end throttle.

[Alex1709]

Ok i was able to remove the detend with a file. That gave me a bit more control. But still i was unable to keep the speed of the tanker for mire than some milliseconds. In the Video of redkite or matt it looks so smooth. Could it be that the closer the tanker gets the more cpu power is needed and therefore the framerate (or whatever makes it smooth) gets slower? So maybe it’s not the controller but my low end laptop?

[fudabidu]

R-Ctrl + Pause will bring up an FPS counter in the top left corner. Everything above 30fps should be fine for refueling. Performance is usually worse in multiplayer.

 

Also remember your engine needs a moment to reach the new RPM. If you make a large throttle change it will take longer to 'catch up', which you might perceive as delay. This is what most people seem to struggle with during the initial rejoin.

 

I find it really helpful to listen to the engine. If the pitch keeps changing I know it's still spooling to the new RPM. Try adjusting your speed by sound, not throttle position.

 

Once you approach pre-contact position you'll have to make tiny adjustment constantly. You will NEVER find the perfect throttle position. Make these adjustments early.

 

Let's say you made it to contact, but you see that you're drifting backwards:

Push the throttle forwards just a tiny bit (let's say 5mm), wait half a second and pull back a bit less (3-4mm). This will slightly nudge the plane forwards and increase your throttle setting. Keep focused and repeat the process.

Don't wait until you've matched the tanker's speed. You'll react too late and probably overshoot.

This is what you need to get a feeling for and once you do you'll make these adjustments subconciously. One of the most rewarding feelings I've ever had in a flight sim, so keep at it.

 

If it's an older stick you also might want to check if the throttle sensor is still in good shape. Open Axis Tune and very slowly move the throttle in both directions. The dots should move smoothly. Also hold it in different positions between 25% and 75% (that's where mechanical potentiometers tend to wear out first). The dots shouldn't move at all.

If you see any jumps or jitter the sensor is wearing out and it's only going to get worse. You'll either have to find a replacement sensor or switch to a new joystick.