Barrett who are you?

Barrett, I really need to talk to you, please email me!! It's about aircraft specs.

thanks,

Chuck

[Barrett]

Chuck: I'm having problems with my e-mail server. Don't have easy access to aircraft specs but will be glad to tell you what I can.

Barrett

Ok you seem to know somthing about aircraft handleing. I am testing an XL spreadsheet that is a flight model. The problem is I don't know enough about flight to make accurate accessments. It is nothing major, just a pbem game system. We are currently flying SVA's SE-5A's a Camel and DR1's and D-5a's. The problem I have is with the flight model of the SVA. It seems to zoom climb all day because of it's drag coeffecent. I really think the sheet needs to be tweaked but I don't know what to suggest. The speadsheet is made to model all flight from ww1 to ww2. I am interested in seeing the most accurate flight model as we can get so any imput would be great, if you have download ability and XL you can get the sheets at www.gamers.com it is under the ACM section. The aircraft get their flight characteristics from the following:

Fokker Aircraft ID Number
DrI Aircraft Type
1,292 Raw Weight (lbs)
200.90 S (wing area) (ft^2)
23.50 b (Wing Span) (ft)
115 Max Level Speed (MpH)
1 Max level Speed Altitude
23,000 Service Ceiling (ft)
Boomers? (weight out on wings, 2 if true, else 0)
1.20 Rudder Effectiveness (.8 to 1.0 (P-51) to 1.2)
3.00 Wings? (if more than one, enter number)
1.75 CL (max) Max Lift Coeff (1.5 normal...2.0 with Slats)
110 Bhp (Brake Horsepower (rated) per engine)
0 Emergency Boost (%)
0 Thrust (Lbs for Turbojets)
0.00 Thurst (lbs for Rockets)
1 Number of Prop Engines
0 Number of Rocket Engines
0 Number of Turbojet Engines
0.70 Prop Effeciencey (.8 to .95 based on "paddles")
0.03163039 Approx Drag Coeff (Calc using best speed & alt)
2.9 Fire Burst Decel (MpH/Shot)
0.5 Critical Mach ( .7 norm, .75 Laminar Flow, early 50's Jets .85)
0 Wing Sweep (degrees)
0 Stabilator?
0 Control Boost (1=yes)
Oct 1917 Release Date

[Barrett]

Yo, Chuck:
My initial response is a studied, "Huh?"
My open-cockpit biplane experience is one thing, but translating that knowledge to computer simulation is quite another!
This spreadsheet biz is waaaay over my head; what you really need is an engineering test pilot! There are a couple of accomplished jet drivers and RB II players on the Forum who probably can be of much more use--Boom and Puresome please copy.
Any WW I game that provides a prolonged vertical capability (i.e., nose up rather than nose down) is poorly designed. It takes a thrust-weight ratio of about l:1, which is great if you're in an F-15; absurd in an Ansaldo or anything else of that era. A more realistic use of the vertical would be a zoom-climb resulting in something like a chandelle or just a hammerhead: as airspeed bleeds off, use rudder to complete the reverse back into the bogie and regain momentum/speed/energy on the downside for use again in another reattack, if necessary. Timing, of course, is critical--wait too long and the bogey has time to spoil your tracking on the next run, even if he can't match your pitch-up. ACM instructors will tell you that usually you win the fight by stages rather than with one big swoop.
Don't know if I've helped or hindered, but thanks for asking.

Barrett

Who should I contact, do you know them? What type of Bi-plane to do pilot?

Chuck

[rudder]

I fly Nieuports type 11,16,17, 23 etc. these are all V-strut Nieuports not the type 28 , The nieuport v-strutters where and are delightful planes to fly , although a little twitchy on landings. I have friends (all in the Great WAR AEROPLANES ASSO.) who fly nieuports, Sopwith pups, Fokker DR1s, and SE5a, Fokker EIII, E-V(D-VIII),

Any of them also mathmatics types?

Chuck

[Boom]

Boom here. My "Huh" is more unstudied than Barrett's. Again my flying experience does not bear on putting it into simulation. I have flown many flight simulators and can compare them to the real thing, but how the nuts, bolts and electrons work are beyond my ken. More radical revelation, except for a few minutes on nephew and grandson's programs, I have not "flown" any computer flight simulations.

Not quite the same idea, but how about a participatory experience (like the IWM's WW One trench or London Blitz exhibits) in a full size, full motion simulator that puts you in the nose of a Lancaster over Berlin in '44? That would be a heart-stopping ride.

cheers, Boom

[Barrett]

"How about a full-motion simulator from the nose of a Lancaster over Berlin in 1944? That would be a heart-stopping ride..."
Good idea, Boom, but I thought you'd prefer the Me-110G perspective! As for me, the Heinkel 219 is the sex machine of WW II.

Ok how about something more basic, what's the best climbing method for a DR1 with a real rotary? My tests have the plane about 500 ft short of it's climb to 3280ft. I can make the SE-5a reach it's climb rate to 6200 in 6 min but the 3 min climb to 3280 is not working. So can anyone tell me the DR1's best climbing method, stedy nose up or zoom climb etc.? Can you ask anyone flying the DR1.

Thanks,

Chuck