F-100D Trainee needs help so he doesn't crash

[MattMilsop 0]

Hi Folks,

I just loaded up Wings Over Vietnam and decided that, for the time being, I'm going to focus on learning to fly the F-100D Super Sabre. I've never played a serious combat flight sim before and if I had not been into aviation before this, I probably would have been lost. After managing to blow up my plane three times upon take off, I finally managed to fly around without crashing and focusing on, what I think are some of my most important instruments.

But what I would like are some pointers; I've never flown before and there are no training programs in this game. So, what are the basics I should know about the planes in this game, about flying them? What should I know about the F-100D? Has someone made any training flights that can be loading up using stock airplanes alone from this game?

Any and all help would be appretiated.

 

Peace,

Matt

[zmatt 2]

what exactly are you having trouble with? taking off, landing, dog fighting or just making the thing fly in a straight line?

[i fight by 1 0]

Three Mattz ftw...if you want you can fly on easy, which is like most nonsimulator flight games are like.

[zmatt 2]

Heh that's pretty awesome.

 

 

 

For me, I started just loading the missions in the air. Taking off and landing were the last things I learned. I know the real fly boys here will get on me for that but for this game I found it to be easier. As for landing. Just put it on auto pilot and watch what the AI does a few times. Then practice, and practice some more. Everyone has a bad landing every now and then. For dog fighting it's mostly trial and error, you learn as you go. You will be shot down a lot at first. There are books written on the subject and fighting in every plane is different and over time you will learn the strengths and weaknesses of each. I'll go ahead and tell you now that the Super Sabre is not a good dog fighter. You can fight in it, but you have to be good. Every now and then I go up in one on a fighter sweep just for the challenge. But the F-100 is really at home when moving mud.

[ironroad 218]

Hi Folks,

I just loaded up Wings Over Vietnam and decided that, for the time being, I'm going to focus on learning to fly the F-100D Super Sabre. I've never played a serious combat flight sim before and if I had not been into aviation before this, I probably would have been lost. After managing to blow up my plane three times upon take off, I finally managed to fly around without crashing and focusing on, what I think are some of my most important instruments.

But what I would like are some pointers; I've never flown before and there are no training programs in this game. So, what are the basics I should know about the planes in this game, about flying them? What should I know about the F-100D? Has someone made any training flights that can be loading up using stock airplanes alone from this game?

Any and all help would be appretiated.

 

Peace,

Matt

It appears that you are having trouble with the basics of flight, something you have to master before you really settle down with any good flight sim.

 

Take offs are not too hard, slowly push the throttles up to full power (or after burner) set the flaps down, release the brakes and wait till the plane's nose starts to rise (basically the plane starts to lift itself off the ground). After that pull back gently on the stick and airborne. Raise gear and keep the flaps down until the plane has gotten enough speed and atl (basically when you feel like you are high enough)

 

*Once you get use to takes offs you will be able to better gauge the plane's speed and the length of runway the plane needs to lift off.

 

My suggestion is go into the game options and have your plane start on runway, set gameplay to easy, and fly recon missions from the drop down mission type list.

 

After you get use to handling the planes and how the workings of the game, start setting the game options to "normal" or "hard" one by one.

 

I must warn you that some 3rd party/downloaded planes operate better with "normal" flight model selected in the options menu.

 

The best advice I can give you is that pulling back hard on the stick and trying to corner them like they are modern fighters with digital flight controls (ie F-18 or F-16) will get you into a roll, buffet, or stall in a hurry.

 

Once you start flying other planes in the game, especially the F-4, F-104, or F-105 you will find that speed is life! They are not nimble, but they have a lot of power and can climb very fast in a hurry. You will also find that with weapons and gas they use a lot of runway to take off and land.

 

Dog fighting is an art in this game. You do not have load out of a modern fighter, nor the computers to help you out. You don't have the gun coverage of a P-51 or the turn rate of FW-190 (at least stock without mods). However what you do have is speed and power. You can disengage and re engage into a fight at will. You can climb very high and go very fast down low. Your missiles are not going to track like a modern Aim-120C and you have to be in perfect piston before you get tone with an older Aim-9. (Forget about it with a Aim-4 ). The migs can out turn you, but you can out climb and power them. The heavy American planes bleed energy in turns but pick it up much quicker. Even the fast AI Mig 21 (which was one of the fastest fighters of its time) can be over powered and out paced.

 

Just take your time, be patient, and have fun. You will get the hang of it in no time. Do not be afraid to ask questions, someone around here almost always has an answer.

 

 

Good luck and be easy.

Edited May 30, 2009 by ironroad

[JRA 0]

Hmmm... A few things that might help you... :yes:

 

Try to keep your speed above 300 knots even if you're all alone and just moving around because you'll never know when those bandits will pop out.

-Another thing.. Speed keeps you in the air.. The faster you go, the less likely you are to stall or crash... Of course, with the condition you're not diving

 

WATCH your fuel (drop tanks should help you out, but be warned they cause drag (not to mention make your plane heavier). Also, don't even think of flying around on full afterburner all the time because you burn fuel a lot faster that way. Use them in bursts or for a few seconds)

 

For combat, stay high and fast (preferably above 10000ft and 450 or so knots), don't engage Migs if you don't have to, command your squadron using the TAB key and don't bother a Mig for too long because that's one good way to die (other Migs might be chasing you too, or, the other Migs just wiped your entire squadron leaving you exposed), and, RETREAT when you don't a stand a chance (like in my case, a 4 vs. 10 Migs and a few Hunters ).

 

Last but not least... READ the MANUAL... :yes:

 

Hope this helps.. Cheers mate

[jomni 6]

Are you using a flight stick? It makes things a lot easier. First of all you must be aware that pulling the stick towards you will make your plane climb. Pushing it forward will make your plane dive. Hehe!

[MattMilsop 0]

Thanks so much for your help everyone!

I've loved aircraft for just about all 26 years on this planet, especially fighters. This is the closest I can get to them without going to the Air Force or doing any type of flight training. I'll definately be following quite a bit of the advice I've been reading so far; again, thank you.

What I'm really looking for is a kind of training structure, almost like a flight sylubus that could kind of act as a guide. I want to set the simulator on hard so I can get the best, possible feeling as to what it's like to fly these. I know there's nothing like the real thing; there's a word of difference between pulling g's in a real F-100 and pulling g's in this game, lol.

Another question I have is about the accuracy of the stock models. Will knowing everything there is to know about the F-100 or any other plane help? Are most, if any of there characteristics duplicated in this and any other game? Will knowledge of these planes give me an advantage?

Also, have any of you played the Yankee Air Pirate Add-on yet? What are your reactions on it? I just got it, especially because the B-26K Counter Invader is in it. I hope I get to fly it, though!

Peace and once again, Thank you!

:)

[MattMilsop 0]

Oh, by the way, I am having a little trouble flying in a straight line, lol. I tend to bounce up and down, but I'm sure that will go away with practice and mindfulness of the Angle of Attack needle. I've been reading "Check Six" by Boots Bleese and he mentioned that he was "bouncing around" in flight training. That might be something similar.

[zmatt 2]

The planes will be fairly accurate. The F-100 will be fast and wont turn, and the MiG-17 will be very nimble. Many addon aricraft that you will find here will have more detail than the stock planes, but except for ones that haven't been updated they should all be fairly accurate.

 

If you are looking for a very realistic sim you have come to the wrong place. This series of sims is called "lite" sims because although more realistic than games like Ace Combat. They focus more on gameplay than the detail and realism. If you want a heavy and in depth sim I recommend a game like Falcon 4.0. The manual is thicker than the bible and it is as good as you can get without getting in an F-16.

 

Anyways, the recommendation to fly recon missions first is a good one. In recon you don't carry weapons very often so it will keep you focused on flying the aircraft. For most American fighters from the cold war the name of the game is speed. Planes like the F-4, F-105 and F-104 have big and powerful engines and they can easily outrun their Russian counterparts. Once you get basic flying down try some comabt missions. Either a CAP mission or a fighter sweep.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Another question I have is about the accuracy of the stock models. Will knowing everything there is to know about the F-100 or any other plane help? Are most, if any of there characteristics duplicated in this and any other game? Will knowledge of these planes give me an advantage?

Also, have any of you played the Yankee Air Pirate Add-on yet? What are your reactions on it? I just got it, especially because the B-26K Counter Invader is in it. I hope I get to fly it, though!

Peace and once again, Thank you!

:)

 

 

YAP2 is worth it IMO if you like the Vietnam era - theres quite a lot of work gone into it and its got a good genuine team behind it - and you will see a totally different side to WOV you wouldn't otherwise - and a better appreciation of the real air war in SEA.

 

 

Yes despite the comment above this sim excels in its Vietnam era setting and since the WOI release TK has put more historical accuracy into the sims - and this is carried over into the SF2 series out of the box.

 

As a Falcon 4 player I would say this series sits somewhere in between the hardcore Falcon 4 and the arcade Ace Combat - but if you are happy to mod it you can push it much further to F4 if you wish - most things can be changed you will find - because TK has left it open to be changed via ini files.

 

In regards to how jets handle this will vary - some 3rd party jets might have more accurate flight models or some may not - potentially the flight model can be as realistic as humanly possible. Its quite impressive when you consider the amount of jets in the sim - whereas F4AF just has about 11 flyable F-16 models to make accurate in this era.

[JRA 0]

Very realistic sims can be annoying. I have Falcon 4AF, and it takes me maybe 10 minutes just to turn on the aircraft (nifty term)

 

Flying straigh can be fixed with a SHIFT+A or the Wing Leveler