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Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

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Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby dchmelik » Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:43 pm

I've never flown aeroplanes, but my dad has (single-person) so I'm trying to learn FlightGear to help him get started playing. I learned that I could use the help menu, and specific aeroplane menu (the last menu, of its name) and use a checklist or autostart. Then I learned there's more than that: I have to turn the brakes off, and maybe pull the stick back a certain distance and go a certain speed. Is there information on the last two things for PA-18 or I'd just have to find a manual? If I have to go a certain knots, how do I see that on the panel? if I have to pull the stick back a certain amount, how do I know when I can change that to go higher or level off? Please don't leave things out this time, as someone here told me about autostart but omitted what someone on IRC said: autostart is incomplete for starting (in the sense of takeoff, which I was asking about for a J-3 Cub) because you have to turn the brakes off. I don't know many commands yet or what's on the panel...
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby benih » Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:56 am

Well, the autostart does mean to start the engine, not in the sense „take me into the air“.

I have not much experience with the cub, but from my experience it needs a bit of practice to get off the ground without spinning.

I do it like this (Start Point is plane with running engine, lined up on the runway[1]):
  • switch on „flight control with mouse“ (cycle trough the modes with the TAB key)
  • pull the stick back to you (mouse back, but depends on your settings)
  • i release the brakes (shift-b)
  • then i will advance the throttle (page-up; but i prefer to do it with the mouse: press the middle button/wheel and move the mouse forward)
  • the plane starts to move and wants to pull to the left. This needs to be countered using the rudder (press left mouse button and move it to the left).
    You can also use so called „differential braking“, by using the brake just on the left wheel (press „.“ for left brake, „,“ for right). Differential-braking might be easier when you just begin, but enlargens the take-off distance.
  • while accelerating, keep the plane straight. Don’t let it move left or right. Be fast with your response. This is the part that really needs practice.
  • as soon as you lift off, bring the stick to neutral and level the plane.
  • done, you are now in a controlled flight over your runway.

If you raus continue to struggle, i can offer a jitsi screenshare to show it to you. I think this might be more easy than reading/writing…

____
[1] speaking of runway: if you use the bush-wheel option (bigger wheels), you can use any beach or suitable flat grass area as „runway“
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby dchmelik » Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:25 am

That is very informative.
Yes, all I could do was move for a while until it'd start spinning... I thought if I was fast enough I could've continued forward.
We have a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar joystick & throttle w/rudder control system so would be using that throttle (despite replicates F-16.) I don't know what parts the rudder pedals actually control.
I read you may need particular speed in knots to takeoff but too high knots speed would lead to unstable flight, and I don't yet know the speedometer.
Sounds like there are a lot more details, like things that can be pressed with the mouse, and with buttons, that do things I don't know yet...
Seeing a video and/or screen-share of PA-18 or maybe even J-3 Cub takeoff would probably help (I would've tried it first but I think it doesn't have autostart and I didn't know how to do the checklist found elsewhere.)
FlightGear has had a big learning curve for me as I never flew aeroplanes (and a lot of related terminology comes up in discussions) but after a bit of earlier IRC chat and forum posting it's sounding easier to try, maybe eventually doable.
Thanks! I'll give it another try or few, maybe some more reading/discussion and viewing examples and see if it works eventually.
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby benih » Sun Jun 13, 2021 10:11 am

Maybe also just try to start with a „normal gear“ instead of a tail dragger. I find the c172 easier to takeoff.

For a screen share via jitsi you just need a browser. What time does work for you? For me, evenings are good, about 1800 utc (which is 20:00 local here in central europe)
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby ludomotico » Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:37 am

It seems you already know how to start FlightGear and you have the aircraft moving. I'm sorry if it is not my business: have you considered having some quality time with your father explaining the basics of flying to you?
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby wkitty42 » Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:10 pm

dchmelik wrote in Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:25 am:We have a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar joystick & throttle w/rudder control system so would be using that throttle (despite replicates F-16.) I don't know what parts the rudder pedals actually control.

the rudder is what makes the craft turn left and right (yaw) like a car... in an airplane, you steer left and right with your feet because your hands control your roll (the twist action of the yoke) and your pitch (slide the yoke back/forward to make the nose go up/down)... the rudder is located on the vertical tail fin of the craft...

note that a yoke is like the steering wheel of a car... a joystick is a bit different and may also have a twist capability that also moves the rudder... it really depends on the equipment and the craft you are using it with...
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby dilbert » Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:23 pm

A problem arose awhile back with the JSBM taildraggers after the last JSBM upgrade. Happened with the J3, Beaver, and others. After power was added they would spin on the deck. The best cure
then was to lock the tailwheel, using shift l (don't know if it's mentioned in help). I just did that on the J-3 version of the PA-18; and it behaved well on take-off. So you might give it a try-
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby dchmelik » Sat Jun 26, 2021 9:41 am

To lock tail wheel, do you mean <SHIFT> alone or with another key? It's also used in <SHIFT>b to turn off brakes so you'd think <SHIFT> alone would do nothing or present a problem if it's mixing up commands...
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Re: Piper PA-18 Super Cub takeoff?

Postby dilbert » Sun Jun 27, 2021 12:28 pm

just key l. sorry for the confusion. This works on some planes, but I'm not sure about the J3/PA18.

P.S. Checked the key code, and "l" doesn't seem to apply to the J3 series. Apologize for the bad advice. :oops:
Last edited by dilbert on Sat Jul 31, 2021 2:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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