I don't think the SE5a is tail-heavy as I've read in a couple other threads.

Nor do I see any trim tabs on the 3D model that have not been implemented.

I did notice that the SE5a elevators do not appear to return to, or even start at, the neutral position.

Here is the SE5a elevator at rest:


and here is the Spad's elevator at rest:


I'm no Aero-engineer but I'm pretty sure the elevator should be at the same angle/attitude as the rest of the stabilizer when not being deflected by the pilot.

That said I'm no expert in WW1 A/C either...So I suppose it could be intentional, ie a sort of positive G bias or way to prevent too much negative G?

Anyone know for sure?

cheers,
J

PS. Dear Devs, Thanks for the extra FOV in the new patch. Keep up the good work

There's a couple of threads over on the official forums that describe this --

basically, you see them like that because your computer joystick has centering springs, where the SE5's real control stick did not.

In a real SE5a - the stick should be 10 degrees forward from vertical for level flight when properly trimmed.

I would say it looks wrong. The SE5a actually always looks like the elevator is sagging when at rest in the pictures I have seen.







WWBrian posted while I did, and the PC joystick centering is a good explanation, but you would think the SPAD's would be raised as well then. Same PC stick, same (or close to the same) angles involved.

Did you notice that ROF even models the correct "droop" in the SE5's ailerons?

Real airplanes don't have joysticks with springs in them so the sticks are not centered when the aircraft is at rest.

Additionally, the elevator and the horizontal stabilizer rarely line up in real world aircraft during flight. There are a lot of variables that effect this such as airspeed, power setting, center of gravity (variable in a given airplane), gross weight (variable in a given airplane) etc. In a perfectly rigged airplane, being flown at the specific speed, power, loading, CG, altitude etc the horizontal stabilizer may line up with the elevator and yes it will be a little bit lower drag - but this is a pretty special case where an airplane will be built with this as a real concern.

This topic comes up a lot - I'm pretty sure I've posted on it a few times, including in flight photos of the elevator position of various aircraft. The bottom line is, don't worry about it, it's just an artifact of having a pc joystick, and it will all work out in the air as long as the developers has set the aircraft up correctly with respect to trimspeed.

thats true, if you go airplane in the ground and there is big wind, that controller moves your hand.

Kankkis

This is due to the fact that the stick itself was probably not centered when it was at rest in the real plane, our sticks are so the code should put all stick-related controls in a central position. Wind etc may cause them to move and buffet of course, but this is a constant locked climb from the elevator on this plane.



As of right now we don't have the trim control which the SE5a should have. The elevator is locked in a climbing position while the stick is central in flight. The other planes in ROF are not this way so it is not a PC joystick issue, and even if it is then code should be written to make it respond to a PC joystick like a WWI plane joystick, since it is a WWI PC flight simulator.

i have been maded lot of RC planes(scales too), i can say there is planes like that where is little pull or push in neutral position.

It's really depends where is the plane center of mass.

Of course i got trims on radio but i don't wanna use them allways.

Kankkis

Not at all sure if it adds anything to the debate, but I just thought I'd say that I don't fly using a joystick (don't own one) and my SE5's elevator is doing the same.

It would be ok if we could trim it. I like to fly by hand alot (no autopilot) but with the SE5 it is getting to be a pain always holding the stick forward to level the elevator. I fly by hand because I like to do it realistically, so I don't mind fighting the wind etc, but fighting a force that realistically could have been trimmed out in this plane is not really realistic.. ya know?