Originally Posted By: FlyRetired
Oh I see Laser.

Well, it would be an exercise in futility to try to investigate the various stall/spin characteristics of these aircraft in a forum thread like this, and then how they might be modeled in Rise Of Flight yet. I think Uriah and BigBouncer were making general statements about hoping for good stall/spin dynamics for the sim's aircraft, so that these maneuvers are available for players to use in-game if they choose.

They are correct that spins were intentionally used as defensive maneuvers in combat (1917-18), and that the means of entry and recovery was being instructed in the training centers of the time also, as well as in the field by customary squadron-level "checking out" too (this is much easier to document, as I hope I did). As contained in that first excerpt on training changes above (perhaps this went unread):

"In fact, one could argue that the changes made to the theoretical and, even more importantly, practical nature of instruction was considerably more influential."

I read comments sometimes about WWI aerial combat that tend to dismiss the subject as if it was all an unsophisticated exercise, but these men treated the matter with all the respect and ingenuity that they could muster for something as important to them as any life or death struggle. Tactics, and operations were fully fleshed out, and the science of aeronautical study using wind tunnels, and statistical analysis was well under way. Of course there was much yet to be discovered (learned), especially about dynamic forces expressed in flight, but basic fundamentals were being well understood by the war's end. In fact, in the area of fighting tactics, much was lost in the intervening years between the World Wars, only to be "rediscovered" in the second, and might I add, much of it to be propagandized as new innovative thinking, which instead had all be invented before in the Great War.



I agree completely.

 Originally Posted By: FlyRetired

Hopefully you all found this information as much fun to read, as I have in presenting it here.


Yes, very much, and very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to post this.

Causes of stalls and spins as well as recovery are well understood, and they apply generically the same way to all aircraft regardless of era. Thats what should be in a realistic flight model (as against a particular aircraft's FM), how I hope it is in RoF. And what I think Uriah was expressing as well.... not all games model the fundamental aerodynamics of stalls/spins/recovery well or correctly. Its important for a ww1 game.

How it is modelled for particular aircraft, ww1 or anything etc, as you say, is up to the developers. As is overall performance of course - roll, climb, turn, rudder, dive. There is no real data to model all this correctly, even replica pilots state quite different views about the same planes, eg roll on the Dr1 springs to mind.

Gee, if no one was willing to make some guesses about these things, supported by some accounts and some data, and basic realistic aerodynamic accuracy, we wouldn't have any ww1 sim of quality... and no doubt we'll discuss all this endlessly once the game is out.