I am just returning to flight sims after a very long absence. So I will get to the crux of the matter.

I installed the GOG version today. I have subsequently tweaked the config to allow me to use my Gsync monitor in its full 2560x1440 glory and I just found a mod on the Special Air Service site that will boost the start time of the game.

So I spent probably 2 hours searching for errors that would pop up and had some solutions all ready to go when I started trying to start the game today. So I get into my screen first and finally get my mouse to work. Problem #20 solved...next.

So I create a pilot and load up a US Navy mission to start. I let my three AI compatriots take off and I go to throttle up and the plane just sits there and the engine overheats. I didn't move a millimeter. So I start checking control options and then pop back in and I am pushing on the rudders and brakes trying to get moving. Nothing happened until some Jap B5N smoked me with a bomb while I was sitting on the deck. Drop out of game and refly. This time I let the autopilot do the take off and it works. I try to fly right off the deck and I crash...wash. rinse and repeat 3-5 more times. Anyway still getting autopilot to do take offs and now I can fly once my speed gets up. But my ACM is WAY RUSTY! I get smoked 6-10 more times by A6M AI pilots...realized I didn't have my trackIR setup....no situational awareness and unable to really judge gunnery distances right now also.

So I step out of that and decide to try a Russian mission...same thing. Plane starts up and all control surfaces work but the plane just sits there on the runway and doesn't move. Even with autopilot engaged.

So I create a third pilot for a German mission....I can get the Bf-109F to move but only incrementally; after 30-40 seconds of full left with the rudder and jamming throttle to full power and then pulling back to idle. I finally get enough speed up for take off and the I nose over and damage the propeller and flip the plane. Next time it takes the same game of chance to get unstuck from the starting spot. So I go back to Russian and attempt the same thing and it works. I go back to USN and it does not work at all on the carrier.

Any ideas for an ancient flight sim guy who does know how to setup a control config for his Warthog HOTAS and TPR pedals....if anyone has any good TARGET profiles they would like to share I'd love to see them.

The planes are locked in place by the chocks on the carrier. Unless you release them you will not go anywhere. You will need to bind a joystick button or keyboard key or key combo to Chocks in the Controls section so you can release them.

How do I use Chocks?



Wheels

Ask over at SAS, he most active and most helpful site regarding old IL2.
Chocks as mentioned are your problem here, but perhaps the mod installed isn't compatible with the GOG version which is 4.13.
I'm not sure as use Ultrapack which enables me to use the excellent SAS server hosted by the 'Flying Ass Clowns. Which when you are back up to speed you may consider logging onto too for fun and mayhem of a Sunday morning regular session.

Thanks for the quick reply and ideas. I'll check it out and either rule out chocks or get mad and reinstall from scratch.

Ok so it's not the wheel chocks at all. I was able to get the autopilot to take off once I got my dance of full power and rudder movements to get off the starting area. I'll try to video it and post for you guys. But I didn't have the wheel chocks setup as a button in game until this morning.

Wheel chocks are ON by default on a carrier, you need to use the button/keyboard to set them OFF. Autopilot sets them OFF by itself for take off.

I know which is the weird thing. For some reason it was just the first mission for each country that did it. It didn't matter if it was on a carrier or an airfield. All of my characters aircraft even in autopilot mode were stuck on the field and couldn't move until I wobbled around using throttle boosting and rudder action with wheel brakes to control movement. Once I got off that section where my plane spawned in it started to move freely and then in subsequent missions I was able to get autopilot to take off easily.

I'm still remembering how to take off and land in game so I'd much rather have the autopilot take off on missions for me because otherwise I'm crashing on take off's 100% of the time. That is purely pilot error on my part.

That's pretty weird, never read about this before.