Flying Basics: Aircraft Trimming | DCS WORLD

[cmibm]

A highly needed tutorial (I guess). One addition to make life easier: If you have an autopilot and want to fly straight and level, you set the autopilot for that - and when you turn off the autopilot, the trim will stay. That can save you the time to fiddle with trim knob. If you have an autopilot that can keep a path, this will do the same. That can be useful on approach.

[Motorman]

Perfect aircraft to demonstrate this. When I first started DCS I mainly flew the Flanker and had such a sore arm from holding the stick forward all the time. :)

What's interesting is to take off with asymmetric external tanks in the Harrier, turn on autopilot (AFC) for level flight, then watch the trim adjust itself as the fuel burns down.

[osakanone]

Very helpful! You're basically becoming "intro to DCS concepts" for a lot of people because you explain these ideas close to perfect.


As a game-developer trying to execute some of the finer concepts of flight simulation which aren't summarised by the sheer physics or mechanical engineering, your work helps me understand what's happening quite tremendously.

Have you considered teaching or becoming an instructor? It really is your calling.

[JeKramxel]

I've only recently started flying the F-15C, after years and years on the Su-27, and I can really appreciate the difference now, every time I get back on the Flanker. It's crazy how much pilot load it actually means! I now call the Su "The Endless Trimm plane".

[jimhutcho]

Me flying the su-27 with a keyboard and mouse: 👀👀👀

[sm]

I see a lot of people complaining here and in the forum that they can’t trim aircraft in DCS for hands-free flight like in other sims or in real aircraft. The trim resolution is just too crude, and as far as I know, they provide no way to adjust it. For trim button or key taps, you can see the control deflect about a quarter inch. The axis curves have nothing to do with it. However, in the P-51, if I hover the cursor over the trim wheels and roll the mouse wheel one click, they move about 1/2 or 1/3 as far as they do when tapping the trim button or key. The airplane is still impossible to trim hands-free, though. In two or three seconds it’s rolling the other way or climbing or diving. I see no jitter or any other problem with my controls. It seems to be one of those things that isn’t going to get fixed because they don’t think anything is wrong.

[Tesshier]

I never thought about the curvature issue (then again I fly linear on the stick only curving the rudders). Good point!

[aitor]

I just started on DCS World and this the best explanation of what the trim does, without a doubt. Thanks a lot mate

[adamjohnson]

I've been waiting for this. Thank you

[NorthernerInSpace]

Really cool explanation, especially when you highlighted the importance with axis curves.

[Veli]

Thanks for this. I haved two issues when trimming, in particular the flanker. First, I can't always trim away the forces. I'm trimming all the way downwards, but I still need to push the stick forward to keep the plane level. Second, sometimes trimming goes automatically all the way to max with just a little push (it must be like flying a 737 max). I just push once on the right keybord key, and I see the trim indicator moving slowly all the way. I can't do nothing until it is at max, even pressing to trim in the other direction does not stop this movement until it has reached max.

[danglingdave]

All these videos are brilliant cap they've really helped me too learn how to play DCS thankyou very much i also admire just how much skill some of the reapers have to play this sim as good as they do, its a massive learning curve but i love the game and wouldnt of been able to get my head around half this stuff without your help.

TOP MAN 👍

[manutube]

Excellent video as usual. It really helps for beginners / intermediates to learn quickly and have answers to a lot of questions. Without it, the game could be a little bit frustrating due to the lack of information by default provided from ED. But with these tutorials the game is more enjoyable and we pay more attention to the great level of details modeled in it

[Neccronix]

Think of trimming like a mini joystick on top of your joystick - it fine tunes the surfaces of your plane for different flight conditions

[MarcinW]

Big thanks for the video mate! I thought I have something wrong with calibration, I didn't know aircraft must be trimmed :)

[NeightWolf]

Great video and phenomenal instruction. You really break it down nicely in easy to understand terminology. You are teaching me how to fly lol

[ronaldwatson]

Superior demonstration and review, there's no doubt when the Reapers do warbirds their's some people that fly that don't have a clue about trims.

[zooweemama]

The Su-27/33/other Su series mods LOVE to pitch up, especially with full AB. Trim is essential

[lenn]

Great explanation Cap! Very informative.

[AnthonyAdrianAcker]

This helped me a lot! My landings are way smoother now.