The A2A Simulations Community

Noticed recently that the throttle lever lock no longer locks the throttle position. Was this a change in one of the recent updates? I think I remember that this feature worked before the update.

Throttle lever lock? On the Spitfire?

Never heard of it. There is a throttle friction wheel/lever..is that what you mean? This is used to increase the resistance against moving the throttle ((largely irrelevant in the sim as it is a physical thing on the throttle). If you tighten it enough I suppose it may stop you moving the throttle but this would be very bad airmanship in my opinion. The Merlin needs constant management and an actual locking of the throttle would be a pain. Also, you may need (particularly with a Merlin) to make very quick throttle changes... black smoke and funny noises could give you as little as a second to react. I wouldn't want to be fiddling around with the friction wheel to release the throttle before a fire started!

I honestly don't know if the wheel used to "lock" the throttle on the Accusim Spit, I certainly would never have tried. If it did and now doesn't, I don't see it as any loss, personally, for the reasons above.

I do have the functioning wheel in the sim and can tell you that it is a good idea to keep it tight but not too tight. Too tight makes flying very difficult, too loose and it slops around unpleasantly....the real thing is spring loaded to closing...so it is vital to keep some tension on it!!! I have yet to install a spring in the cockpit to simulate this particular feature.

best regards


Darryl

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...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...

Darryl,

Thanks for the clarification. I was going by the clickable locked/unlocked positions but this makes more sense. I assume it's the same for the mixture friction wheel as well. It's great to be educated by folks who really know these aircraft.

Yes Mate, precisely. I am not sure on the original whether the lever for the throttle (which has a "wheel" at its base) and the other friction wheel are connected or separate, the drawings are ambiguous. Given the "two position" nature of the mixture, locking THAT would not be such a bad idea but I doubt it was like that simply because the mixture is automatically pulled back to full rich when the throttle is retartded. If the mixture were locked and you needed to chop the throttle quickly (emergency) the mixture lever would likely jam teh throttle at half open..not good.

Note,sudden throttle changes should never be made on the Merlin except for in an emergency...usually it is best to keep a nice even movement in both directions. Throttle Friction aids in this by finding the right balance between "firmness' of response and ease of movement.

Best regards



Darryl

_________________

...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...