P40 keeps turning right

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Freewing73
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Joined: 16 Jun 2013, 10:21

P40 keeps turning right

Post by Freewing73 »

So I have been flying the P40 for a while now but just noticed it keeps wanting to turn right all the time. Is this normal. I am traveling, so I am not using my rudder pedals so I have auto rudder turned on. No other accusim aircraft I have does this. If this is normal for this particular model than that's great but If this is not normal how do I fix this. I deleted the log.dat file but didn't change anything. As a real life pilot, I understand aircraft can have turning tendencies but this is pretty drastic. I've made sure auto pilot isn't on as well.
Any help is appreciated.
Cheers

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Scott - A2A
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Scott - A2A »

The P-40 tends to yaw considerably with speed changes. So more and more left rudder or rudder trim is required with speed.

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Freewing73
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Freewing73 »

Thanks Scott for the fast reply. So even though I have auto rudder enabled it will still need rudder trim?

Freewing73
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Freewing73 »

Ok, so because I am not using my rudder pedals, I enabled auto rudder. So I discovered because auto rudder is enabled the rudder trim doesn't work. However the aircraft will still flight right. So I disabled auto rudder and now I can trim it for straight and level. Hope this helps anyone in the future.

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Scott - A2A
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Scott - A2A »

Ok yes, good point. We don't advocate using auto rudder for any of our airplanes.

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Corkscrew196
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Corkscrew196 »

Also make sure you have your yoke(stick)/rudders calibrated in windows.

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dacamp66
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by dacamp66 »

Warbirds (or any other small aircraft with a very large piston engine) are basically a huge engine with a pilot superglued onto it. Because of this, the effects of engine torque on aircraft directionality are several orders of magnitude greater than in your average GA aircraft.
Example: the allison v-1710 (1710 cubic inches displacement) has 4.95 times greater displacement than the 2003 5.7 liter Hemi (345 cubic inches)
so when you are flying around in your p-40 you have the equivalent of almost 5 Dodge Ram pickup's worth of power out in front of you (with an equivalent increase in torque forces)
I remember my Uncle Allen telling me about what he had sledgehammered into his skull by his instructors during the war, (he flew p-51's):
Quote:" if you gun the throttle while you are low+slow with the aircraft and you are not prepared for it, engine torque WILL flip the aircraft over faster than you can react, the aircraft WILL auger in, and you WILL DIE."
Moral: when dealing with small, high powered, piston aircraft (especially single engine ships) RESPECT THE TORQUE.
ok, end of sermon, time for me to shaddup.
Orville's law: when the altitude of the ground at your current location exceeds the altitude of your aircraft, you have most assuredly crashed.

Downtown
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Downtown »

It was said during WWII that you could tell a P-40 Pilot by the Huge Muscles in his left leg from standing on the left pedal.

Bomber_12th
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Bomber_12th »

Downtown wrote:It was said during WWII that you could tell a P-40 Pilot by the Huge Muscles in his left leg from standing on the left pedal.
I've heard that too, but it should be worded to be the "right leg", as you use right-rudder on take-off. The swing and workload to control it on takeoff was a bit more pronounced with the earlier "short tail" P-40's, like the B/C/E/F/K and early L's, before the rear fuselage was lengthened on the later L's, and then on the M's and N's.
John Terrell

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Lewis - A2A
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Bomber_12th wrote:
Downtown wrote:The swing and workload to control it on takeoff was a bit more pronounced with the earlier "short tail" P-40's, like the B/C/E/F/K and early L's, before the rear fuselage was lengthened on the later L's, and then on the M's and N's.
Indeed Bomber, though I also hear it was a closing the gate after the horse has bolted issue as the power was also increased with the later marks causing the same sort of issues with just a slightly longer aircraft.

thanks,
Lewis
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Downtown
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Re: P40 keeps turning right

Post by Downtown »

I thought the rotational torque was to the right, which required left rudder to correct. I have never actually operated an aircraft so I can't testify to this, my recollection was Left Leg, I think I read it in Baa Baa Black Sheep, but can't swear to that either.

Found this

"GENERAL FLYING

13. Whilst this aircraft has a good view and is very maneuvreable, it is directionally unstable, and this instability most pronounced with the cockpit hood in the fully open position. It is necessary to use the rudder on all turns and it is also necessary to readjust the rudder bias for all changes of speed. As speed is increased the aircraft tends to yaw to the right, and left rudder bias must be applied. (See para. 14)

The controls themselves are powerful at all speeds. It is possible to obtain high acceleration loadings by coarse use of the elevators. Trimmer tabs are effective."

Here http://www.warbirdforum.com/manual3.htm

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