B-17 Flying Fortress Flight Sim

Its snowing again, so I dug around for a "new" game. Found my 2000 B-17 Flight Sim, went to the website got the patches etc and loaded it up. Can't find the game maunual, but have a USAAF B-17 manual. Playing at 100% reality.

So far I can start the engines, taxi, get lined up on runway, and take-off.

Actually have to start engines like the real thing, set throttle, set fuel mixture, open cowl flaps, turn on magnetos, engage starter, mesh engine and then jockey throttles till you get a good 1200rpm constant, then drop to an idle. Must repeat for all four engines. You even have to start #2 engine first since it has the generator for the internal batteries.

I go right by the USAAF preflight and checklists, ex: unlock parking brake, unlock tailwheel, taxi using #1 and #4 engines, #2 and #3 stay at idle, use wheel brakes to steer on taxi (never rotate on a tire), taxi to runway, line up, lock tail wheel, set parking brake, run up engines to 2000rpm, back to idle, check oil and manifold pressures, unlock brakes, and throttle up slow (to fast engines will sputter, not a good thing).

If I remmember I took about a week just to learn how to fly it and land it, then the learning curve for all the other stuff, formation flying, etc. Was a lot of fun and a lesson for me. My Father flew B-17's in WW2, the early F model, 23 missions before shot down in channel late 43, off flight status due to injury till early 45.

I have gone to the airshows, sat in the seats, and gun positions (except ball turret, only 5'4" and below can fit in there), and have allways wondered how they did it.

i prefer modern flight sims

but i loved microsoft combat fs because you actually had to fly to the battle.

 

i love my lomac and falcon 4.0

snowbirds>ba. thunderbirds aren't bad

why blue angels that's rather off topic?

 

and just to say, i wrote my first exam for my glider pilot's license yesterday.. went well

 

i've been in a b-17 before... no ball turrent though. it was the memphis belle that they made the movie about (the one they used to actually make the movie not the real one but still a real b-17

Edited by carl_the_sniper - 14 January 2007 at 3:55pm

Dye Playa wrote: old soldier, ever seen the blue angels? those guys are sickk

Hahaha no, i'm sure Old Soldier has never heard of the blue angels..

Ugh, if I'm playing a flying game, I dont want to have to deal with that crap, I just want to jam on the W key and start moving.

Thats the difference between a historical simulation and a grade school comman shoot-em up game.

The challenge is in the flying, any moron can point and shoot.

Just understanding what these guys went through, you can fly the mission assigned any crew position. Looking thru the small circle window of the ball turret, and trying to find and track targets, to setting up the Norden bombsight for the 2.5 minute straight and level bomb run makes the game a challenge.
If you are lead a/c and in navigator position you have to do all the work just as for real to get to the target and back.

I got the start, take off and landings down, been doing touch and goes. Formation takes some work and I got the B-17 AI disabled, you have control from the get go to the shut down.

I want to get the new ms flight simulator but my computer is horrible.

Well, then you're a grade school moron...duh...

That game sounds as exciting as a nap.

carl_the_sniper wrote: i prefer modern flight sims

Flying against the Luftwaffe > *

I assume. I never got the chance.