Visual coordination of turns revisited
Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm still in a bit of a quandry as to how to learn to make
coordinated turns in a PC simulator that does not include a motion
platform.
I've turned on the visual alignment indicator that MSFS provides,
which is a red "V" that sits squarely ahead in the visual field,
effectively bolted to the airframe. I've been trying to turn such
that this V always moves along the horizon at a constant speed for a
given bank angle. Logically, a specific bank angle in a coordinated
turn will always produce a heading change at the same speed. If the
speed at which the horizon is moving varies, the turn is not
coordinated.
Also, it seems that in a coordinated, level turn, this V should stay
at the same distance above the horizon throughout the turn.
As I roll into a turn, the speed of movement of the V along the
horizon should increase in precise relationship to the bank angle.
The opposite should occur as I roll out of the turn, with the speed
along the horizon slowing as I return to level flight.
Any problems with this? The only remaining problem is to figure out
_how_ fast the V should be moving for a given bank angle. Maybe that
can come with practice.
In the real world we don't have that little V superimposed on the wind
sheild. What we do have is that little dodad ball in most cases in the turn
coordinator. Keep that little ball so it looks like this
|O| and you will be in a coordinated turn.
If you want to know how to make that V do what you want you are going to
have to ask in a flight sim newsgroup.
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