Mxsmanic wrote:


Yes, I do. The closer I am to correct trim, the less I have to move the
joystick from its neutral position, and the less spring pressure there is on
my hand. When the aircraft stays put without me touching the stick at all, it
is trimmed correctly.

That the general idea, but in an airplane the stick isn't generally
-moved- (except at very slow speeds); rather, pressure is exerted on it
by the pilot to counter the forces exerted by the airflow over the
control surfaces.

I recommended to somebody else that they call around the local flight
schools and see if they can find a Frasca-type simulator like this one
http://www.frasca.com/body/TruVision170.Lo.jpg and spend a half-hour or
so in it. The pressure feedback is strikingly similar to that of a
small airplane, and you'll get a good sense of the correct feel as well
as the correct use of trim to alleviate control pressure.

"During flight, it is the rudder -pressure- the pilot exerts on the
control yoke and rudder pedals that causes the airplane to move about
the axes. When a control surface is moved out of its streamlined
position (even slightly), the air flowing past it will exert a force
against it and will try to return it to its streamlined position. It is
this force that the pilot feels as pressure on the control yoke and the
rudder pedals." Airplane Flying Handbook

I imagine it would be pretty expensive, but I'd really like to see a
motorized flight sim yoke that accurately represents control surface
pressures. I have all the hardware (spare Battlebot parts) to make a
dual-axis prototype, but not enough knowledge of the software interface
or specific pressure values.

-c