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[kpn.kardif]

I've been flying this sim for several years now, usually I stick to either American or Russian planes.  Which means I'm a total noob when it comes to something like the BF109, and I couldn't think of a better place than here to ask some questions.  I just started flying Boelcke's Defense of the Reich campaign in the 109 G6, having a great time so far.  Some things I've noticed about the plane though... it has a tendency to roll to the left, which I haven't been able to compensate for.  Does it not have aileron trim?  Either that or I messed up when mapping my controls (DBW 1.71, fresh install).  It's not my stick, joy control says it's centered perfectly. 

Also, is this normal?





Notice the front part of the wing, seems to extend away from the rest of it.  I only notice this when engaging flaps on landing approach, can't make it happen any other time.  If it's a bug, I'll post it over in the DBW bug thread, but figured I'd ask here first. 

Thanks for any tips!

[CWMV]

Those are the automatic leading edge salts, no worries there!
And no, the only trim it has is elevator.

[HundertzehnGustav]

flying a 109 is a handsful of work at the beginning.
fire away them questions.
there is an ammocounter, right below the gunsight.
do not use manual prop pitch in combat - except you have had extensive (and i mean it!!) training with it first. It' ll kill your engine in 5 seconds flat if mishandled.
reich defense you say, eh?
do not hang behind them yankee Bombers. Make side attacks, top attacks, in-your-face- attacks... anything but flying straight behind a viermot and trying to snipe them.

Horrido!

[CWMV]

...also, remember that your flying the G-6, the worst of the 109's.
Take an F-4 for a spin, and youll wonder how you ever flew anything else.
The 109 series can be a handful at times (like landing) but keep at it, once your comfortable there is no other aircraft that you will not feel confident against.

[Pursuivant]

Some things I've noticed about the plane though... it has a tendency to roll to the left, which I haven't been able to compensate for.  Does it not have aileron trim?

The later models of Bf-109 were noted for their torque. You need use a lot of trim and mess around with it until you get the plane to behave. It's a pain if you're playing a quick dogfight mission or a short-range campaign mission, since the game doesn't remember your trim settings from mission to mission.

In the air, you can mostly compensate with rudder. On the ground, beware! Don't even dream of taking off unless your tailwheel is locked, you apply throttle slowly and you apply a lot of rudder to counter. Likewise, on landing, or if you're close to stalling, don't open up the throttle quickly without applying a lot of rudder first or else your engine will flip you into a stall.

When you land, try to keep your airspeed up a bit above stall speed and land so that you make smooth contact with your main landing gear first, rather than a "3 point landing." Once you've got contact with the ground, then ease the throttle way down while still holding rudder until the tailwheel hits, then gently apply the brakes. If you land hard, the narrow landing gear and the high torque will bounce you into the air and/or tip you over on your nose or wing.
 

Notice the front part of the wing, seems to extend away from the rest of it.  I only notice this when engaging flaps on landing approach, can't make it happen any other time.

Those are leading edge flaps. The idea is that they automatically deploy when the plane is close to stalling, changing wing geometry to prevent stalling. They're one of the best things about the 109, since especially on the earlier models, they'll keep you from high speed stalls when you turn too sharply.

The leading edge "slats" will automatically deploy at other times when you might stall, not just landing approach. If you look at dogfight tracks or allow yourself to get into external view during missions (or let the plane fight on autopilot) you'll notice that they deploy during hard turns.

I don't claim to be an experten, but especially with the G model 109, you have to think more in terms of "boom and zoom" than dogfighting, since it traded maneuverability for speed and firepower. Basically, keep your speed and altitude up, make a diving pass where you stay above your opponent and get out. Keep your speed up as you disengage, get sufficient separation, regain situational awareness and possibly make another attack run.

The bad news is that you need to get good at making quick, high deflection shots. The good news is that the Mk-108 cannon in the nose makes it easy to get "one shot kills" if you aim right and you get a bit of luck on your side.

The F models are much more suited to turn-fighting, but even then you need to use the 109's power to make the fight a vertical fight rather than purely horizontal. You need to be more of a dogfighter in the F model since they're some of the lightest armed 109s.

The E models are slightly more suited to boom and zoom, but don't have the firepower of the G model (the early German cannons suck) and aren't that much faster than the opposition, so you have to be a better pilot to fly them right and a better shooter to score with them.

[kpn.kardif]

All excellent tips, thanks for the great replies!  Funny, I haven't had a problem landing the G6 yet, even made a quick one on a road just east of Berlin when my engine got shot up and couldn't make it back to base (hung around too long behind a B-17  ).  Debrief says I "crash landed in a field"... need to have a conversation with my superiors about that one, as the aircraft is probably in some barn somewhere with the airframe completely intact!  The road wasn't even as wide as my wings, and I still managed to land on it with wheels down and a damaged engine!  grrr....

The B-17 is a tough nut to crack, especially after taking down Betty's in the pacific, might have made me soft.  Stupid thing is bristling with guns and some of those guys are crack shots, even on rookie setting.  I learned real quick not to hang out behind them.  I prefer taking my shots from abeam, getting exactly at their 3 o'clock and crossing the T.  I find I have to get farther away than I'd like though, any closer than .75km and they'll nail me when I start to turn towards them.  Also, slashing attacks from high 4 and 8 o'clock seem to work ok, don't get a lot of time to put lead in the target, but they don't get a lot of time to put lead into me either.  Link for Boelcke's campaign: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,20368.0.html

Flying b and z tactics is fine with me, just recently spent a bunch of time flying P-38's in the Pacific.  I used prop pitch to keep my rpm's under control, usually under 2500 unless in combat and climbing.  I figure the 109 has automatic prop pitch for a reason, and until it gives me a reason to switch to manual, I'll just leave it on auto