Takeoff and Landing Tutorial | FlyingIron Simulations Spitfire MKIX | Microsoft Flight Simulator 

Yep, thank Klaas, all good advice! : )

Any way you could incorporate this into a cold and dark startup procedure that YOU follow? In other words, could you create (if you haven't already) a cold and dark checklist / procedures (SOP) for the Spitfire? I have a folder that I've created on my laptop just for your suggestions, ,sounds like you've been through the battles. Im trying to get my son to like flying it but we always crash even on post-run-up mode when we are already started up and pointing down the runway (and then he gets frustrated and doesn't want to continue because he doesn't think I know how to run the sim), crash to the left everytime, have the trim adjusted correctly and everything else (at least we think)

Thank you very much Father. Very kind of you to say and thoroughly appreciated! I’m really glad you enjoyed the flight; I’m actually planning on another outing in the MK I for this weekends video most likely haha. Cheers and god bless : )

Thanks very much Eric, much appreciated! Glad you were able to find the time to watch it. Hope it helped you to tame the Spit at least a little haha. All the best! : )

Thanks very much Mr Moss, I'm glad you found the video of help! Haha, that sounds about right for a typical takeoff in the Spit and I don't think it's even too far removed from reality, when new trainees used to make their first outing in the aircraft. Best of luck and happy landings! ; )

Ah brilliant Robi! Very happy to hear that the video proved helpful in mastering this wonderful bird : ) Happy flying and all the best!

My pleasure KT! Really glad you found it of use. Luckily the Spit is quite a bit easier to handle these days (after a few of the more recent updates), but I think most of what’s stated in this tutorial still applies : ) Happy flying!

Thanks CC! Haha, taken under advisement! ; ) Cheers!

Thank you very much Roland! There’s no easy fix for getting this tricky little filly up in the air and back down again, but I’m glad you found the video helpful and hopefully it goes some way to making the Spit a little easier to handle. All the best : )

Thanks CP! The FlyingIron Spit has been updated a number of times since this video was recorded, but hopefully most of the advice still rings true. The Spitfire can certainly take some getting used to but as you say, practice will get you there eventually I’m sure! Cheers and all the best : )

Thanks Mark. Hope it helped a little bit? I gather the Spit is actually a bit easier to fly after the most recent sim update (haven’t had a chance to try it myself yet though)? Take care : )

Haha, thanks very much Stuart! Practice certainly helps, though somewhat unfortunately it will generally be much easier / harder depending on what controller hardware one owns as well. Happy landings! ; )

Thanks very much Jerry. Happy landings! : )

Ah well thanks very much! Really glad to hear it was of some use : ) The Spitfire is definitely the trickiest aircraft to handle in the sim currently (I think it’s probably even more of a handful than the real aircraft haha), but it can just about be tamed. . . Thanks again. Happy flying!

You're most welcome Khaled, I'm really glad the video proved to be of use! Thanks very much for watching and happy flying : )

Interesting point Joshua! Not one I’d considered and frankly I have no idea haha. I’d be amazed if the sim if able to model that accurately. Either way though, whatever is causing the behaviour needs some work, as I would say it’s far from accurate. Quite. I was trying to get the Corsair off the carrier deck the other day. Could juuuust about manage it with 50% fuel, but it was a real struggle without the wind coming over the deck! Obviously you can just adjust the weather accordingly, but it would be nice to get those carriers moving at some point. . . Cheers : )

Hi C119G, Thanks very much for the pointers. Clearly you know what you’re talking about (have you been fortunate enough to fly the real thing?), however this wasn’t a tutorial on how to fly *a* Spitfire, it was a tutorial on how to fly *this* Spitfire haha. At the time of recording (some time ago now), the FlyingIron Spit had some very peculiar handling characteristics (which have subsequently been corrected). The aim of this video, was simply to walk people through the best mitigation strategies for managing a takeoff, given the flight model at the time. It’s an old video at this point of course and I had considered taking it down, but some people still seem to find it useful (people new to the Spit, might not consider that full power isn’t necessary during the takeoff for example). Cheers and all the best : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations You're most welcome Sir,I haven't flown the real thing,but,I was instructed virtually by a real Tiger Moth/Harvard pilot on Fs2004(he pointed me to the best ones to get) to learn how the "real" Spit pilots were trained upto handling a Spitfire. His instruction stood me in very good stead when it came to having a go with the JF Mk.9 and the fearsome Real Air XIV. I spoke to as many "modern day" Spit pilots as I could(quite a few of the well known airshow circuit pilots)to understand their tips and tricks that they'd picked up over the years of their Spitfire experience. I understand that your aim is to provide instruction on this particular Spitfire,I always feel though,that to understand things properly,one needs to apply "correct" procedures to fully appreciate the aircraft.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to learn about how all of these things are done properly, especially when it comes to the Spit (I did have a real Spitfire pilot offer up some feedback a while ago also). It’s just that in the case of the FlyingIron Spit, at the time, the above was the only method I could come up with for controlling the takeoff (after a lot of trial and error). Thanks again! : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations You did a pretty good job,you're not far off the mark really.😉

Likewise! and it doesn’t get much more classic than a Spitfire ; ) All the best! : )

Yeah, it’s really missing some plumes of smoke and a few licks of flame on the start up! Sadly all the warbirds are, I’m guessing it’s a sim limitation. . . If you’re still getting to grips with virtual flying, I’d say the Spit is probably one to avoid for the time being then yes. It’s a real handful, especially ok the takeoff (more so than even the real aircraft I expect haha). Thanks very much and all the best! : )

Thank you very much Mark! My pleasure and I’m very happy to hear that you found the video to be of use (it’s an old video now, but I think the fundamentals are still broadly correct). Ah, well if I didn’t set the prop fully forward, that was simply an omission on my part. Certainly, setting the pitch to fully fine on short final, would be best practice (I usually run through those checks during the approach, but must have gotten too engrossed with the commentary haha). Many thanks once again and happy flying! : )

Hi Matt, Good point. A lot may have changed since I made this tutorial, as the aircraft has been updated (twice I think). Previously, as with many other aircraft in the sim, the aircraft would suddenly and aggressively swing out to the left on takeoff. These were the best techniques I found for mitigating that swing. I find the most recent version of the MKIX is much easier to control though and only requires relatively more minor adjustments on the rudder pedals + no trim required any more. As you say, the prop effects should of course always occur in the same direction for a given aircraft. Crosswind would play a factor too. I can’t say I noticed any violent lurch out to the right when I’ve flown the Spit recently though. . . are you running the most up to date version? Hope that clears things up a bit anyway. In short I think the aircrafts handling characteristics have changed quite a bit since I made this tutorial and the aircraft is now much easier to handle on the takeoff. All the best! : )

Yeah, it’ll be getting pretty close haha! Might have to revisit the DCS Spitfire as well now (although never liked it as much), that sim is also now looking rather amazing! : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations due to corona pandemic I could not buy big rig, so I have to stick with p3d 😁 and no money to spend either. I'll try it, it is military and I love that's, it's missions are awesome

Yeah, totally understand. I would quite like to upgrade my PC, but it’s far to much trouble / expensive to do at the moment. If you can run P3D, you can probably run DCS though. The base game is free, so always worth a try : )

Thank you! Glad you found it useful. Yeah, both the Waco and the Spit have had some major issues with the takeoff. The Spit has improved a lot since the last update, but the Waco still needs some fixing up (at least it did last time I flew it). Many tail draggers are a bit iffy in the sim, but they do seem to be generally getting better : ) Thanks again and all the best!

@@IntotheBlueSimulations using the boost as guide really helped. She easily takes off at 7-8 boost where the checklist in the handbook says 'full throttle'. Watching your video made me feel better about myself as full throttle produces 50% accidents and 50% near-accidents. X-D

Haha, glad that helped! I’m not sure why the checklist says that, I don’t believe that’s even realistic. I think 8 lbs (or thereabouts) is pretty close to the real-world takeoff power setting. It’s enough of a handful even then, so full power would be tricky yeah haha XD All the best!

Thanks again Ludo! : ) Hmm, that is strange. . . Especially if you are only coming up to 7 lbs on the boost. Mine still pulls to the left, but I find it reasonably controllable. I do have a - 50 curve on my rudder sensitivity. Maybe that makes things a little easier, as it’s giving me more precise control. Maybe worth a try? All the best!

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Hi. I do have -50 curve in my rudder and it's better. I Can now take off with more finesse. Thanks a lot. You are the best 😉 Stay safe. Ludo

Haha, cheers man! : P Glad it helped a bit : )

My pleasure, YR! This tutorial is actually rather dated now (as a lot has changed with the FI Spit since I released the video), but I suppose a lot of the fundamentals still apply. The boost setting, is basically the same as a manifold pressure setting (which perhaps you’re more familiar with). Boost is controlled with the throttle. The rudder trim is adjusted with a trim wheel, down by the pilot’s left leg and you can see me setting the rudder trim at 02:17 during the video. I hope that helps? All the best! : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thank you, I am new to running a Mac and X Plane 12, having only used MSFS previously, so bit of a learning curve and seems more involved and realistic..

You’re welcome! Enjoy X-Plane : )

Thanks Arthur! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, it is a shame. I’m sure a lot of people will have stopped flying it as a result. It was a bit easier to handle before the update. . . I think a lot of the blame lies with the sim itself, it just doesn’t seem to handle 3rd-party tailwheel aircraft well, especially when they have big torque-y engines. Particularly in the case of the FlyingIron Spit, I don’t think it’s all down to the developers. They did a lovely job with the handling / spin characteristics (even in MSFS!), so I suspect they know a thing or two about flight modelling on their end. Hopefully between developers and Asobo, it will slowly get sorted Cheers and all the best : )

The MILVIZ Corsair is rather excellent. That’s not much easier when it comes to takeoff and landing though I’m afraid. As you may have seen on the channel, there is also the Big Radials P40B due out soon. Another very nice bird. A little bit less of handful from what I’ve seen so far, though still enough to provide a challenge. Apparently the Spitfire is a little easier to control since the latest update though (I haven’t had a chance to try it myself yet)? All the best : )

Specifically regarding the Spit, I don’t think the DCS one is anything special sadly. Generally speaking though; DCS is still significantly better in terms of flight modelling than MSFS (and really any other sim). MSFS does a great job of recreating the “feeling” of flight when cruising around, but DCS does a much better job modelling the aerodynamics throughout the flight envelope. The DCS modules are very pricey of course, but almost all of them are “study level” and excellent. If it’s maximum realism you’re after (for the time being) DCS is still the way to go in my opinion (for warbirds / combat aircraft). Obviously 2 days is a lot of downloading, but at least the base sim is free and there are a couple of quality freeware aircraft mods as well now. I’d say it’s worth giving it a go! Glad you’re enjoying the content. Thanks very much and all the best! : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Tnxs for the response. I better start downloading then haha. And hope than someday we'll have some good studio level planes for msfs that come at least close to DCS level of realism as msfs's sdk gets new features

Thanks Stéph! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, they do rather! I think that’s pretty true to life though. They are pretty sizeable and have a significant angle to them when deployed. Probably creating a tonne of drag (and quite possibly not even that much lift haha). I guess at least in part, it’s just a function of aircraft design still being in its relative infancy and designers not yet having figured out to optimise these things. . . All the best : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations one more thing I noticed is the change in the engine sound before and after the flaps are extended (without any change of throttle setting)... may be is it related to the way the sounds are managed by the sim...

Could well be Stéph. Can’t say I noticed it myself, but I’m sure you’re right. Maybe it’s a bit of a bug, or maybe it’s the sound of the prop wash deflecting back off the flaps (they are rather large surfaces after all). The way sound is modelled is modelled in the sim does seem to be pretty good overall. All the best : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations I definitely agree!!! I think these are my favourite Spitfire sounds in a sim so far... 😉

Ooo, really?! I think the DCS Spit might be my winner on that front ; )

Hi Maty, I have tried the updated version, though only briefly. I would like to make another video with the MKIX and intend to do so, but unfortunately such videos tend to take a lower priority over reviewing new addons and there are so many new addons constantly being released, that it’s add to find the time haha. I’m sure at some point, we’ll revisit the Spit, but I’m afraid I couldn’t say when. Thanks very much for the suggestion though! Cheers and all the best : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Understandable, there's been a lot of stuff coming out at the same time!

Haha, well I hope the tutorial helps a little RaceFace. Best of luck with the Spit and happy flying! : )

Thank you very much once again. As always, my pleasure! Haha. Well, I can’t promise it’ll be an instant fix. As I say, the FlyingIron Spit is just a tricky bird. Hopefully it’ll help point you in the right direction though (both figuratively and literally haha). Take care, all the best : )

Hi TJ, I'm afraid I'm not all that familiar with the Xbox version of the sim, but happy to help if I can. What's the issue exactly? All the best! : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations hi I appreciate your reply! I'm having trouble adjusting it on way as it only adjusts to the left for some reason. I'm also having trouble opening the door (not the canopy). The Instructions say to have a right bias when landing and taking off but unfortunately I cannot do that becuase something is not letting me

Indeed Simon. FlyingIron have modelled engine damage (though it can be turned off), so one can’t go flying around at full chat for too long. As you say, being a little more conservative with the Merlin, is the key to keeping the Spit happy ; ) All the best : )

Hi James, It’s Goodwood Aerodrome, EGHR : )

Think A2A recently said there are no more SDK limitations for their aircraft and they now have started development on a couple. They will be bringing accusim with their aircraft as well. Can't wait!

@@wrongwayfeldman3247Me as well.

Likewise Jeffrey and I would totally agree. The A2A Spit seems much more plausible in terms of its handling, especially on the ground. Still a challenge, but eminently more controllable. As you say, if the real aircraft handles like the FlyingIron version on the ground, the combat part of the sortie would have been the least harrowing part! The A2A Spit is an absolute work of art though. Probably my favourite sim aircraft of all time. . . Pretty much all tailwheel aircraft still have their issues in the sim, so I don’t hold FlyingIron too accountable on this one. It seems to have gotten trickier since the update though. Hopefully they’ll continue to work on the product and Asobo will continue to work on things on their end as well. Cheers, all the best : )

That’s excellent news! I can’t wait for that either! I would love to see their Spit flying again in MSFS, more than any other addon aircraft. We’ll end up with quite a few Spits in the sim if they do haha, but still keeping my fingers crossed big time for that! Cheers : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations This is what I have said too since these came out and people yell at me saying "OMG IT SHOULD BE HARDER!" ... I have more problem with the Corsair, on the Spitfire I can sneak in power till I get some speed and then take off most of the time... on the Corsair its just insane... no input will help ya... its just luck of the draw... I'm getting pedals in a week or so... hope it helps abit, for finer controll, my hotas twist rudder is too heavy and there for hard to do fine inputs with. And the settings in MSFS is not ideal either, hard to get them right. Its way too sensitive even if tone it down. I think if either of these aircrafts was this crazy there would be no air combat, 90% of them could have crashed on take off, let alone getting to land. I can fly most of the other taildraggers just fine, even the Pitts is fine, the Waco is mostly fine, it can be dumb as well sometimes. I just think its the sim... it need better tuning for these and the devs probably need to work more on thier end too. I simply do not buy it when any input you do is just meet with no response what so ever even when you get speed and power meaning you should have decent rudder and aileron response, when it still act as if you just let it go at full throttle all hands off I dont buy it anymore.

Hi David, 2 answers really for you on that one. Firstly, it’s bit of a habit I picked up in the real world (on certain aircraft with retractable gear); secondly it is a real-world procedure on the Spit I believe, at least when taking off from muddy runways. Basically you’re tapping the brakes, to stop the wheels rotating before you retract them. That way, if the wheels are covered in mud, debris etc - they aren’t going to throw it into the wheel bay upon retraction. Hope that answers your question? All the best! : )

Hi Dabney, Sorry to hear you aren't having much joy with the Spit. I'm afraid I don't have much advice, outside of what was offered up in this video, but it could be that the flight model has been somewhat scuppered by a previous sim update (certainly the Spit wasn't *that* uncontrollable previously). FlyingIron do tend to put out pretty regular updates to their products, so hopefully things will be corrected in the not-too-distant future. Cheers, all the best!

@@IntotheBlueSimulations thanks but I'm sorry , i meant that it pulls LEFT, i corrected that in my post just now, , just so hard to take off.

Interesting question Dundis! In short, I don’t have an answer. Are you referring to the real world aircraft, or the FlyingIron version? The only thing I can think of; I believe the later Griffin powered Spits had their propellers rotate in the opposite direction from the Merlins, so that might account for the rudder trim being as you described - if you are indeed talking about a later variants? Cheers : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulationsin real life - im not sure I never looked at if it's the same trim degrees in real life tbh I guess it's not exactly study level is it -

Can’t say I’m too familiar with the real life cockpit either. Whilst (I think) the FlyingIron effort is a very nice balance between approachability and realism, as you say; study level it is not. I’m afraid I can’t really offer much insight towards your observation, I’d be interested to know myself now though haha. All the best!

@@IntotheBlueSimulations already logged about 10 hours with it it's awesome fun

Awesome! Happy to hear it : )

It is indeed a very skittish little thing to get on or off the ground isn’t it James. Even given my full attention, I find it just wants to become unstable on the ground. Probably one of the most challenging aircraft in any sim that I’ve ever flown when it comes to takeoff and landing. Sadly this isn’t because it’s hyper-realistic, the flight model just has its issues currently. . . Ultimately I just found that practice, practice, practice was the only way I got to a point where I was performing “somewhat consistent” and “somewhat controlled” takeoffs / landings haha. Hopefully the developers will address it’s tricky behaviour, but in the mean time, I hope things come together and you get some landings you are happy with : )

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Try a good P51D,now that is a real handful compared to the Spitfire.