Can't keep it straight!!

[simonmd]

This has suddenly started to get worse, so it seems. It's nearly impossible to taxi ar take off in a straight line. I've set the sensitivity to the lowest setting but the slightest left/right pressure sends me carriering onto the grass! This is the same for light or heavy AC. Any help welcomed.

[lim]

not that i'm trying to be a smart alec or what, but, maybe you could read moach's advice on this page:
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/ ... 1133341346

yup, i applied the differential brakes to my a/c, and bingo! taxiing was made easier for me. maybe you could check it out.

cheers

[simonmd]

Yes, I did do a search before asking (as you should of course!) and have seen that but the simple fact is that it's got worse lately for no apparent reason so there must be a cause. I know some AC are very hard to taxi in a straight line but these are AC that I used to have no trouble with. Also, are you seriously suggesting that I apply brakes while I take off?!! One flight I crashed into the control tower because I couldn't keep it on the runway!

[Mobius]

What kind of Joystick are you using? What you just described happend to my X-52, so it might be the rudder axis or pot on your joystick.

[CAFedm]

Might be an obvious thought, but if using real world or any sort of tweaked weather conditions, the wind may be affecting your taxiing - this actually happened to me today and I thought "why in heck is it doing that, is the aircraft broken??".

[simonmd]

Vary rarely use weather as my system is quite weak and the joystick is a Logitech Wingman forcefeedback.

[Mobius]

Does it have a twist handle or rudder axis?  Check it out in the properties menu, otherwise, check to see that you don't have another button mapped to the rudder or rudder trim (check rudder trim too).  ;)

Good Luck...

[simonmd]

No twist or pedels, I always have 'autorudder' enabled in the settings. Thing is, this is happening with 'heavys' even more so. The slightest sideways movement litteraly sends a 200 ton plane into a 90 degree skid!

However, i've tried unpluging the stick and useing the keyboadrd and this effect disapears. I've downloaded the latest software from Logitech but no change. Do you think the stick is duff?

[Mobius]

I don't know, I doubt it's your stick, does it look like the nosewheel and rudder are fully deflected, otherwise I don't know what else to do.

[PlutonianEmpire]

This has suddenly started to get worse, so it seems. It's nearly impossible to taxi ar take off in a straight line. I've set the sensitivity to the lowest setting but the slightest left/right pressure sends me carriering onto the grass! This is the same for light or heavy AC. Any help welcomed.

Have you tried recalibrating your joystick? I get the same problem sometimes and recalibrating solves the trick every now and then.

[Nav]

No twist or pedels, I always have 'autorudder' enabled in the settings.

Since I have the same Logitech stick (although fully set up for force-feedback etc.) I carried out a simple test for you, simonmd - turned on 'autorudder' and tried a flight.

Guess what - the 'autorudder' setting didn't make any difference, the rudder still required twist control.

I'd suggest that you set up an aeroplane on the ground, go to 'outside view', move the stick various ways, and watch which control surfaces are doing what. I suspect that you'll find that sideways movement of the stick (which would normally produce rudder movement on the ground, if you were using a two-axis stick) still actually moves the ailerons, because you're using a Logitech. And that you have to twist the Logitech to move the rudder, whether or not 'autorudder' is turned on.

I think that what happens is that FS9 'recognises' the Logitech and treats it as a force-feedback anyway, regardless of the 'autorudder' setting. And the stick itself automatically profiles itself that way.

The best solution would probably be to use the Logitech as it was intended (after all, you paid money for it!). You don't often need the rudder in flight anyway, and the twistgrip is much better for manoeuvring on the ground, and for keeping straight on takeoff. If it feels too sensitive, go to Controls/Joystick Sensitivities and adjust the sliders till it suits.

The next alternative is probably to get a cheap two-axis stick and use that instead, with 'autorudder' set.

You MIGHT sort the problem out by turning off the power to the Logitech and checking in 'Settings' to make sure that the game no longer 'recognises' it. But I can't see the point of that, it's wasting the stick's other capabilities.

Whichever route you choose, make sure to calibrate the joystick regularly.

[dave3cu]

Are you sure your Wingman does not have a twist grip? Any search I have done shows twist on Wingman, ffb or not.

On the one Wingman I owned (Extreme 3D) the pot for the twist eventually became unstable and would jump all over, sending the ac careening down the runway or taxiway, even with the twist lockout engaged.  

The only solution was to go to FS joystick axes assignments and delete the Rudder assignment (z-axis)

Dave

[beaky]

If you've ruled out the stick as a cause (did you try it with the stick disabled, using only key commands for rudder control), try deleting the "FS9.cfg" file. I had a similar problem before- all planes were rolling left in flight no matter what I tried- and doing that fixed it.

[simonmd]

Interesting that last one, I have been downloading LOADS of stuff so maybe the main .cfg file. You do mean the one that's usualy hidden in the applications folder yes? I trust it just 're writes' itself the next time I load FS9?

BTW, deff no twist on mine, tis about 5 years old though.

[Moach]

yes, if you delete the FS9.cfg and run FS, it will create you a new one BUT you losse all you settings and assignments... although i highly reccomend this procedure if something is troubling your sim.....

if that doesn't work, i'd say turn off your force feedback and see what happens.... (i have trouble with force feedback as well) sometimes FS works better without it....

Moach