The recent diversion to work on the P-47D-23 was actually very related to working on the flight model for the Airacobra.
Both have quite similar centers of gravity though quite different conditions.
The CoG is pretty far aft in the Thunderbolt when it is fully loaded but stability improves as fuel is burned from the aft fuel tank and is pretty good by the time all fuel and ammunition are expended.
The CoG is slightly further ahead on the Airacobra and moves rearward as stores are expended and the aircraft becomes increasingly unstable.
The last version of the AIR file I worked on several months ago (which I will call the "Version A") had a few intentional quirks and handled well but had rather conventional behaviour especially at the stall.
The updated version which I will call "Version B" incorporates some changes gained from experiments with the Thunderbolt and is much less stable and has some strange stall characteristics which seem to logically match some of the characteristics of the Airacobra.
There are some maneuvers I still cannot reproduce such as the infamous "Tumble".
There are some handling characteristics such as the very sensitive elevators that I have chosen to ignore in order to make the models more easily flyable in the simulator and I suspect that might also be preventing the Tumble.
Along with edits to the AIR file, there have been some minor edits to the model.
In this screenshot, the narrowed interior frame of the canopy can be seen.
It was modified so that the Virtual Cockpit view would have smaller obstructions.
- Ivan.
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