I had no idea that trim can have such a big effect on speed

[jokash]

I knew it had some effect but that it can have an effect of Bf110E2 properly trimmed goes 460km/h at continuous power and about 440km/h if you fly at default trim and use the stick to level it.

[GiftGruen]

Just remember that I did some 'Speed experiments' with the Me262 and experienced the same.  However - don't remember the exact numbers any more.

[Xtremist]

The rudder fine control is even more important in terms of speed. Step on the ball! (turn and slip indicator) 

[GiftGruen]

Mhmm … but not with straight line speed in a 2mot (? I think at least ?)

Edited May 19 by GiftGruen

[jokash]

On 5/19/2026 at 3:34 PM, Xtremist said:

The rudder fine control is even more important in terms of speed. Step on the ball! (turn and slip indicator) 

you mean the yaw trim?

On 5/19/2026 at 7:06 PM, GiftGruen said:

Mhmm … but not with straight line speed in a 2mot (? I think at least ?)

what's 2mot?

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

2mot is what German speakers call a twin engine aircraft.

And trim effects your aircraft no matter how many engines it has.  Planes like the P38 with handed props (they spin in opposite directions) will need less rudder trim, but trim still has an effect.

Edited May 23 by BlitzPig_EL

[MaxPower]

I would imagine that this effect is especially strong for aircraft with variable incidence stabilizers.

Edited May 23 by MaxPower

[FeuerFliegen]

On 5/23/2026 at 5:43 PM, MaxPower said:

I would imagine that this effect is especially strong for aircraft with variable incidence stabilizers.

 Exactly.  An adjustable stabilizer has a much larger effect than trim.

 

 

I had no idea the Bf110 E-2 could gain 20kph with trim though; that's crazy.  I'm going to test this myself in a minute.

[FeuerFliegen]

Hmm, I tested the Bf110 E-2.

 

Fuel locked to 300L, no other modifications.  Kuban autumn map, 1000m altitude

 

I put the power to as high as it could go and still be in full continuous mode; 1.19ata.  I set it to autolevel and tested different pitch trim levels.  Zero difference no matter what the pitch trim was set to.  I tried adjusting the yaw trim.  Also zero difference no matter what it was set to.

 

Speed was 426kph the entire time.

 

Can you give me more details on your testing?

 

 

Also, 440kph is quite fast for the Bf110 E-2.  It can do this, but it typically takes a much higher power setting than max continuous.

[BlitzPig_EL]

You can't use auto level to test trim, as auto level will always keep the aircraft in trim, no matter what you do.

You have to test by piloting the aircraft yourself, and setting the trim to get level flight in manual mode.

[jokash]

I'm not 100% on numbers but it was around 20kph...i used the game hud to inform speed.No autolevel used...one speed was through default trim and holding stick down and another was through triming the aircraft to fly level.

The Bf110 has those little trim tabs as opposed to having the whole stabilator moving

[Dash,Polder]

The only issue with trim is it's way to effective at slow speeds.  Not the case in real world physics, it shouldn't do anything at stall speeds for instance, but some planes you can literally roll the trim all the way back and do a steep helicopter stall landing.  Doing that in the real world means self termination.

Edited May 30 by Dash,Polder

[FeuerFliegen]

12 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

You can't use auto level to test trim, as auto level will always keep the aircraft in trim, no matter what you do.

You have to test by piloting the aircraft yourself, and setting the trim to get level flight in manual mode.

 

That's not true.  Auto level does not adjust trim.  It adjust the flight stick to keep the plane level.  Other planes WILL be affected by trim in auto level (very little though, rarely by more than 2-3kph, but not the Bf110 E-2.

Edited May 31 by FeuerFliegen

[FeuerFliegen]

 

 

Regardless, I just did the test without using autolevel.  I couldn't find any speed difference with trim

[eszyman]

Interesting, I perceive a massive speed difference in the 109 series, maybe because it's not a trim tab in that aircraft?