Tempest V

[PROXIMVS]

I have wrecked I didn't count how many FW-190's after landing due to ground looping, but most every landing ended with one wing - usually the right - on the ground.  But, I now have that figured out: pull back on the stick once the aircraft is slow enough that it won't try to take-off again and keep it back until I have brought the 190 to a stop.  Then taxi to park.

The Tempest V ... that's a different matter.  It has no tail wheel lock at all.  Inevitably it does a donut, no matter my rudder and wheel brake inputs.  It never results in any damage to the aircraft: it just does a 360 + degree donut, then rolls backward a bit ... usually, before I can stop it.  It doesn't matter that the moment the nose started going left I floored the right rudder pedal - sometimes so hard I pushed my desk chair away from the desk - and engaged the brake: it does a donut.  Landing speed does not seem to make a difference: exactly correct or a bit faster than correct, bounce or no bounce at all; donut.

Does anyone know how one prevents ground-looping in a Tempest V?

Curiously - and NONSEQVITVR to the above point - I have noticed that both the P-38 and Me-262 have torque-effect during landing and taxi: I have to use gentle right rudder inputs to keep either of them straight.  That should not be happening.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

Don't put your throttle all the way back at 0. Especially at low speeds, keep it at 10-20% to get some airflow past the rudder. That way you should be able to maintain rudder authority.

[PROXIMVS]

AH-HA!  That sounds right: I'll do that next time I land one.

Thank you 👍

That has been really, really getting on my nerves!

[Art-J]

Just for the record - I presume you know Tempest doesn't have toe brakes like German and US planes and uses British/Russian diff brakes system activated by rudder and handle on the stick?

[Avimimus]

23 hours ago, PROXIMVS said:

Curiously - and NONSEQVITVR to the above point - I have noticed that both the P-38 and Me-262 have torque-effect during landing and taxi: I have to use gentle right rudder inputs to keep either of them straight.  That should not be happening.

 

Hi, I loaded it up and did a couple of tests. I didn't find this to be the case. The Jumo 004 jet engines should provide a bit of torque (as they are rotating quickly), but the P-38 has contra-rotating props.

- There was no noticeable pull from the Me-262. 

- I tried starting and accelerating the P-38 several times. The P-38 did pull to the right one time, but it didn't on the other times. I suspect the one time it pulled to the right was due to the landing gear interacting with the ground, rather than anything to to with torque.

So I'd recommend doing more tests (as I couldn't replicate what you are talking about).

Note: The game does model wind - so you might want to make sure there is no cross-wind prior to doing your tests.

[PROXIMVS]

On 6/16/2026 at 8:44 AM, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Don't put your throttle all the way back at 0. Especially at low speeds, keep it at 10-20% to get some airflow past the rudder. That way you should be able to maintain rudder authority.

Did not work.  I cannot stop the aircraft with 10% power and no matter how slowly I reduce throttle when it is as slow as it is going to get it does a donut.

[PROXIMVS]

On 6/16/2026 at 1:48 PM, Art-J said:

Just for the record - I presume you know Tempest doesn't have toe brakes like German and US planes and uses British/Russian diff brakes system activated by rudder and handle on the stick?

How ever would I know that since it is not mentioned in the aircraft brief? 🙂

Or, at least not that I saw.

I suppose, then, it works like the tailwheel lock in a 190: Pull back on the stick once the Tempest is too slow to take-off, then right rudder = right wheel brake, same left?

This version of this game in a new world for me.

On 6/17/2026 at 8:35 AM, Avimimus said:

 

Hi, I loaded it up and did a couple of tests. I didn't find this to be the case. The Jumo 004 jet engines should provide a bit of torque (as they are rotating quickly), but the P-38 has contra-rotating props.

- There was no noticeable pull from the Me-262. 

- I tried starting and accelerating the P-38 several times. The P-38 did pull to the right one time, but it didn't on the other times. I suspect the one time it pulled to the right was due to the landing gear interacting with the ground, rather than anything to to with torque.

So I'd recommend doing more tests (as I couldn't replicate what you are talking about).

Note: The game does model wind - so you might want to make sure there is no cross-wind prior to doing your tests.

QMB no modification to time or weather, Bodenplatte Module.  It was not significant and easy to control, but each taxi in either I had to make gentle right rudder inputs to keep them straight.  I don't remember direction making any difference.

[PROXIMVS]

On 6/16/2026 at 8:44 AM, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Don't put your throttle all the way back at 0. Especially at low speeds, keep it at 10-20% to get some airflow past the rudder. That way you should be able to maintain rudder authority.

But, maybe it's because I was not actually engaging the wheel brakes 😂

[Art-J]

7 hours ago, PROXIMVS said:

I suppose, then, it works like the tailwheel lock in a 190: Pull back on the stick once the Tempest is too slow to take-off, then right rudder = right wheel brake, same left?

No, Russian/Brit system uses a bicycle-style brake lever on your stick, you squeeze it - which enables and modulates both brakes, then by moving rudder left/right you control which wheel brakes and which doesn't and that gives you differential control. The lever is an analog device in real life but can be assigned to digital key/button/switch in game. In either case there are no pedal toe brakes in Tempest and other Brit planes.

There is no any tailwheel lock mechanism either, albeit there MIGHT (?) be a bit of self-centering effect from tailwheel strut geometry combined with pulling the stick back to press the wheel onto the ground a bit harder. If it's there, it's not much noticeable.

[Stonehouse]

Spitfire but the theory is the same for all British built aircraft and some other nations as well. Mosquito can be a handful on take-off as well if you don't keep in practice. May help you.  Some Tempest numbers below. Notice in the video the brakes are being tapped in conjunction with rudder corrections and not held on. You want the weight to stay on the tailwheel and as people have mentioned throttling up slightly after you touch down can help keep directional stability. Practise taxiing is probably a good way to get better at controlling landing

Edited June 19 by Stonehouse

[Czech693]

Be advised that the pneumatic (air) brakes apply full brake on the rudder that is applied, and less brake on the opposite brake.  They never apply partial brake on the rudder that is applied.  So, you should be using quick taps of the brake lever (unless you intend to apply full brake on that side).  Check the brake gauge on the British fighters (lower left portion of the instrument panel) and you will see how this is happening.

Edited June 19 by Czech693

[PROXIMVS]

14 hours ago, Art-J said:

No, Russian/Brit system uses a bicycle-style brake lever on your stick, you squeeze it - which enables and modulates both brakes, then by moving rudder left/right you control which wheel brakes and which doesn't and that gives you differential control. The lever is an analog device in real life but can be assigned to digital key/button/switch in game. In either case there are no pedal toe brakes in Tempest and other Brit planes.

There is no any tailwheel lock mechanism either, albeit there MIGHT (?) be a bit of self-centering effect from tailwheel strut geometry combined with pulling the stick back to press the wheel onto the ground a bit harder. If it's there, it's not much noticeable.

Yep: that's how it works in the real world.  I was thinking the brakes engage even in a Tempest or otherwise in game according to the setting I set in the game.  So I have to find the control for Tempest / Spit brakes and set it?

[PROXIMVS]

8 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

Spitfire but the theory is the same for all British built aircraft and some other nations as well. Mosquito can be a handful on take-off as well if you don't keep in practice. May help you.  Some Tempest numbers below. Notice in the video the brakes are being tapped in conjunction with rudder corrections and not held on. You want the weight to stay on the tailwheel and as people have mentioned throttling up slightly after you touch down can help keep directional stability. Practise taxiing is probably a good way to get better at controlling landing

Thank you.  That was an excellent instructional video.

However, when flying a British aircraft - the Spitfire in particular - it is always best to speak in a British Accent ... though Scottish, Australian or New Zealander are also acceptable.

[MDzmitry]

1 час назад, PROXIMVS сказал:

Thank you.  That was an excellent instructional video.

However, when flying a British aircraft - the Spitfire in particular - it is always best to speak in a British Accent ... though Scottish, Australian or New Zealander are also acceptable.

Irish, Polish, Canadian as well

[BlitzPig_EL]

We flew them too...

 

[PROXIMVS]

On 6/19/2026 at 12:18 AM, Art-J said:

No, Russian/Brit system uses a bicycle-style brake lever on your stick, you squeeze it - which enables and modulates both brakes, then by moving rudder left/right you control which wheel brakes and which doesn't and that gives you differential control. The lever is an analog device in real life but can be assigned to digital key/button/switch in game. In either case there are no pedal toe brakes in Tempest and other Brit planes.

There is no any tailwheel lock mechanism either, albeit there MIGHT (?) be a bit of self-centering effect from tailwheel strut geometry combined with pulling the stick back to press the wheel onto the ground a bit harder. If it's there, it's not much noticeable.

https://medal.tv/games/il-2-sturmovik/clips/mXiqI1LvODlvZaKI_?invite=cr-MSxuZzgsNjAzODg0NjY0

 

Gunnery Drill Tempest V v. FW-190D9.  Just practicing shooting in these, so the AI is a novice.

Turned out it's the "Wheel Brakes" key that has to be set.  I was thinking whatever I set Right / Left / Both to would activate the brakes in any aircraft, so I had "Wheel Brakes" blank because I am using my rudder pedals for that.  I was suspicious as to whether or not the brakes were actually engaging when landing Tempest V's because there was no sound or nose dip at all.  Turns out that was the issue: I had no brakes.  Now that I have brakes I am finding the Tempest V pretty easy to control during taxi.

The landing wasn't perfect, but only one small bounce and not one donut.🙂

23 hours ago, MDzmitry said:

Irish, Polish, Canadian as well

All true.

I was only kidding, though.

23 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

We flew them too...

 

Yes we did.

But only pilots that could speak in a British accent were allowed to fly them.

[PROXIMVS]

Thanks for the help, everyone.

S! 👍

[JollyJack]

On 6/20/2026 at 11:12 PM, PROXIMVS said:

https://medal.tv/games/il-2-sturmovik/clips/mXiqI1LvODlvZaKI_?invite=cr-MSxuZzgsNjAzODg0NjY0

Call that B-Limey accent   alas the link above is dead.