FlyingIron Simulations Bf-109G-6 Released 6/14

I suppose this will be an immediate get for me, and i will be interested in how FI interprets the flight model. Devs of 109Gs all seem to think they have to make it extra challenging to conform to pilots' reports. My favorite existing one, the Flight Replicas G-6 for P3D, is demanding but basically honest. The one in IL2: Great Battles is a bit easier but still quirky. I don't have a lot of time in the DCS one, I only flew it on a trial basis; like most DCS aircraft it struck me as okay, a bit sterile. I hope this one, like the FR, will give me that feeling that anyone must have when flying something like Winters' 109, which is the adrenaline rush of, "I know this thing I'm about to strap on will try to kill me and wipe out millions of dollars of investment, but it's worth it."

August
 
I feel exactly the same, August. I don't want it less challenging than the real thing, but I definitely don't want it to be more challenging than the real thing.

I've enjoyed listening to Bruce Winter's thoughts on flying his original Bf 109G-6. When it came to approaching flying it, his thought was, you're not going to build 33,000 of them, over a span of ten years, if they were the absolute animal to operate that some have chosen to describe them as being. Contrary to that, he has found the '109 to be enjoyable. Granted, a high percentage of them did crash from takeoff and landing accidents during the war, but what often doesn't enter the conversation is the level of pilot training in the later years of the war. Mike Vadeboncouer, in his research, mentions that early in the war pilots had something like at least 400 hrs of flight time before they ever reached the Bf 109, but by late in the war they were lucky to have a small fraction of that, and jumping straight from something like a Bucker biplane right into the '109. Flying it in nothing but good weather, and by the numbers, Bruce Winter has commented that the Bf 109G tracks well on takeoff (considered the most dangerous part in flying one), has an incredible feel, level of performance and quick control responses in the air, flies around the pattern as if it lives there, and sets down into a three-point landing just beautifully. Of course, choosing to fly only when the weather suits it is important. Because the aircraft is susceptible to crosswinds, there is a requirement by the CAA in the UK that all Buchons/'109s are placarded in the cockpit to not be flown in crosswinds greater than 10 kts.

One of the other things too that I had never considered, that Bruce Winter brought up last year at Oshkosh, is about the significantly greater size/displacement of the DB 605 compared to the Merlin and Allison, and that it compares more closely to that of the Griffon engine.
 
Last edited:
I hope someone does some nice repaints of captured Bf-109Gs. I'd be interested in trying the hardware, but no desire to fly around in period Luftwaffe colors.

3e9738e66fd656293ec2aef72e302c0f.jpg


200bb1b2319a3649adafa30a424e9ecd.jpg
 
Bomber_12th said:
I feel exactly the same, August. I don't want it less challenging than the real thing, but I definitely don't want it to be more challenging than the real thing.

I've enjoyed listening to Bruce Winter's thoughts on flying his original Bf 109G-6. When it came to approaching flying it, his thought was, you're not going to build 33,000 of them, over a span of ten years, if they were the absolute animal to operate that some have chosen to describe them as being. Contrary to that, he has found the '109 to be enjoyable. Granted, a high percentage of them did crash from takeoff and landing accidents during the war, but what often doesn't enter the conversation is the level of pilot training in the later years of the war. Mike Vadeboncouer, in his research, mentions that early in the war pilots had something like at least 400 hrs of flight time before they ever reached the Bf 109, but by late in the war they were lucky to have a small fraction of that, and jumping straight from something like a Bucker biplane right into the '109. Flying it in nothing but good weather, and by the numbers, Bruce Winter has commented that the Bf 109G tracks well on takeoff (considered the most dangerous part in flying one), has an incredible feel, level of performance and quick control responses in the air, flies around the pattern as if it lives there, and sets down into a three-point landing just beautifully. Of course, choosing to fly only when the weather suits it is important. Because the aircraft is susceptible to crosswinds, there is a requirement by the CAA in the UK that all Buchons/'109s are placarded in the cockpit to not be flown in crosswinds greater than 10 kts.

One of the other things too that I had never considered, that Bruce Winter brought up last year at Oshkosh, is about the significantly greater size/displacement of the DB 605 compared to the Merlin and Allison, and that it compares more closely to that of the Griffon engine.
Click to expand...

You never cease to impress me with your aviation knowledge. And, you are still a kid. ;)
 
This same group is working on the A-7E for DCS. The company is comprised of two brothers who live in Australia. I've been making trips to the Naval Aviation Museum Library, gathering info for them. NC
 
jmig said:
You never cease to impress me with your aviation knowledge. And, you are still a kid. ;)
Click to expand...
Twenty years ago Panther was amazed that someone so young was so gifted and enthousiastic about flying. John has come a long way. He always has impressed me with his skills and his knowledge, never saw him as a kid.

Cees
 
Cees Donker said:
Twenty years ago Panther was amazed that someone so young was so gifted and enthousiastic about flying. John has come a long way. He always has impressed me with his skills and his knowledge, never saw him as a kid.

Cees
Click to expand...
and let's not forget that he is one of the best repainters around, ànd a great developer too, I still miss the WBS Mustangs in MFS
 
Brilliant :)
Looks great, flies great, sounds great inside (maybe too many pops and bangs at low throttle, maybe not)
Tiny modern radio in cockpit (as in R/L gliders) and modern pilot.
Take-offs and landings bit tricky as expected...
Strangely can't get it to loop, always rolls erect exactly at the top of the loop, still at 250 KPH so not stalled ... hmmm
Silver livery if you don't want to fly for the Luftwaffe, partial swastikas.
 
Last edited:
After the last update of the Spitfire I couldn't resist, downloading now for a test flight during lunch break. Home office has some benefits ;)
 
Well, this one definitely has got some character. A bit harder to handle during take off than the Spitfire, but quite doable. Landing is pretty tame. One has to float her in and really put her down on all three wheels to avoid bouncing though. Was almost ok on my 2nd attemp.

20230614131301-1.jpg


20230614131555-1.jpg


20230614133357-1.jpg


All in all, I'd call it a job very well done by FlyingIron Simulations.
 
Having studied, for years, how the Bf 109G is operated, how it handles, what airspeeds are used for all aspects of flight, trims, power settings, etc., I can't be more impressed than I am right now with this addon. This, by far, to me, is the most expertly and carefully crafted warbird for MSFS. Everything about it has been done, clearly, by someone who cares about this aircraft. The modeling is the best that FlyingIron have ever done. The textures are very high resolution, very detailed, and appear very accurate. The flight dynamics are spot on. The sounds are exceptional and the best that FlyingIron have done. They match, exactly, the real aircraft inside and out (compare to the video links I posted earlier in this thread, including cockpit videos). I absolutely love the popping/sputtering low idle sounds which, again, are exactly correct to the real thing. To top it all off, there is a lot of system and failure simulations in this one. You have to be mindful to not foul the plugs, to not operate at too cold or too hot oil and coolant temps, you have to make sure not to underprime or overprime the engine at start, etc. It's just phenomenal, and I'm going to be flying this aircraft the rest of the day.

For anyone on the fence about purchasing this addon, and/or are new to how to fly the Bf 109G, you can download and view the extensive manual from the FlyingIron Bf 109 with the link on the product page. I would say start with the details on Page 7 and go from there. https://flyingironsimulations.com/c...ucts/bf-109g-6-for-microsoft-flight-simulator

On my first flight with the aircraft, I did everything by the book (real-life operations matching what the product manual also states), and it responded exactly as it should. Shortly after taking off and retracting the gear, there was a slight unexpected sound that I didn't anticipate, to later realize it was the wing slats having closed (as they do/should). It does wing overs, rolls and loops just beautifully. I have to dig into what the proper entry speed is for a loop in the 109G, but I established 500 kph on my descent entry, which is just over 300 mph, and it loops just perfectly, with rudder required over the top (as would be expected). The final approach (lack of visibility) and landing is just as expected and matches up well with reality. A lot of elevator nose-up trim required, which also matches reality - I've heard pilots describe using the elevator trim wheel on the landing approach just as much as the flap control wheel.
 
Last edited:
Here are some screenshots from my first look through and test flight. Note all of the correct colors, inside and out, accurate stenciling, the individual varying welds on the exhaust stacks, the rivet detail, the wood instrument panel, etc. Among the features controlled via the in-cockpit tablet, you can quickly change the German wording throughout the cockpit to English, just by a click of the mouse, you can switch between the two different types of canopies, you can add/remove the tropical filter for the supercharger intake, you can hide the pilot, you can add/remove a modern radio gauge, and more.

For anyone wondering, the yellow plumbing on the right-hand side of the cockpit is a fuel line for the drop tank. As per original, there is a glass section which allows the pilot to see the fuel flow. Because there wasn't an actual gauge to let the pilot know how many liters of fuel remained, the glass tube was the gauge, since the pilot could look and see when the fuel started running low through that line.











 
I have to dig into what the proper entry speed is for a loop in the 109G, but I established 500 kph on my descent entry, which is just over 300 mph, and it loops just perfectly, with rudder required over the top (as would be expected).
Click to expand...
That will have been my problem! I've only looped a glider in real life - no torque :)
 
They've done such a great job. This is the first MSFS aircraft I've really noticed where the control surfaces stiffen up as you approach Vne. One of the pilots that flew the Bf 109G-2 "Black 6" back in the 90s commented that the stick forces become quite heavy in the '109 at higher speeds, especially in pitch, and it was tiring to fly it through an aerobatic display, especially vertical maneuvers. This seems to be very well captured by the flight dynamics. Entering the loop at 500 kph/300+ mph, it requires quite a lot of pull on the joystick to enter the vertical, and as you're pulling up into the loop you can notice the pitch force lighten as the airspeed lowers. Over the top of the loop the wing slats deploy, just as they do in reality.

I'm glad I currently have time off work to enjoy this model, and I've got three flights now under my belt in the sim. I did a flight with D-FMBB out of the German grass airfield Degerfeld, and that was quite adventuresome trying to keep nothing but the tires touching the ground with the uneven runway - certainly not the best idea/location for only my third flight with the aircraft! My experience reminded me of this classic clip from the early 2000s of the same aircraft, being flown by Walter Eichhorn from the grass at Hahnweide (especially the landing at 1:13): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9mEv5Ve54

Here are a couple screenshots I also posted in the screenshot forum. I just love the detail of the welds around the windscreen and canopy framing, the opening/closing cockpit side vents, the high-resolution stencils, the haze/overspray around the paint blotches, etc. This is work done by individuals who have a true passion for this aircraft.



This shot shows how you can add the modern radio/transponder head in the lower cockpit and replace the gunsight with a GPS (both options are separate). This configuration matches closely with most all of the Bf 109Gs flying today.

 
Last edited:
As beautifully modeled this offering is, not much of a Bf fan. But I do drive a German automobile. Go figure. Maybe I'll change my mind. Here are a couple of shots my father took way back in WWII. This is a Bf 109G-6. Carries the emblem of Jagdgeschwader 53, the distinctive black spade on its nose. Supposidly one of the more famous Bf 109 units. That spinner on the ground in the top shot would have been a nice collectable. ;-)
uc0uQC0.jpg
 
Those are wonderful photos, DVJ! What part of the service did your dad serve, and what unit was he assigned?

With regard to the FlyingIron Bf 109G, I can continue to heap praise over everything. With an absolutely critical eye/attitude, these are just a few very small things that could improve it just a tad bit more (though it is already the most impressive WWII aircraft in the sim).

- Right now, the manual says to put the elevator trim to the +1 setting for takeoff. There has always been confusion over this among the flight sim and combat sim community as to just what that means. Is +1 tail-high/nose-down or tail-low/nose-up trim, and how to properly depict that on the indicator in the cockpit? At some point, somewhere, that became the often-quoted setting for the elevator trim for takeoff. However, in a book written by one of the individuals involved with the restoration and operation of Bf 109G-2 "Black 6" in the 1990s, he mentioned that the takeoff elevator trim setting was -1. Finally, several years ago, the question was answered by Volker Bau, one of the Messerschmitt Foundation pilots that flew "Red 7". He couldn't remember whether in the cockpit it read -1 or +1 when setting trim for takeoff, only that it is definitely tail-low/nose-up trim that is added (moving the elevator trim wheel aft), not tail-high/nose-down trim. As it stands right now, +1 trim in the FlyingIron Bf 109 is nose-down, so to be more accurate you should go against what the product manual says and use -1 elevator trim instead (and this seems to work better/feel better as well). If you want proof of what Volker Bau said with regard to trim, just watch this video (it helps to have closed-captions turned on): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDMzZOOIFro

- Right now, the sliding side windows of the standard canopy aren't functional. Just a small thing that, if they were working, I'd use them when taxiing on the ground, just for kicks. I'm sure there are good reasons for them not to be function as it stands right now (more coding, plus tying into the soundset, and affecting flight dynamics, if they really wanted to get into that). The canopy does open, as do the side wall cockpit vents.

- Right now, the airspeed has to be maintained a bit higher during the approach than what is used in the real aircraft, however the touchdown speed, when you settle onto the runway in a perfect three-point attitude, is spot on (about 150 kph, or slightly lower). With everything else about the flight characteristics appearing to be spot on, I'm willing to be fully content with it as it stands.

- Right now, there is no period/vintage pilot option. Again, I don't pretend to be flying in the 1940s, so this isn't necessary, but it would be an interesting option to have (to say, for instance, depict a modern pilot dressed in period garb for an air-to-air photoshoot).


Doing some more flying, I've noticed that the settings in cruise are all right in the ballpark, just as they should be. Cruise power used by the Messerschmitt Foundation is 1.05 ATA, which establishes RPM at 2100, which is spot on in the sim. At these power settings, and the radiator doors closed, the airspeed in level flight is about 430 kph, and the elevator trim setting is right at around 0, both of which are also true to the real aircraft.
 
Superb!!!
Manage to do a proper landing at third attempt (propeller blades do not bend).
Have to read (printed it) manual to find about those radiator flaps how do (if so) they close,
And, of course, an epoch pilot to get rid of that guy and not getting an empty cockpit. Hope someone makes an historical mod (you know what I mean).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top