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P38 Lightning question

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P38 Lightning question

Old 8th Feb 2018, 02:50
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P38 Lightning question

Always been a big fan of this aircraft

It had several unique features, the most unusual
to me was the use of a control yoke instead of a
joystick, I think this was to provide the pilot
with more leverage in roll control at higher airspeeds


Does anyone know of any other fighter that had a control yoke ?
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 07:10
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The Beaufighter had a control yoke on top of a central pole. The Lightning still had a pole but it was offset to the right hand side.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 07:45
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Just to muddy the waters..... Spitfire......

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Old 8th Feb 2018, 08:03
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Originally Posted by Dark Helmet
The Lightning still had a pole but it was offset to the right hand side.
^This.

It's probably a legacy design from the day when, multi's had yoke's and single had sticks.

That can be seen in the Mosquito, which may have been the only aircraft type that used both, with yoke wheel in the glass nose 'bomber/recce' versions, and a fighter type stick in the solid nose fighter/trainer versions.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 08:06
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Originally Posted by ORAC
Just to muddy the waters..... Spitfire......

On the Spitfire perhaps it was so one could put your left hand on the yoke, before releasing it with your right hand which was used to raise or lower the chassis, gear !
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 08:58
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I think this was to provide the pilot
with more leverage in roll control at higher airspeeds
And when you lose an engine on one side.

Spitfire style yoke is common throught the whole of the British aircraft types of that period up to and through the likes of the Fairey Gannet etc. I often wondered as a stick is tailored to a hand, if wounded in one arm the likes of a Spit yoke would be easier to handle with the other.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 09:46
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Originally Posted by NutLoose
And when you lose an engine on one side.

Spitfire style yoke is common throught the whole of the British aircraft types of that period up to and through the likes of the Fairey Gannet etc. I often wondered as a stick is tailored to a hand, if wounded in one arm the likes of a Spit yoke would be easier to handle with the other.
Not following you there, an engine failure and resultant yaw
would be compensated for with rudder
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 10:29
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Secondary effect of Yaw is roll

And if in a combat aircraft if you are having to roll it, surely you would be fighting the live engine and hence need greater leverage of a yoke. ?

.

Last edited by NutLoose; 8th Feb 2018 at 10:45.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 10:45
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And the secondary effect of yaw is? Roll. Asymetric flight requires use of both rudder and aileron. - Nutloose - well done you beat me to it!
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 14:33
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Which of the Yoke / Column / Spitfire style grip / Ram's Horn Concorde style felt the most intuitive?

But I suppose they were tailored for that specific application.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 15:50
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Originally Posted by stilton

Does anyone know of any other fighter that had a control yoke ?

P-61 Black Widow had a yoke- if you include night fighters.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 17:48
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Originally Posted by Shaft109
Which of the Yoke / Column / Spitfire style grip / Ram's Horn Concorde style felt the most intuitive?

But I suppose they were tailored for that specific application.
The Rams horn is an ergonomic design that is designed to eliminate fatigue on wrists etc, indeed the same idea is also used in cooking utensils, this will explain all.


EaziGrip® Frying Pan - EaziGrip Shop
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 19:22
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Does anyone know of any other fighter that had a control yoke ?
Do a search on F-102 or F-106 cockpit photos.

Not for ease of roll control in these two, but to conveniently access all the buttons and radar controls and minimize carpal tunnel.

Of course these were interceptors, not fighters.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 19:31
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 19:57
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Mosquito fighters had a stick, Mosquito bombers had a yoke.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 21:12
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Originally Posted by NutLoose
The Rams horn is an ergonomic design that is designed to eliminate fatigue on wrists etc, indeed the same idea is also used in cooking utensils, this will explain all.
Also fitted to Tridents and some Islanders.
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Old 8th Feb 2018, 23:58
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And jetstream
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Old 9th Feb 2018, 06:46
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And Dominie
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Old 9th Feb 2018, 09:46
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And Britannia
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Old 9th Feb 2018, 10:05
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It is said that redundant ex Vulcan / Victor yokes were/are used as the control yokes for Trident submarines, and, I have to say, they do look very similar
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