New Player?

[killspeed]

I finally installed IL-2 1946 and have been playing online this week for the first time. I do have some issues and/or questions:

1) I was reading some other player's post regarding the physics of the aircraft and why they are so unstable and they are not like that in real life. I know when I fly, if I bank past 90* even at full throttle, I'm in a stall about 90% of the time depending on the aircraft. With that said I crash a lot! lol Maybe I should bank slower, build up inertia and then go for a hard bank?

2) I only use a Wingman FF joystick, and notice the elevators not move at all when I maneuver. Along with that, I see other players' aircraft move so gracefully in the sky, bank, spin, ascend, while I struggle to simply bank without stalling. Its hard to keep up with them and I am sometimes afraid if I bank and pull back on the stick, I'll stall. I suspect it has something to do with me not being able to control the elevators. Are most of you using some kind of pedal control to help you control your aircraft? Any advice? SaiteK?

3) I've read about trimming out the aircraft, but seems to fly any which way and not specific to one direction. I just have my hand on the stick for safety

4) Do you have any advice on setting my guns at a better convergance distance? 500 seems to far. Is there a way to calculate distance if an aircraft is say..1.00 away?

Thanks for any further advice. The simulator is awesome, even with me having trouble taking off sometimes. At times, I can't get myself away from the computer.