Take-off

The next step before you take off is to make sure you have the proper equipment. For all its humble appearance, World War II Online is a major system hog, especially of RAM and CPU cycles. 1GB of RAM and a P4 in the 3.0GHz or better range, or better yet, an Athlon (the game loves Athlons) are optimal, though it's flyable with a 2GHz processor. A good trick to avoid loading stutters is to force the executable into Windows NT 4.0 compatibility mode, by right-clicking the .exe, selecting "Properties", then the "Compatibility" tab and then NT from the drop-down menu.

The other vital bit of hardware before you fly is a joystick. Preferably this is a twisty stick that can give you rudder control, though the ideal is naturally a set of rudder pedals. HOTAS units like the ones we reviewed are even better. It is quite impossible to fly without a joystick, so we recommend against trying. Also, a throttle is another highly recommended item, even if it's just on your stick.

Upon spawning on most airfields (though not the offline mode), the player will have one hangar right behind him and another one or two ahead. The airfield is square, about 400m each way, so it doesn't give a lot of take-off room. This is no problem for the Spitfires, 109s and Hurricanes, but is problematic for 110s, 190s and especially bombers. Bombers almost certainly need to taxi to one corner of the airfield and take off heading to the opposite corner, for the extra runway room. Flaps are highly recommended in the Heinkel in particular. Beware of AI machine gun nests, which are so conveniently scattered around the airfield as to ensure a collision for the unwary newbie. Don't pull back on the stick the whole time, you'll bleed speed during the run-up and stall during take-off itself. Take-offs require gentle handling of the aircraft.

So, you're sitting in your ride, and you don't know what to do. We'll run you through the order quickly:

1. Lock the tailwheel with the slash key ( / ), which is usually near your right shift button.
2. Start the engine with the ( E ) key.
3. Set your RPMs using the apostrophe ( ' ) and semi-colon ( ; ), which are usually to the left of your Enter key. Apostrophe increases RPMs, semi-colon decreases. You want RPMs at maximum.
4. Have your hands ready on the left ( z ) and right ( x ) brake keys, since most aircraft, especially the 190, have torque during take-off which will turn your aircraft despite the locked tailwheel. Tap and even hold these keys as necessary to go straight down your intended path. Rudder also works, but be careful since some rides have very sensitive rudders.
4a. If your aircraft is the kind that takes a long time to take off, you can press ( Q ) to lower flaps and, after take-off, ( W ) to raise them.
5. Throttle up all the way, and press F8 to turn on WEP - War Emergency Power.
6. Once your tail lifts, you can pull back gently on the stick and press ( G ) to raise your gear. Press F8 to turn off WEP.

That's it, you're up! Level off, gain some speed until you are stable and then enter a climb. Practice offline to learn your aircraft's stall limits, so as not to crash during these climbs. Landings are easier, typically involving the use of flat turns to slow down, dropping flaps and gear, cutting throttle and engine RPMs and eventually the engine itself. Practice until you are comfortable with the procedure.

Another good idea is to bring up your map ( M ) and the mouse cursor ( CTRL+C ) and zooming out, then de-clicking all options except town names, so you have an idea where you are. Best to do this before take-off, along with tuning air channels.

Once you start flying and gaining speed, you'll notice your nose pulling up and your aircraft rotating one way or another. Now you need to trim it - use ( I ) and ( K ) to adjust elevator trim, ( , ) and ( . ) to adjust aileron trim. You can also manipulate rudder trim with ( J ) and ( L ), but unless your slip angle (look at the numbers in the top-left) is considerably off (ie, more than .2 negative or positive), we wouldn't worry about it.

While offline, get used to the blackouts and redouts. Both come on almost instantly. Blackouts are typically at about 5-6Gs, but aren't nearly as deadly as redouts, which hit at as little as -1G.