Plane Max G

File:WWIIOL Aircraft Structural Limits Chart v3

All WWII ONLINE aircraft are comprised of multiple components that when all put together together make up an airplane. Each component has a job to do. There are engine components, propeller components, wing components, fuselage components, fuel, oil, and glycol tank components, landing gear components, etc., etc. All components accrue damage incrementally and cumulatively from 0% to 100%, with each components ability to do its job decreasing as more damage is accumulated, up to a maximum amount of damage that can be absorbed before complete component failure (the same component damage levels for each aircraft utilized since the AC Damage Level Audit done on them all in version 1.36.6 back in Aug 2020).

For the next section, refer to the WWIIOL Aircraft Structural Limits Chart v3 image on this page.

Any time the air frame is being over stressed (going above the Orange "Emergency" values), damage is accrued to the wing components over the amount of time you are in "Over G". When this is happening, you will hear an audible "wrenching metal" sound. The amount of damage being applied per period of time in over stress is determined by how far past the Orange "Emergency" values you go, up to the maximum "Structural Failure" limits listed in Red. If you only go over the "Emergency" G level a little, and only stay there a short period of time, the damage applied will be very light and most likely inconsequential. However, the farther you push past the safe Orange "Emergency" values, right up to the Red "Structural Failure" limits, the more damage per time in while over-stress will be applied, up to the point of total component failure if you persist in remaining in over-stress too long. The Red "Structural Failure" limit is just what it says. At any time the "Structural Failure" value is exceeded, the component will fail instantly. (Note: This includes the positive and negative G generated by ditching and overly hard landings.)

Example:

Does cumulative damage mean that a damaged wing fails at a lower G than normal, or that it can fail from stress under normal G levels?

No.

e.g. Db7 wing has 90% damage, does that wing fail when it experiences G less than the normal amount, say +2G compared to +5 G?

No.

Does a wing that has previously accrued combat or over-stress damage fail faster than an undamaged wing when being pushed past the normal +5 G limits?

Yes.

Until a wing component with previously accrued wing component damage (through combat or over-stress) accumulates further damage up to the point of wing failure, the wing, while possibly having a little less Cl and a little more Cd due to whatever over-stress or combat damage it has already accumulated, is still attached to the air frame and functioning normally.

But when the maximum damage level is finally reached the wing component will fail and break. So in your example of the 90% damaged Db7 wing, you have 10% left in the component before it fails. You can be safe and not use up any of the remaining 10% by not exceeding the Orange "Emergency" G values, OR you can continue to press your luck but gamble very sparingly with that 10% reserve by just barely popping over the db7 -3/+5 "Emergency" G limit, but not staying there too long, OR you can "bet the house" gambling it all by using that 10% up much faster by pushing the -3.5/+7.5 "Structural Failure" limit, also taking the chance on it failing instantly by unintentionally passing the Db7 -3.5/+7.5 "Structural Failure" limit while pushing it.

The airframe component doesn't care how the G is produced, pulling G’s when in flight or a hard/crash landing. If the Emergency numbers are exceeded, you are pulling from your "damage level reserve" bank. How much and how fast from the bank depends on how far over the "Emergency" G numbers you go. If the "Structural Failure" numbers are crossed, positive or negative, you’re instantly overdrawn.

P.S. One another note since the new G loading stress damage system was implemented, I like the added benefit that G intensive hard and crash landings (aka intentionally slamming in wheels up because you're in too much of a hurry to land the airplane properly) now actually has consequences. You can still belly in without breaking things if you’re careful, but its a lot safer if you can do it slowly and smoothly and choose roads or fields over rougher, plowed, or forested terrain!