Getting a full flight or more (>=8) to take off.

mongoose

mongoose

SOH-CM-2023
When one makes a mission with a full flight of 8, or more if one knows how, normally. for 2-4 engine aircraft, only 2 or maybe 3 of the flight actually take off from the runway, the rest are circling around above the airbase. Has anyone, I'm thinking ACC guys or Ted, thought if it's possible? I mean something similar to this https://www.398th.org/Images/Images_Aircraft_B-17/Aircraft/B-17sTaxiiing.html
I know this is normally determined by the runway objects file. such as for ACC_Graveley_42a.xdp whichin this case is

?xml version="1.0"?>
<UnitData>
<General Allegience="" LongName="Test Standalone Airbase" ShortName="Airbase" ModelName="" BlastDamageScale="1.0" ImpactDamageScale="1.0" FireDamageScale="1.0" Priority="2" Type="static" EnteredService="01/01/1944" BlastDamageMod="0" ImpactDamageMod="0" FireDamageMod="0" AllowSpawn="n" Category="airbase" Country="neutral">
</General>
<Description String=""/>
<Loadouts/>
<GunStations/>
<DamageBoxes/>
<Systems/>
<Airbase>
<Runway Start="0 0 -1000" Stop="0 0 1000" Width="50" Turn="10000" SurfaceType="concrete"/>
<Routes>
<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 -1000"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -1000"/>
</Route>
<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 -950"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -950"/>
</Route>
<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 -800"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -800"/>
</Route>
<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 -750"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -750"/>
</Route>
</Routes>
</Airbase>
</UnitData>

I forget the relevance of point positions as in

<Point Position="100 0 -800"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -800"/>
and the relation with

Runway Start="0 0 -1000" Stop="0 0 1000"

So is it possible (for a non player ac) to start on a taxiway and take off on the runway?
 
Last edited:
I'm sure it's known that if you add more point positions , you will get more of your
Flight on the runway. Not sure you can get them to go from taxi area to runway.
 
I guess that I will have to dig up the old ACC document on making airbases and some correspondence with Joost to work out more exactly how to squeeze up more aircraft on the runway, maybe a bit behind it even.
 
if all you trying to do is add more aircraft to runway then all you need to do is add more point positions . I am sure this is known.
 
And it helps to increase the width parameter so you can step the points across the runway diagonally say three wide. Currently the width is set to 50. IIRC in some MAW airfields the whole flight lines up across the airbase at the start and the width is set much wider.
 
James have you tried placing your plane last to take off in your group. Seems to me that in the missions I did that have rallying I placed my plane last in the group. I must admit it been so long since involved that my memory may be incorrect.
 
rbp71854 said:
James have you tried placing your plane last to take off in your group. Seems to me that in the missions I did that have rallying I placed my plane last in the group. I must admit it been so long since involved that my memory may be incorrect.
Click to expand...

Just a follow-up. Those missions with "racetrack" in the description would be ones that had multiple planes taking off. They are also the ones with the bomber that shoots a flare for the group to rally to. Hope this helps
 
mongoose said:
Thanks for that. I will check it out. Is 'racetrack' in the missions or airbase facility?
Click to expand...


Its in the mission, Racetrack implies how the big flights of US bombers rallied after taking off circulatiing in a racetrack pattern waiting for the whole group to get airborne and in formation.
 
OK I'll check that. Meanwhile, in this

<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 780"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -780"/>
</Route>

The figures in red and green; what are they? The reason that I ask, is that I am thinking of staggering the take offs to the left and right of the runway centre line, but closer than 50m down the runway, say 35, which means that I may safely put more ac on the runway.

I assume where the player starts depends on its ( in mission) position in the flight, normally first but I assume it can be placed last by hand editing the missions xml?
 
mongoose said:
OK I'll check that. Meanwhile, in this


I assume where the player starts depends on its ( in mission) position in the flight, normally first but I assume it can be placed last by hand editing the missions xml?
Click to expand...

Yes you manually edit the mission in xml to place the player in the last position of the flight.
 
rbp71854 said:
Its in the mission, Racetrack implies how the big flights of US bombers rallied after taking off circulatiing in a racetrack pattern waiting for the whole group to get airborne and in formation.
Click to expand...

I used Notepad++ to search for 'racetrack' through all my many installs without getting a hit. Do you know what missions or install(s) that might have featured?
 
James its been so long and I no longer have any cfs3 files I just cant help with that question. Sorry
 
Ok that's understandable!

<Meanwhile does anyone know what the red and green below mean?

mongoose said:
OK I'll check that. Meanwhile, in this

<Route>
<Point Position="100 0 780"/>
<Point Position="0 0 -780"/>
</Route>

The figures in red and green; what are they? The reason that I ask, is that I am thinking of staggering the take offs to the left and right of the runway centre line, but closer than 50m down the runway, say 35, which means that I may safely put more ac on the runway.
Click to expand...
 
Many thanks Joost. Yes I do have that somewhere so that is a great help and it's the player order, z distances, and x values which I will now play around with.:applause: I wonder if y starts one in the air or underground?:biggrin-new:
 
Frosty said:
James, do you still have this document I sent you about 2 years ago? It explains most entries in the runway definitions file and what you can alter to customize your runways:

View attachment 88172

(And no, I don't know what the Y-value is for... :biggrin-new:)
Click to expand...

That's a very handy refresher thanks Frosty. Just one thing it says the player's formation is never more than six aircraft. In a campaign flight, with good reserves, the player flies with seven wingmen making up a formation of eight aircraft.
 
Daiwilletti said:
That's a very handy refresher thanks Frosty. Just one thing it says the player's formation is never more than six aircraft. In a campaign flight, with good reserves, the player flies with seven wingmen making up a formation of eight aircraft.
Click to expand...
Thanks - didn't know that!! (I never do campaigns, too busy modeling ) I'll change that in the document!
 
AFAIK there can be 8/flight,
<AirFormation ID="6058" Directive="strike" Country="Britain" Skill="3" Payload="7" FormType="trail" OffsetScaleFactor="30">
<Unit ID="10582" Type="well_r-aa" IsPlayer="y" Skill="3" Payload="7"/>
<Unit ID="10583" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="7"/>
<Unit ID="10584" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="7"/>
<Unit ID="10585" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="7"/>
<Unit ID="10586" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="8"/>
<Unit ID="10587" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="8"/>
<Unit ID="10588" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="3"/>
<Unit ID="10589" Type="well_r-aa" Skill="2" Payload="3"/>

or if hand edited in a mission, more!

<Unit ID="10183" Type="tow_stirling_mki" IsPlayer="y" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10184" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10185" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10186" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10187" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10188" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10189" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10190" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10191" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10192" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10193" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
<Unit ID="10194" Type="tow_stirling_mki" Skill="2" Payload="5"/>
 
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