PBY-Need input

NachtPiloten

NachtPiloten

Kurier auf Stube...pauke!
Staff member
Ok, here is the problem CFS3 uses contact points to locate the airplane on either water or land. The place where the plane sits is determined by the distance the bottoms of the tires are away from the center of the plane. Therefore, the plane rests at a certain height. With a flying boat, the tires are not there but you still use the height concept to place the plane in the water. The gears just do not exist but the reference and is used by the sim to place the plane in the water.



Now the problem; if you make the 5 series plane it is amphibious so the tires extend well below the hull. If you use these as the reference point, the plane will when landing on the water appear two-three feet out of the water and not in it. If you use the hull as the reference point, then when on land, the plane will have 3/4 of the tires in the ground.

The 3 series planes were pure boats with no gear. To make this work (unless someone else can tell me how) we either need to make two (three) versions, one that floats and one that lands on land. This could be both the series 5 or a 3 and a 5 or we can have two 5's (a floater and land based) and a 3 series. Some 3 series had the large observation bubbles so that is not a problem.

So making all three is not a big deal really, since the way the plane rests on the earth is a cfg issue and different animation. However, is requires extra work and hours regardless. :isadizzy:
 
Ted,

Lets scrap the PBY and go with this big boy. It actually flew eleven times back in the 1930's before crashing and killing 15 people. :isadizzy:

Steve
 
if i had a vote id say the three plane idea is probably the best way to go. have you tried two full sets of contact points in the same config file? one for the hull and a second set for the gear. i've found the airconfig file very forgiveing on what you add into it,without problems ariseing.
 
I am not sure WHAT That Is..Okay PLEASE Tell US..O-1 Driver.. You have found something crazy there..Are you sure it flew? Looks like it would be best as a BOAT..Perhaps for deep Sea Fishing..
 
Hi Nachtpiloten,

I have no skills in modelling. So it is only common sense. If you cannot use it: throw it away please! :jump:

What about making an invisible gear for the boatversion? Would that be possible?

In my personal opinion I would choose for 1 version (boat) and take the simplest solution: most of the time we will see the PBY's flying or floating. Saves every-one a lot of work.

RemcoC
 
Gear

No issue with the gear being on the plane, If you do not name them and animate the parts it will not impact the model.

Slip - as far as two sets of contact points, I do not see how that will work since the contact is in the cfg so even if the gear are not deployed, hmmm, well now you have me thinking. We can belly land planes so maybe it will work after all. Don't think so but maybe....

Either way feedback is appreciated.
 
Hi Ted,

In the .air file for Jerry Beckworths G44

it has multiple sets of data for gear positioning under the heading

landing gear

then in the sub menu its listed as gear type 1

could it be a setting in the air file that tells cfs3 weather the model is anphibious or not (ie gear type 1) and then it looks at the multiple height values mentioned in there as well to differentiate between land and water.

similar to the options for aircraft type 0 & 2 (player flyable v's AI controlled)

regards Rob.
 
Ted

I think it is doeable to have animated gear. The JF (Duck) that stumper et all have been working on has retratable gear and can take-off from water or land. When first opened in game the gear is down. After engine start the gear can be retracted so that it looks reasonably correct when taking off from water.

The PBY-5 has the additional function of the floats being retrated once in flight and then tuck up into the end of the wings. No doubt that the PBY is a very complicated model. :)
 
I worked on the air and cfg files for the Duck with Mike (stumpjumper) and Dave (dave Dangerous Boyntyon).

If I can find it I even have video of the duck landing on water, lowering gear and proceding on to dry land.

If Mike and Dave are OK with this I can let you have copies of the files if you need them.
 
Clever chap, that Jerry Beckwith. G44 aground and afloat - when afloat you can't lower the wheels. Worth a closer look, Ted!

Edit: pardon my mumbles and see below!
 
That Duck is Great Wow I didn't know anyone was doing any of these planes..WOW, will they be released to the rest of us.. I hope so, even if not,,BRAVO on your GREAT efforts..
They do look GREAT:ernae:
 
hairyspin said:
Clever chap, that Jerry Beckwith. G44 aground and afloat - when afloat you can't lower the wheels. Worth a closer look, Ted!
Click to expand...

You can with the Duck!!!!!

Cant find the Video now. Maybee when I get in from work tomorrow I can nock up another one....
 
Thanks

I looked at the Widgeon's cfg and saw something unusual in the contact point list. There are a set of points all class 4, that have entries in the columns set aside for landing gear. The height of these points and location seems to indicate the hull and pontoons. Interesting.

Thanks for all the feedback! It's off to float the Cat - hopefully ....
 
Ted

It takes some work but you can do it. Make sure you wrap the hull points up the nose or it will explode easily on landing.

You can also look at the MAW Walrus which also has gear.

You also need to play with the

Static Compression
Max/Static Compression Ratio
Damping Ratio

For each contact point

0.51, 2.5, 0.65 Float tip out of the water
0.2, 2.5, 0.65 Front water point
1.21, 2.5, 0.25 Middle Water point
0.4, 2.5, 0.65 Aft water point

Once you get these in you'll need to adjust the vertical of the contact points to get it to float right. Make sure the front out of the water point is much higher than the front water point and makes less than a 45 deg angle from that point.

:wavey:
 
there is a MAW Walrus!,where,where,where!,love to have that in my CFS3 hangar,if someone is sitting on one,release it pleeeeeeze!.
 
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