Running out of Juice?

Desert Rat

Desert Rat

Library Staff
Staff member
What do you do when you find you don't have enough? Enable unlimited fuel? Land at the nearest strip to top-up before continuing? Reload the plane with full tanks?

Some of those are fine, but what if your flying a plane with one of those pointy-topity-upity-thingamabobs? Wouldn't it be much cooler to rendezvous with a flying gas can and borrow some of his? I would think it would be ;)

Jamie
 
Right you are Willy, but if your flying a heavy, you could always use one of those traily-loopy-hosey-watchacallits. the Brits trialed this early on using, I think, Lancasters or Lincolns. Bit of a hit or miss (literally) affair. A line had to be shot and caught between the two aircraft, then a hose was pulled between them trailing in a big loop behind the two planes (flying side-by-side).

It would be cool if there was something on the horizon that would allow this to happen, and maybe it could also be used for 'cheating' when formation flying or even landing?

Jamie
 
I tried a few times to simulate a link-up with an AI tanker, but everytime I got close enough the sim would sense a collision and kill my plane.

Do you have to disable crash detect or aircraft collisions or what to make that work?
 
PF,

yes, disable crash detection, otherwise....well you know the answer.

The previous shots were with custom AI, lacking the animations and equipment (hose/drough). So I tried the Recorder module hoping for better results. It would see the recorder doesn't record all the animations as my UKMIL Victor didn't extend the hose when played back, infact it still has the intake and exhaust covers on, lol. Off to read the recorder manual:running:

It's quite a thrill making sure you rendezvous with the tanker before running out of juice, when that sweet nectar starts flowing just in the nick-of-time, it's a similar feeling to making a good carrier trap.

Jamie
 
Give me some more rope lads....

Blue1, are you sure that's full extension? Looks a bit short from here!!

Jamie
 
You can assign a keystroke to "Add Fuel" in the Assignments menu. It adds to the mains in 25% increments.
 
In any case, very cool looking formation shots Jamie of the Vulcan and Victor together.
 
Hi Jamie,

Great screenshots !!!!

And for those of you interrested: what Jamie is demonstrating here, is my new (still to-be-released) gauge solution for in-flight refuelling and automated formation flying, that he is currently testing extensively.
And coming up with good ideas in the process :icon_lol:

Unfortunately, the original thread about this subject is in the old Threads database, so to avoid a whole lot of typing again I hope this database still can be restored.

Will be continued .....

:ernae: Rob Barendregt

PS: But if you have any questions for me or Jamie about this in the mean time, don't hesitate to ask here ...
 
PS:
I don't have a clue where the

Last edited by PRB; June 12th, 2005 at 19:32.

comes from.
Hope it's not a sign of another Forum crash in the making ...:costumes:

Rob
 
Oh that's just PRB he is editing posts randomly adding extra "..." and "!!!" :costumes:

On a serious note it is strange but as every thing else is working I am not concerned with it.

Nice looking addon
 
Jamie is demonstrating here . . my new (still to-be-released) gauge solution for in-flight refuelling and automated formation flying
Click to expand...

Another very useful one from the famous Rob Barendregt Skunk Works - cool !!

I have some frustration both with refueling rendevous and simply flying in formation :redf: so this will either be a great tranier for doing it by hand or failing that a way to enjoy the procedure and experience. :ernae:
 
Still testing :d

Just incase it isn't clear, as stated by Rob, this can be used for formation flying and refuelling, not just flying close enough so it looks like your refuelling, but you CAN actualy refuel in flight. Wonder if it'll be round-the-world-race legal, lol?

let the juice flow,
Jamie
 
I was watching the old thread with interest....

How's this going, it looks like it will be brilliant for a laugh. And for playing with the DMFS AI VC-10 C1K with...

On a slightly different note is it possible to get TACAN working with this?

Hope its going well...
 
Funny this thread popped back up.. been sitting on the patio here in Mexico watching the ORIGINAL A-2-A refueling while enjoying the tropical sun... every afternoon we have a family of hummingbirds cozying up to the bougainvillea flowers to get a refill... long probe, trumpet-shaped delivery system... ain't nature grand

Rob
 
I really hope Rob releases this, last I remember from the old thread he had said he might not because he wasn't satisfied with it....Rob?
 
Last I heard was that he was reluctant to release this and having beta tested it I understand why. I am still testing (last night I used it to fly formation from ARK2 to ARK3 (Devon to Gibraltar) in the Iris Phantom FG1, accompanied by its older DSB brother as AI).

The system does work, but it's implementation into each aircraft is the area of trouble. In some planes it just won't work, certain autopilot gauges interfere with it functioning correctly. So you may need to swap gauges, and then you have to purchase and set up the radar gauge for each panel. Then it all depends on wether the aircraft has a fully functioning auto-pilot enabled, if it doesn't, you will have to edit the aircraft.cfg and/or the air file to fix this.

So, that leaves it at editing almost every important file within the aircraft container, quite advanced stuff for some folks and would lead to a huge amount of support questions for Rob. I wouldn't envy him.

Plus to get the best of it, you would need AI tankers, so that's another skill required, TTools and YRoute, etc. You can hook onto any AI and refuel, but topping up a Viper from a Cub, whilst it may be possible, is just plane daft, pun intended.

Also, you can't use it with Rob's VTOL or Helo gauges, they conflict. So I have a separate panel for my Sigma Harrier without the VTOL gauge for those long, non VTOL ferry flights.

Saying that, if you know what your doing, it's a hoot, and I'm still learning :friday:
Jamie
 
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