Seeking RCBCO gauge expert advice . .

[expat]

Have used - and only use - Rob & Doug's great set of gauges for years in FS9 and FSX for carrier ops. Have installed on dozens of aircraft and use the "global" settings to use with moving/AI carriers.

Cat works 100%. Arrestor is working - doing quals at the moment in the new Vertigo Panther - and the plane catches the wire and stops.

BUT, all too often with this and other aircraft (on both fixed, e.g. Big E, and moving CV's) what happens next is that the wire then pulls the aircraft backwards too abruptly causing the plane to roll over on its side and crashe into the deck ending the flight (I use "detect crashes" for carrier ops for added pucker factor - except of course for MP).

One can adjust the landing distance for the arrestor gauge and of course the tailhook length in the air.cfg but I don't see these as relevant as I am clearly catching the wire and the landing distance is the default 280' which seems fine.

Have fooled around changing the cable_force_adjust=1.0 setting the air.cfg but suspect this only affects the Accelerator trap function which I don't use. Is it possible that function is conflicting with the RCBCO gauges?

Did a comparison test with the Vertigo Hellcat on the same moving USS Leyte and did not get the reverse "slingshot" and crash, which suggsest this is aircraft specific.

Also, I am seeing with the moving carriers after a successful landing when moving to the cat the steering and other controls kind of "stick" and don't work unless I go in and out of Slew. Not sure what is going on there. Problem with that is sometimes your controls are not fully in neutral and slew shoots you a mile out to sea LOL!

From other similar discussions re trapping problems it often seems to be the tailhook length but as it is catching the wire I tend to think that isn't the problem.

Any theories most welcome!

expat

 

[rcbarend]

Hi Expat,

Well, you can't get more expert advice then from me . That is, on the gauge, not carrrier landings in general.
And everything said below applies to FSX-SP2 (don't know about Accelleration, because I don't have that myself)

About aircraft rolling over after an arrest: I've seen that many times myself, and I can think of a number of things that may cause it:
1. Tailhook isn't configured properly (e.g. too long, so the aircraft is "caught" too high in the air). So tailhook size/position DOES matter.
2. Your landingspeed or pitchattitude is way too high at touchdown for that aircraft / aircraft-weight. Causing the aircraft to bounch up.
3. There's something wrong with the overall balance (FDE model) of that aircraft. I've seen models that, even with the smallest negative groundspeed immediately tumble over backwards if you apply brakes in that situation.

Important to realise is, that there's nothing "pulling" on the aircraft at an arrest; the only thing the gauge does, is rapidly reducing speed at an arrest; with a fixed decelleration, calculated to stop the aircraft over the configured stopping distance (default: 280 ft), within appr. 2 sec after tailhook compression. Meaning that if the aircraft doesn't stick to the ground in that phase (because of too high, or bounching/stalling) the flightmodel of the aircraft determines how the aircraft will behave. I.e. there is NO cable force pulling the aircraft downward.

As to moving around on a moving (AI) carrier: this can be quite difficult, since some AI carrier have the tendancy to "bounch" up-and-down. Also: airspeed is an important factor (don't forget that the carrier is moving). To make sure this isn't an aircraft FDE problem, try the following:
just park your aircraft on a normal (land)runway, and set a 30 Knots headwind. And now maneuver on the runway and see how the aircraft behaves.

Using SLEW to maneuver is not an option on a moving carrier in FSX-SP2; with controller axis perfectly centered (or even deleted for SLEW control), SLEW sets a zero groundspeed in all directions; however, groundspeed (in FSX-SP2) is the speed of the aircraft relative to the earth surface, NOT the carrier deck the aircraft is sitting on. So if the carrier is moving, a perfect zero-speed SLEW will immediately move the aircraft from the deck..Clear ?

Finally: my rcbco package really was designed for FS2k2/FS9 and the basic version of FSX, since those had no functions for carrier ops.
But I'll be the first to admit, that if you're interrested in proper carrier operations (especially on moving carriers), you better switch over to Accelleration. Since it has some features built-in, I could never realise with my CO package on FSX-SP2.

Regards, Rob

 

[expat]

Well, you can't get more expert advice then from me .

You can say that again, LOL! Thanks Rob.

I will keep experimenting per your advice. Also, do you recommend after touchdown/trap going to full throttle (as they do IRL in case of bolter)? Think that may have worked in the past (or maybe just a better landing). Or, because as you say, there really isn't any back force on the a/c, this won't make a difference? Lastly, tempted to amend your arrestor XML file from "5" to e.g. "2" seconds of roll back to see if this helps. Is this worth trying?

b/t/w - I am such a long comitted fan to your package I cannot imagine giving it up for another system.

Cheers and thanks again,

expat

 

[rcbarend]

Also, do you recommend after touchdown/trap going to full throttle (as they do IRL in case of bolter)?

IRL you should even do that prior to the arrest.
But I won't make any difference on the problem you sometimes have.

Lastly, tempted to amend your arrestor XML file from "5" to e.g. "2" seconds of roll back to see if this helps. Is this worth trying?

Of course you can always try that, but I don't expect any difference.
But if you try it, try 0; which skips the roll back completely.
What might be important (but that points to a flaw in the FDE of the aircraft) is not to apply Brakes during rollback (or arrest). Which you shouldn't do IRL anyway.

Rob

 

[expat]

Thanks Rob. Testing last night showed marked improvement with going to full power before touchdown - but maybe that was because it took my finger off the braking button!. Will try changing the XML next.

Seems to only be a problem with the moving cv's. The a/c appears to stop without making full contact with the deck/ground although it visually look like it is on the deck. What appears to be the cable pulling the a/c backwards is instead the carrier moving foward and away from a stationary aircraft, hovering 75 ' above the drink. As it has zero throttle and airspeed, the rolling over to the side is in fact a type of stall. The crash and end of flight seems triggered when the wingtip rolls through the deck.

Thanks again for your advice and many thanks for creating one of the most ingenious programs for FS.

expat