sinking wheels
- Thread starter gosd
- Start date
crossram
Charter Member
It will probably take a little more than adjusting the static height.
Dancat is right, that all the probs are in the aircraft.cfg, which you edit using notepad.
Static height is actually the 'loading height', the height of the a/c when it loads into the sim.
I would suggest making a safe copy of the particular aircraft.cfg, putting it OUTSIDE of the CFS3 folder, first. You can simply re-name that copy to keep track of it, in case you wind up needing it.
The adjusting you need is in the 'Contact Points' (in the cfg), and the static height should be just below the contact points section. There is also an angle adjustment with it.
You can fish through one of the stock a/c aircraft.cfgs, and look for one that has the marked-out comments (//) just above the contact points. It will look like this -
[contact_points]
//0 Class
//1 Longitudinal Position (feet)
//2 Lateral Position (feet)
//3 Vertical Position (feet)
//4 Impact Damage Threshold (Feet Per Minute)
//5 Brake Map (0=None, 1=Left, 2=Right)
//6 Wheel Radius (feet)
//7 Steer Angle (degrees)
//8 Static Compression (feet) (0 if rigid)
//9 Max/Static Compression Ratio
//10 Damping Ratio (0=Undamped, 1=Critically Damped)
//11 Extension Time (seconds)
//12 Retraction Time (seconds)
//13 Sound Type
//14 Airspeed limit for retraction (KIAS)
//15 Airspeed that gear gets damage at (KIAS)
Numbers 3 (vertical landing gear height) and 6 (wheel radius) are probably wrong, and need to be adjusted. All measurements are in meters. You just have to play with the numbers, until it's right.
If things get too out of hand...you have your backup copy.
Dancat is right, that all the probs are in the aircraft.cfg, which you edit using notepad.
Static height is actually the 'loading height', the height of the a/c when it loads into the sim.
I would suggest making a safe copy of the particular aircraft.cfg, putting it OUTSIDE of the CFS3 folder, first. You can simply re-name that copy to keep track of it, in case you wind up needing it.
The adjusting you need is in the 'Contact Points' (in the cfg), and the static height should be just below the contact points section. There is also an angle adjustment with it.
You can fish through one of the stock a/c aircraft.cfgs, and look for one that has the marked-out comments (//) just above the contact points. It will look like this -
[contact_points]
//0 Class
//1 Longitudinal Position (feet)
//2 Lateral Position (feet)
//3 Vertical Position (feet)
//4 Impact Damage Threshold (Feet Per Minute)
//5 Brake Map (0=None, 1=Left, 2=Right)
//6 Wheel Radius (feet)
//7 Steer Angle (degrees)
//8 Static Compression (feet) (0 if rigid)
//9 Max/Static Compression Ratio
//10 Damping Ratio (0=Undamped, 1=Critically Damped)
//11 Extension Time (seconds)
//12 Retraction Time (seconds)
//13 Sound Type
//14 Airspeed limit for retraction (KIAS)
//15 Airspeed that gear gets damage at (KIAS)
Numbers 3 (vertical landing gear height) and 6 (wheel radius) are probably wrong, and need to be adjusted. All measurements are in meters. You just have to play with the numbers, until it's right.
If things get too out of hand...you have your backup copy.
flashgordon
Charter Member
There are some a/c that are half buried when used as statics - the Halifax B2 & B5 are ones I have come across recently.
The static height/static pitch question comes up from time to time, so here's what's happening. The wireframe pics are from a FS2004 model viewed in ACM 2.5
This is a model with the contact points nicely sorted:-
The yellow points are the contact points, the green ones are the contacts with the compression values applied. The blue line is the ground level and the bright blue point in the middle of the model is the model's centre point.
Note the values for Static CG height (7.2 ft) and Static Pitch (12.75 deg).
Now reduce the Static Pitch by 10 degrees:-
and this is what we get in the sim:-
The model will now bounce on its tail wheel and settle properly on the ground.
If I instead increased the Static Pitch by 10 degrees:-
The aircraft starts with its tail stuck in the ground. This is not desirable.
Then we come to Static Height. With the Static Pitch back at 12.75 deg, increase Static CG Height by 2 feet:-
The model is clear of the ground, and this is what happens in the sim:-
The model drops from its starting point until it hits the ground, the tail gear gives way and the tail sinks until the next contact point (a scrape point) makes contact with the ground. This isn't much good either.
This is a model with the contact points nicely sorted:-
The yellow points are the contact points, the green ones are the contacts with the compression values applied. The blue line is the ground level and the bright blue point in the middle of the model is the model's centre point.
Note the values for Static CG height (7.2 ft) and Static Pitch (12.75 deg).
Now reduce the Static Pitch by 10 degrees:-
and this is what we get in the sim:-
The model will now bounce on its tail wheel and settle properly on the ground.
If I instead increased the Static Pitch by 10 degrees:-
The aircraft starts with its tail stuck in the ground. This is not desirable.
Then we come to Static Height. With the Static Pitch back at 12.75 deg, increase Static CG Height by 2 feet:-
The model is clear of the ground, and this is what happens in the sim:-
The model drops from its starting point until it hits the ground, the tail gear gives way and the tail sinks until the next contact point (a scrape point) makes contact with the ground. This isn't much good either.
crossram
Charter Member
VERY NICE examples, hairyspin! :ernae:
For many of the new folks, contact points seem to be quite the mystery. Not so, just making it all how the sim needs it.
flash...yes, I've read before about some of those sinking birds. Never have messed with one before, but I gotta wonder if it might be because of the parts naming being wrong in the model?
If so, perhaps it's possible to hex-edit the model, correcting the needed gear/wheel names. Anyway, just cogs turning.
Autothrottle
Charter Member
Someone ought to check the Lavochkin La-5 Beta in the Russkie section of Downloads. The aircraft explodes into the ground because its not sitting properly. Even after you install the updated cockpit and model files.
Ask and ye shall receive
Downloaded it tonight and I get the same - the aircraft is being dropped from too high a static height. I've re-tuned this and fiddled a little with the contact points for the undercarriage.
Open Aircraft.cfg in the La-5 aircraft folder with Notepad and replace the section [contact points] with this:-
[contact_points]
max_number_of_points = 8
point.0= 1, -17.470, 0.000, -2.376, 3000, 0, 0.562, 43.000, 0.143, 2.503, 1.220, 3.000, 4.000, 0
point.1= 1, 1.280, -4.800, -7.500, 2500, 1, 0.562, 0.000, 0.635, 2.501, 0.709, 6.000, 7.500, 2
point.2= 1, 1.280, 4.800, -7.500, 2500, 2, 0.562, 0.000, 0.635, 2.501, 0.709, 6.400, 6.000, 3
point.3= 2, 7.720, -16.123, 0.000, 3200, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 5
point.4= 2, 7.720, 16.123, 0.000, 3200, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 6
point.5= 2, -8.667, 0.000, 1.307, 1800, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 9
point.6= 2, 15.840, 0.000, -4.692, 600, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4
point.7= 2, 7.720, 0.000, -0.972, 9000, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4
static_pitch= 14.7
static_cg_height= 4.500
tailwheel_lock =1
Save the file and try it now. Hope this helps!
Downloaded it tonight and I get the same - the aircraft is being dropped from too high a static height. I've re-tuned this and fiddled a little with the contact points for the undercarriage.
Open Aircraft.cfg in the La-5 aircraft folder with Notepad and replace the section [contact points] with this:-
[contact_points]
max_number_of_points = 8
point.0= 1, -17.470, 0.000, -2.376, 3000, 0, 0.562, 43.000, 0.143, 2.503, 1.220, 3.000, 4.000, 0
point.1= 1, 1.280, -4.800, -7.500, 2500, 1, 0.562, 0.000, 0.635, 2.501, 0.709, 6.000, 7.500, 2
point.2= 1, 1.280, 4.800, -7.500, 2500, 2, 0.562, 0.000, 0.635, 2.501, 0.709, 6.400, 6.000, 3
point.3= 2, 7.720, -16.123, 0.000, 3200, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 5
point.4= 2, 7.720, 16.123, 0.000, 3200, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 6
point.5= 2, -8.667, 0.000, 1.307, 1800, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 9
point.6= 2, 15.840, 0.000, -4.692, 600, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4
point.7= 2, 7.720, 0.000, -0.972, 9000, 0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4
static_pitch= 14.7
static_cg_height= 4.500
tailwheel_lock =1
Save the file and try it now. Hope this helps!