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SOH Team Project - Grumman Tracker, Trader, Tracer

Always a few more changes to the cfg and .Air files. One issue that is quite surprising is the difference between FS9 and FSX (Accel) in the tailhook position! Geeze, you would think these, essentially being contact points, would be the same.

Cheers: T
 
Thanks, there will hopefully be a run on these soon. :)

Though it would be a good place to start as this is the aircraft that started the project.

And thanks to Duckie for teh awesome paint scheme and paint kit.
 
No worries there.

Here she is on a flight out of Calclassics SEATAC on a little trip around Mount Rainier and then a landing at McChord AFB. The Calclassic AI package for the 1960s is just perfect for the correct aircraft that shared the skies with the little Grumman.

I am not articulate enough to tell you what a great job Milt and his team have done on this plane. Words just fail me.
 
I want to put one down onto the deck of an aircraft carrier. I have read stories of Navy Pilots flying these and landing them on carriers.. AT NIGHT!!!

Those folks really have the right stuff!:medals:

BB686:USA-flag:
 
Milton Shupe said:
Thank you ktm. We all here have worked long and hard on this and I hope that it will satisfy the needs as a freeware aircraft package. :wiggle:
Click to expand...


I know it will milton. Just by looking at the pics and watching the development of this project I can already tell it will be better than the other ones already out there payware included.
 
Bump Bump... Bumpety Bump. Posted per request.

E-1B flight from Townsville to Cairns, Australia in a Thunderstorm

I had a chance to get some more time in the E-1B, this time in some different weather situations. I'm usually not real technical when I set up my weather for FS, I just usually go in and select a scenario for all of the "stations" that I fly in and out of.

From Townsville to Cairns, Australia: Weather conditions set for severe thunderstorms. Instrument flight plan filed and cleared. Takeoff at 09:30 am. Let me tell you... the 18 knot wind really pushes the E-1B around on the takeoff roll, despite the fact that it's a heavy airplane. I had to push the engines a bit to keep from going off the runway, at the same time, making sure that I didn't give her too much throttle, risking a "slide-off" (When you literally push the airplane off of a slippery runway from too much throttle at low speed). Once off the ground, I left the flaps at the first setting for a bit, after retracting the gear. Getting through the storm cloud was the third greatest thrill known to man, (Landing being the first, and flight being the second). I found that once there was a safe distance between me and the ground.. I raised the flaps and applied considerable power to get above the storm ceiling. It took about 10 minutes to finally get above the cloudline, and into calmer skies. The ride was bumpy and the flight model depicted that very nicely (given the limitations in FS). There were times when I felt like I was "floating" while in the cockpit, during the acent. It was a strange sensation, just like in the real world when the sky around you is all grey and the only way you can tell that you are moving is because the airspeed indicator says so. The E-1B has a sense of true realism in that aspect, Nicely done, you guys!

At the assigned altitude the E-1B trucks along at about 170 KIAS with the engines at 65%. I was able to trim out and actually let go of the controls, the FM was steady as a rock with only the slightest adjustments being made to the trim control. I was able to navigate around the cockpit and become more familiar with the controls. I did notice in the VC that there was a small red warning light that came on, just under the glare shield on the panel. I made sure that the pitot and carb heat were on and the cowl flaps were closed. (At 14,000 feet, the carbs can ice up pretty quick) but the light stayed on nonetheless. I also noticed that the oil temp ran pretty high, about 123 degrees C, even at a lower engine RPM and with the correct propeller settings. I tried several things including leaving the props at 100% and throttling up and down at times, this didn't change the temperature readings. At least the engines were consistant and it didn't affect the performance at all. But the light in the VC on the panel remained on. When a light like that comes on... things can get a bit tense in the cockpit until you get the problem resolved.

After being told to decend and maintain 5000 by Cairns ATC, I knew the biggest thrill X2 (Landing, in a thunderstorm) was comming. Once back down in the clouds, the E-1B started to get tossed around by the turbulance outside. I thought it was even more bumpy on the decent. Again, that feeling of "floating", but the airspeed indicator read a steady 140 KIAS and the altimeter wasn't unwinding backwards like a broken watch. I held my course as instructed, but I had to really work to do it. The storm was having a field day with the E-1B, and me in it. I switched on the GPS, just to get a feel of where I was in relation to the airfield. I have to admit, FS9's ILS system is pretty accurate. I went to the spot view but all I could see was the airplane being tossed around, the rain, against the grey background of the clouds.

At 2500 feet AGL, the clouds thinned a little and I caught a brief view of the airport, just ahead. ATC had cleared my approach so all that was left was to keep her straight as possible. The wind was a stiff 20 knots out of the east and I was being pushed sideways, off the pattern by it. The E-1B's large rudders came in real handy and I was able to coax the model back on the glide path. I slowed the E-1B down gradually to 120 KIAS, popped the landing gear out and dropped the flaps a notch. I really was on the edge of my seat with her... she was being pushed around, up and down and I wondered how I was going to be able to set her down without bouncing, and being potentially blown off the runway in the storm.

Ok, I cheated and went to the spot view. I was crabbing the plane in pretty good and just as I cleared the first section of the runway, I hit the spoilers and straightened her out. The E-1B hit the tarmac carrier style, bounced slightly and then touched down. I had to steer agressively with the differential brakes but I managed to stay on the runway to the first taxiway, and pull off. The rest is history, oh... what fun!!

Sorry, I didn't mean to get off on a tangent here, but in short... I HAD THE RIDE OF MY LIFE in the E-1B through that storm. And to think that our NAVY Pilots drop these things down onto the deck of a pitching aircraft carrier in this kind of weather. Amazing stuff.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
Need Some Compass Panel Help

Can anyone help with all the verbage on the compass panel. I just can't get all of it.
 
Just finished up an RAN scheme for all you Aussies :salute: Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: There are a couple of issues that simply can't be avoided. And I didn't do a glossy paint on this since it tends to degrade the sharpness of the textures.
 
Great work Mr. Snurdley.

Going to be nice to seean RAN Tracker in the air again. Used to love hearing the unique sound of the motors. They were a different sound to the normal Radial sound. Have seen and heard a Trojan with the same engine. The Tracker is a T-28 engine times 2. Was told it was a "Corn Cob" sound.
 
Console and AP

Scott did a superb job on the center console and AutoPilot. It's simple, neat and functional.

Use is described in the manuals (available links in this thread), but it's pretty intuitive for me to use.

Of course the problem always with FS is making adjusts looking down while not able to see the horizon or attitude or VSI gauges.
 
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