Start position at an airfield

[NachtPiloten]

With quick combat and most missions, when you start for a takeoff, you end up on the runway. To start say at a dispersal area, how you you do that? I venture to offer that in the objects file were it speaks to runway start

for example <Runway Start="0 0 -800" Stop="0 0 800" Width="50" Turn="8000" SurfaceType="concrete"/>,

would you look in the facility file for a location of a disersal area or location of an airplane (this is taken from Linton-on-Ouse, one of the static planes

<Unit Type="ai_ETO_Lanc_M2_KOJ" Position="462.90 -423.90" Angle="134.00"/>

so would you possibly delete this entry, but use the x/y cordinates for the runway start like this

<Runway Start="462.90 -423.90 0" Stop="0 0 0" Width="50" Turn="8000" SurfaceType="concrete"/>,

not sure what turn does.

Does this sound reasonable????? Has anyone tried this and been successful? It would allow for starts on player missions to wait for a flare, then move to the runway.

I also see

</Route>
<Route Name="runway_path" Type="NoType">
<Point Position="507.86 201.24"/>
<Point Position="-1038.01 -585.31"/>
</Route>
</Routes>


Does this animate ai planes queing up and moving toward the runway?

 

[Pat Pattle]

Hey Ted, it's very do-able. You need something like the ETO driveable jeep to get to your desired start point then enter those co-ords into your mission start point. I'm away from cfs3 at the moment but can help if needed.

 

[Frosty]

Maybe Clive knows more than I do, but I have never been able to have my AI squadron mates taxi towards a runway and then take off. All I got from replacing the coordinates was the entire queue take off from the new location (which led to spectacular crashes as they mowed through every obstacle in the way). I did however succeed in the player's AC starting starting at a dispersal point but by the time I had warmed up and taxied to the runway, every other plane was already in the air. So I am not sure it is feasable for AI pilots and still retain control over them as leader.

 

[rbp71854]

This is from ETO 1944 Missions 303rd BG 01-30-44 Brunswick Fighter Production Center

DO NOT OPEN IN MISSION BUILDER AS IT WILL CANCEL THE START POSITION OF PLAYER AIRCRAFT FROM DISPERSAL TO INFLIGHT POSITION.

Like Joest mentioned I could only get the player ai ac to start on the runway.

 

[NachtPiloten]

I imagine that even if you were the last to take off once airborne you could recall all the planes in your flight and then assume the lead plane role. That should work, correct?

 

[rbp71854]

Run the mission and tweak it to see if you can get the results you desire.

 

[NachtPiloten]

Will do.

 

[mongoose]

So for a single NJ ac not a problem I imagine? The point about opening mission builder worries me, as I suppose that's how the mission is set up?I'm a;so away from home so can't check right now.

 

[Frosty]

I imagine that even if you were the last to take off once airborne you could recall all the planes in your flight and then assume the lead plane role. That should work, correct?

I believe so when it comes to missions but I am absolutely certain this is the case when editing the airfield' s runway file and placing the player aircraft down the queue. Of course this means the take-off order is 'permanently' changed for all airfields using that runway file, contrary to changing the order in a mission file.

 

[rbp71854]

So for a single NJ ac not a problem I imagine? The point about opening mission builder worries me, as I suppose that's how the mission is set up?I'm a;so away from home so can't check right now.

With CFS3 folks being tinkers, it would have been wise to set up the missions once completed as "read only" in the properties of the file. By doing so it doesn't hurt the mission when opened up in the mission builder. A lot of the bomber missions in 1944 have dispersal start of the player aircraft. Best to retro a change of the file properties of your personal install. Oh well.

ps: The missions are set up in the traditional method and then the file is opened in notepad and the dispersal coordinates are entered for the player aircraft then saved.