VN_PBY5a

'K......

I have to thank whoever changed the thread heading to the correct spelling.....thank you.

Now.......Rami, either yer funnin' me or I've missed something somewhere. Just flew some trial runs to check things out, checked the .dp as Simon advised, everything is 5 by 5.

View attachment 20448View attachment 20449View attachment 20450

All ordnance gone, gunners not, they didn't budge. When checking the .dp I looked for the 'b' factor and it was already set to -1 on this plane. I dropped 4 of the 7 available payloads with no problems.

Here's the .dp file that worked fine.....View attachment 20451 I may have inadvertently jumbled things up during the course of this wee odyssey, if I did, I apologize.

I DID run into a different problem, however. Whether it's the weight of the ordnance, weapons too far forward, or that this bird just plain doesn't like steel mesh runways, at this point I don't know, but I suffered a nose gear failure on the steel mesh, loaded with the torps. With other runway types there was no problem. This'll bear a little more investigation before anything is cast in stone.

One other thing. The lower nose machine guns seem hellish long to me. Anybody know how to move or shorten 'em?

Try this .dp file, Rami......hopefully that's got things fixed. Sorry for the foul up guys, and thanks for the input and feedback.
 
Rami......Problem

Rami......we need to find out if this is your setup or a common thing......maybe I just got lucky on my rig.

Has anybody else got this problem with gunners dropping with the ordnance? Hopefully there'll be some more feedback on this. It'd be nice to have it cleared up for sure.

I don't know what else to tell you at this point. I just downloaded the plane again and am going to try it in a different install, see what happens. I don't mean to leave you hanging on this, so bear with me and I'll see what gives as best as I can.
 
Hi Guys,

Alpha_1,

I loaded up the dp file from post #3 and went flying.

My gunners remained on board as ordered throughout the ordinance testing evolution.

I used the torpedo load out and the depth charge load out all seemed ok.

View attachment 20459

Think maybe having my wing floats extended my have affected the outcome in any way?
 
Thanks Maskrider....

No.....I always raise my floats before land takeoff so that's not it. Just want to mention the nosing in problem with this aircraft. I set the weather to severe (as it actually is in the Aleutians) tried a takeoff from Dutch Harbor which is NOT a steel mesh runway, and the nose gear failed again. This tells me it's a prob with the nose gear struts or some such. I retracted the 3 nose gun tubes a tad to make 'em look better but won't add an updated zip file yet. I'm not a plane designer so that I can't do anything about. Actually the weak nose gear kinda adds to the fun of flyin' to stay alive!

As for Rami's problem, I'm stumped, but then I'm pretty much a novice at this and may very well be overlooking something somewhere that has a simple solution. I wish I had an answer. I just downloaded the same plane and installed it into a different install but everything is out of whack as per the start of this thread so the download .zip is not the problem either. Thanks for your input, Chris.

Nice screenshot!
 
The only other thing I noticed is that Rami, your bird has some mission tallies painted on the right front of the fuselage which mine does not nor does Alphas as far as I can see. Is it possible that we are not all in the same bird? Or is that just a repaint of the same bird?

MR

PS: LOL! Rami, I just noticed the caption on your screen shot: "going for a swim" :icon_lol:

MR
 
I did put this to use in my Catalina folder, and while I didn't get Rami's problems with the blister gunners, I noticed that when I dropped my torpedoes the three gun tubes disappeared.

Another problem is that those rear gun flashes are way too low in relation with the plane. All together with Alpha_1 report that the bombs were initially sitting too low and those rear gunners legs were hanging out leads me to think that this DP was for another Catalina, not the VN. Something that is confirmed by taking a look in ACM.

Now, if you were a Zero pilot and shoot at the Catalina, half of your bullets aiming at the 3D model would make no harm. Check this rough comparation:

View attachment 20462

This .dp needs a thorough revision indeed. After all, it was just a BETA version.
 
My gunners stayed onboard but I have had the nose wheel collapse on rough ground from time to time.
 
.dp Revision

Wow.....that's a lot of airplane to miss with your guns, very little to hit effectively. Actually I was beginning to wonder about the file myself......like 'where did it originally come from at all?'....'was it actually made for this model?'


It may be worth contacting Bruce Baker to find out if those guys are doing anything with this. They DID include a couple of FSDS files with the download, but I have no idea what those are or what they'd be for....design perhaps? There ARE some skins for this aircraft, I believe over at Sopwith's Paint Shop but I've yet to try those. I don't see how they could affect the .dp though, as they're straight forward texture files. Maskrider may have hit on Rami's problem, though. This is the plane I downloaded straight from the Archives, perhaps he got his somewhere else and it was changed somehow.

Lotsa questions left for this aircraft and I gotta tell you guys, great feedback, much appreciated! This plane just plain (pardon the pun) looks good so I'll do some digging around and see if I can't find out more.

Guys, if you want to jump in and tinker, please do. Great screenshots, input, and help.....thanks! I'll get back to y'all on this.

Cheers!

P.S. As for the problems with the nose gun tubes, it was an easy fix to pull 'em back, but I too have had them disappear altogether at times.
 
Keeping It Attached

...As for the problems with the nose gun tubes, it was an easy fix to pull 'em back, but I too have had them disappear altogether at times...

The best way to keep things where they belong [as opposed to having them drop away unintentionally] is to make them present but undroppable, like so:

[PAYLOAD.2]
; Payload = Rockets (Salvo)
mount.0=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.1=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.2=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.3=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.4=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.5=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.6=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.7=WEP_DB_us_rocket_pylon_a, 1, 0
mount.12=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, -1
mount.13=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.14=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.15=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.16=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.17=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.18=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12
mount.19=WEP_DB_us_5_rocket_navy_wired, 1, 12

Note that the Pylons are > 1,0 <

That translates to: One Present / NOT droppable

Enjoy
SC
:kilroy:
 
JL, I was unable to view the VN original MDL drawing with DPEdit Ver 1.21 - what did you use to grab this image ???

SC

:kilroy:

The model 3D mesh is from Aircraft Container Manager, and then mixed with a screen capture from Dped.
 
hi to all!:salute: where i can find the 3tubes, I don't have it
 
Hi Rioker. The 3 tubes are the nose gun tubes and they're already in the .dp file.

[HARDPOINTS]
mount.0=5.5,2.8,0.1
mount.1=5.5,2.7,0.1
mount.2=-5.5,2.8,0.1
mount.3=-5.5,2.7,0.1
mount.4=0,-0.1,4.75
mount.5=-0.65,1.4,-4.9
mount.6=0.65,1.4,-4.9
mount.7=6.1,2.8,0.1
mount.8=6.1,2.7,0.1
mount.9=-6.1,2.8,0.1
mount.10=-6.1,2.7,0.1
mount.11=6.7,2.8,0.1
mount.12=6.7,2.7,0.1
mount.13=-6.7,2.8,0.1
mount.14=-6.7,2.7,0.1
mount.15=7.3,2.8,0.1
mount.16=7.3,2.7,0.1
mount.17=-7.3,2.8,0.1
mount.18=-7.3,2.7,0.1

[PAYLOADS]
payload.0=%payload_name.0%
payload.1=%payload_name.1%
payload.2=%payload_name.2%
payload.3=%payload_name.3%
payload.4=%payload_name.4%
payload.5=%payload_name.5%
payload.6=%payload_name.6%
payload.7=%payload_name.7%

[PAYLOAD.0]
; Payload = Guns only
mount.4=3tubes, 1, 0
mount.5=wep_raf_gunner_rear, 1, 0
mount.6=wep_raf_gunner_rear, 1, 0

Hardpoint .4 is the 3 tubes. What you see highlighted is the new positioning I did for the tubes. I believe the 'z' axis was at 5.58 originally. You can open up the .dp in notepad and edit it to your satisfaction. Failing that, let me know and I'll send you my .dp file

Cheers!
 
a breakthrough.....

do I sense a breakthrough with this aircraft? I believe I do. Great stuff guys!
 
Alpha_1,

Nice work on the Catalina .dp file! I did notice, however, that when the first torpedo is dropped, it appears that the gunners decide to call it a day as well.

I suppose they are ready...still in their seats with their parachutes on, and if they get the chance they can always pull the chord. Otherwise, it would likely be a painful belly flop.

Rami: I wuz away for a bit, if you are still having the problem, this might do it:

Mauro G used pilots loaded as weapons like this:

[PAYLOAD.1]
; Payload = Guns Long Range
mount.0=bri_pilot, 1, 0
mount.1=wep_GC_wrack, 1, -1
mount.2=wep_german_300ltank_type2_gp, 1, -1


Note the zero after the pilot line. I believe that will do the trick.

I needed a good Cat, looks like we've got one now. Thanks everyone.
 
Hi Rioker. The 3 tubes are the nose gun tubes and they're already in the .dp file.

[HARDPOINTS]
mount.0=5.5,2.8,0.1
mount.1=5.5,2.7,0.1
mount.2=-5.5,2.8,0.1
mount.3=-5.5,2.7,0.1
mount.4=0,-0.1,4.75
mount.5=-0.65,1.4,-4.9
mount.6=0.65,1.4,-4.9
mount.7=6.1,2.8,0.1
mount.8=6.1,2.7,0.1
mount.9=-6.1,2.8,0.1
mount.10=-6.1,2.7,0.1
mount.11=6.7,2.8,0.1
mount.12=6.7,2.7,0.1
mount.13=-6.7,2.8,0.1
mount.14=-6.7,2.7,0.1
mount.15=7.3,2.8,0.1
mount.16=7.3,2.7,0.1
mount.17=-7.3,2.8,0.1
mount.18=-7.3,2.7,0.1

[PAYLOADS]
payload.0=%payload_name.0%
payload.1=%payload_name.1%
payload.2=%payload_name.2%
payload.3=%payload_name.3%
payload.4=%payload_name.4%
payload.5=%payload_name.5%
payload.6=%payload_name.6%
payload.7=%payload_name.7%

[PAYLOAD.0]
; Payload = Guns only
mount.4=3tubes, 1, 0
mount.5=wep_raf_gunner_rear, 1, 0
mount.6=wep_raf_gunner_rear, 1, 0

Hardpoint .4 is the 3 tubes. What you see highlighted is the new positioning I did for the tubes. I believe the 'z' axis was at 5.58 originally. You can open up the .dp in notepad and edit it to your satisfaction. Failing that, let me know and I'll send you my .dp file

Cheers!

I checked the .dp file and modified 'z' axis, launched the game and when I select the aircraft, the game throws the following message, 'cannot load the 3tubes model from library'
 
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