General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
F-18 carrier brake problems
SpazSinbad:
burner12, at the moment due to a computer crash & re-install OS I don't have FSX installed to quickly check those airspeed figures for you. You must be lined up on the centreline of the angled deck. You seem to be doing that OK.
I would guess that NOT using the AoA indexer for the Optimum Angle of Attack approach (which will give you an airspeed to fly but please use the AoA indexer) may be an issue - especially if the All Up Weight of the aircraft is high - or over the Max. AUW for landing. If you use the 'doughnut' (optimum) in the AoA indexer you will have a better approach because the IAS for your weight will be correct.
Try dialing down the realism to the middle position. As you get more practice then try increasing the realism. Heck if you are not familiar with flying the 'doughnut' then start out with easy and then increase realism as you become more proficient. To me the whole point of this excellent 'Hornet in the sim' is to fly as best one can a 'navy approach'. That is why I have complained :-) elsewhere that one has to fly practice approaches on a runway with the hook down to get the AoA indexer to work properly. It is unusable with the hook up. Getting some practice on a runway flying the AoA indexer will be good value. After all USN pilots do this before ever setting out for the deck. Probably they have to do about 100 FCLP (supervised by an LSO ashore) before they ever see the deck.
You have mentioned 'forcing' the aircraft onto the deck at a high airspeed perhaps. This would be a classic 'spotting the deck' move. [Probably in this circumstance you have really 'crashed nose down' onto the deck.] If you can fly the meatball and AoA Optimum then you will have a better chance if on the angle centreline to do an excellent (at least survivable) landing. That is what every carrier pilot aspires to achieve.
Don't be discouraged if it is difficult - it is. Practice flying 'dirty' using the indexer at a few thousand feet to get used to that. Trim is important also. The aircraft should keep OAoA when dirty at your trim setting. This trim will change slightly when you are on glideslope because less power is being used for descent. Don't fly with the trim though. Trim and then use the controls.
Fly using the carrier pilot mantra - say it out loud if necessary - "Meatball, Lineup & Optimum (AoA). You may have heard it said as "Meatball, Lineup, Airspeed" where it is always understood in the jet era that 'airspeed' refers to Optimum Angle of Attack. Just repeat that mantra over and over until touchdown. Do not look at anything else. Just those things and you will be able to fly better approaches. HTH. ;D Happier Landings.
burner12:
Thanks for the info. I have been using the AoA indexer and it works fine for me. It's just maybe I'm not trimmed properly or I just always come in like I said before a shade to the right or left and that spins me because i didn't hit the wire centered. But I know that going around is ok Navy pilots do it many times just to get on deck.
So thanks for the encouragement. I hope the problem of the spin outs is just my landings maybe landing too fast and I just need more practice. its been a while since I have done carrier landings so I'm just brushing up right now. But i hope i can resolve this problem.
MudDog:
I am having the same thing,seems like I "think" I have a perfect pass,glideslope,centerline,AOA,ect. and the plane tips over when Im almost to a stop.
I have many hours in Janes f-18 and superhornet(years ago :) ) I cant seem to land this one on the deck with out having issues.
I love that San Francisco carrier mission with a ILS! Without ILS I dont have a chance.
@burner12,What is that brake fix you mentioned?
Mud
burner12:
I've finally found out it is mainly just not staying on centerline I'm now polishing up my rusty spots since its been a while.
Mud Dog here is the website: http://www.fsxblueangels.com/downloads.html
Download the brake fix and it'll fix the spin outs on landing strips don't know about carriers didn't really work for me on carriers. But also as a suggestion download the airbrake/spoiler fix. Fixes the nose pitch up when you extend the air brake. Helps ALOT! If you want to be a Blue Angel download the smoke fix looks alot better, and anything else you want to download. Happy landings! ;)
SpazSinbad:
burner12, Sorry - missed your question about waving off. "Own Waveoffs" are OK - especially when you are learning. Better to Wave OFF than to crash. Glad to hear that you are getting some good results with better centreline lineup. Navy Flying with the AoA indexer is different, compared to an ordinary Air Force runway landing with a flare at the end. Conversely do not 'dive at the deck'. Your Hornet is not built for that punishment. :-)
Putting the nose down over the ramp will also raise your hook point increasing the chance of a bolter (missing all the wires with the hook). Pity it is not possible to fly carrier approaches without the hook being down. That takes off some of the pressure. New pilots usually do several touch and goes before ever arresting on deck.
Try landing at a lower AUW to help decrease airspeed at OAoA. Please do not use the brakes or have the park brake on when you are carrier landing. This is dangerous. For example the Skyhawk never had a 'park brake' (although the RNZAF fitted a park brake for their shore only operations with their A4K).
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