General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board

rudder question

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SpazSinbad:
Bushwacker, rereading your post I noticed this: "I get glideslope, speed, but occassionally my lineup if BAD." You may have meant to say 'Angle of Attack at Optimum' but have substituted 'speed' instead. You may think I'm being picky but I can understand how 'Optimum Angle of Attack' is a new concept for most pilots not trained for or in Naval Aviation where the use of OAoA is its life.

Please check the video and or read posts about "Optimum Angle of Attack". It is really important. A naval aircraft has been designed to land at OAoA and nothing more or less. The attitude must be correct for hook to ramp clearance for one thing. If you fly a large aircraft onto a small deck then flying the meatball correctly but a higher angle of attack above optimum (ie. slower airspeed) the attitude of the aircraft puts the hook lower with potential to catch the ramp instead of a wire. Conversely landing at a lesser AoA (too fast for the aircraft weight) the hook is raised and may miss the wires altogether even though you have landed in the arrest zone.

The most critical issue with OAoA is that given the Max. AuW for landing then there is a max. airspeed to do this at - this is critical for NOT breaking the arrestor gear or the aircraft when arresting or whatever. Just flying any old airspeed is not good enough. I hope that is clear. For an authentic carrier landing experience then OAoA is the only way.

I don't quibble about starting out at an airfield flying an airspeed that you may see that will get you close to the OAoA for that particular weight. But it will not be acceptable at the carrier particularly if you get that 'airspeed' wrong at either end of the parameters (too fast or too slow). Naval Aviation lives and breathes this 'Optimum Angle of Attack' approach.

SpazSinbad:
Being used to non-HUD naval aircraft I don't really look at it that much but I'm aware I need to learn how to use the useful features it has. With that said I'm looking at the AoA Indexer to the left of the HUD which shows OAoA with the Orange doughnut, with Green Chevron pointing down showing TOO SLOW (too high an AoA) with the down arrow telling me to 'lower the nose to get back to OAoA. Reverse for the RED UP Chevron (Too Fast so raise nose and of course most likely reduce power etc.). This indexer is only useful when the hook is DOWN otherwise it flashes making the indexer unusable for FCLP without the hook down. I live with that issue.

[From same NATOPS situation about hook/AoA Indexer and how behaviour can be changed for FCLP:
HOOK BYPASS Switch.
The HOOK BYPASS switch, located on the lower left main instrument panel, is spring loaded to the CARRIER position and is electrically held in the FIELD position.
FIELD Approach lights and AOA indexers do not flash regardless of hook position. The switch reverts to the CARRIER position if the hook is lowered.
CARRIER Approach lights and AOA indexers flash if the hook is not down"
&
"Angle Of Attack Indexer. The angle of attack indexer is mounted to the left of the HUD. It displays approach angle of attack (AOA) with lighted symbols; corresponding AOA indications are shown on the HUD. The indexer operates with the landing gear down and weight off the gear. The lighted symbol(s) flash if the arresting hook is up and the hook bypass switch, on the left vertical panel, is in CARRIER. The symbols will not flash with the arresting hook up and the hook bypass switch in FIELD. The switch is solenoid held to FIELD and automatically goes to CARRIER
when the arresting hook is lowered or aircraft power is removed."]

To show that yes I'm learning about the HUD here is text and diagram from Super Hornet NATOPS (apologies I have not got hold of a Hornet NATOPS yet) I'm hoping that the HUD is similar:

"HUD landing symbology. When any two landing gear are down, the Mach number, g, and peak
g are deleted and an AOA bracket, extended horizon bar, waterline symbol, and energy caret appear.
The center of the AOA bracket represents the optimum approach AOA. The bracket moves lower
with respect to the velocity vector as AOA increases and moves higher as AOA decreases. When the
energy state of the aircraft is in equilibrium, the energy caret points to the "right wing" of the
velocity vector and the aircraft neither accelerates or decelerates. With an energy deficit, the energy
caret moves lower with respect to the velocity vector and the aircraft decelerates; with excess energy,
the energy caret moves higher and the aircraft accelerates."

SpazSinbad:
AoA Indexer shown at OPTIMUM in the FSX Hornet - fuel is about 34% total and altitude is as shown with a down component - these factors will change the OAoA [which is constant but that the IAS or power required for steady state at OAoA at a particular weight will change]. Next graphic is from the Super Hornet NATOPS showing the AoA indexer symbology mentioned above.

SUBS17:
I think you can also control yaw on the Hornet with the throttles using the split throttle and FSX supports split throttles.

SpazSinbad:
Subs17, that is a good point but I wonder how the aircraft will compensate via computer? Unless there is an emergency why would one want to do that?

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