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Simviation Updated F/A-18 Hud

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Sludge:
Hey Spaz...

Dont worry, I dont take your comments in bad way at all.  Thats why I said fire away, cause I have very thick skin, but even so, your comments are good not bad.  Dont know if you are saying that because there are people that dont take your comments for what they are??... I take it as good criticism to get better.  I do like to hear what youre saying, cause you have a great deal of FSX F-18/Carrier Ops ka-nowledge.  Also, if you got time, I wouldnt mind a good VIDEO crititique or suggestions (ie, started recording too late, maybe use fsx recorder and then playback and record what I want using Fraps from the replay...), things along those lines.  So I can make some better videos using the free 30 seconds version of Fraps.

My biggest problem is the zoom.  Lately, instead of the full HUD (.90 or greater minimum) zoom, ive been doing the opposite.  Im gonna start trying to land at .60 zoom.  This way I can see my HUD/in-plane data as well as boat/meatball viz while landing.  If this zoom works out I will keep it, as I fly the racetrack 600 ft pattern in .40 zoom, so I can see the wake crossing without turning my head, then once on proper line-up, I just have to hit the plus bar TWICE and Im all set.  No swiveling, no offcenter head positioning, just two plusses and I'm ready to work on actually landing.  The less keyboard to slow me up and get me off kilter, the better.

Another problem, and you alluded to this, is once I do get setup, my problem is my throttle.  I have a saitek x52 setup, but swear my throttle is wayy too touchy.  I mean, dont worry, I know what you mean when you say "best to have the doughnut all the way", but with my throttle it seems that when I correct, I overcorrect and chase.  I dont mind being not smooth and getting on the ball as needed, but when I chase, I bolter.  I did that twice before saving this video, but when I just settled for a slightly low/slow, I get a two wire when needed, plus it was done at 3am local.  Will continue to work with my throttle settings and see if that can be rectified.  I know about goosing the power, then once back on glideslope, power back and keep the doughnut, but my throttle gets really touchy, so we will see what happens with that situation after playing with the sensitivity settings.

Finally, I do have a LOT of fun landing with this jet.  I personally love the new HUD and that was my main reason for posting this video, to show that thing off to others that are wanting a HUD that is far superior and realistic to the default HUD.  Landing on LAND is not even a task anymore.  Ive landed in the dead on night, full thunderstorm, med-hi winds, minimal visual cues and this HUD/ILS came thru like a champ.  If that doesnt tell you, nothing will.  I guess thats why I cant get enough of carrier landings.  They are the hardest challenge, could always be done better, and once you land carrier style, everything else has the volume turned down really low.

Laterz
Sludge

Sludge:
Also Spaz...

In my future videos, Ill try to increase the brightness, as I didnt know the indexer was coming across as hard to see?  Was it hard to see even on the HD version of the video?  If so, let me know...

For me, on the first page of this thread, my dusk landing picture, thats how clear the indexer is to me when playing.  When I get home, Ill check on my monitor and see how bad it is in the youtube HD.

Thanks
Sludge

SpazSinbad:
Sludge, thanks for understanding.  :D If I post a video I'm happy to be criticised as was done with the sad bad approach seen earlier of mine. However I always keep in mind and I hope any potential viewers that Fsim carrier landings are very difficult for all the reasons highlighted in this and other threads. It is a very artificial environment made more difficult due to the size of the screen we look at during the approach. The real world is much bigger with required detail much easier to see.

A big issue for fixing problems with the KAHU A4K Skyhawk is exactly the throttle response issues. I'm using the standard setup but when we get closer to ideal I'll then mess with the 'realism' settings and do the same with the Hornet but for now I leave settings at default because that is the way most users will use the sim and I'm testing for that situation. Back to the Hornet....

Each will find their own way 'how to deck land'. All I can describe is an "ideal" that not even I can achieve with my setup so I'm hoping this is clear. Carrier aviation is exhilarating and nothing else will do. Complancency about runway landings can be a problem though.  :o  That is why some of my runway landings are also not ideal but then again there is no mirror to guide me. sigh icon.

Sludge because you restrict yourself to the 30 seconds or whatever it is then you yourself will have to judge how best to use that 30 seconds. I would suggest trying to get only the LSO call of the arrest wire and then end. You can edit the .AVI movie in Windows Movie Maker to cut out any bits at the end that are irrelevant. I try to save with the highest quality settings and add brightness if required. Only you can judge that and hope that is OK. If you do add brightness then this is a worthwhile comment to add about the video. Dusk / Dawn is good but remember really dark approaches are not done via a normal circuit but from straight in instrument approaches.

Having tried an actual wind of 45 knots I decided that it was too much (still not sure if the ship is moving?) so going back to 25 knots seemed more realistic for the sim. Yeah throttle sensitivity is an issue but you will adjust to whatever is needed in time. I would suggest get the throttle settings adjusted early to what they might be and then take time to adjust to that and leave the settings as they are. Throttle to keep on the glideslope is what make carrier landings different. Nose keeps angle of attack at optimum but transitory movements in both throttle and nose will produce 'unwanted' effects that require further adjustment. This is why a carrier approach is one 'one armed paper hanger' constant activity. Nothing stays the same - everything is in motion - without over doing it of course. Practice will get the good middle way between being too smooth and not enough control movement to get back to ideal glidepath etc. Hey think of it this way. There is no cross wind. Lack of practice at crosswind landings makes runway landings a hazard. OK?  ::)

For example a Skyhawk had troubles in crosswind hence spoilers developed for it. Also carrier landings required twice the tyre pressure compared to land, then landings with carrier tyre pressures on runways initially were hazardous until tyre pressures reduced for land ops. Many a Skyhawk pilot after long carrier deployment might forget firstly to arm the spoilers and adjust braking on the runway for reduced effect due to the higher tyre pressure initially - the result? Frantic braking with a blown tire at end of runway etc. - or at least hot brakes. Complacency kills.  :-\  I think I read somewhere that Hornet tyre pressures are also different for ship/shore ops but I have not checked on that fact (not relevant for the sim though).

Sludge quote: "...when I just settled for a slightly low/slow..." You may achieve this 'slightly low/slow' but if the LSO does not see you trying to correct (but result is 'slightly low/slow') the LSO will send you back home. There is no substitute for NOT getting back to the ideal - all the time. Nothing else will do - there is no substitute. Why?

Being 'slightly low/slow' leaves NO margin for error. Maintain low slow and you will have a ramp strike if at the last there is not enough power and margin for error just before the ramp when 'the burble' (turbulence created over the ramp or just before by the island/wind effect). On some carriers it is less than others I have read but nevertheless another factor that can grab the unwary who are accepting less than ideal. Another factor becoming a hazard in a steady state approach is that the engine is not cycling to be responsive, even if only a little bit. No one can start an ideal carrier approach and expect everything to remain the same for an ideal approach and arrest. Ain't gonna happen.  ;D  Work hard at starting with and maintaining the ideal approach as described. This aspect of carrier landings cannot be emphasised enough. With practice it makes more sense and does get easier for you to then notice more detailed errors etc. Chasing perfection for a carrier approach never stops. That is what makes them (apart from being difficult) the most interesting. Even FCLP is difficult. A carrier pilot uses the mirror on land for every approach also. Carrier pilots like to practice landings under all conditions.

SpazSinbad:
Sludge, about the video situation. Usually my land runway videos are made from the sim playback. The video is then remade into an .WMV. Because mostly my testing is a quick circuit then that makes for a short video but sometimes the testing is for non-circuit flying. Notice there is no testing at a carrier for the KAHU yet so that aspect of FSX Hornet flying is not practiced much. However having had some practice lately I can see the benefit of a dawn / dusk setup where perhaps the sun is behind the aircraft during the approach so that there is some better daylight visibility not only of the carrier but of the AoA indexer while keeping the nice bright mirror and nightlighting of the carrier deck.

Having a view setup where the mirror is not obscured (mentioned earlier) is the best IMHO. What is important is what the LSO comments on (except if your circuit is really silly and then he will send you home or at least waveoff) is the final approach. So having the video include during base turn to arrest is all that is required. Anything beforehand becomes boring.  8)  If your heartrate does not increase during the FSX carrier landings you are not trying hard enough.   ;D

Back to video. I have never used the 'Recorder' app to know what it will do. If a 'playback' is not available in the sim as it seems not to be in a carrier mission environment then I'll use the real time recording function in FRAPS. The '`' key suggested is perhaps a problem when you have to start a short video. Certainly start the video/ fix the view during base turn so that you can concentrate on nothing else but the approach. Always the 'in close' to arrest portion is the most important, that is where the action counts and where adjustments need to be proportional because anyway at that stage you are on the ideal approach.

For a new carrier pilot it can be surprising how 'bad' their approaches will be for the LSO (which is perplexing for the nugget). To the new pilot things look OK but that is an aspect of their inexperience and inability to notice details etc. As their experience increases the new pilot (nugget) approaches will get much better, for all the reasons described. They will notice that the ball is starting to move and they adjust sooner, rather than wait for the ball to be obviously out of ideal, and then make an adjustment. Also things can go badly wrong 'at the ramp' if the pilot over corrects at the end. Wave off to try again if things go wrong at the end rather than do some crazy dive for the deck or after burner to climb over the ramp for an arrest. At least you can walk away from your crashes - in FSX.

SpazSinbad:
Another reason why 'low/slow' is not an option. Carriers move, particularly up and down - often at the wrong time. Carriers move a lot and no one can anticipate accurately when this movement may be more than usual at any given moment. That is why precision at all times during a carrier approach is important.

Be on glideslope so that if the carrier moves (even though glideslope is stabilised) there is room for that - for a safe arrest. Be on speed in case of a waveoff so that (amongst other things) there is a proper wave off environment. Also there is the 'hook to ramp' clearance issue when not at correct Angle of Attack.

A carrier is not a fixed 12,000 foot runway.  ;D  There is no margin for error.

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