General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
The Pitching Deck Saga
average_joe:
Gang,
Here are some real world numbers from real world experience.
1. Day VFR landing pattern: Downwind at 600'; 1-1.25 miles abeam. Start turn to final bearing between LSO platform and aft end of flight deck; at the 90 position be at 450'; at the 45 position be at 350'; crossing the wake (a real wake is much narrower than the FSX wake) be at 300'; roll out on centerline 3/4 mile from the ship (approx 17-20 seconds on the ball).
2. Instrument pattern: outside of 3 miles from the ship be dirty and on speed and at 1200'. Track inbound and at 3 miles tip over to glideslope (the numbers equate to a 4 degree static glideslope). Follow needles until 3/4 miles and then transition to visual acquisition of the ball. If you're simulating real weather, ILS on the ship minimums are 200' and 1/2 mile. ACLS (which FSX doesn't simulate) is 100' and 1/4 mile.
3. Small point for someone working details of the carrier model ... no personnel in the landing area during landing. All personnel to the right side of the landing area 'foul' line.
4. For a pitching deck, the glideslope is stabilized. The carrier pitches in a sine wave fashion. Try a 6' amplitude; 30 sec period ... if someone can figure out how to do this in FSX code. That's a reasonable sea state for less than ideal weather. 30' swells are typhoon waves or winter in the North Atlantic/Pacific ... extremis conditions.
5. If you want to use a holding pattern for the IFR approach, the holding radial is the reciprocal of the final bearing, range is 15 nmi + the holding altitude in thousands (holding at Angels 18 ... 15 + 18 = 33 DME). Descend out of holding at 33 DME inbound to the ship. Holding is a 6 min left hand race track (1 minute legs). Be at 1200' at 6 DME. Stay at 1200' until 3 DME
6. If someone is really into carrier detail, he can model the 'autodog' machine. Spaz knows what I'm talking about ...
SpazSinbad:
avjoe: Thanks for your real world input (mine is olde worlde on A4Gs 38 years ago now). 'AutoDog'? Wot? ;D WOOF! :D
SpazSinbad:
HMAS Melbourne did not have PLAT camera technology - instead PHOTs wandered or from fixed positions filmed (with film only being developed if there was an incident) or photographed what they could, often putting themselves at risk (with orders not to do that again). That is why there is a lot of video and still photos of A4G Skyhawk operations on HMAS Melbourne (my time was actually 1971-2) and I have collated a bunch of material in a PDF or in a Video(s) that can be downloaded here:
www.a4ghistory.com
Smaller versions of above files can be downloaded from: http://www.filefront.com/user/SpazSinbad
There are a few classics with one A4G tipping onto port wingtip due to ship wallowing and A4G drifting from right to left during approach/arrest. All the incidents work out well - a bonus.
Looking at this website: http://www.aboutlanguageschools.com/language/slang/navy-slang.asp I could assume that an 'autodog' approach is one where the 'lollygaggers' (onlookers) are watching the PLAT with their 'autodogs'? :D The RAN FAA had the 'goofers' (as above).
average_joe:
Spaz,
'autodog' ... it's the heart and soul of US Navy Carrier aviation ... it's the soft ice cream machine on the mess decks and in the wardroom. Soft ice cream machine ... has the handle that looks like the dog's tail ... lift the dog's tail and ice cream automatically fills your bowl ... imagine chocolate ice cream ... and the rest is Naval tradition!!
I don't think it's something that was on carriers in your time.
I've been to Perth on a few port visits ... love that Swan lager!
Orion:
--- Quote from: SpazSinbad on March 18, 2010, 01:26:37 am ---'AutoDog'? Wot? ;D WOOF! :D
--- End quote ---
I was thinking the same ;D.
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