vLSO Beta release

[Paddles]

...it would make sense to have the vLSO look for a duration of time the ALA goes red or green, before a call is made, or log is made in the vLSO book...

I agree

[K6952]

FSXNavyPilot,
 What are the "locus" parameters in the .ini file? The first 2 numbers are (obviously) max and min range in feet for each stage of the approach, but what are the next 4 numbers?
Thanks,
-Rabbit
"Flaring to land is like squatting to pee"
WWW.FSXCarrierOps.Com

[Paddles]

Look at this:


The [Locus] section of the vLSO.ini file defines the locus of points in the vertical plane from which the aircraft will reach an on-glideslope condition at the ramp (OK GS and OK rate-of-descent) (see the RHE-NAV-90-TR-1, pages 137 and 138).
You're right, the first 2 numbers are max and min distances for each stage (or range) and the next 4 are extreme glideslope deviations at these distances. If your position at any given time is not within these boundaries, the program will consider your approach as bad and wave it off.
The reason I put this into the ini file was that anyone could tweak it, if needed. But nobody complained so far and I think I will omit this section from the final release.

[K6952]

Look at this:


The [Locus] section of the vLSO.ini file defines the locus of points in the vertical plane from which the aircraft will reach an on-glideslope condition at the ramp (OK GS and OK rate-of-descent) (see the RHE-NAV-90-TR-1, pages 137 and 138).
You're right, the first 2 numbers are max and min distances for each stage (or range) and the next 4 are extreme glideslope deviations at these distances. If your position at any given time is not within these boundaries, the program will consider your approach as bad and wave it off.
The reason I put this into the ini file was that anyone could tweak it, if needed. But nobody complained so far and I think I will omit this section from the final release.

 Yeah, I figured as much. I tweaked the numbers to match the "H" and "L" limits so that it won't wave-off an approach unless there's an actual safety-of-flight deviation. We were having issues with it waving off what should have been "fair" grade passes. This also made it compatible with more aircraft.

Thanks,
-Rabbit

[GOONIE]

Thanks, Serge.
 
Do the wave off G/S values you use in the .ini file match the automatic wave off lights on Javier's carrier IFOLS?

Also, in the carrier mission you created, several of the menu options are greyed out (aircraft, time/date, weather), is there a way to allow the user to change these settings on the fly (FSX running) and not only through the .flt file?

-CAPT

[Sludge]

Serge...

I would leave that in the final release IN-CASE people would like to tweak it. Some people MIGHT have been tweaking it already WITHOUT telling you or us about it here at FSDT? I know your vLSO is a BIG HIT over at VRS, as many of them have been testing it in the multiplayer too and saying it works like a champ.

CAPT...

I think you just click on the CHECKBOX "allow changes in mission" before you select his carrier mission, then those choices shouldnt be greyed out.

Later
Sludge

[K6952]

Thanks, Serge.
 
Do the wave off G/S values you use in the .ini file match the automatic wave off lights on Javier's carrier IFOLS?

Also, in the carrier mission you created, several of the menu options are greyed out (aircraft, time/date, weather), is there a way to allow the user to change these settings on the fly (FSX running) and not only through the .flt file?

-CAPT

 I can tell you that the default values do not match the auto-waveoff values for Javier's. They are wider at the start and much tighter in-close.

[K6952]

Serge,
Are the extreme deviations at-range measured in degrees?
-Rabbit

[Essex]

Hi Serge
Meant to say thank you for the latest beta, excellent work.

I haven't played around with the ini file but I did manage to get the Ark Royal to 'work' with the beta by adding these lines to it's sim.cfg

[fltsim.1]
title=CVN68_R9
model=
texture=

Obviously the deck angle etc are wrong (but not deck height in this case).
Could it be possible in future to add custom carrier entries to the ini file ideally with parameters for its geometry as well? The Locus isn't something I'd necessarily want to change.
Also ideally could we add custom aircraft entries with their optimum AOA?
End of wish list.

Cheers and Thanks again.

BTW, Sylvain has released a gauge package RFN_Tacan.zip to give any aircraft Tacan etc from any carrier with a catapult. Although I haven't updated my gauges as they already work fine. Instructions in English here;
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?59144-Carrier-Tacan-available-on-RFN

[K6952]

Nevermind. I have confirmed that the values are in degrees.

Here's the locus profile I worked out:

[Locus]
Range.1 = 5600, 2500, 1.3, 1.3, -1.6, -1.6
Range.2 = 2500, 2200, 1.3, 1.3, -1.6, -1.6
Range.3 = 2200, 2000, 1.3, 0.8, -1.6, -0.8
Range.4 = 2000, 1600, 0.8, 0.45, -0.8, -0.45
Range.5 = 1600, 1300, 0.45, 0.45, -0.45, -0.45

2200' and beyond, it will wave off concurrent with the Javier waveoff lights. HI, LO
2200' to 1600', it will wave off any excursion greater than 2 balls. HI, LO
1600' and closer, it will waveoff for any excursion greater than 1 ball. (HI), (LO)

[Paddles]

Thanks, K6952
Here's your locus (in bold colors) compared with the default locus (in faint colors). There were no exact numbers in the RHE_NAV_90_TR_1, so I just used 'rule of thumb' to specify the locus limits. Your numbers look good, I hope people will give it a go 

[Paddles]

...I did manage to get the Ark Royal to 'work' with the beta...

...

Obviously the deck angle etc are wrong (but not deck height in this case).
Could it be possible in future to add custom carrier entries to the ini file ideally with parameters for its geometry as well?
...
Also ideally could we add custom aircraft entries with their optimum AOA?

Sounds good, but you are right - the AR's deck geometry is totally different, so the vLSO will not work properly with this carrier. Does this carrier have an OLS similar to FSX CVN68? I mean is that OLS as precise as FLOLS?

The vLSO currently supports following aircraft:

F/A-18A
F/A-18E
F-14D
T-45C
A-4K

And it's no problem to add support for any other carrier capable aircraft. I will add this feature to the next beta release.

[Paddles]

Well guys,
The Beta 0.2 is here http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=4915.msg45464#msg45464

Read, install and test...

Some more details on the program.

The correct abeam position now depends on aircraft type and follows its NATOPS numbers:
F/A-18A - 1.25-1.5 NM
F/A-18E - 1.10-1.3 NM
F-14D - 1.0-1.25 NM
T-45C - 0.9-1.1 NM
A-4K - 1.0-1.25 NM

Too close abeam and too wide abeam areas both are 0.5 NM wide (again I used the rule of thumb here), abeam altitude limited to 800' (we'll discuss CASE III ops later)

LSO levels currently implement voice levels only:
Nugget - all voice calls,
Fleet - advisory and imperative calls,
CAG - imperative calls.

Happy landings! 

[GOONIE]

Thanks again Serge! Looking forward to the new release. Couple questions, is there anything one needs to do to have the vLSO adjust AoA values and abeam position for different aircraft or is it automatic? (e.g. T-45C vs F/A-18C). Did you mean F/A-18C 1.25-1.5NM, or F/A-18A?

Second, for the carrier mission you developed, can one add a support ship (destroyer, cruiser) 1NM behind the carrier by adding these lines of code to the .FLT file for the saved mission? Of course I would need to update the lat/long to match the carrier starting point with offset? I typically use the support ship to help fly the airplane from the 2D cockpit, as a visual reference for getting into the groove.

[Sim.245]
Sim=VEH_destroyer01

[SimVars.245]
Latitude=N36° 26' 27.60"
Longitude=W74° 30' 9.36"
Altitude=+000008.99
Pitch=0
Bank=2.5401646986622414e-027
Heading=79.075232246543749
PVelBodyAxis=0
BVelBodyAxis=-2.3020198699624645e-028
HVelBodyAxis=2.3773682295426338e-031
XVelBodyAxis=-3.2886623520653484e-027
YVelBodyAxis=7.4110606801254932e-020
ZVelBodyAxis=16.88761451793836
SimOnGround=True
OnPlatformHeight=-9999999999

[Slew.245]
Active=False

[Freeze.245]
Location=False
Altitude=False
Attitude=False

[Paddles]

...is there anything one needs to do to have the vLSO adjust AoA values and abeam position for different aircraft or is it automatic? (e.g. T-45C vs F/A-18C). Did you mean F/A-18C 1.25-1.5NM, or F/A-18A?

The vLSO now automatically sets AoA and abeam values for the supported aircraft, which I listed previously.
Is there an FSX F/A-18C?.. Did I miss something?  

Second, for the carrier mission you developed, can one add a support ship (destroyer, cruiser) 1NM behind the carrier by adding these lines of code to the .FLT file for the saved mission?

Of course! You are free to modify this mission to your taste. But I think it's better to add ships to the mission's XML file, via Object Placement Tool, so the ships could move along with the carrier.