FSDreamTeam forum
General Category => Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board => Topic started by: wilycoyote4 on July 13, 2012, 08:45:26 pm
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http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise
seems the new payware Enterprise is about 2 weeks from release
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Wonder if it's only me, but the link doesn't work for me wilycoyote4.
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sorry, dunno, works for me, just tested it.
it is reply #76
no new screenys as of today nor comments as I write
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For some reason, www.sim-outhouse.com itself doesn't load for me.
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For some reason, www.sim-outhouse.com itself doesn't load for me.
hmmmmmmm that's upsetting.
homework for beginners like me ----
http://www.enterprise.navy.mil/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CVN-65)
USS Enterprise (CVN-65), formerly CVA(N)-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth United States naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At 1,123 ft (342 m), she is the longest naval vessel in the world. Her 93,284 long tons (94,781 t) displacement ranks her as the 11th-heaviest supercarrier, after the 10 carriers of the Nimitz class. Enterprise has a crew of some 4,600 people.
The only ship of her class, Enterprise is the second oldest commissioned vessel in the United States Navy, after the wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate USS Constitution. She was originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2014 or 2015, depending on the life of her reactors and completion of her replacement, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). But the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 slated the ship's retirement for 2013, when she will have served for 51 consecutive years, longer than any other U.S. aircraft carrier.
As of September 2010, Enterprise's home port is at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Her final deployment was on 11 March 2012, which is to be the last before her decommissioning. She is scheduled to be deactivated on 1 December 2012.
Enterprise is also the only aircraft carrier to house more than two nuclear reactors. This was due to the ready availability of a field-proven production design developed for nuclear submarines. Her eight-reactor propulsion design also fit well with the supercarrier hull designs of the time, with each A2W reactor taking the place of one of the conventional boilers in earlier constructions. She is the only carrier with four rudders, two more than other classes, and features a more cruiser-like hull.
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http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise
quote from reply #87
Also, latest "short list" of features from the user manual.
• Two configurations representing an early 1980s cruise (1982-1983) and a late 1980s cruise (1989-1990) with unique carrier details and carrier/aircraft textures for each
• Empty deck versions of both early 80s and late 80s
• Full FSX Acceleration carrier operations compatibility
• Optional advanced FLOLS system with settable glide slope and audible LSO
• Optional Advanced launch trigger and realistic launch speed tailored to individual aircraft
• Aircraft servicing vehicles, fire trucks, and deck crew figures with animated "shooter"
• Night operations lighting including sequenced flashing centerline lights
• New and updated static aircraft on deck (A-7 Corsair II, A-6 Intruder, F-14 Tomcat, S-3 Viking, and SH-3 Sea King)
• Sea King plane guard helicopter flying alongside (courtesy of Michael Davies)
• "Adams" Class guided missile destroyer escort (courtesy of Earl Watkins)
• Framerates are vastly improved for FSX
• 16 moving carrier tracks (eight locations for each "era")
• Flight files for easy carrier locating
A hoped for follow-on version is the 60s - 70s with the beehive roof array and
appropriate aircraft for each decade. But this one has taken a long time and
everyone involved has a lot of projects that have been put on hold that they
want to work on for awhile
http://www.facebook.com/TeamSDB.scenery/photos
WHAT ----ADJUSTABLE GLIDE SLOPE?
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I am excited about this. I am currently modding my flight sim to look like 1980s and this addition will be tremendous.
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reply #103 by the main developer Micket D
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise&p=731371#post731371 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise&p=731371#post731371)
I'm not the expert in this dept. but 3.5 deg. is certainly one of the options.
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I'm not the expert in this dept. but 3.5 deg. is certainly one of the options.
SLUDGE HAPPY.
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Very cool features, like the 3.5 glideslope, and also the sequenced flashing centerline lights, nice touch.
Any word on price?
Looking at the pictures the deck crew look a little more detailed than Javiers. Not sure about every single parked aircraft having a tow bar attached, seems odd. Also the placement of the escort helo, very close port side, does anyone know if this is the correct spot for the helo to be during carrier ops? Besides that looks pretty awesome.
-CAPT
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Also the placement of the escort helo, very close port side, does anyone know if this is the correct spot for the helo to be during carrier ops?
-CAPT
Capt,
As far as I know: no, that is not the correct location for the plane guard helo. The position they have it in is usually reserved for helos coming aboard or departing the ship. The plane guard helo usually hangs out in the starboard “delta” pattern, and I think they are required to stay within 1 to 3 miles of the boat. If an emergency aircraft is inbound, the plane guard will obviously head inbound and hang out in close proximity to the ship, but I think the air boss dictates that.
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Also the placement of the escort helo, very close port side, does anyone know if this is the correct spot for the helo to be during carrier ops?
-CAPT
Capt,
As far as I know: no, that is not the correct location for the plane guard helo. The position they have it in is usually reserved for helos coming aboard or departing the ship. The plane guard helo usually hangs out in the starboard “delta” pattern, and I think they are required to stay within 1 to 3 miles of the boat. If an emergency aircraft is inbound, the plane guard will obviously head inbound and hang out in close proximity to the ship, but I think the air boss dictates that.
Thanks, Micro. That is what I thought. Maybe you can get rid of the helo, or it comes with different configs so you can get rid of it when landing :o
-CAPT
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reply #106
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise
Regarding glide slopes for various carriers, here are a few comments from former
F-8 Crusader drivers that some folks may want to file away:
"The 27C boats used a 4.0 degree basic angle for glide slope. This
yielded a 10.8 ft. hook to ramp clearance for all aircraft. The larger
boats, CV-63 and subsequent, used a 3.5 degree basic angle that
yielded a 14.5 ft. hook to ramp for all aircraft types. Believe the
Forrestal class used a 3.5 degree glide slope with about a 12 foot
hook to ramp clearance. Not sure about the Midway class. Hook to eye
values for the different aircraft were adjusted for by changing lens
roll angle. The effective glide slope is a factor of wind over the
deck. For example, on the 27C, with zero wind over the deck, the
effective glide slope was 4 degrees, while with 25 knots of wind over
the deck, the effective glide slope was 3.75 degrees. With high wind
over deck, say 40 knots or more, I used 4.0 degrees on the larger
boats to yield an effective glide slope similar to that experienced
with 25 to 30 knots of wind."
-Jim Matheny
"The 27C's (Shang for me) used a 4 degree slope to get the hook to ramp
clearance up to (thought it was 9.8' on centerline, on speed, headed
for a target 3 wire). The big boats, including Coral Sea and Midway
used a 3.5 degree slope and still had good hook to ramp while bringing
the power up a bit for safety. When the wind was high the big boats went
to a 4 degree slope because the power was up and the higher slope got
you above the burble a bit. No, I was not an LSO but I studied it a
lot and was later an Air Boss."
-Will Gray
"The Midway glide slope was set at 3.5 or 3.25 for F-8 recoveries to snatch the #3 wire, which gave you a ten foot hook to ramp clearance on a perfect pass. The only 4 degree glide slope I ever used was for the A3D while a deck was a little unsteady which was most of the time."
-Ace Jewell
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Update
Reply #108
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise
Originally Posted by robertorizzo
Any chance to have vLSO working on Big E?
Has been taken any contact with fsdreamteam group?
I don't see any reason why vLSO should not work, I guess it can work with any carrier?
Regarding the glideslope angle, the default models are using the Acceleration mirror so, by default, the glideslope angle is 4 degrees.
But, the optional models included use an advanced FLOLS system : the meatball is steered by a gauge which read the glide slope angle in a xml file.
So you can define the angle of your choice...
regards,
Sylvain
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http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?61942-Team-SDB-USS-Enterprise
reply #114
In the meantime, the final packages (FS9 and FSX) have been sent to the store.
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Hi Wily,
Where is it? Can't wait to see this one...:)
Johan
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Hi Wily,
Where is it? Can't wait to see this one...:)
Johan
dunno, as I write, the original statement did not say, no doubt that will be corrected perhaps even now, but I shall guess it will be available after a bit of shop preparation.
Can't be a long wait.
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Pilot Shop
developer says Pilot Shop
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Can you please be a bit more specific? I have tried googling "Pilot Shop", do you know how many Pilot Shops there are? I tried looking at a few but already have enough pilots' shirts, aviator sunglasses etc so these shops are not relevant.
A website would be appreciated,
Thank you,
Tregarth
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http://www.fspilotshop.com/
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Thanks, Wily. Still don't see it up yet, so I guess it is still in the delta pattern at the shop waiting for charlie time.
Maybe someday the Big E or Nimitz will have a deck and deck crew that look like the video from BF3 (check out minutes 1:19 - 3:35). The water and deck hand animation are pretty impressive. I understand the inaccuacy in the video makes it really hard to watch, almost laugh, but if this eye candy could be in FSX or some other flight sim engine in the future, that would pretty awesome combined with high fidelity carrier ops. Frame rates be damned.
GOONIE
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Now available from the FSPilotShop (http://www.fspilotshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=3807) for $28.95.
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Hi Orion,
Thanks for the info, it looks like a high quality product.
A couple of questions, if you can answer.
1- What does the word "optional" mean in the following description? Is it something that we can purchase later?
"-Optional advanced FLOLS system with settable glide slope and audible LSO"
"-Optional Advanced launch trigger and realistic launch speed tailored to individual aircraft"
2- Can we use the Big E with AICarrier2 like Javier's carriers?
Thanks a lot, I will definitely purchase it.
Johan
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I honestly have no idea. I've had nothing to do with the development of it, and have no affiliation with the authors. I just saw the release announcement at SOH and though you lot would appreciate it here as well.
Edit: Anyways, I may as well try and be of some help. I'd read it as optional, as in it's your choice to use those features or not. And if it's a standard boat SimObject, it'll more than likely work with AICarriers2r2.
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Thanks Orion, I will try it too.
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Thanks Orion, I will try it too.
Johan,
Could you post a review after you have checked it out.
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Johan,
Could you post a review after you have checked it out.
[/quote]
I will, but I am off to Europe for 2 weeks...
Johan
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I just bought the Enterprise and am pretty impressed so far. However, I'm finding out that if you want to use the advanced functions (LSO, Advanced FLOLS) you will need to tweek a few CFG files. That's the way it's set up. I'll post more as I tinker with it.
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Agreed with Micro. The detail on the ship is very impressive. I landed Dino's new F35B in VTOL mode on it, but haven't tried the traditional landing and catapult launch which involve aircraft.cfg tweaking. I haven't checked yet if the tweaking conflicts with Sludge's and/or Jimi's parameters on the F-A/18, but will do.
Johan
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First impressions:
Pros:
-Good scenery
-16 Pre-determined AI tracks
-Easily compatible with AI carriers
-Fairly easy to modify CFG's for advanced features
-Good end speeds on "advanced" cat shots
-Nice launch delay on "advanced" cat shots
Cons:
-"Cheezy" LSO calls
-Poor wake effect
-Aircraft must be in burner for "advanced" cat shot
-Plane guard helo is in a very odd place
-The manual has numerous grammatical errors and is sometimes confusing
-The "advanced" FLOLS documentation is vague at best
-I can't find documentation on how change the FLOLS glideslope
-The "advanced" FLOLS simply does not appear for me despite numerous attempts (It looks like the lens has been turned off).
My 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth.
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Thank you for the heads up Micro.
Is to good for multiplay. I mean, if one person 'drives' the boat, are others able to 'see' Tacan, ILS and also use cat's.
If, for a moment, we forget the 'advanced FLOLS', is the ball visible to all players in MP setup.
Thank you.
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The reason, I ask is, because we are looking for a decent MP compatible boat for the group I fly with.
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-The "advanced" FLOLS simply does not appear for me despite numerous attempts (It looks like the lens has been turned off).
I am having the same issue, no luck on the new FLOLS after following the instructions.
I agree, the wake is pretty bad, if you want to change the wake to the to say the Javier Nimitz, go into the sim.cfg file in the CVN65_Enterprise folder, look for the line;
[Effects]
wake = fx_CVN65_wake
Change to the wake effect you like (maybe from Javier’s sim.cfg).
I am going to remove the helo, looks like you need to remove, VEH_SH-3H_Seaking folder/file from the Boats folder.
Things I liked are the 80's/90's traffic on deck, high quality textures with no noticeable frame rate drop. Deck also looks detailed. I also like the night time lighting, especially the centerline white pulse (rabbit) and the CAT officer gets a lighted night wand for signaling the launch. Hopefully someone smarter than me will be able to figure out how to get the advanced FLOLS (3.5 glideslope) to work not only for the Enterprise, but for any FSX carrier. Maybe the CAT end speed too!
GOONIE
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-I can't find documentation on how change the FLOLS glideslope
It appears to be in the carrier.xml file that was installed in your "gauge" folder, and currently set at 3.6, see below partial, and in other places in the .xml file.
Johan
"</Parameters>
<!-- Moving Carriers TACAN & Beacon data -->
<CarrierList>
<!-- Carrier List / Type = 1 -->
<Carrier Name="Foch PA1 circa 1975"
Sim_Name="VEH_Foch_PA1"
CarrierType="1"
Frequency="109.00"
Language="FR"
RunwayAngle="8.5"
GS_Angle="3.6"...."
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Mickey, I really don't know about MP. As of right now I don't know of a way to "drive" the Enterprise. Also, I didn't mention it before because I thought it was me being stupid, but I can't get the ILS to come up on the HUD. As of right now, I don't think the Hornet HUD we've come to love is compatible with this new carrier.
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Mickey, I really don't know about MP. As of right now I don't know of a way to "drive" the Enterprise. Also, I didn't mention it before because I thought it was me being stupid, but I can't get the ILS to come up on the HUD. As of right now, I don't think the Hornet HUD we've come to love is compatible with this new carrier.
Thanks Micro.
Since I haven't purchased this boat yet, so I am just guessing here. But, looking at Johan's post above, I noticed the line that says 'Frequency=109.00'.
Default hornet or T45 have their ILS/TCN set to 57X (112.00MHz). Did you try dialing in 109.00 (or 27X) and see if it works.
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On second thoughts, as far as I knew (and I'm not a software person), the new Hornet HUD (versions of which are in use in stock hornet, T45, Sludge hornet and even BA bird) had the boats ILS/TCN hard coded into the HUD code. Atleast that is what I was given to understand. The ILS frequency of 112.00 was hard coded as part of the new HUD code. Maybe that's why that HUD is not picking up the Enterprise.
Folks like Orion, Neutrino, Jimmy or Sludge would be able to provide more accurate answers, I'm certain.
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Mickey...
No worries, I got a few answers for ya. You are partially right. The "ICLS" is HUD hard-coded to work with Acceleration default/AICarriers (111.00) and Javier's carrier (112.00), it's JR's WORKAROUND for boats that couldn't have a moving ILS/TACAN installed. If this Enterprise has a working FSX ILS/TACAN "emitting" like a land station then all you have to do is FIND OUT what frequency its sending and dial it in and the jet will actually tune in and show you the ILS needles on the HUD and on the ADI panel. Just as in Johan's post, you can see in the XML coding that the "Foch" carrier has a freq of 109.00, so you'd just tune to 109.00 and the needles should come up.
Otherwise, JR would have to "revise" the HUD code to accept this carrier and apply his method to getting a ILS/TCN.
Later
Sludge
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According to the carrier.xml, the 4 Enterprise have each a different frequency as seen below in the extract. That makes things a little complicated.
Johan
<Carrier Name="USS Enterprise (CVN65) 82-83 cruise"
...
Frequency="115.00"
...
<Carrier Name="USS Enterprise (CVN65) 82-83 cruise Empty Deck"
...
Frequency="115.50"
....
<Carrier Name="Enterprise (CVN65) 89-90 cruise"
...
Frequency="116.00"
...
<Carrier Name="USS Enterprise (CVN65) 89-90 cruise Empty Deck"
...
Frequency="116.50"
...
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Well, I tried all day to bring up the needles with the Enterprise; no go. Since they have the manual available for free I figured it couldn't hurt to post it here so you guys could have a look:http://www.attach2.com/Team_SDB/CVN-65_Manual_FSX.zip (http://www.attach2.com/Team_SDB/CVN-65_Manual_FSX.zip)
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Got the new FLOLS to work finally. Looks good, it actually scales, looks bigger from far away, easier to see, then gets smaller. Not sure if it was the new 3.5 glideslope or the fact the big E is a big boat, but i was consistently high on every approach, when on the ball the sight picture looks low compared to the FSX FLOLS.
No joy on the HUD needles either.
Goonie
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'GOONIE' I don't know about your experience so bear with me please. Thanks. It is common for new pilots to 'deck spot' - hopefully that ends well when they get back to flying only 'meatball, line up and airspeed (optimum angle of attack)'. Perhaps at beginning of their deck landing careers they will fly religiously but ONCE [or TWICE] like me they will look at the 'big picture' rather than the narrow deck landing picture as described.
I did that only once [twice to be sure] but in that brief instant (between 'in the middle' & 'in close' but not 'at the ramp') I could have sworn that I was going to miss the deck completely being too high (A4G approaching HMAS Melbourne). Then later in another approach [just to be sure :-) ] I looked ahead just an instant before touchdown to think again - I'm going to bolter. Those two instances convinced me NOT to deck spot and to only fly the approach as advertised. On the first one I had been intrigued by the circular rolling motion of the deck during base turn. It was not worth thinking about again. :-)
Remember the glideslope is calibrated for the hook point trailing below / behind the aircraft main wheels and this contact at the correct spot between 3 & 4 wire is the criteria - not the main wheels as one perhaps gets used to when landing on a conventional runway. Hopefully though a Navy pilot will have an IFLOLS on the runway to practice landing by in any event. The effect of the approach calibrated for the hook but viewed by the pilot eye way above that point/path (I forget the Hornet Hook/Eye vertical distance - I'll look it up) means that - to the pilot - the approach is higher than usual (by some amount). Fly the ball all the way to touchdown.
Aircraft H/E (Hook/Eye) Distance Value in feet
http://www.hrana.org/documents/PaddlesMonthlyApril2011.pdf
Legacy Hornet -- H/E 16.35 feet
Super Hornet --- H/E 17.15 feet
Goshawk T-45C -- H/E 12.00 feet
Some people complain about me promoting my FREE PDFs. Just today another up to date version of the 'How to Deck Land' 2GB PDF has been uploaded. It is more than just 'a how to' because I know only how to carrier land an A4G; but also a history of Naval Aviation from my perspective - A4G pilot as described - so it is not comprehensive. I doubt if so much information about Naval Aviation could be found in one document (with videos). Often the info is just part shown with a URL link to what may be found online. It is more like a notebook - so follow your interests - if interested.
http://www.a4ghistory.com/
&
http://www.a4ghistory.com/HowDeckLand31july2012.pdf
OR
SpazSinbad on SkyDrive has same info:
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=cbcd63d6340707e6&sa=822839791
Please 'right mouse click on the download URL' to 'Save Target as...' or otherwise use a download manager because the downloads can be slow and may terminate abruptly if 'left mouse click' method used.
Nice screenshot from the FSX Carrier Manual (edited) mentioned by 'micro' above attached. Plus old H/E values .GIF from: http://63.192.133.13/VMF-312/LSO.pdf
And now an old 'Carrier Glideslope Geometry' .GIF showing the 'hook glideslope': http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA087012
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Some more 'eye glazing' material re G/S angle. ;D
COMCARAIRWING SEVEN INSTRUCTION 1520.1N | Subj: LANDING SIGNAL OFFICER TRAINING/CARRIER LANDING SAFETY PROGRAM
http://www.cvw7.navy.mil/inc/cmodules/dms/download-rel.php?secid=99&id=0&filesystem_id=7199
(4) Glide slope. When using the FLOLS/IFLOLS, under normal conditions the following basic angles will be used.
BASIC ANGLE Relative Head Wind
3.5 degrees <33 kts
3.75 degrees 33-37 kts (Hornets 33Klbs)
4.0 degrees >37 kts sustained (Hornets 33Klbs/half flaps)
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(5) Wind. During normal operations wind calls will be made periodically. During “ZIP LIP,” wind calls will not be made if WOD is 25-30 knots. It should be emphasised that ARB 33-12 Series for MARK 7 MOD 3 arresting gear states that “recovery headwinds” (RHW) are based on 59 degrees Fahrenheit. For temperatures above 59°F, RHWs shall be increased using the density altitude tables in the 33/34 series. ARB 33-12 Series also recommends that 6 knots be added to RHWs to compensate for variations in WOD velocity and direction, pilot technique, approach speeds, turbulence, and to minimize loads on the aircraft and/or arresting system.
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(9) Groove length. Proper groove length is 15-18 seconds, 19-21 seconds will be grades as “little long in the groove.” If it is required to waveoff a LIG aircraft it will be grades as 2.0 points (WOP).
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(10) Hook skip bolters. Hook skip bolters may or may not count against boarding rate. If the hook skip was pilot induced i.e., fast nose down or dropped nose to land, then the hook skip shall be graded as a bolter and count against boarding rate. If the hook skip was not pilot induced, the pass will be graded as a "no-count" and shall not be counted against boarding rate.
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m. TRENDS. Squadron LSOs shall keep current trend data on all squadron pilots. Trends may be recorded by hand using OPNAV form 3760/71 (Rev. 7-71) or by trend output from the APARTS computer program. At a minimum, Squadron LSOs shall debrief pilot trends prior to each at-sea period during work-ups. On extended deployments, trend debriefs shall be done at least monthly. Pilots shall initial and date the trend sheet each time they are reviewed. Trend files shall be maintained on each pilot. The file should include FRS trends (for nuggets) and contain all at-sea trends for the duration of the pilot's squadron tour.
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k. FCLP. ...Test line-up and waveoff shall be initiated at least once per pilot per FCLP period.”
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It would be great if Serge could look at Big E and at the possibility to make it work with vLSO (granted it's ok with the authors) ... Right now, the Enterprise would be a great add to Javier's Nimitz, but nothing is in sync...just a thought.
Johan
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No joy on the HUD needles either.
Goonie
Yes, nothing in the HUD. I changed the ILS to 112.00 in the carrier.xml and called it in the Sludge, but it didn't improve anything...
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No joy on the HUD needles either.
Goonie
Yes, nothing in the HUD. I changed the ILS to 112.00 in the carrier.xml and called it in the Sludge, but it didn't improve anything...
I am given to understand that there are no needles on a real boat too (only localizer needle is available with no glide slope needle). Maybe they are trying to simulate that.
Just kidding.
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Mickey...
There are G/S and LOC needles both in the Hornet sim I was in at Miramar, several Y/T videos showing HUDs, and where there are (CATCC-Hornet) calls for needles. Calls such as "say bullseye" and the responses "a little high" (G/S) and "a little right" (LOC). So I dont think its a REALISM issue, but a functionality issue of IF/HOW they are included and how we can enable them.
So it might be on me (if JR lets me) or JR to mod the HUD, so it can accept the newer carrier and its frequencies. This also should explain why Serge's IFLOLS gauge (included in the Sludge) and the vLSO aren't working so far. They (IFLOLS=100%sure/vLSO=guessing) require active HUD ILS/ICLS needles to work properly. If you wanna see what I mean, take the last Sludge TestBird over a big-city civilian airfield and dial in the ILS code on NAV1. Ensure HUD Control Panel (shift-2) has ILS to ON and NAV1 selected, then pull up the IFLOLS gauge. The BALL will be based on the ILS G/S not the PAPI.
Once I get the BigE carrier package, I'll have to "dig into it" and see the WHAT and HOW they do with their "frequencies", and if they've come up with a moveable FSX navaid or if they have another workaround, so I can get a handle on how difficult it will be to adapt it to the Improved Hornet HUD.
Later
Sludge
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...Once I get the BigE carrier package, I'll have to "dig into it" and see the WHAT and HOW they do with their "frequencies", and if they've come up with a moveable FSX navaid or if they have another workaround...
Awesome Sludge.
You the man.
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.....There are G/S and LOC needles both in the Hornet sim I was in at Miramar, several Y/T videos showing HUDs...
You folks are the resident specialists Sludge.
I have never been inside a real hornet or a real sim for a hornet, and not within a 1000nm of a real boat, so I really don't know.
That's why I had tentatively prefaced my original comments as "I am given to understand". And I was given to understand this during my discussions on the subject with Pop many years back.
.....where there are (CATCC-Hornet) calls for needles. Calls such as "say bullseye" and the responses "a little high" (G/S) and "a little right" (LOC)...
Again a matter of my interpretation Sludge (for lack of my personal real life knowledge). I was always given to understand that call for needles was associated with 'loc' needle available.
And no one actually told me this, but I guessed it for myself. Absence of G/S needle (if it is indeed so) explains the Case III arrival pattern and associated R/T calls as enumerated in NATOPS. Remember 4000 ROD till Platform and then 2000 ROD till 1200 feet. Maintain this height till initial and then tip over. I had questioned this procedure during my initial trg around the boat many years back. My question to my instructor (FSX instructor, not real life okay, :)) at that time was, since we already have ILS needles available at 25nm, why don't we descent on the needles and why do we need to follow this stepped descent for Case III ops.
I was also told that 3nm initial in Case III ops at 1200 feet approximately puts one in a position where the airplane would just centre the glideslope marker. It is at this point that the pilot transitions from IFR approach to VFR (so to say). One gets another two miles to stabilize his descent and adapt his scan pattern from inside the cockpit to outside and start to look out for the boat. A 700 FPM ROD from that point will also bring you at 600 feet about .7 nm from boat (place for ball call) at which point the approach is flown visually even in a case III ops.
But, now that you mention it, even I agree that, in quite a few videos I might have actually seen both G/S and Loc needles of actual hornet landings.
Funny, how much of knowledge exists on this forum. Glad to be a part of it.
Sooner (couldn't resist it, JK),
Mickey
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Once I get the BigE carrier package, I'll have to "dig into it" and see the WHAT and HOW they do with their "frequencies", and if they've come up with a moveable FSX navaid or if they have another workaround, so I can get a handle on how difficult it will be to adapt it to the Improved Hornet HUD.
Later
Sludge
Thank you Sludge, that would be fantastic. The boat is very nice, you'll see.
Johan
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Wow, you guys are deep into this. ;D
What I took away from my question here a few months ago (http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=5357.15) was that we needed a 3.5 degree FLOLS system and some animation. Thanks to Sylvain Parouty we managed to include that in the Advanced models. (Sorry but apparently I was logged in with my Mirage4fs name back then)
And I hope making the manual available is of some help to folks who are on the fence about this package. I hesitated about making it available because I read that it "has numerous grammatical errors and is sometimes confusing". Assuming everyone will be able to follow along is always a potential problem when the writer is perhaps too familiar with the system being described. The beta testers were able to make it all work based on what was written.
Sylvain leaves on vacation tomorrow for three weeks but has told me he will send over a beta copy of v3.0 of his RFN_Tacan gauge package that is mentioned in the manual. The instructions will probably only be in French but anyone who has used the previous versions should have no problems with it. I'll get back to you on availability once I have it.
During development of the Enterprise he also sent his HUD for Dino's T-45 and the needles on it work fine once tuned to the ship. I'm not sure what his plans for distribution are for that though. But if it is released I'm sure you'll hear about it.
In the meantime since you are into the F-18 big time (I'm not sure this is the right one), here are some nice candid "empty deck" images (click to enlarge) I spotted that reminded me of this group's forum section title...
http://www.pilote-virtuel.com/viewtopic.php?id=45913
---
Frank Safranek
Team SDB - Alphasim/Virtavia Paint Crew
Mirage Aircraft for Flight Simulator
http://www.mirage4fs.com
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Can the wake effect be replaced by Sludge's wake? Or am I asleep in class again?
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Mickey...
You folks are the resident specialists Sludge.
I have never been inside a real hornet or a real sim for a hornet, and not within a 1000nm of a real boat, so I really don't know.
That's why I had tentatively prefaced my original comments as "I am given to understand". And I was given to understand this during my discussions on the subject with Pop many years back.
Check out this Y/T video thats USS Reagan "Freedom" CATCC/Paddles and approaching aircraft comms and you can see that around 7:30 and later, they call "bullseye-azimuth only 'til lock-on" (implied ACLS lock-on), then (at 7:50; approx. 6 miles) start giving G/S AND LineUp corrections based on boat-to-aircraft bullseye. So this is probly relevant to what you were saying about your Pops and what he told you, about flying azimuth-only bullseye?
But, now that you mention it, even I agree that, in quite a few videos I might have actually seen both G/S and Loc needles of actual hornet landings.
Not sure when GS/LOC ICLS became avail on the boats, but I know that modern ones do. Now, its very possible that they still have the same types of procedures ("platform" and using bullseye azimuth only 'til a certain point... ACLS lock-on?), as they did back in the day? And all this is said in the context of trying to figure out the functionality of BigE carrier package ICLS/TCN.
[In-Flight UPDATE] Will have to read that updated info post from FSAFranek (Alphasim BigE developer).
Still Later (... and not SOONER...) haha
Sludge
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Wow, you guys are deep into this. ;D
Hi Frank, good you are stepping in. Yes, the v3 gauge mentioned would be a plus, please let us know where to get it when you have it from Sylvain.
Johan
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Just to confirm, you should be able to get the needles to show on any ship with a catapult, if you first get Sylvain Parouty's Tacan gauge working.
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?59144-Carrier-Tacan-available-on-RFN
It's a bit tricky, but switch Nav1 and Nav2? back and forth from 111.00, the deck angle may not be ideal and changing that parameter makes no difference, I think from memory the other parameters do work if you can switch back to the correct frequency (not 111.00). Don't quote me on this!
Theoretically it must be possible to replicate the Tacan's ILS needles in the HUD. However, it will be interesting to see if the new gauge makes things easier.
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I do feel that this thread is probably getting hijacked, though inadvertently. But for the sake of continuity, I will press on (but with due apologies).
Since, my last post on the subject, I got a bit restless (for having done things incorrectly for so long), and exchanged a few PMs with Texxal (whom I consider to be another specialist on all matters naval aviation). What I understand now is that I was confusing ILS with ICLS/ACLS. The boat does NOT have an ILS (we always knew that, but I comprehended it differently).
The approaches to boat are PAR controlled, so in a way, it is the radar controller who actually vectors the airplane into the boat (and hence the calls for line up or G/S corrections). The ICLS/ACLS is a ship-borne system that synthetically displays the 'bulls eye' and airplane deviation from bulls eye (read needles on HUD). Will continue this discussion, as I get more info.
Have fun.
Mickey
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Mickey...
Since, my last post on the subject, I got a bit restless (for having done things incorrectly for so long), and exchanged a few PMs with Texxal (whom I consider to be another specialist on all matters naval aviation). What I understand now is that I was confusing ILS with ICLS/ACLS. The boat does NOT have an ILS (we always knew that, but I comprehended it differently).
The approaches to boat are PAR controlled, so in a way, it is the radar controller who actually vectors the airplane into the boat (and hence the calls for line up or G/S corrections). The ICLS/ACLS is a ship-borne system that synthetically displays the 'bulls eye' and airplane deviation from bulls eye (read needles on HUD). Will continue this discussion, as I get more info.
Have fun.
Yes sir, all of what you just said I agree.
Wily...
Can the wake effect be replaced by Sludge's wake? Or am I asleep in class again?
Yes, whether its VooDoo's original wake fix, or my mod to that wake, you should be able to simply change out expected wake filename in the .CFG file and it should work.
Essex...
Interesting. Once I have the BigE package, I'll take a gander at the RFN Carrier TCN as well.
Johan...
Agree 100 percent. Glad he's here to give us some light on this.
Later
Sludge
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Thank guys.
Sylvain sent the file (BETA) along with the following message. Also Sylvain tends to only distribute this gauge via the RFN website so please do not make this available for download anywhere except from this thread and the link I'll provide below. Thanks and looking forward to what you come up with. Sylvain will be away for three weeks starting tonight so no support is available.
HI Frank,
Please find the RFN Gauge V3 package as it it tonight.
There may have some change before it is released on RFN website, but nothing major...
At this point not English doc is ready, sorry about that but I didn't have time for English translation...
Note the chart added at the very last page of the pdf that shows the different variables that are created and feed by the dll.
Any other gauge like HUD for instance can use it to integrate the moving carrier TACAN/ILS features in. (It's what I did for the T45 HUD)
Let me know if it helps you?
Regards,
Sylvain
PS : don't be surprised by having a VEH_FLOLS_Trailer folder to ad into SimObjects/Boats. It is due to the FCLP mirror system of the RFN dll : it add dynamically into the scenery an AI RFN mirror declared into FSX as a moving ship... :-D
http://www.mirage4fs.com/SDB_scenery/Gauge_RFN_CarrierOperations_V30_BETA.zip
---
Frank Safranek
Team SDB - Alphasim/Virtavia Paint Crew
Mirage Aircraft for Flight Simulator
http://www.mirage4fs.com
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Graphic taken from the FSN gauge PDF - looks very visible?
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Thank you Frank, now you need to join this forum for good! :)
Johan
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Any word on anyone getting the TACAN/ILS to work on either the VRS bug or the modified Acceleration Hornet. I suppose I shouldn't hold back just because of this, but would really prefer to have the ILS working.
If anyone has it working, any secrets?
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In view of all the comments would it not be better to incorporate all the changes into the download and then re-releasing it. I am very interested in buying it but cannot find how to open .XML files so even if I wanted to I cannot make the changes described in this thread.
We have waited this long for a new carrier, another few weeks are not going to hurt. Possibly also the time could be used to make the manual in English more user friendly?
Cheers,
Tregarth
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In view of all the comments would it not be better to incorporate all the changes into the download and then re-releasing it. I am very interested in buying it but cannot find how to open .XML files so even if I wanted to I cannot make the changes described in this thread.
We have waited this long for a new carrier, another few weeks are not going to hurt. Possibly also the time could be used to make the manual in English more user friendly?
Cheers,
Tregarth
You can open an XML file using Notepad. It's simply a text file.
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We used an AI Carriers cfg file and some boat traffic files in the Enterprise package but as soon as you deviate from a straight line elements of the formation can get out of position quickly. I've even seen the Sea King bobbing up and down above the deck.
Since Sylvain will be back from vacation soon so I was going to ask him about connecting the plane guard Sea King to the Enterprise for the versions with aircraft on the deck. That way at least the Sea King will always be in position after the ship turns.
So, I would like to ask this group where the Sea King should be positioned? I've read "Starboard D" but don't know where that is. The easiest way for me to understand where it should be is by viewing the Enterprise and Sea King from above with the Enterprise in the center position of the Sea King position described in reference to the hours on a clock. Straight out to the starboard would be 3 o'clock position. And then how far away should it be? And then how high above the deck?
I appreciate any help you can provide.
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It seems that the Plane Guard Helo has more freedom of movement these days. FIGURE 4.3 to follow:
CV NATOPS MANUAL
http://info.publicintelligence.net/CV-NATOPS-JUL09.pdf (5.7Mb)
"4.6 PLANE GUARD HELICOPTER
4.6.1 Control Authority
A helicopter, when designated primary plane guard, shall be under the operational control of the air officer during launches and recoveries. During Case II or III operations or advisory control, the base recovery course and all course changes shall be provided by CATCC using a frequency monitored by primary flight control. CATCC shall conduct a radio check with the plane guard helicopter at least every 20 minutes during Case III. Concurrent USW/plane guard helicopter operations may be conducted provided a responsive plane guard capability is maintained during launch/recovery.
4.6.2 Plane Guard Station
The designated plane guard helicopter is “on station” when operating within 20 NM (Day) or 10 NM (Night) of the carrier. The helicopter shall remain within UHF range and monitor the assigned air control frequency at all times.
4.6.3 Restrictions
During launch/recovery, no concurrent USW/plane guard operations shall be conducted within the shaded area depicted in Figure 4-3 without the explicit approval of the air officer. The maximum altitudes when conducting concurrent USW/plane guard operations shall be as depicted in Figure 4-3."
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fsafranek, having spent long hours in a wetsuit in the "Starboard Delta" pattern, you have the idea just about right, the 3 o'clock position is fine. Not sure how much the AI model would actually move in game, but we hardly ever spent time in "Port Delta". Many times we would get call to "snuggle up" to the fantail while waiting for the last recovery or if one of the fastmovers had an issue. Once the launch/recovery cycle was complete, we can generally move around as long as the Air Boss knew.
Great job on the model from what I've seen, did my first cruise on Big E in 1996, I realize you guys are limited with how many year periods configs you can do with a ship that has a long service history like Big E.
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Thanks for the responses. Based on that image the closest the plane guard chopper comes is one mile. You can barely see it at that distance. I'm beginning to wonder what is the point recompiling the models with the chopper attached to the ship. At that range they are never going to overlap after the turnaround and it would seem perfectly natural for them to be a mile or more apart.
That said, has anyone redone the cfg file in AI Carriers to position the plane gaurd chopper and/or destroyer to where they should be? Would be interested in seeing your new location coordinates.
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Any word on anyone getting the TACAN/ILS to work on either the VRS bug or the modified Acceleration Hornet. I suppose I shouldn't hold back just because of this, but would really prefer to have the ILS working.
If anyone has it working, any secrets?
Will be unable to get this to work with the JR/Printz HUD 'til some revisions can be made. Right now, it works with the provided RFN gauges but the ICLS wont show up on the HUD 'til it gets "coded" into the HUD.XML file. The BigE package did NOT resolve the moveable TACAN/ILS problem in FSX, as all they did was make some more gauges that you ADD to your aircraft that give you ICLS needles and TACAN bearings to the carrier. Oh well, at least we got a carrier launch speed correction AND a carrier model with a 3.5 glideslope. Gotta take the good things as we get them.
Sorry for that news but thats just how it goes.
Later
Sludge
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Radius 180 in VRS configurator tactical carrier ops works. TACAN and ILS are ok. The work now is to adapt the vLSO we have for Javier's and acceleration carriers.
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Hi guys. Before installing the BigE and following this great forum I was able to install the JR/Printz HUD in the default Hornet but also for fun in some other a/c, for example, the freeware Alphasim Vigilante (FSX) and had a great time finding the boat in the dark and/or weather. Great mods. I also had Sylvain's earlier TACAN gauge working for earlier pre-HUD aircraft which would point to Javier's Nimitz once the frequency was tuned. Off SoCal this was all the more fun with a number of cv's out their on different tracks and the gauge would shift as you overflew one carrier group and got closer to the next one up the coast. :)
It may be I lost the HUD symbols for some reason before installing the BigE a day ago, but now:
There is no longer any "TCN" symbol or distance to the Nimitz displayed in the HUD for all aircraft (in which this worked previously). There is however a carrier direction arrow and compass mark;
For the BigE, nothing appears in the HUD (a known issue that everyone seems to have thus far and needs the HUD to re-coded as I understand), moreover, Sylvain's beta v3 gauge does not work at all to find the BigE OR Javier's Nimitz now. I think I may get beeps when tuning the BigE frequency but that is it, no direction or distance info on the RFN gauge.
Have checked all the panel and air cfg settings, reinstalled the new gauges, etc. Is it possible that the BigE installer wiped out or buggered the carrier.xml entries somehow?
Left me in a bit of a mess! ;D
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Sorry for that news but thats just how it goes.
Later
Sludge
Sludge,
Thanks to look into this. Too bad it doesn't work as with Javier's. Adding more gauges to my panels is not the best solution...
It's a good looking boat though...
Johan
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...........................Gotta take the good things as we get them..................Sorry for that news but thats just how it goes............
Sludge
Thank you for the update Sludge. I was (kinda) sitting on the fence on this one. I'm guessing I'll wait a little while, this package is sorted out.
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I haven't tried v3 of the gauge but v2.21 does work (all be it imperfectly) on all the carriers I've tried it with.
Try out the 70's Foch as it has the new OLS.
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Sylvain returned from vacation last week. I just noticed that he has put the non-beta version 3.0 of his RFN_Tacan gauge on the RFN website: http://royalefrenchnavy.gratisim.fr/RFN-Creations.htm (http://royalefrenchnavy.gratisim.fr/RFN-Creations.htm)
Main difference from the beta copy is English language documention for installation and explanation of the carriers.xml file (it was already well documented within the file).
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Radius 180 in VRS configurator tactical carrier ops works. TACAN and ILS are ok. The work now is to adapt the vLSO we have for Javier's and acceleration carriers.
Correct on the radius and Sylvain confirmed this when he returned.
I tried to post this information in the VRS forum but apparently you have to have purchased their F-18 to join. I get that but at the same time it's a little frustrating to not be able to respond to uninformed comments or provide information when no one else has the answer. :(
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Thanks for the info 'fsafranek':
http://royalefrenchnavy.gratisim.fr/RFN-Creations.htm
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If anyone wants to have v2 and v3 of the Tacan gauges working in parallel there is a tutorial here,
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.pilote-virtuel.com/viewtopic.php%3Fid%3D16218%26p%3D105&usg=ALkJrhiCVyPr46hqa9dcjHytOVoZMDMMxA
post no 2611.
Apparently there's a new HUD in the works.
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If anyone wants to have v2 and v3 of the Tacan gauges working in parallel there is a tutorial here,
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.pilote-virtuel.com/viewtopic.php%3Fid%3D16218%26p%3D105&usg=ALkJrhiCVyPr46hqa9dcjHytOVoZMDMMxA
post no 2611.
Apparently there's a new HUD in the works.
I would hope that one day, if possible, the "Big E" could work like Javier's Nimitz or even the default carrier, and could be spotted and approached with Serge's vLSO wonderful program. I purchased the "Big E" with this expectation, and so far I am disappointed that the designers haven't done anything about it.
Johan
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I would hope that one day, if possible, the "Big E" could work like Javier's Nimitz or even the default carrier, and could be spotted and approached with Serge's vLSO wonderful program. I purchased the "Big E" with this expectation, and so far I am disappointed that the designers haven't done anything about it.
Johan
Responding to a very old comment. Sorry about your initial disappointment Johan. I hope over time things improved.
We are currently working on a Vietnam era version of the Enterprise. What can we do with this new version to make it work with vLSO out of the box?
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I would hope that one day, if possible, the "Big E" could work like Javier's Nimitz or even the default carrier, and could be spotted and approached with Serge's vLSO wonderful program. I purchased the "Big E" with this expectation, and so far I am disappointed that the designers haven't done anything about it.
Johan
Responding to a very old comment. Sorry about your initial disappointment Johan. I hope over time things improved.
We are currently working on a Vietnam era version of the Enterprise. What can we do with this new version to make it work with vLSO out of the box?
Any update?
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We post status updates and images on our facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/TeamSDB.scenery/?fref=ts
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Frank,
Good to know Team SDB is working on a new version of the Big E. I've been working on a new vLSO version too, and one of its new features will be support for Sylvain Parouty's RFN gauge, which automatically will mean support for the Big E in both Acceleration and custom FLOLS versions.
I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, if you don't mind.
On your facebook page I can read that your shipbuilder is re-doing the flight deck. Will these changes affect the current deck geometry or not? First of all I mean the deck elevation and the runway angle.
Another question regarding XML settings. The latest RFN gauge glideslope/frequency settings for the Enterprise differ from those specified in the manual. Which one is correct?
Thanks in advance
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Will the new vLSO be compatible with P3D v3.3? Support for the RFN gauge will also be very good, I use it in FSX and find it very useful.
Thank you,
Tregarth
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Yes, it will. All P3D versions from 1.* to 3.*
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Sorry, I just don't seem to get over here often enough lately.
Frank,
Good to know Team SDB is working on a new version of the Big E. I've been working on a new vLSO version too, and one of its new features will be support for Sylvain Parouty's RFN gauge, which automatically will mean support for the Big E in both Acceleration and custom FLOLS versions.
If it helps with concerns about compatibility between the Enterprise (current offering and next release) and the RFN gauge system, Sylvain Parouty is our "shipbuilder".
I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, if you don't mind.
On your facebook page I can read that your shipbuilder is re-doing the flight deck. Will these changes affect the current deck geometry or not? First of all I mean the deck elevation and the runway angle.
The original FSX version was made using the Alphasim FS9 ship hull as a starting point. So any dimensions or angles, right or wrong, were left alone. But from the hanger deck up it was nearly a complete rebuild to bring it into FSX. Definitely not a simple portover. For this next version Sylvain found a very good resource of photos and engineering drawings. Once the completely new island structure was completed the process of applying this new information to the rest of the ship began. During that he discovered that several dimensions were not correct and so those will be corrected. That is the reason for the image on the facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TeamSDB.scenery/?fref=ts) showing the different colored areas. It remains to be seen if that includes deck elevation but I do expect it may effect deck angle (a degree or two wide in the current version caused by using Carl Edwards' original FS9 version as a starting point).
Another question regarding XML settings. The latest RFN gauge glideslope/frequency settings for the Enterprise differ from those specified in the manual. Which one is correct?
That depends on which RFN gauge you are using. When the Enterprise was released Sylvain let us include the beta of RFN Tacan gauge v3.0 in the package. Since then the gauge has progressed to v4.2 and Sylvain has added a lot of ships to the listing. Back with v3.0 the distribution of frequencies was very liberal with the Enterprise using 115.00, 115.50, 116.00, and 116.50. To keep the four together and free up frequencies within that range the Enterprise in about RFN v4.0 was re-assigned to 110.50, 110.55, 110.60, and 110.65. It is unknown what will happen when the next version is released and how many frequencies it will take up. We intend to include 1968 and 1972 WESTPAC cruises (unlike the current version each will have a unique mix of aircraft as deck eye candy, not just different textures). Whether or not there will be empty deck versions (feedback please) is unknown as this point but I'm hoping to convince the "shipbuilder" to include an F-14 mix as it appeared in the final cruises with the beehive radar array.
Hope this helps.
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Paddles,
I have read fsafranek's reply to your post and am not sure he is right. For info I have installed "Sludge" Snow's FA-18 IFLOLS and and the RFN Gauge into my default MS Cessna 172. I have also added the [Radios] section described in the USS Enterprise PDF.
As I understand it the active Enterprise frequencies have been changed from the values in the PDF to 110.50, 110.55, 110.60, 110.65 (without changing the PDF info (GRRRR!)). From what he says I think the active 80's carrier ILS frequency is now 110.55. The RFN TACAN value for the 80's Enterprise is 42X and 43X for the 90's version, as per the RFN manual.
I have tried the 110.55 frequency and flown out to the Enterprise with no result. However, when I tried both 111.00 and 112.00 on both the 80's and 90's Enterprise the IFLOLS works on all 4 combinations. The attachment shows NAV1 = 112. (I cannot remember whether 111 or 112 is the frequency for the MS carrier or Javier Fernadez's carriers, but both seem to work.)
Regards,
Tregarth
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Tregarth,
Good try, but you're trying to combine incompatible things ;)
The Sludge FLOLS was developed specifically for the Sludge Hornet and it supports Acceleration and Javier's carriers only. By coincidence this gauge uses the same local variable 'GS error' as the RFN gauge does, that's why you can see its meatball working even if the gauge installed on other aircraft. Try removing the RFN gauge and you'll see the Sludge FLOLS stops working.
As for the Enterprise frequencies, they are defined in the RFN_carrier.xml file (the FSX Gauge folder). As Frank has already mentioned the latest version 4.2 has a lot of new ships and FCLP locations, that's why many frequencies were changed. As I can see your RFN gauge is set to NAV2 110.5 (X42). The NAV1 112 has no effect in this case and is just confusing. Refer to your Cessna's aircraft.cfg to make sure the [Radios] section defines Nav2 as active, as described in the RFN pdf.
Hope this helps