vLSO Beta release

[pyroperson87]

No chance, mate  With vLSO you can only have an Ok 3.

Makes sense.  I'm still going to screw around and see if I can get an OK 1 with no comments 

[Herbie]

I'm getting a lot of wave-up with the new version. Herb

[jeff64]

You seem to be a little high, a little right and fast. So doesn't seem too much weird to me to be wavedoff...

Maybe it would be interesting to have a little sensivity settings in some future versions.

[Paddles]

Good news - the S-3B tanker now automatically extends its refueling drogue when the user's aircraft is within 500' and retracts when it is beyound this range. This particular IRIS freeware model has an embedded command WATER RUDDER (by default mapped in FSX to Ctrl-W), which toggles the drogue. So it is possible to control this thing in AI mode as well. Some screengrabs of my in-flight tests:






I'll include this feature in the next vLSO beta.

[Johan]

Beautiful...
Is it the "Navy" model of the S-3B?
Do we need to update anything in vLSO to make this work?
Thanks Serge.

Johan

[Paddles]

Johan,

Is it the "Navy" model of the S-3B?

No, the Navy model doesn't have an AAR pod (seen on the left wing station).Only those with AAR pods have animated drogues.

Do we need to update anything in vLSO to make this work?

Nothing. Just configure the IRIS S-3B as a tanker. Indeed, this feature will be available in the next vLSO beta.

[Victory103]

FSXNP, although I have TacPack, this is still a great addition to the vLSO program. Anyway to add a Tanker menu so the user can select different models set in the .ini file, much like AICarriers?

[Paddles]

Victory103,
Do you mean multiple tankers defined? Currently only one aircraft can be configured as a tanker. What about vLSO GUI option, allowing to choose one from all aircraft installed in FSX, both flyable and AI? This option will be featured in the upcoming beta

[Johan]

Hi fsxnvp,

My S-3B doesn't seem to want to show it's drogue, even close, even with CTRL-W...It's the same as yours, the #8873, and my tanker is defined in vLSO as:

[Tanker]
Name=DSB S-3B Viking (VS-24_#1)
Altitude=3000
Speed=220
Track_Length=9
Track_Width=3

When I use it as regular plane, the drogue works fine with CTRL-W.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Johan

[Paddles]

I keep repeating - this feature will be available in the next vLSO beta 

[Orion]

Haven't had a chance to try things out yet, so a question about refueling: does vLSO automatically add fuel to your aircraft, or does it only create the AI aircraft?

[Paddles]

Currently vLSO only spawns the tanker overhead the boat. One has to have a refueling gauge, like in the Sludge Hornet.

[MacK]

This is absolutely superb stuff!

Just downloaded and tried the latest version (a long line of downloads from this site over the years, the Sludge Hornet is all I fly) and downloaded and set the S3 as the AAR tanker. Looks great! I need to make the pattern longer. I always just get levelled off with the thing (again) when it heads off on it's next leg.

Along with the Carriers and AIboats etc, vLSO revolutionised my FSX.

I managed to program an AI Carrier that leaves Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis at midnight (large island off the NW coast of Scotland, UK) and sails down the west coast of Scotland between the Outer Hebrides and the Mainland (deep, deep water and loads of space for carriers) for around 14 hours. If I take off from the old RAF base at Machrihanish (Argyll) around midday, the carrier is only about 10 miles south and gives some great flying very quickly. Alternatively, take off earlier and try and find the carrier before you run out of fuel - it's a very inhospitable place to run out of fuel.

Now there's the S3 flight overhead for refueling near the carrier to compliment my RAF L1011 on a very long AAR racetrack pattern between Belfast and Edinburgh should you want to travel further out.

If anyone wants to try this AI stuff then give me a shout and I'll try and send you the files.

vLSO is a stunningly good program and great fun (and great learning) just for bumps 'n turns.  Thanks very much FSXNavypilot!

[felixthreeone]

First off---GREAT PROGRAM!! Totally enjoying the added challenge it brings to carrier ops. I don't post much here, but I do try to read up as much as possible....

....I was wondering If anyone here could share their aircraft cfg sections for the vLSO .ini file for several aircraft that I am not sure are covered by the base install...namely the Iris Tomcat, the Razbam A-6, EA-6B, and A-7 (I only own the 2-seater), and maybe (I know they suck really bad) the Abacus E-2 and C-2? I just copied and pasted the S-3 section, but I can't see that these numbers are the same for all of the other planes...thanks in advance!

[pyroperson87]

I was getting in a few of my monthly pinkies last night and for some reason I just now noticed this.  I get the marshal call at 10 miles, nothing, nothing, nothing, 5 miles say needles.  No dirty up call, and no mile calls until needles.  I flew probably 10 case 3 patterns and came to this conclusion: No calls until 5 miles UNLESS my gear is already lowered PRIOR to the marshal call in which case I get the dirty up call and all the mile calls.  Is this a known issue, or is my setup just being dumb?