f-18 hud waterline

[Sludge]

Wanna-be simulated Naval Aviators....

Feast your eyes on these pics.  THIS IS HOW A HORNET HUD SHOULD LOOK LIKE!!  Unzip and ENJOY!!
The first one is the carrier startup with HUD Control Panel.  The second one is on-final, little high AoA, working the lineup toward the back of the boat.  The third is on-speed, on-AoA, needles lined-up to 35R to KTIK (Tinker AFB)... where I work at.

Once you get this installed... the meatball cage on the left, the energy caret on the right, the "waterline" wings level, landing this bug is a sheer joy.  Now all we need is someone to write the code for a movable ILS, so the carrier can have needles and life would be grand.

Happy sim flying...
Laterz
Sludge

[Sludge]

Spaz...

No problem, hope you enjoy.  Where is your landing video?  Would love to see it.

Check out my pics on my last post when you get a chance.

Laterz
Sludge

[Sludge]

Spaz...

Just saw your video, classic.  Must say... way to pull up and throttle up a the last moment and salvage yet another sim F-18.

BTW, if you want, for fuel loadouts, I use 60.7, 78.1, 99.7, 47.7, 95.0, 95.0 respectively on the fuel loadout screen.  I have that saved as the default flight and load it during carrier practice before I even start the engine.  Give me around 7k fuel and makes for a much better handling bug in the pattern.  What do you use?

Laterz
Sludge

[SpazSinbad]

Ha, one day I will have the time to get out for more carrier practice but at moment I cycle between Vista and Win7RC testing the KAHU Skyhawk and not much other flying (from RW 26 at NAS Nowra where the KAHU used to be based - training - even though it is the only Australian Navy airfield [KAHU is an updated A4K of the New Zealand Air Force]). Anyway having these good HUDs to work with makes working the carrier much easier I would guess. No question - many thanks for making it available.

One thing about your 'comment' about your carrier approach screenshot. Please bear with me I am not trying to be smart or picky but just point out how I see the screen shot (shown below here):

"A little SLOW, a little LOW and a little LEFT" would be my comment at this instant. Seeing these minor things is very important to get a good carrier approach going. But I take your point you see a 'little high AoA' but think of it as SLOW and then you perhaps will add that power and lower the nose or whatever is required.

Yeah my landing at NAS Nowra is atrocious because I was looking at all the fancy HUD stuff - HONEST!  

About fuel - I try to be standard at around 30% but not always have set up that for the Hornet. As my flying is mostly testing the KAHU then it is standardised for testing purposes. BUT I agree having the lowest fuel/AUW is a good idea for the best engine response and least effect on arrest/landing for your Hornet setup. Probably using the same set up every time really helps get adjusted to what is required. Then the setup can be varied IMHO. More later, gotta go....

[Sludge]

Spaz...

No problem.  Actually, it wasnt me who did this.  Here's the link where I got started.  http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?p=97467
I was reading the sim-outhouse forum thread and paid attention to posters "jimmy pacquet" and "dswo".  And played with the HUD numbers to determine the "x/pos, y/pos, x/size, y/size" sequence to the numbers.  Which is the proper sequence if you want to play with your HUD btw.  IE, in the "panel.cfg" file, where you substitute "gauge03=fa18_hud_vc!fa18_hud_vc, 575, 490, 450, 560"  in the vc panel at the bottom of the config file...  575 is x/pos, 490 is y/pos, 450 is x/size, and 560 is y/size.  Higher number moves x/pos to the right.  Lower number moves y/pos up.  x/size and y/size should be self explanatory.

I saw this forum here and thought I would share their info., along with my pilot modification file so others could enjoy a better hornet HUD.

Well, I'm out.
Laterz
Sludge

[SpazSinbad]

fgrmiley32, thanks again and your work most appreciated. How did you get the absolutely clear HUD? Thanks again.

[Sludge]

OK, real quick...

I got the clear HUD glass as a zipped file called "fa18hudm" from one of the big download sites, forgot which one but just google it and you'lll find it.   Its the "HUD_glass_transparent" folder out of the three included.  I love it.  Makes using the HUD much better.

And another thing.  Just changed my "aircraft.cfg" file, so that on "half flaps" are still auto, by keeping the "maneuvering_flaps" value to 1 in the "[flaps.0]" but changed it to 0 (zero) for the "[flaps.1]" section.  So now I can manually command FULL FLAPS at 45 deg for landing but keep half flaps in auto functionality when needed for pattern work.  Maybe not as REAL LIFE in the jet as some others talk about, but for me, its a god-send.  Dont know why I didnt figure this out sooner... 

Now, I LOVE FLYING this thing and I land just to land and practice.  On-speed, on AoA, it's amazing!  It works on carriers, on land, anywhere.  Try it out and tell me what you think.

FOR REAL, IM OUT for the nite!
Sludge

[SpazSinbad]

fgrimley32, thanks again for your work, advice and input. Most appreciated by me. I'll see what I can find re the clear HUD. Have an 'almost clear' HUD in Vista FSX (standard HUD in Win7) but would prefer the "NO HUD" look such as seen in your screenshot.

This may be heresy for some but I use DirectX9 in both Vista and Win7. The other day an update to DirectX9 was issued that for the KAHU Skyhawk HUD at least (not sure about other HUDs yet - not really tested) the HUD symbology no longer dances around at random - which is really good. The full DirectX9 download is here (103Mbs):

http://majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=2924&file=1&evp=13a19092b4f125241930bd833db42de2

Looking for the "fa18hudm.zip" it seems that I have this one already but perhaps because I'm using DirectX9 (rather than 10) I'm not seeing the proper 'clear HUD' but rather a visible but almost clear HUD? Hmmm. Certainly what is almost clear is much better than the standard 'can't see through HUD'.  

http://www.simplanes.net/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=53&func=fileinfo&id=124   (under 1Mb zip)

MY ERROR There is a completely transparent HUD in the zip package. I'll check it out thanks. Screenshot of the completely clear HUD in the image below (from zip package):

[SpazSinbad]

Excellent Utube real Hornet carrier landing (from halfway round base turn to arrest) here:

   (.FLV video 1.6Mb)

[SpazSinbad]

Transparent HUD works as advertised. Thanks again. I can see... I can see... I can see... 

[Doum76]

Thanks for this little «Package», haven't been flying the Hornet much for the last 4-5 Days, i was pretty much trying to get used to the Aerosoft F-16, whihc uses this kind of HUD, makes me wanna get back to the nice Hornet!

Any idea why i can't get the Bank Angel arc? I only get it when Landing Gears are down, on Spaz Video, he has the Bank angel arc on both HUD configs.

[Doum76]

Grettings all,

And thanks again fgrimley32.

I posted a message about having problems landing the F/A-18 on carrier since i've re-installed the game, and today i found out, since i've never made traps since my re-install, i didn't know what was the prob, but i found out today that the new HUD as mentionned in this thread was the prob. i did't cared much before about having the knots for some reason, stucked at 48 knots, and stayed as is, until you went over 48 nothing changed... i thought at first it was the wind, or something to do with «collimated HUD», but today i realised it didn't made any sense, that  on a carrier, having 48 knots wind pointing at the front of the ship, and also 48 knots turning around, and still 48 facing the back of the boat.... So i went in another adventure of understanding XML files, and found out in the .XML gauges that has most of the HUD info, there was a line about the Airspeed and made it at 48 for some reason, maybe a mistake since besides the info theres something about 48%, and the person might had wrote 48 on the 2 places instead of 0, i don't know, or is it something about real HUD, that also i don't know, but al i know is, once i wrote down 0, and got back in FSX and tried it out, the Airspeed indicator was normal, and showing the 20 to 24 knots winddraft, anf turning around made th airspeed near 0, so basicly as normal, not stucked on 48, and bingo, no more roll over on landings, so i guess that was my problem, the information might had been affecting the calculation on landings etc... i was always rolling over, even though i was almost lined-up with centerline, now, it reacts as it was with the default HUD from Acceleration.

And while being at it, i've also been able to find where to adjust the line-up of the clock, now it's inside the HUD and not on the metal frame, and i've also took off the line that made the Bank Scale off with landing gears up, i've made some search on Utube and some has the Bank Scale on gear up and some not, but i decided to made it available.

For those who might want it, i've attached  a jpg showing the difference, and a .zip with the .XML file and instructions where to put this file in.

[SpazSinbad]

Doum76, Nice HUD changes. Thanks for finding and fixing.    Works OK now on my system.

[SUBS17]

Crickey whats happening here with that HUD guys nice work some ones placed a bracket finally and I see NWS Hi mode! Is that implemented the NWS Hi/Lo modes?

[Sludge]

Hello SUBS...

Yeah, we got a good HUD here and I think that it is modeling the NWS lo/hi modes correctly.  I'm researching if some of those NWS settings in the default might be why the nosewheel steering is soo finicky during touchdown and causing lots of sim aviators to crash, along with the braking problems.  Ill let you know how that goes.  Also, that fix DOUM did with the clock is great.  Which reminds me...

DOUM, I have a request.  Can you please modify the right HUD GPS/ILS info. block with your MAD .xml skillz?  If I'm flying to KDFW from KTIK, its about 150.3 miles.  When I select DIRECT TO, and program in KDFW on the GPS, then use the HUD CP or MFD to select GPS, on my HUD, even at its widest settings (+550 x/size), it cuts off the W halfway in the "150.3 KDFW" just below the ALT box gauge.  If you want to see what I mean, program in a waypoint to your GPS that you know is over 100 or even 1000, and then make your HUD display GPS Waypoint info.  You'll see what I mean, right off the bat.  Any help is appreciated.

OH YEAH, I almost forgot...  I even got the new HUD to work full screen, all you have to do is alter your "panel.cfg" file and rewrite both "gauge00" lines for the MINIPANEL and MAIN_PANEL windows to read "gauge00=fa18_hud!fa18_hud, 0, 0, 456, 378, 4"  I havent messed with the numbers yet, so the HUD still appears low and wide, but I will soon and keep you updated on that front.

Also, since I'm obviously new to online forums, how do I post pics that you can expand and see from the post?  Would like you fellas to see some of my progress...

Laterz
Sludge