USN Carrier Pattern Video

[Paddles]

In a gauge called HUD Control (FA18_HUD_Switches.CAB) there's a switch called Cage On/Off. This gauge is a part of the Sludge Hornet and by default it is called by Shift+2. Other aircraft do not have this cage feature, AFAIK...

[Sludge]

Spaz...

Yeah, thanks.  Also, in addition to the Sludge Hornet, if you install something called DFLIGHTS.zip and input all the "light scalars" within your FSX.CFG file to 1.3 or so, the meatball shows up really crisp/clear.

Personally, I like Betty and Ive seen some real world guys that have her saying ALTITUDE at 300' AGL.  Personal preference, but as Serge says, you can shut her up just by going default to zero.  Actually, in the upcoming Sludge... all BARO and RALT Betty warnings are defaulted off at zero, so its up to you to set them to on.

Razgriz...

Yeah, I know.  Gotta get with Micro and make a really good video for everyone else.  His videos are pimp-daddy-payne good, so once he gets some time, we will make a joint venture carrier pattern video.  The reason there's no LSO, is this isnt the TopGun mission.  Its Orion's mission with no LSO stuff.  The carrier and natural FSX wind are setup a little better for carrier landings in his mission.  Granted the best situation would be carrier at 20 kts and FSX wind at 12 kts for a total angled deck wind component of 32 kts inside the TopGun missions w/LSO, but unless you know someone who lives and breathes .spb/.xml mission coding, it aint gonna happen.

Later
Sludge

[neutrino]

BTW I think Sludge or someone mentioned how to cage the HUD. What is that method please? And will that method work on other HUD enabled aircraft (I know I could test that myself once method known).   TAH.

Spaz, you just open the HUD Switch Panel (should be Shift+2) and press 'CAGE'. This will "cage" the velocity vector near the vertical center-line of the HUD, which is helpful with heavy crosswind (>10kts), as in the upwind or downwind turns. A ghost (true) vector will still show where the aircraft is going if the difference between the caged vector and the true vector is greater than 2 degrees.

Here is an example of an actual HUD with caged vector:
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/neutrino2009/cagedghost_vectors.jpg

[SpazSinbad]

Everyone, thanks for all the info. A quick look at shift + 2 says the HUD is caged. I'll explain that I was (by default via the Hornet) trying to solve an issue with the BETA of Dino Cattaneo's F-35A HUD. At its optimum AoA the indexer is almost invisible below out of sight. I guess an eyepoint change is needed in this instance.

For the record I use the marvellous 'floating' AoA indexer or the Indexer on the panel of the Hornet. I'll need to check out that 'lights' info. Sounds like an excellent mod Sludge. IMHO the biggest issue with carrier landings in FSX on a desktop monitor is not being able to see the mirror/lineup from a reasonable distance (before the start at 3/4 NM). Not everyone can get to that position easily without the aid of the NEW IMPROVED (by many) HUD that has been discussed often. The 'needles' allow anyone to get to a good start for a best visual approach etc.

The day when wall sized monitors are cheap will be a good day for FSX and carrier landings. Here is the T-45C Goshawk USN simulator with such a wall sized display.

Here is the link at FlightSim.com to the 'dflights.zip' file (3Mb) : http://www.flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=134873

[Herbie]

Hello SpazSinbad!
Thank you for the link dflights.zip I was Banned for a few hours, all is well now. Sludge,  you never phone me yet on Skype. Herb

[Paddles]

Just stumbled across this http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/call_the_ball... Well guys, we all are flying the wrong way...

[SpazSinbad]

"Verb: to call the ball [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/call_the_ball]

1.(When landing on US aircraft carriers) To sight the red fresnel light that shows a pilot to be on the correct approach path."

FSXNP, you can see how the wascally wabbits at wiktionary are really wacky. 

[Paddles]

Woger what 

[Tregarth]

"IMHO the biggest issue with carrier landings in FSX on a desktop monitor is not being able to see the mirror/lineup from a reasonable distance (before the start at 3/4 NM). Not everyone can get to that position easily without the aid of the NEW IMPROVED (by many) HUD that has been discussed often. The 'needles' allow anyone to get to a good start for a best visual approach etc."

I don't know if people remember MS's Combat Flight Sim 2.  When the plane was a mile or so from the carrier an LSO automatically appeared in a small window on the top left corner of the screen and made the appropriate signals.  After a lot of prodding by me Abacus incorporated a separate Fresnel Lens gauge into Carrier Operations.  Pressing Sh + 5 produced a working Fresnel Lens gauge which was slaved to the ILS.  Adam Howe of Abacus kindly sent me a Cessna 172 with the gauge incorporated.

Possibly not that realistic but screen resolutions are not yet good enough to enable the Ball to be clearly seen when 3/4 mile from the deck so this is a workable compromise.

Tregarth

[Sludge]

Tre...

Yeah, I tried incorporating that Abacus meatball for my own purposes, I just dont know how to do it, otherwise I would've.  Now, I dont even mess with Abacus stuff, especially their interior graphics.  Too Low speed/High drag.  Im sure Serge or JR could figure it out, how to get a Meatball display gauge thats similar to the Indexer.  However, one limitation exists at this point in the Sludge Hornet's lifespan... there isnt room for another displayed gauge.  I'm already up to shift-9, and FSX doesnt allow for more, unless I'm missing something?  Id have to get rid of a gauge to get a "Mirror/Meatball" gauge operational in the current Sludge Hornet.

If people wanted, and the gauge can be built, I could have two Panel folders in the new Sludge, one standard (how it is now, labelled Panel_Indexer) and a new one (labelled Panel_Meatball), and have instructions for install that the one you want, just rename that folder Panel (in each Sludge Hornet folder, Basic/FX), and thats the one the Sludge will use.  I know some of you fly with TrackIR and would appreciate a "Mirror/Meatball" gauge so its easier for you to land in VC.  If Serge could make this gauge within the current BlackBox UFC gauge (like the Indexer), I will include it in the upcoming Sludge Hornet release (v1.1) and will have the two separate Panel folders so all you have to do is rename the one you want to Panel.

Later
Sludge

[Tregarth]

Dear Sludge,

My thinking is that the FLOLS would not be a Hornet gauge.  Instead, at say, the carrier "Outer Marker" the gauge would pop up on the screen automatically in a corner of the screen as it did in CFS2.  It would not be a cockpit gauge, possibly it could be added to the carrier?  You wouldn't need one on land since you have the PAPI lights already.

It is easy for me to make these suggestions, (it has only taken me 2 weeks to work out how to make FSUIPC to work and I won't talk about Flight Sim Commander) but I don't have a clue as to how you work the miracles that you do.

Thank you for your excellent work,

Tregarth

[Paddles]

It is possible to create a gauge that could mimic the FLOLS, but as Tregarth mentioned, it would be 'a working Fresnel Lens gauge which is slaved to the ILS'. That's because in FSX FLOLS systems are part of objects (carriers) or sceneries (airports/bases), unlike of CFS2 (as far as I understand). So, this gauge could work very well on any aircraft, provided 1) there's a working ILS at a target airport and 2) NAV1 is tuned to this ILS.

[Razgriz]

It is possible to create a gauge that could mimic the FLOLS, but as Tregarth mentioned, it would be 'a working Fresnel Lens gauge which is slaved to the ILS'. That's because in FSX FLOLS systems are part of objects (carriers) or sceneries (airports/bases), unlike of CFS2 (as far as I understand). So, this gauge could work very well on any aircraft, provided 1) there's a working ILS at a target airport and 2) NAV1 is tuned to this ILS.

Well, the new hud just happens to have working ILS on a moving boat.  Possibilities , anyone?!

[Paddles]

I'll give it a try 

[Orion]

It is possible to create a gauge that could mimic the FLOLS, but as Tregarth mentioned, it would be 'a working Fresnel Lens gauge which is slaved to the ILS'. That's because in FSX FLOLS systems are part of objects (carriers) or sceneries (airports/bases), unlike of CFS2 (as far as I understand). So, this gauge could work very well on any aircraft, provided 1) there's a working ILS at a target airport and 2) NAV1 is tuned to this ILS.

Well, the new hud just happens to have working ILS on a moving boat.  Possibilities , anyone?!

Easy enough...  Just some XML magic .