Some general help for Noob please

[markturner]

Hi Guys, i wondered if you could save me some time and frustration, by summarising the various tweaks and must haves that are around to get the most from carrier ops using the Hornet. From my readings here, i have downloaded sludge's .cfg file that helps with tip overs on trapping ( which i have a big problem with) and cat launches.
I have also on Jivkos advice altered the maneuvering flaps value to 1 in the .cfg file.
I have the new HUD, and love it. However, please can someone confirm the TCN codes for the carriers? I have 57X for the Eisenhower, what is the Nimitz and the other carriers?

Oh and is there a wat to reverse the jet while lining up for the cat? I have real problems seeing where the wheeel is in relation to the cat and can spend 5 minutes or so hopelessly trying to get in the right position. Will one of the nice tractors tow me?? ( just joking...)

Anuy other little things out there to make the whole thing better and less frustrating? What about realism settings etc, what do they need to be on?

Cheers, Mark

[ESzczesniak]

1. TACAN codes: The different TACAN codes are for the default vs. Javier's carriers.  This means that both the Ike and the Nimitz have the same TACAN of 57X (ILS 112.00) while any default carrier will be 47X (111.00).  This is simply to account for the different touchdown points within the different models, however the Ike and Nimitz are the same model in this regard.

2. Unless you use the slew mode, I don't know of any way to back up.  This certainly is hard to do in the real life (requires a tractor to push you).  The advice I give is go in to external mode and get yourself lined up and on the cat (and hooked up).  Then return to the cockpit and get some land marks.  It's relatively easy to get pointed down the center of the track.  For the default Hornet, I find when the cockpit frame get's just about the the lower left half of the window of the catapult officers deck house (between cat 1 and 2), this is right for cat 1 or 2 (just varies left or right).  I haven't worked out visual references for 3 and 4.

3. Tipping over is a big problem landing the default Hornet, but really serves to reinforce proper alignment.  I do not really know the details of Sludge's .cfg file, but am not sure I would use it if all it fixed was the roll while trapping--I've found that if you trap on center line on the proper recovery heading, this is not an issue and I think this reinforces good practice rather than getting sloppy with your tolerances.

4. Not a tweak, but make sure you're carrier is moving and/or has wind over the deck.  The default carriers are hardcoded to a 4.0 degree glideslope.  This setting would be used in the real world to increase the hook clearance over the ramp, but only applies in either high wind over deck (which effectively decreases glideslope: 35-37 kts of wind over the deck changes 4.0 degree to an effective 2.8 degree glide slope) or in a pitching deck scenario.

5. Consider decreasing your crash tolerance to mid-range.  MSFS registers crash vs. landing based upon the velocity of impact.  It has a hard coded limit of 1000 fpm descent rate.  On a good carrier landing you should be in the 600-700 fpm range (maybe up to 800 fpm depending on WOD and other parameters), but while learning you can be very near or slightly over that 1000 fpm limit.  However, in real life the Hornet is rated up to 1500 fpm...no maintenance folk will be happy about a landing at this fpm, but the airframe should in theory hold together.  Decreasing your crash tolerance will raise this limit from 1000 fpm up higher...seems halfway on the slider is a limit about 1200 fpm.  Not all the way there, but gets you a little bit more wiggle room.

[neutrino]

Mark, since you didn't mention it, I think a great help for a smooth landing will be to decrease the arresting cable tension for the Hornet. Decreasing the value will give the jet more time to decelerate and it will not bump its nose into the runway.

The default value (1.0) will stop the Hornet for about 2.4 seconds, which is very abrupt and is more appropriate for a stationary carrier. The new setting will increase that time to about 3.4 seconds, which is the time real Hornets take to come to a full stop on the carrier deck - so it will actually increase the realisim.

Open up the Aircraft.cfg file for the FA-18 and check if you have a [tailhook] section. If you don't have such section - add the two lines below, if you do, only add the second line to the section:

[tailhook]
cable_force_adjust = 0.68

I have tested this setting by catching the 4th wire, at full weight and 150 kts, and you still land in the safe area of the deck, so don't worry that the runway will end before you stop

[Voodoo]

is there a way to reverse the jet while lining up for the cat

Hi Mark,

Yes, SHIFT + P will give you a pushback on the carriers as well as on terra firma.

Regards,
Voodoo

[Sludge]

Mark....

Glad to see another person getting the mods going, especially new HUD and landing gear mod.  If you watch some youtube videos of carrier landings, even some of them as off-center as they are wouldve been a "tip over" in FSX.  Its mostly made for looks (non-dragster tail-high default Hornet), some function (helps alleviate those minor off-center trap roll-overs, no braking spin-outs), and better on-ground taxiing.  IMO.  One thing to make sure you do when using the mod settings is to put all the realism sliders to full right, otherwise they dont work as well.  If you get the "bumps" while taxiing, make sure to select 10m Mesh Resolution on your Scenery Realism settings.   I guess the visual model doesnt like anything more acute.  Also, if you have trouble w/cat shots (ie, crashing at the end of the cat shot), make sure you are launching w/full flaps selected (REAL Hornets do this as well, so its not wrong) and you should be able to cat off any carrier, default or Javier's.

Other than that, if you need any help, feel free to PM me and I will talk you thru as much as I possibly can to get you up and running full Navy Ops.

Later
Sludge

Merry New Year Everyone!!

[markturner]

Thanks for all the help and advice guys, i have done the cable mod and used sludges' altered .cfg file settings and the other thing that really helped was getting and using FSUIPC to calibrate and configure my joystick. It made the jet so much more controllable on the throttle.

I am up to about 60 or 70% good landings now, so its encouraging!

and i am loving it, although i have not yet managed to complete the TGS practice mission where you have to land, taxi, cat and fly the pattern and land again 6 times in a row yet.... practice!!

Thanks again for the help and advice,


regards, Mark

[ESzczesniak]

...although i have not yet managed to complete the TGS practice mission where you have to land, taxi, cat and fly the pattern and land again 6 times in a row yet...

Take it from personal experience...you never need to land to "complete" this mission.  You just need to try to land 6 times and not crash in the process

[SUBS17]

Thanks for all the help and advice guys, i have done the cable mod and used sludges' altered .cfg file settings and the other thing that really helped was getting and using FSUIPC to calibrate and configure my joystick. It made the jet so much more controllable on the throttle.

I am up to about 60 or 70% good landings now, so its encouraging!

and i am loving it, although i have not yet managed to complete the TGS practice mission where you have to land, taxi, cat and fly the pattern and land again 6 times in a row yet.... practice!!

Thanks again for the help and advice,


regards, Mark

So long as you dump fuel to lower your landing weight this not a hard mission to beat although it does get a bit dark on the last few approaches.

[sonofabeech]

Pardon my ignorance but what is TGS and where can I find it

[SUBS17]

Its the carrier practice mission its not hard to find as its the one with cloud.

[sonofabeech]

oh ok  i thought maybe he was talking about the Top Gun Simulation (TGS) Mission
the TGS threw me off what does it stand for

[ESzczesniak]

oh ok  i thought maybe he was talking about the Top Gun Simulation (TGS) Mission
the TGS threw me off what does it stand for

I think the TGS is in fact referring to the Top Gun Simulations mission.  You don't have to subscribe with their monthly fee to use the mission--that can be downloaded for free.  The subscription is if you want to compete with your scores online.

[sonofabeech]

How can I get hold of this mission? the web site top gun simulations has been closed for construction for the last couple of months is there a new website that Im not aware of or is there somewhere that i can get this tgs mission from.