Adding a weapons rack mini-tutorial

[Guest capun]

The question was asked “How to add a weapons rack to an airplane that does not have one”. This mini-tutorial explains how to do one.

 

Originally the concept was to make it into a weapons rack with the same hang points. This concept works but you need to load at least two weapons per weapon station which is not what we wanted.

 

At the end, a Fuel Tank that cannot be dropped and with minimal fuel was used. So we will use that for the example.

 

1. Here’s the original weapon stations for the test mule.

 

[LeftWingStation]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=1

StationGroupID=1

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-2.7007,0.0000,-0.316

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=1000.0

AllowedWeaponClass=IRM,RCKT,RP,GP,LGB,LGR,EOGB,EOGR

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=Pylon_L

PylonMass=40.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

 

[RightWingStation]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=2

StationGroupID=1

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=2.6444,-0.0000,-0.316

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=1000.0

AllowedWeaponClass=IRM,RCKT,RP,GP,LGB,LGR,EOGB,EOGR

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=Pylon_R

PylonMass=40.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

 

Note the weapon station AttachmentPosition values, you will need it for later.

 

 

2. And the Loadout.ini entry. We’ll just use the Strike section for the example

 

Loadout[01].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[01].Quantity=1

Loadout[02].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[02].Quantity=1

 

 

3. A weapons rack was designed and exported in 3DS Max.

 

The weapon entry is this

 

[WeaponData2091]

TypeName=DBRACK

FullName=Dummy Rack

ModelName=DBRACK

Mass=25.000000

Diameter=0.200000

Length=1.500000

AttachmentType=

NationName=

StartYear=0

EndYear=0

Availability=0

BaseQuantity=0

Exported=FALSE

ExportStartYear=0

ExportEndYear=0

ExportAvailability=0

WeaponDataType=5

MaxFuelAmount=25.000000

Asymmetrical=FALSE

 

Disregard the weapon number, it’s from my test installation with many extra weapons. It is basically done as a Fuel Tank with a mass of 25 Kgs. and a Max Fuel of 25 Kgs. Those numbers can be changed and are not tuned.

 

 

4. The “Fuel Tanks” were added to the weapon stations

 

[LeftWingRack]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=3

StationGroupID=2

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-1.9727,-0.1205,-0.1957

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=100.0

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=10.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

FuelTankName=DBRACK

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

 

[RightWingRack]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=4

StationGroupID=2

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=1.9730,-0.1205,-0.1957

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=100.0

AllowedWeaponClass=FT

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=10.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

FuelTankName=DBRACK

NoJettisionTank=TRUE

 

Note that the stations were declared to carry only fuel tanks and with a small LoadLimit so no other racks will show.

 

The racks were made permanent via the NoJettisonTank variable,

 

Note the AttachmentPosition, here you need to guess where the weapon station is going to be located via trial and error. Start with the original weapons locations, use the 3DS Max coordinate tutorial at CombatAce

 

 

You need to get the location where the crosshairs are

 

 

5. And the changes to the loadout.ini

 

Loadout[01].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[01].Quantity=1

Loadout[02].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[02].Quantity=1

Loadout[03].WeaponType=DBRACK

Loadout[03].Quantity=1

Loadout[04].WeaponType=DBRACK

Loadout[04].Quantity=1

 

6. Now add the real weapon stations.

 

[LeftWingStationInner]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=5

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=-1.9730,-0.1205,-0.5304

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=1000.0

AllowedWeaponClass=BOMB,RCKT,RP,GP,LGB,LGR,EOGB,EOGR

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=40.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

 

[RightWingStationInner]

SystemType=WEAPON_STATION

StationID=6

StationGroupID=3

StationType=EXTERNAL

AttachmentPosition=1.9730,-0.1205,-0.5304

AttachmentAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

LoadLimit=1000.0

AllowedWeaponClass=BOMB,RCKT,RP,GP,LGB,LGR,EOGB,EOGR

AttachmentType=Soviet,WP

ModelNodeName=

PylonMass=40.0

PylonDragArea=0.03

 

Note the AttachmentPosition values, they should be the same as the Rack but lowered a bit, you need to get the Z value (Height) from the 3DS Max file and add it (substract?) from the rack Z value

 

 

You need to get the location where the crosshairs are.

 

 

 

7. And the Loadout.ini entry

 

Loadout[01].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[01].Quantity=1

Loadout[02].WeaponType=R-131M1

Loadout[02].Quantity=1

Loadout[03].WeaponType=DBRACK

Loadout[03].Quantity=1

Loadout[04].WeaponType=DBRACK

Loadout[04].Quantity=1

Loadout[05].WeaponType=FAB250

Loadout[05].Quantity=1

Loadout[06].WeaponType=FAB250

Loadout[06].Quantity=1

 

8. Just a remainder that you need to declare your new weapon stations

 

[LeftWing]

.

.

SystemName[007]=LeftWingStation

SystemName[008]=LeftWingRack

SystemName[009]=LeftWingStationInner

 

[RightWing]

.

.

SystemName[007]=RightWingStation

SystemName[008]=RightWingRack

SystemName[009]=RightWingStationInner

 

And that's it. Now you have "new" weapons rack without access to the plane 3D model.

[+Gocad]

That's pretty cool, Capun.

[+ext]

Thanks Cap! Going to try it out and figure out where I have gone wrong in the past.

[Guest capun]

A package with two test pylons to go along with this tutorial have been added to the download section

 

Here

 

Dummy Racks Package