How do I stop AI crashing?

[Foxendown 0]

I'm just getting back into First Eagles and I thought I had the perfect setup this time. FE+EP, plus all the add-on planes with peter01's flight models and campaigns. Sadly I just can't keep the AI alive heading to and from the airfield (they fight and fly well in combat). Quite a long time ago I posted about the erratic flying of the AI (wild swoops) but now I'm flying a campaign seriously (with take offs and landings in every mission) I've noticed the serious attrition of my numbers. For example, first two missions-five killed from crashes, none from enemy action Accelerated time may be the issue, the AI can't even seem to fly x2 without crashing (though I've also seen a suicidal nose-dive into the runway in normal time ). Is there any way of fixing this without having to fly to and from the airfield in real time?

[+Tailspin 3]

Other than the occasional unexplained crash of the entire enemy flight when Alt/N I have not seen this with stock A/C or those last updated by Peter for the Nov. patch. Perhaps you have some older FMs in other planes that have not been updated? Then again I rarely fly all the way back home.

[Foxendown 0]

I've got FE with the EP but with no patches. I've installed peter01's flight models and campaigns dated July 2008 which were intended for use with the unpatched EP and of course all the third party aircraft relating to those. The only other additions I've made are the Vosges terrain and 6686Guitarclassic55's beautiful menu screens.

 

I've done a bit of testing now and found that you can avoid most of the crashes by cutting back your throttle to no more than 65% before engaging autopilot, having climbed to a decent altitude (say 4,500 feet plus) over the first few waypoints, which usually prevents the lowermost layer of the AI formation from committing suicide. Using Alt N warping also helps preserve your lemming colleagues' life, but for me at least that puts you eyeball to eyeball with the enemy too soon which I don't like. The AI are unstable in roll and pitch, but especially pitch. They improve (but not a lot) if you go to the normal flight model, but I don't like doing that because it makes the dogfights too easy. The instability seems to come in cycles: they will fly straight for a while, then swoop for a while then back to flying straight. It's almost as if they are trying to maintain a minimum speed. While extra altitude does help, sometimes an AI pilot will drop out of the formation. I watched one go from 6500 ft to 1500 ft in a vertical dive, then do a whole series of dives before crashing into the ground. I am happy to volunteer for any play testing or other work needed if there is any chance of this being fixed but sadly I don't know how to do it myself.

 

I had forgotten that peter01 and I had exchanged PMs about these problems some time ago and he very helpfully advised me to use AP and 100% throttle with caution and this does help. I'm delighted by the first few missions of his 1917 campaign because there are lots of 2-seaters flying about, which seems very realistic.

 

I'd be interested to know if other people have these issues. I've experienced them with different FE installs on different computers and they tend to spoil my enjoyment of what could otherwise be IMHO a near perfect WW1 sim. It's not just that it looks terrible (if you like external views of the action), but it unbalances the campaign, unless you don't fly to and from your airfield.