RMachucaA 0 Posted December 22, 2003 Hey, my first post here... i have been simming since the first FS came out :-P long time ago lol. Anyways, i want to know how deep/accurate will the physics engine be? will it be trying to simulate real airflow over the wings as in FS:SDOE? and will it have a "physical" world around it? Will bullets\missles actually be modeled properly not only in 3d (DUH) but in the weight\thrust department? and react accordingly to variations in weather\wind? The best Flight simulator ever done to date in my opinion is FS:SDOE, since it replicated actual flight dynamics based on the physics engine taking into account the actual shape of the aircraft\wings, thats what im really hoping for! And Devs: wish you the best of luck! ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scary_pigeon 0 Posted December 22, 2003 (edited) It isnt possible to simulate real airflow, just to make approximations. It is real art-science stuff writing simulation of any kind from simulating the universe to games approximations are always at some level made: but I think I've got the physics pretty well done. My approach is calc 'authority' of control surfaces based on airspeed and forces at several important points on the aircraft. Some sims use table based approaches were they look at real performance data and force fit the behaviour leading to the plane feeling like it is on rails - I think CFS3 is an example of this. Others go the emergent approach - IL2. My approach is IL2ish. It is my favourate flight sim. that is to say, torques, forces, inertial tensors. rotation is an interesting phenomena. human beings live in a world were angular momentum doesnt really exist until we start doing things we were never evolved for - like driving fast, flying and building spinning toys... ...our little meagre minds dont intuitiviely understand the behaviour of a gyroscope how a torque in one direction will cause to precess in another. normally in flight these strange angular momentum effects are not really there, but I think they add a hint of something extra real when modelled. Our approach will be to fiddle with the flight sim aircraft constants - for example, lift of wings, wing area (for drag in manouvers) and other things to try get the emergent behaviour to be close to the real plane. I've done a little bit of flying too, and think I know what I want out of the physics engine - something like IL2 in its flight model (I've not got lock-on yet so dont know how this feels) is the best I've so far played with regards to feeling of flight. Edited December 22, 2003 by scary_pigeon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDirickson 0 Posted December 23, 2003 S_P, you might want to check out X-Plane, if you've never seen it already. Basically a one man show, it is the most realistic flight simulator you can find. www.x-plane.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Dante-JT 6 Posted December 23, 2003 I've tried X-Plane once to check the Harrier that it features, it's pretty good compared to the other attempts at modelling the Harrier latelly, it has real thrust vectoring which can be assigned to an axis in the controller. But it's also too unstable in the hover, because it hangs over just one column of thrust placed below the aircraft's center of gravity, while the real Harrier has 4 columns of thrust (from each engine nozzle) - so, hovering the Harrier in X-Plane feels like riding in a monocycle. :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDirickson 0 Posted December 23, 2003 Yeah, I agree, the old Harrier model in the sim was pretty unstable. However, the latest versions of X-Plane allow you to model the Harrier with all four nozzles, everything. I don't think there is a current 7.xx model Harrier out there, but some kind soul at x-plane.org should probably be able to whip you up one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Dante-JT 6 Posted December 23, 2003 Yeah, I agree, the old Harrier model in the sim was pretty unstable. However, the latest versions of X-Plane allow you to model the Harrier with all four nozzles, everything. I don't think there is a current 7.xx model Harrier out there, but some kind soul at x-plane.org should probably be able to whip you up one. hmmm .. interesting B) So I'll be buying latest X-plane for 'research purposes' on this Harrier model with all four nozzles ;) The current Harrier FM 'mockups' we have in JT now are quite stable - there's side drag/rear drag, you know, the plane shape isn't meant for flying sideways or backwards, so, it can't develop speed in these directions while hovering - a real Harrier pilot advised that a speed faster than 30 knots in backward or sideways hover could be risky - specially sideways - as one intake on one side can have its airflux rather blocked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDirickson 0 Posted December 24, 2003 (edited) I'll try and see if I can get a model worked out for you over the break, before I go back to the Citadel. I have some experience with the sim and I can probably make you an accurate model to test out. TO be honest though, if you look on x-plane.org for some of the better authors, or even email Austin Meyer about it, and tell him you guys are working on a new sim, I'm sure you'll find a host of people willing to help out. Edited December 24, 2003 by SDirickson Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
