SF2I Suez Avenger

[+eburger68 201]

Hi All:

 

As mentioned in the discussion for Kulbit(80)'s Royal Navy Avenger skin, I've been working on incorporating the Avenger into SF2I. I now have a beta available for anyone with interest to test:

 

https://netfiles.uiu...uez_Avenger.rar

 

Please note that you will need to download the TBF/TBM Avenger from the WWII Aircraft section at the Dev A-Team's web site (see below for link). What follows is the ReadMe (which you will need to pay some attention to):

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TBM-3E Avenger for SF2I Expansion Pack - Suez Crisis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is a modification of the TBM-3E released by The Wrench, which is itself a mod of the TBF/TBM Avenger available in the WWII aircraft section at the A-Team Skunkworks web site:

 

http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/

 

This mod creates a TBM-3E Avenger for use in ThirdWire's SF2I Suez Expansion Pack. Included are French Navy and Royal Navy texture sets.

 

Historical purists & rivet-counters take note: what you're about to read is likely to cause nausea, dizziness, and mild vomiting.

 

Before discussing anything else, let me tell you what's wrong with this mod:

 

1) It uses the wrong aircraft: the French Naval Air unit participating in the Suez Crisis flew the TBM-3S/W, not the TBM-3E. I don't have access to a TBM-3S/W model, so the TBM-3E it is.

 

2) It represents the wrong unit: the French Naval Air unit flying the Avenger in the Suez was 9 Flotilla, not 15 Flotilla. I don't have decals for 9F, so I used the 15F decals from The Mirage Factory's F4U-7 Corsair instead.

 

3) It flies the wrong missions: the French Avenger was primarily an anti-submarine aircraft. Given that there are no Anti-Sub missions in SF2I (and given that flying around over an open ocean for hours at a time would get really old really fast in this game), this Avenger is configured to fly Strike, CAS, and Armed Recon missions like other attack aircraft in the world of ThirdWire.

 

For those of you still with me, let me provide some other information about this mod.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Installation

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This mod is NOT a complete, self-contained package. It requires that you download the TBF/TBM Avenger from the A-Team's site (see above for a link). Once you've got that file downloaded, do the following:

 

1) Unpack the A-Team's TBF/TBM Avenger into its own folder.

 

2) Copy or move the \Objects & \Sounds folders from this mod (i.e., the Suez Avenger mod) to your SF2I Mod Folder.

 

3) Copy or move the following items from the A-Team TBF/TBM Avenger to the \Objects\Aircraft\TBM-3E folder in your SF2I Mod Folder:

 

- TBM Avenger-R5.LOD

- TBM Avenger-R5.OUT

- \Cockpit [the entire folder "as is"]

 

That's it. You're ready to fly.

 

Please note that the default unit/skin is the French Navy 15F. I've thrown in Kulbit(80)'s Royal Navy skin as a bonus. This aircraft can be flown reliably on both Hard and Normal flight model settings.

 

Although packaged for SF2I, this mod will work fine in Wings Over Israel (WOI), provided you move the decals to their proper texture folders in the TBM-3E folder and install the AN/APS-4 radar pod to your WOI Weapons folder.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Changes & Updates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This mod makes extensive changes to Wrench's TBM-3E. Here's a short list:

 

- added French Navy 15F texture set

- added Kulbit(80)'s Royal Navy texture set

- moved decals to SF2 \Decals folder

- added USERLIST.INI

- added custom Hangar & Loading screens

- added updated Loadout image

- added DestroyedModel data

- tweaked flight model for Hard settings in SF2

- tweaked landing gear to fix AI aircraft exploding on the taxiway

- removed belly gunner node and gun

- performed other minor, misc. tweaks & adjustments

 

~~~~~~~

Credits

~~~~~~~

 

As noted earlier, this is a modification of the TBM-3E released by The Wrench, which is itself a mod of the TBF/TBM Avenger available in the WWII aircraft section at the A-Team Skunkworks web site:

 

http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/

 

Original aircraft: Dev A-Team (Capun, Charles, Gramps and Kesselbrut)

TBM-3E Modifications: Kevin Stein, aka The Wrench

AN/APS-4 radar pod: Tim Davis

Royal Navy skin: Michal Minta, aka Kulbit(80)

15F decals: The Mirage Factory

 

Please see the \_Docs folder for the original readme files included with the mods listed above. Any errors or omissions are entirely my responsibility.

 

 

------------

Eric Howes

12 Jun 2010

[Wrench 9,847]

Historical purists & rivet-counters take note: what you're about to read is likely to cause nausea, dizziness, and mild vomiting

 

That IS Hysterical!!!! One of the funniest, most honest things I've ever read on any board, EVER!!

 

Eric, I'll be glad to share my template, if you want to get the rivets/panel/fabric lines on rudder of the AeroNaval version. Just say the word!

 

So, it's as simple as increasing the MaxSteeringAngle ????? I been fighting with that for 3 years!!! If that's all it needs, and many more aircraft have the same symptioms -- we can start moving the WW2 stuff over to SF2 now (given that every single aircraft, regardless of WHO made it, needs new FMs....but, it's a START!!)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+Spectre_USA 7]

That IS Hysterical!!!! One of the funniest, most honest things I've ever read on any board, EVER!!

 

A mighty big plus 1!

 

I laughed, I cried, I hurled...

 

[+eburger68 201]

Wrench:

 

I figured honesty was the best approach with this. This is a historically inaccurate aircraft playing a real one on the 3W groove tube.

 

Thanks for the offer of the template, but it wouldn't do me any good -- I'm no skinner or decalist. I'm hoping that someone else will step up to the plate and do a proper 9F texture/decal set.

 

As for the landing gear, I actually tweaked or added a number of things. Put 'em side-by-side and you'll see. I fought with that thing most of last night and into the wee hours of this morning before I finally noticed that decreasing the spring factor and increasing the shock stroke had beneficial effects. So far as I can tell, the spring factor combined with the extremely short shock stroke caused the AI aircraft (always three & four in the formation) to tip over when they taxiied forward, then hit the brakes.

 

Think of a really springy rubber ball bouncing off a hard wall. The AI aircraft hit the brakes, the spring factor caused a wild rebound off the short shock stroke on the main gears, and the aircraft tipped over.

 

With the revamped landing gear they still wobble around a little bit, but they (like Weebles) don't fall over.

 

The flight model tweaks were comparatively simple -- just "relaxed" some of the key settings a bit. On Hard flight model the aircraft still has the determined, tank-like sluggishness of the orignal fm, but it's on sturdier legs now and won't send you into into a flat-spin just because you *thought* about attempting a slow turn below 200 knots.

 

Eric Howes

Edited June 13, 2010 by eburger68

[+Kulbit80 1,399]

Thanks man. Flight model is much more flyable now (even too "relaxing" on hard )

Could be great to fix left turning...

 

Best regards.

Edited June 13, 2010 by Kulbit80

[Wrench 9,847]

check the engine torque value...(ThrustPosition) Oddly, the left/right number IS set to 0.0, so it shouldn't "pull" ???? ??? Unless the left/right sides of the LOD are perfectly matched??

 

also, try these for RollingRadius:

 

[TailGear]

 

RollingRadius=0.17

 

[LeftMainGear]

 

RollingRadius=0.55

 

[RightMainGear]

 

RollingRadius=0.55

 

 

 

EVERY aircraft brought over to NextGens (and sometimes to 08 levels) needs them adjusted

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+eburger68 201]

Wrench:

 

Thanks for looking at this mod.

 

1. Rolling Radii

 

Actually, the values in the DATA.INI are adjusted (the original values had the wheels sinking deep into the tarmac). Your values work a little better, so I'll go with those.

 

2. Engine torque/pull

 

I'm no expert on props in ThirdWire games, but I never understood ThrustPosition to be associated with torque/pull. TK has the following for his Spitfires, and they most definitely pull:

 

ThrustAngles=0.0,0.0,0.0

ThrustPosition=0.0,0.0,0.0

 

The AVHistory P-51D flight model uses this (and it pulls, too):

 

ThrustAngles=0.0, 0.0, 0.0

ThrustPosition=0.0, 3.05, 0.00

 

Keep in mind that the aircraft is flying with an unbalanced/asymmetrical load. So far as I can tell, the engine torque's pull is partially (but only partially) off-setting the pull to right from the radar pod on the right outer wing. If you flip the PropRotationDirection you'll notice that the pull to the right becomes much more pronounced -- even to the point of making it difficult to take off (at least on Hard flight model; not sure if engine torque/pull is simulated on Normal flight model).

 

Best,

 

Eric Howes

Edited June 13, 2010 by eburger68

[+Kulbit80 1,399]

Thanks guys for replys but there is a little misunderstanding... It's my fault. I meant left turning (cant over) in the air when flying on hard mode (not on normal).

When set PropRotationDirection to 0 then goes right, 0.5 - same. Turning off radar pod station change nothing...

Edited June 13, 2010 by Kulbit80

[Wrench 9,847]

you mean an uncontrolled ROLL to the left. That's completly different than 'torque steer'!!

 

I've never flown HARD, so I don't experience it. Maybe checking the values =and WHICH ones I haven't a clue!!!= for the wing's, ailerons, lift statements?? Check for extra spaces, negative values that should be positive (YMac?), etc

 

EDIT-- left and right YMac valuse are the same; one should be positive, one negative. Check the PropHead Forum, 1stGen; I made a note about it in the "Tweeks and Tricks" section (meaning: I can't remember which is supposed to be which!)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+eburger68 201]

Guys:

 

Actually, I'm the one who caused the confusion. I did't see Kulbit80's reply and so misunderstood Wrench's post right below it.

 

In any case, the Ymac values are indeed wrong for the right side. Interestingly, those incorrect numbers are the A-Team originals. Attached is a DATA.INI with the correct Ymac values as well as the new RollingRadii.

 

Let me know how this one works.

 

Eric Howes

[Wrench 9,847]

the tail wheel could come up just a hair, but it's not worth messing with. But the mains a close ... looks like they're underinflated a bit, and have a good deal of weight on them. Again, fiddling with 3rd decimal places get tire-some!! (pun intended!!! )

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+eburger68 201]

Wrench:

 

OK, I'll split difference on the tail wheel with my original value. New value will be .185.

 

Anything else that needs adjusting?

 

Also, I just realized I neglected to credit the pilot figure authors: PilotFN & WW2GunnerCBNavy. Either of you recognize who the authors of those are?

 

Thanks,

 

Eric Howes

[Wrench 9,847]

sorry, I don't recognize them, although I'e had the rear gunner for years.

 

btw, here's the statement for the manual animated canopy:

 

[Canopy]

SystemType=ANIMATION

InputName=ANIMATION_10

AnimationTime=3.0

AnimationID=5

 

replace the other statements with that

 

watch out for the shadows ... it's OK (sorta) until you open the bombbay, then you get the MASSIVE tractorbeam line. Looks like a glitched mesh in the bay doors.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+Kulbit80 1,399]

I think i found solution! Like Kevin advised me, I checked all values for the wing's, ailerons, lift statements, but everything was fine. Then looked at engine values changed by Eric. PropRotationDirection - there was no value in original data.ini so i set to 0. But i'm not sure that it's necessary.

Most important value is MomentOfInertia! Stock value was 0.5 and Eric changed to 3.86. I changed back to 0.5 and then tried increse and decreas this value. The best i found is: MomentOfInertia=0.32 and Avenger is flying almost ideal straight on hard fliight mode!

Changing this value for other prop aircrafts turn off their uncontrolled roll. But different values for each aircraft. I checked for Macchi MC.205 Veltro (EAF), old Spitfires or F4U-7 Corsair. On HARD mode obviously. For F4U-7 for example best value is 0.0.

I haven't found anything wrong in flight after this.

 

Best regards.

[+eburger68 201]

Kulbit:

 

Just tried MomentOfInertia=0.32 -- with that value I get a pronounced roll to the right that only gets worse if you flip the prop rotation direction. With my original values I get no roll one direction or the other.

 

Did you test with the corrected DATA.INI that I posted (the one with the corrected Ymac values)?

 

Eric Howes

[+Kulbit80 1,399]

I tested on WOI and Hard FM so maybe this is the reason. Of course with the corrected Ymac values. But this value can be adjusted in next gen sims i think.

[+eburger68 201]

Kulbit80:

 

OK, that might explain the difference. Let me test on WOI (I had been testing on SF2I).

 

Eric Howes

[+eburger68 201]

Kulbit80:

 

Just tested on WOI -- no difference in behavior. With MomentOfInertia=0.32 I get a very pronounced roll to the right, whereas the 3.86 works perfectly.

 

I'm at a loss to explain why you and I are getting different results.

 

Eric Howes