Tailspin

Ok, one final report and then I'm going to bed. I reset the MOI to a positive 10 (you can try more but you'll have to take off on auto pilot) and set the Gyroscopic Inertia to a negative 550. Now I think I'm getting the desired effect. In a right turn the nose tends to drop or at least requires some left rudder to coordinate. In a left turn the nose tends to rise and requires left rudder to coordinate. Coordinated 360 degree turns still seem to be fairly equal in time. However I was flying at low altitude where I couldn't really let the nose drop too much in a right turn to help with the turn rate. Haven't tested it enough but this also seems to increase the tendency to stall if you're too aggressive with the initial bank beginning a turn. This is with the stock Camel 130 FM. Good night, folks. See you later this morning.

Ummmm...wait a minute. Doesn't the torque effect for an engine rotating clockwise cause the plane to pull to the LEFT?

Well, I'm having trouble getting off the ground with anything much higher than -15 for the MOI. At that setting ground handling is a bit more difficult but managable. In the air there is a definite drift/roll to the right. Doesn't seem to affect turn rate in either direction that much. I did stall twice trying a snap roll and turn to the left though. I'll play with the Gyroscopic Inertia values too. Maybe there is a combination of the two that will work better.

Actually the stock Camels don't fly straight and level hands off. They tend to climb and roll slightly to the left.

Not sure what you think is "correct" but a lot of these fighters in fact got into the air very quickly...much quicker than an F-18 for sure. Looking at a known example, the N 28 flown by Tallman and recounted in "Flying the Old Planes", had a takeoff roll estimated at 220ft. A quick in-game test with the N28 in FE comes very close if not spot on to that distance.

I'm not sure torque isn't modelled to some extent. Try slamming the throttle wide open on a Camel while sitting on the ground. You'd better have ahold of the stick.

Well I just enjoy tinkering around with this sim. I remembered some pilot accounts from the Battle of Britain (different era but still relevant perhaps) of them landing after a patrol and finding bullet holes in their planes. Often they had no idea they were being shot at or even, occasionally, that there were any enemy planes around.

Hello Gentlemen. There were 6 known failures of the N28's upper wing fabric. All were early on and it appears this flaw could be overcome by diligence on the pilot's part when pulling out of a steep, power on dive. Here's an interesting read if you haven't seen it already. http://www.airminded.net/n28/n28.html

Hmmm....a $400 upgrade (providing you already have the MO-Bo and power supply to handle it)? Somehow I don't find that a comforting thought to be able to fly two planes and STILL have to be online to do it.

I agree that the Camel should be one of the aircraft that should snap into a hard spin if you stall it.

Is it just the default skin or does it happen with any skin you select in the loadout screen? Check the aircraft .ini file and make sure there is a reference to [TextureSet001] and that there are no typos and such.

This is an excellent idea Mike. Thanks!

http://www.thirdwire.com/downloads_tools.htm

I've compiled some screenshots of some of the ground objects listed in the TYPES.ini. Thought it might be a handy reference for those interested. Now available in the downloads section.

Thanks Laton.

It would probably be easier to find another smaller explosion effect and change the corresponding WeaponData entry with the Weapon Editor. Not sure it will work but don't know why it wouldn't. [WeaponData001] TypeName=Bomb25lb FullName=25-lb Bomb ModelName=Cooper_20 Mass=11.340000 Diameter=0.127000 Length=0.660400 SubsonicDragCoeff=0.200000 SupersonicDragCoeff=0.770000 AttachmentType=NATO SpecificStationCode= NationName=USAS StartYear=0 EndYear=0 Availability=3 BaseQuantity=12 Exported=TRUE ExportStartYear=0 ExportEndYear=0 ExportAvailability=3 WeaponDataType=0 RailLaunched=FALSE Retarded=FALSE FinStabilized=TRUE SpinStabilized=FALSE EffectClassName=SmallBombEffects <---Change this entry DragAreaMultiplier=1.000000 WarheadType=0 Explosives=2.500000 FusingDistance=0.000000 ClusterBomblets=0 ClusterDispersion=0.000000 GuidanceType=0 Accuracy=0 MaxTurnRate=0.000000 MaxLaunchG=0.000000 LockonChance=0 LaunchReliability=0 ArmingTime=0.000000 SeekerFOV=0.000000 SeekerGimbleLimit=0.000000 SeekerTrackRate=0.000000 SeekerRange=0.000000 ReleaseAnimationID=-1 EODisplayFlags=0 CEP=0.000000

That should work. Just remember, as you said, that if you add the balloons and MGs to an existing target area the target numbers have to follow in sequence from the last entry. Also with the format given as examples you should be able to place a defended balloon anywhere on the map by making it a separate target. [TargetArea001] Name=Amagne Position=72626.00,162874.00 Radius=100 ActiveDate=01/01/0001 Location=1 Alignment=ENEMY Target[001].Type=Balloon Target[001].Offset=0.00,0.00 Target[001].Heading=0 Target[002].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[002].Offset=-210.00,175.00 Target[002].Heading=90.00 Target[003].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[003].Offset=-100.00,-240.00 Target[003].Heading=0.0 Target[004].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[004].Offset=240.00,-80.00 Target[004].Heading=270 Rename it something like Observation Balloon. Determine the coodinates where you want to put it either by using a mission editor or by flying around in "debug" mode. Then adding it to the Targets.ini like so: [TargetArea001] <---- Change to next Target Area in sequence Name=Observation Balloon Position= <---- Add new map coords Radius=100 ActiveDate=01/01/0001 Location=1 Alignment=ENEMY Target[001].Type=Balloon Target[001].Offset=0.00,0.00 Target[001].Heading=0 Target[002].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[002].Offset=-210.00,175.00 Target[002].Heading=90.00 Target[003].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[003].Offset=-100.00,-240.00 Target[003].Heading=0.0 Target[004].Type=ParabellumAAA Target[004].Offset=240.00,-80.00 Target[004].Heading=270 The only other thing you mention, Mike, is that the game subsitutes Archie for the MGs. Thats not supposed to happen. Make sure its says GroundObjectRole=RECON in the Parrabellum and Vickers Data.ini and you've added both guns to the Types.ini using the data provided in the download. Of course there should be some Archie around balloons too so unless you want to add it in addition to the MGs you can leave it like it is. ;)

There's an interesting thread on this at Thirdwire's forum. Seems that this mod might trade off game (physics engine performance) for the increase in graphics performance. Check your game fps with and without the mod and see if you get the same results. http://bbs.thirdwire.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6696

Thanks Mike. Once you figure it out target and ground object placement is not difficult its just a bit tedious. :yes:

Rather than shutting down the 'puter, unhooking everything, and hooking up the old HDD, I decided to just download everything. The new HDD is smokin'. Not too bad though...Eric has got downloads section here at CA SCREAMIN' fast!

Thanks Kevin and Baltika. I was mainly interested in the best base install to start with. I have most of the older stuff downloaded already on my old HDD but its been quite some time since I messed with it. I know you and others have been busy improving things and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Forums>Downloads>First Eagles by Thirdwire>First Eagles Skins.

Hey Dave. You missed a sound file for FE. Its called Breaking Apart Sound V2 by Shrikehawk. Its at the bottom of Page 4 in the SF/WO* Sounds section.

You know, I've had some odd sound problems with FE since I got my new 'puter and reinstalled everything. Sounds (like guns, engines, some other sound effects) tend to fade in and out all the time. I've checked all the sound files and the soundlist.ini...these are "stock" sounds too. Can't figure it out?